A short story from the Unofficial Case Files { { o } } About a week before Klocke and Haiden go to meet the survivors of Trouble School, Klocke finds himself faced with something more frightening than all the ghosts and all the killers he's ever faced, and ever will face. A date with his new girlfriend, the psychologist, Anabell Newland. But before he gets much opportunity to stress about it, his partner, Jennifer Haiden, shows up on his doorstep with a Christmas gift. Only he didn't get anything for anyone. Not even Ana. And, of course, last-minute Christmas shopping wouldn't be any fun without an explosion and a lunatic with a knife hell-bent on bloodshed. { { o } } I hope you enjoy this little snippet between The Messenger and Trouble School! And Merry (belated) Christmas to you all!

Book Two of the Unofficial Case Files { { o } } Ten years ago, Detective Rodney Klocke had his first encounter with the supernatural. The case cost him his partner and closest friend, Doug Norgaard. A man who knew far more than he ever could've shared. Klocke had managed to forget this warp in reality, for the most part. Surely he'd only imagined all that? Ghosts? They don't exist. Except they do. It used to be his only officially unsolved case. Though he knew who the killer had been. While he's successfully solved every case placed on his desk since, his luck with partners hasn't improved. Save for Jennifer Haiden, who survived not only being the captive of a psychopathic killer, but has so far managed to survive being his partner. When Klocke finds an invitation to a ten-year highschool reunion on his desk (one with a personal letter to him written on the back), he's forced to revisit that case from all those years ago. He's forced to remember why he can't let anyone get too close. Because he might be more than jinxed. He might be cursed. { { o } } COMPLETELY EDITED

Book One of the Unofficial Case Files { { o } } Detective Rodney Klocke has always been a quiet man. He doesn't like to talk more than is necessary, and next to nothing escapes his notice. That's part of what makes him such a good detective. Though his overall silence can be somewhat cumbersome at times, which is why Corduroy's Chief of Police is always assigning him a new partner, looking for someone that Klocke won't reject. Or rather, someone who can survive him. This year's newest model happens to be the young and eager Jennifer Haiden, who, as it happens, just cannot stop talking. Ever. Life just gets better when a murder victim turns up burned to death in the local Rosauers parking lot, and that's not even the best part. The killing was reported by the killer, a man calling himself "The Messenger." Nothing is as simple as it seems. Fear is the Messenger's weapon of choice, the voice in his head being the thing that drives him to use it. But is the voice a mere symptom of psychopathy, or something more sinister? As more people are killed, the body count goes up, and Klocke's remaining patience goes down. Can he solve this murder with the help of his new polar opposite partner? Or will he go mad just trying to remain sane? { { o } } Highest rank in Mystery: #127 Thanks to @WhispersConfusions! I wouldn't be able to do the badges on the cover without her! COMPLETELY EDITED