Crime 55: July 2001

While criminal trials may drag on for months or even years, a criminal act may take but only a moment.
Blink, and it's over.
You are hereby charged to write an entire crime in just fifty-five words. No more, no less.
How short is that, you might ask?
This little piece is exactly fifty-five words.

Once again there were some excellent entries. Thanks to Jennifer, Anne, and Dave for your help!

Here are the runner-up and winner:

DEATH FLOWERS by Devesh Sharma

He had done it. The bitch thought he still loved her and had let him in her apartment. He had cut her throat from behind...a nice easy job...

The police caught up with him two hours later. "You shouldn't have brought her those flowers," they said. "The inlay card had your marks all over."

And our winner:

THE PICKPOCKET by Clifford J. Aliperti

I chose my mark from the crowd because he wore the most expensive-looking suit. I approached him, bumped into him, and apologized by smoothing his jacket. His smile unnerved me. I hurried into a corner to look over the wallet. My own identification card was inside, my money gone. I had been the mark.

Congratulations to Clifford, who wins a copy of The World's Shortest Stories of Love and Death: Passion, Betrayal, Suspicion, Revenge, All This and More in a New Collection of Amazing Short Stories.

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