Charlie's mind reeled. As much as he wanted to go on vacation he couldn't actually refuse a case could he? This was precisely the reason he moved north to New Hampshire from Boston. To flee the rat race and politics of law enforcement. Sure he couldn't just cease what he'd been doing with conviction and pride for over fifteen years-the last few in Portsmouth. But his grand plan was a sound one. Work fewer and fewer cases for a couple of years sock away money and then terminate his Mickey Spillane shtick once and for all. No more cases. End of story. He could focus full time on doing what he loved-competitive extreme hiking. Yes-yes of course he couldn't take this case. He was just going to tell this person this attractive dainty female in a tailored gray pantsuit with manicured strawberry-red nails that he was about to leave the country today and nothing was going to stop him.

Michael Douglas is a full time practicing family physician who calls Saint Paul Minnesota home. He is a graduate of the Quillen College of Medicine of East Tennessee State University and specializes in geriatric medicine. The same passion that energizes him within the discipline of medicine is also the engine of his creativity in mystery writing. He is a proprietor of the popular Doctor Pundit blog - a compendium of political and social commentary (www.doctorpundit.com). He also uses the blog to write when he is not planning and writing his next great american novel. He counts running listening to music and cooking among his myriad interests.