Where The Apple Tree Dies Part 1

FICTION

A Henry James Series By P.G. & Sharon Barnett

My name is Henry James, and I’m a writer for Dark Sides of the Truth magazine.

During our last story, Shaundrika made Rick promise her two weeks of paid vacation in the Bahamas. My guess was Robert, the twins, and she was already there, basking in the sun and drinking rum punch.

Well, not Dante and Alicia.

So when I showed up at Dark Sides Monday morning, I was expecting the usual — Rick McDonnell roaming the hallways looking for a fledgling writer to chew up and spit out. Strangely enough, not only was he not tearing anybody into minuscule pieces, he was in his office, with the blinds up, sitting at his computer docilely sipping coffee.

Even more strange was the person sitting in the bullpen where my partner Sunny Alexander-Johnson typically sat. After rolling my satchel strap off of my shoulder and pulling out my laptop, I stared across the expanses of our desks.

“What the hell are you doing here, and why are you sitting at Sunny’s desk?”

“Good morning to you too, Henry. I had no idea this was her desk. Rick just told me to sit out here in the bullpen and wait until you showed up.”

“Really.”

“Yes, really. Are you always this pissy in the morning?”

“Look, Peters…”

“The name’s Sally. Wow, I think I liked you better when your partner was around.”

“Well, she ain’t, and she won’t be for a couple of weeks, so…”

The intercom sitting on Shaundrika’s desk crackled into life.

“Sally, I see Henry finally showed up. Will you two come into my office for a chat?”

Sally Peters arched an eyebrow at me, then stood and headed across the bullpen toward Rick’s office. Not that I could have caught up with her even if I wanted to, which I didn’t. After almost getting killed by an assassin driving a four thousand pound weapon, I was still leaning on a cane from time to time. When I walked in, Sally was sitting in the far left chair in front of Rick’s desk. Rick gestured at the remaining empty chair.

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