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    Late Show
    Late Show
    Late Show
    Ebook63 pages50 minutes

    Late Show

    By Ian Barker

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    A collection of nine short stories ranging from crime to comedy.

    Late Show - a late night radio phone in takes a sinister turn.

    Writer’s Block - sometimes you just need to look out of the window.

    No Shrine for Samantha - a father takes revenge.

    Rough Justice - Will’s past comes back to haunt him.

    The Buzz - an old robber looks back.

    Moronic Martin Meets His Match - the tables are turned on the school bully.

    The Waiting Room - all is not quite as it seems.

    The Wrong Life - a store manager ponders his career.

    Imaginary Friends - an aunt worries about her nephew.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherIan Barker
    Release dateAug 24, 2012
    ISBN9781476034201
    Late Show
    Author

    Ian Barker

    Ian has always dabbled in writing since leaving school. However, he spent almost 20 years working in IT before he discovered that writing about computers was easier than fixing them. He is a former editor of PC Utilities magazine and now lives and works as a freelance writer in Greater Manchester, UK. He doesn't own a dishwasher. Fallen Star is his début novel published by Rebel e Publishers.

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      Book preview

      Late Show - Ian Barker

      Late Show

      (and other stories)

      Ian Barker

      Copyright (c) Ian Barker 2012

      Cover image iStockphoto

      First Smashwords edition September 2012

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission of the Author.

      All characters in these stories are fictional. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

      Smashwords licence

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Contents

      Late Show

      Writer’s Block

      No Shrine for Samantha

      Rough Justice

      The Buzz

      Moronic Martin Meets His Match

      The Waiting Room

      The Wrong Life

      Imaginary Friends

      Late Show

      ‘Hello, you’re through to the Fabulous Martin Pride Late Show.’

      The fabulous was Martin's own addition. The station manager didn't like it, but Martin was proud – Pride by name, proud by nature, his little joke – enough to know that he was better than this crummy graveyard slot. He slid open the fader and nodded to his producer to stand by on the cut-off. The show broadcast on a thirty second delay to filter out abusive callers.

      ‘Is that you, Martin?’ The voice sounded calm, if slightly uncertain. Mid to late twenties, Martin guessed. There was a hint of a north-east accent.

      ‘It certainly is, and your name?’

      ‘Er . . . Kenny . . . My name's Kenny.’

      ‘Welcome to the show, Kenny.’ False name, too much hesitation to be genuine. ‘What do you want to talk about tonight?’

      A long pause ensued and Martin thought for a split-second that the line had gone dead. He hated this job, everyone thought a career in radio was glamorous. Yet here he was, close to midnight, sat listening to the freaks and the weirdos with their sob stories and their rants. Several times he'd thought about resigning, but – as Alison, his wife, was quick to remind him – there was the mortgage to pay.

      ‘I want to talk about murder.’

      ‘Okay, Kenny. Is that any particular murder? Or just about the crime in general?’ Please, God, thought Martin, spare me another right-wing law and order nut.

      Another pause, shorter than the last. Martin watched through the glass as the producer lifted his eyebrows in frustration. Producer, that was a laugh, the kid was barely out of romper suits. And he had an annoying habit of calling him Marty; only Alison called him that.

      ‘One particular murder, Martin.’

      ‘And which murder would that be?’ Odds on it's that girl who was killed last week, or maybe one of Shipman's lot. And if it's one case he won't be a right-winger, more likely some wishy-washy, liberal reformer. A glance at the wall-clock next to the glowing red on-air sign. Jeez, twenty minutes to go before the news.

      ‘The one I just committed.’

      The words left a gaping hole in the air like a sonic boom. Martin sat bolt upright in his seat. He saw the producer's hand move for the cut-off and waved frantically across the studio for him to stop. ‘You're saying you just committed a murder?’ A hint of tension showed through the smooth radio persona.

      ‘That's right, Martin.’

      ‘Well, Kenny, sounds interesting. Would you like to tell us more about it?’ Martin trod carefully, fighting to keep the excitement from his voice, he suspected a crank call. But if this was for real he needed to keep the caller on the line. This could be an important, no an historic, piece of broadcasting. No more late-night talk shows. A life of drive-time slots and opening record stores flashed briefly through Martin's thoughts before Kenny spoke again.

      ‘I didn't

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