HEY JUDE © 2014 BY FRANCES BRODY DEADLINE © 2014 BY N.J. COOPER THE DEATH OF SPIDERS © 2014 BERNIE CROSTHWAITE MOMENTS MUSICAUX © 2014 JUDITH CUTLER A LIBERATING AFFAIR © 2014 CAROL ANNE DAVIS A GLIMPSE OF HELL © 2014 MARTIN EDWARDS THE CONFESSIONS OF EDWARD PRIME © 2014 KATE ELLIS TELL IT TO THE BEES © 2014 JANE FINNIS PACIFIED © 2014 CHRISTOPHER FOWLER THE FRANKLIN’S SECOND TALE © 2014 PAUL FREEMAN SECOND CHANCE © 2014 JOHN HARVEY ALL YESTERDAY’S PARTIES © 2014 PAUL JOHNSTON PARTY OF TWO © 2014 RAGNAR JONASSON READER, I BURIED THEM © 2014 PETER LOVESEY THE LAST GUILTY PARTY © 2014 PHIL LOVESEY WHAT’S THE TIME, MR WOLF? © 2014 CHRISTINE POULSON THE WIDE OPEN SKY © 2014 KATE RHODES SKELETON CREW © 2014 CHRIS SIMMS FLATMATE WANTED: SMOKERS WELCOME © 2014 C.L. TAYLOR DIRECTOR’S CUT © 2014 ALINE TEMPLETON LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON © 2014 RICKI THOMAS GIVING SOMETHING BACK © 2014 L.C. TYLER THE ART OF OLD AGE © 2014 YVONNE EVE WALUS THE MAN IN THE NEXT BED © 2014 LAURA WILSON GUILTY PARTIES A Crime Writers’ Association Anthology Edited by Martin Edwards This eBook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which is was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicably copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly. First published in Great Britain and the USA 2014 by SEVERN HOUSE PUBLISHERS LTD of 19 Cedar Road, Sutton, Surrey, England, SM2 5DA. eBook edition first published in 2014 by Severn House Digital an imprint of Severn House Publishers Limited Collection Copyright © 2014 by Crime Writers’ Association Foreword Copyright © 2014 by Alison Joseph Introduction Copyright © 2014 by Martin Edwards For Copyright in the individual stories please consult the list here. The right of Edited by Martin Edwards to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with Copyright, Designs & Patents Act 1988. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Guilty parties : a Crime Writers’ Association anthology. 1. Detective and mystery stories, English. I. Edwards, Martin, 1955-editor of compilation. 823’.087208092-dc23 ISBN-13: 978-07278-8387-2 (cased) ISBN-13: 978-1-84751-516-2 (trade paper) ISBN-13: 978-1-78010-534-5 (ePub) Except where actual historical events and characters are being described for the storyline of this novel, all situations in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to living persons is purely coincidental. This ebook produced by Palimpsest Book Production Limited, Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland CONTENTS Cover Title Page Copyright Foreword – Alison Joseph Introduction – Martin Edwards Hey Jude – Frances Brody Deadline – N.J. Cooper The Death of Spiders – Bernie Crosthwaite Moments Musicaux – Judith Cutler A Liberating Affair – Carol Anne Davis A Glimpse of Hell – Martin Edwards The Confessions of Edward Prime – Kate Ellis Tell it to the Bees – Jane Finnis Pacified – Christopher Fowler The Franklin’s Second Tale – Paul Freeman Second Chance – John Harvey All Yesterday’s Parties – Paul Johnston Party of Two – Ragnar Jónasson Reader, I Buried Them – Peter Lovesey The Last Guilty Party – Phil Lovesey What’s the Time, Mr Wolf? – Christine Poulson The Wide Open Sky – Kate Rhodes Skeleton Crew – Chris Simms Flatmate Wanted: Smokers Welcome – C.L. Taylor Director’s Cut – Aline Templeton Like Father, Like Son – Ricki Thomas Giving Something Back – L.C. Tyler The Art of Old Age – Yvonne Eve Walus The Man in the Next Bed – Laura Wilson FOREWORD R ather like letter writing, or music on vinyl, the death of the short story seems to be constantly anticipated. ‘Oh, people don’t read short stories,’ it is said, in publishing circles, or by magazine editors. ‘The days of the short story are numbered.’ Well, if this volume is anything to go by, the short story, on the contrary, has a very healthy future. The short story is in the DNA of crime fiction. One only has to glance at the eminent history of the genre to see that short stories were absolutely central to the work of some of our greatest crime writers. There is the work of Conan Doyle, of course, but also the likes of Allingham, Christie, Chesterton and Simenon all knew that some tales demand the brevity and elegance that only a short story can give. This CWA Anthology continues that proud tradition. Since our foundation in 1953, the nature of crime writing has evolved and broadened, the characterization ever richer, the story-telling more exploratory, experimental, surprising. The genre continues to be popular because people love being told a proper story. A reader reaching for a crime story knows that they will be given a page-turning narrative and a real resolution. And the popularity of the short form of our genre reflects that. A crime short story can be writ large or small. It can describe the culmination of a lifetime in one moment of change; or, it can be a little tale of neat resolution. It can chart unimaginable evil, or quiet homicide, or just a dull day in a copper’s life. It can talk of death, of love, of vengeance. It can describe psychological torment, or the orderly processes of a detective’s puzzle-solving. Sometimes it doesn’t even need to have a crime. The CWA Anthology is always an opportunity to showcase the huge range of talent within the genre and the writers represented here are no exception. Some are familiar names, some are people who have never contributed before; some British, some from overseas. As a collection of work it proves the continued importance of short stories, an importance which I am sure will continue to grow, not only in print form, but also within the proliferations of web-based and electronic forms, so that a bite-sized chunk of narrative is just the thing for a short train journey, or a moment between meetings. I am delighted to introduce this collection and to celebrate the work of the featured authors. I also wish to thank, once again, our publishers, Severn House, and our wonderful editor, Martin Edwards. And as even a cursory dipping-in will demonstrate, the crime short story is in robust form, and all set to continue the rich tradition of the genre. Alison Joseph CWA Chair