You Know What You Did, by Karen Harrington

"You Know What You Did," by Karen Harrington, in Trouble in Texas, edited by Michael Bracken, North Dallas Chapter of Sisters in Crime, 2025.

This is the third story by Harrington to make my list.  By coincidence it is her third story about Dr. Kellog. I say coincidence because this is the first time those two groups have overlapped, if you follow me.

Serena's daughter has been kidnapped.  At least, that's how Serena sees it.  Reasonable people may disagree.   (Is Ava a minor or has she turned eighteen? The story is ambiguous, as far as I can tell.)  

What is clear is that Ava has been collected by the insufferable parents of her boyfriend who won't allow Serena any contact with her.

So Serena goes to the aforementioned Dr. Kellog who runs a Remedy Clinic.  His solutions are, shall we say, not mainstream (and non-violent, by the way).

I won't reveal any more about this charming tale except to say, while it's not a particularly funny story, one line made me laugh out loud.

Two Birds, One Todd, by Karen Harrington

 

"Two Birds, One Todd," by Karen Harrington, in Shotgun Honey.

This is the second appearance by Harrington in my column this year.

I think five or six flash stories have made it to my best-of-the-week list.  This story could probably have been expanded to three or four times its current length, but it wouldn't have made it a better story.  All the details you need are here.

Todd comes to clean the pool just as Ava is backing out of her driveway.  There is a fatal collision.

Such a tragedy.  Imagine how devastated Todd's widow must be.  She's the one at the funeral with big dark glasses to cover the last time he slapped her...

I did not see where this clever tale was headed.

Boo Radley College Prep, by Karen Harrington

 

"Boo Radley College Prep," by Karen Harrington, in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, January/February 2021.

As I have said before, sometimes I read the first page of a story and find myself silently telling the author: You got something good here.  Don't screw it up.  Harrington, it turns out,  is not a screw-up.

Which is more than we can say about Tony Reyes.  He is fifteen years old, short on luck and, he will tell you, short on brains.  A hurricane has forced him and his mother to move in with the brother of his deceased father, and it isn't a happy or healthy home.

Right down the block, however, is what his uncle calls "the Boo Radley house," a spooky looking joint whose owner never seems to appear in public.  Curiosity - and the hopes of earning chore money - causes Tony to visit.

And there he meets a grouchy old man with a lot of brains and a good reason to hide from the public.

Two desperate souls in situations that are only getting worse.  Can they help each other somehow?

Hell of a story.