Charles Heath's writing blog

A picture paints ... well, as many words as you like.  For instance:       And, then, the words:   ... Everyone always wants to change their circumstances, particularly if you are among those who are not so well off. My father always said, whenever we complained about not having enough money to go on holiday or buy something we needed, that there was always someone worse off than we were. As a child, I could hardly believe that was true when it looked like everyone else had everything they wanted. As an adult, I promised myself that I would never be in those circumstances and that I would always have enough money. And, of course, what you want, what you would like, and what really happens are very different outcomes, and no matter how much planning, and how many contingency plans you have in place, a single event can wreck everything.   When you open the front door and see policemen, two thoughts cross your mind.  The first, they're at the...

A picture paints ... well, as many words as you like.  For instance:     And, then, the words:   ... Back at the hotel, safe and sound, I spent an hour in the shower washing away the grime and smell of the last few days in captivity. Time, too, for some thought. I knew the kidnapping wasn't part of Suzanne's fun weekend and had to wonder what it was she had in store for Madeleine and I. Was she playing matchmaker, or was she trying to find out if she would be jealous if I was seeing another woman?  To be honest, I just didn't understand her, but then, she had too much money and too much free time on her hands, a recipe, sometimes, for disaster. It was the main reason why our father expected us to work for a living and understand the value of money.  We had been brought to believe we would never get handouts, and if we wanted to inherit anything we would have to prove our worthiness. That's why I couldn't understand why my father was so keen for m...

A picture paints ... well, as many words as you like.  For instance:   And, then, the words:   Are you sure you want to do this?   It was a routine call, that a man was behaving strangely in a shopping mall.  It was passed from mall security to the local police, and then, when the man became agitated and produced a weapon, they called in the next line of police, and they called us. At the scene, I counted 12 police cars, marked and unmarked, a van, SWAT, several fire and rescue trucks, and a host of bystanders, all crowding at the barrier that was set far too close to the exit. "You don't mind if I take the lead on this one?"  Josephine had been my partner for the last six months, at first training on the job, then started taking cases.  This would be her second. "Not at all.  You're ready." It was a relief, the last event was difficult, long, and both mentally and physically exhausting, but we saved the wife and two children.  T...

A picture paints ... well, as many words as you like.  For instance:   And, then, the words:   Fabio at one end, Amy and guards at the other, I’m in the control room, and Benito just walked in.  Was this Amy’s master plan?  Scare the living hell out of Fabio?  Had she told Benito about Gabrielle? There were a dozen unanswered questions going through my mind, but the one at the top of the pile was, what was she doing?  The answer I least wanted to believe; was that she had been working with Benito all along. And if that was the case, and if Benito was in a forgiving mood with his son-in-law, then I might be in trouble.  My mind cast over the events leading up to getting to this place, and I could see at least three instances where it could be said she was working for Benito, or even Fabio if I wanted to go down that rabbit hole. I watched Fabio’s expression change from incredulous to fearful. Maybe I was not the target.  Y...

A picture paints ... well, as many words as you like.  For instance:       And, then, the words:     Henry had about fifteen minutes to get his head back in the game.   Killing two men in what was almost cold blood didn’t sit well with him, but he had convinced himself it was necessary. Had he not, they would have shot him without hesitation. It was a world he was going to have to get acclimatised to and fast.  They were heading towards the lion’s den.  Mary had got another call, with coordinates where the call she’d made to was located.  Another unbelievably bad mistake on their part. Or, perhaps, the opposition they were up against was not that clever. Or, Henry began to consider, that this was a simulation and he was just playing a part, one that would decide whether he was in or out.  The only thing that went against that theory was the very real death of the man at the van.  We were heading towar...

A picture paints ... well, as many words as you like.  For instance:   And, then, the words:       Although that feeling of uneasiness didn't pass, it did eventually give way to overwhelming tiredness.  I tried to stay awake, but the events and emotional roller-coaster of the past few days had taken a toll, not only on me but on the both of us. They say that being caught up in cataclysmic events either strengthens the ties between you or fractures the relationship, and it seemed to me that whatever I might have thought existed between us, was probably not there at all. So much for a pleasant few days in Hong Kong planning Suzanne's little games.  I guess even she could not have predicted what had happened. I looked over at Madeleine, and in the dingy light, looked asleep.  I could only imagine what she was feeling about all of this, a brother that may or may not have been involved, and a friend who didn't seem to be a friend b...

A picture paints ... well, as many words as you like.  For instance:     And, then, the words:   Almost a year to the day, Kyle had been surprised to get an email from Janine, the wife of his brother Daniel. When Daniel had arrived on his doorstep, he wasn't exactly a mess, but he had been struggling to understand why his wife of over twenty years would betray him as she had. To Kyle, though, it wasn't exactly a revelation. He had known the moment he saw her, just before the wedding, what type of woman she was. Definitely not monogamous. After all, he had seen her off and on during the six months he had been working in Washington, not only with Michael, but with several other men of varying degrees of importance, and not once as just good friends. And, after he left, to get away from that toxic environment, and an equally toxic relationship with a woman he accidentally discovered was lying to him about not being married, he had learned that Janine had been havin...