A life that did not exist
Al Watson leaned back in his chair and surveyed his office for the last time.
His eyes scanned the college diplomas on the wall, the athletic trophies in the bookcase...
A question of manners
It was a nice weekend afternoon when he and his wife decided to grab something to eat at the food court of the local mall.
Typical Saturday at the mall....
Readin’, writin’ & getting it on
Angela is ready for school.
She has her books, last night's homework, some money for lunch, and a box of condoms.
Just another 12-year-old headed out the door for a day...
Change of heart
Thursday afternoon. Rush hour. Thom Hendrickson felt the first twinge of pain as he turned his Honda off the Beltway onto Chain Bridge Road in Northern Virginia.
It wasn’t much...
Love, D.C. style
He woke up before dawn, as he often does after a night of drinking.
With a full bladder, he struggled out of bed and headed for the bathroom, but the...
Gone in 42 seconds
Thursday night. Northwest Washington, D.C. Late. Very late.
Leon and Maxie are crusin', looking for a silver S-Class Mercedes.
Any silver S-Class Mercedes.
"Look," Leon points to a side street off Connecticut...
The killers among us
Zipper lights his ninth cigarette of the hour and leans back on the couch. He exhales and resumes talking about the demons that have haunted him for the last...
I said ‘I do’ but it can mean ‘not always’
Mariah waits in the Arlington Hospital emergency room, dreading what she knows is coming.
When the doctor walks in, she cringes. Christ, another man. The last thing she needs.
"What seems...
Going broke on a million a year
At 10:30 on a rainy Friday morning in a Maryland civil courtroom, George and Sally sat and listened as a bankruptcy judge parceled out what little was left of...
One day, maybe people will understand
She sips her coffee slowly and examines the cup, searching for the best way to put her feelings into words.
"I’m not quite sure how to describe this," she says.
Why...