"Your 10th Bond Is Free!, by Wendall Thomas, Crime Under the Sun, A Sisters in Crime Anthology, edited by Matt Coyle, Naomi Hirahara, and Tammy Kaehler, Down and Out Books, 2023.
Ava is struggling to keep the family business afloat after her father's death. The business happens to be As You Were Bail Bonds. This means that as she grew up her family friends were cops and petty criminals. Petty because her father didn't have enough money to bail out, say murderers.
Our business model depended on aspirational, incompetent criminals accused of crimes with a bail amount under twenty-five grand.
I love that word aspirational.
When her business card is found in a homicide victim's pocket Ava's life and career are endangered. A quirky story that provides a new look at the bail bond business.
