Here is a sneak peek of a short story which has been sitting in my “to later be finished” folder.  This preview presents the beginning of the story in a very unfinished format.  There is more editing and work to be done.  Right now, the title is “On the Run.”

Dateline:  St. Louis (30 years ago)

The First National Bank was robbed at gunpoint this morning.  The amount of cash taken appears to exceed one million dollars.  Police confirmed that the outlaw couple of Liz and Winston pulled off the heist.

Thirty years later . . .

On a bright, sunny May morning, Carl steps into the kitchen to kiss his bride of 30 years.  Emma is preparing his favorite breakfast with an extra helping of love.  The kitchen is filled with the delicious smells of crispy bacon, hot coffee, and perfectly browned waffles.

As Carl enjoys a perfect breakfast with Emma, their thoughts center on the plans for the day.  The couple, living near Noxon, appreciates the isolated beauty of northwestern Montana.  With a population just over 200, the small town atmosphere suits Carl and Emma just fine.  Noxon sits along Montana Highway 200 with the Clark Fork River flowing about a quarter mile from their cozy cabin.

Today is Wednesday, which means a trip to town for Carl and Emma. They complete their weekly shopping one day each week, and Wednesday offers them a chance to leave their pristine, yet isolated home.  Since Carl and Emma arrived in the area nearly 30 years ago, they live almost like hermits in the trees along the Clark Fork.  Very few of the local folks pay much attention to the quiet, retired couple.

As Carl and Emma prepare for their weekly shopping in Noxon, a newcomer arrives in town.  Pete Martin, formerly Chief Detective Martin of the St. Louis Police Department, has traveled to the northwestern corner of Montana for a long-awaited fishing trip.  Since losing his wife to a long-term illness a few years ago, his friends have been urging the retired detective to take such a journey.

Now that you have read the beginning of the story, I am sure your mind is filling with what may happen next.  There is much work to go on this story, and dialogue needs to be added between the three main characters.   I don’t have an exact completion date in mind, but sometime this fall should be a tentative deadline.