The Best American Mystery Stories 2010 Read online




  GUEST EDITORS OF

  THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES

  1997 ROBERT B. PARKER

  1998 SUE GRAFTON

  1999 ED MCBAIN

  2000 DONALD E. WESTLAKE

  2001 LAWRENCE BLOCK

  2002 JAMES ELLROY

  2003 MICHAEL CONNELLY

  2004 NELSON DEMILLE

  2005 JOYCE CAROL OATES

  2006 SCOTT TUROW

  2007 CARL HIAASEN

  2008 GEORGE PELECANOS

  2009 JEFFERY DEAVER

  2010 LEE CHILD

  Copyright

  First published in the United States of America in 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

  This edition first published in Great Britain in 2010 by Corvus, an imprint of Atlantic Books Ltd.

  Copyright © 2010 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

  Introduction copyright © 2010 by Lee Child

  The moral right of Lee Child to be identified as the editor of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents act of 1988.

  The Best American Series® is a registered trademark of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

  The Best American Mystery StoriesTM is a trademark of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  ISBN: 978-0-857-89153-2

  First eBook Edition: January 2010

  Corvus

  An imprint of Atlantic Books Ltd

  Ormond House

  26-27 Boswell Street

  London WC1N 3JZ

  www.corvus-books.co.uk

  “Charlie and the Pirates” by Gary Alexander. First published in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, January/February 2009. Copyright © 2009 by Gary Alexander. Reprinted by permission of Gary Alexander.

  “The Emerald Coast” by R. A. Allen. First published in The Literary Review, Summer 2009. Copyright © 2009 by R. A. Allen. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “An Early Christmas” by Doug Allyn. First published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, January 2009. Copyright © 2009 by Doug Allyn. Reprinted by permission of Doug Allyn.

  “Maynard” by Mary Stewart Atwell. First published in Alaska Quarterly Review, Fall/Winter 2009. Copyright © 2009 by Mary Stewart Atwell. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Dredge” by Matt Bell. First published in Hayden’s Ferry Review, Fall/Winter 2009–2010. Copyright © 2009 by Matt Bell. Reprinted by permission of Matt Bell.

  “A Jury of His Peers” by Jay Brandon. First published in Murder Past, Murder Present, September 15, 2009. Copyright © 2009 by Jay Brandon. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Designer Justice” by Phyllis Cohen. First published in The Prosecution Rests, April 14, 2009. Copyright © 2009 by Herbert Cohen. Reprinted by permission of Herbert Cohen.

  “The Cross-Eyed Bear” by John Dufresne. First published in Boston Noir, November 1, 2009. Copyright © 2009 by John Dufresne. Reprinted by permission of John Dufresne.

  “The Case of Colonel Warburton’s Madness” by Lyndsay Faye. First published in Sherlock Holmes in America, November 1, 2009. Copyright © 2009 by Lyndsay Faye. Reprinted by permission of Lyndsay Faye.

  “The First Rule Is” by Gar Anthony Haywood. First published in Black Noir, March 3, 2009. Copyright © 2009 by Gar Anthony Haywood. Reprinted by permission of Gar Anthony Haywood.

  “Killing Time” by Jon Land. First published in Thriller 2, May 26, 2009. Copyright © 2009 by Jon Land. Reprinted by permission of International Thriller Writers and Mira.

  “Animal Rescue” by Dennis Lehane. First published in Boston Noir, November 1, 2009. Copyright © 2009 by Dennis Lehane. Reprinted by permission of Ann Rittenberg Literary Agency, Inc.

  “Tell Me” by Lynda Leidiger. First published in Gettysburg Review, Summer 2009. Copyright © 2009 by Lynda Leidiger. Reprinted by permission of Lynda Leidiger.

  “The House on Pine Terrace” by Phillip Margolin. First published in Thriller 2, May 26, 2009. Copyright © 2009 by Phillip Margolin. Reprinted by permission of Phillip Margolin.

  “Bias” by Chris Muessig. First published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, July 1, 2009. Copyright © 2009 by Chris Muessig. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Bismarck Rules” by Albert Tucher. First published in Oregon Literary Review, Summer/Fall 2009. Copyright © 2009 by Albert Tucher. Reprinted by permission of Albert Tucher.

  “Ed Luby’s Key Club” from Look at the Birdie: Unpublished Short Fiction by Kurt Vonnegut, copyright © 2009 by The Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Trust. Used by permission of Delacorte Press, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.

  “Custom Sets” by Joseph Wallace. First published in The Prosecution Rests, April 14, 2009. Copyright © 2009 by Joseph Wallace. Reprinted by permission of Joseph Wallace.

  “The Shipbreaker” by Mike Wiecek. First published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, March/April 2009. Copyright © 2009 by Mike Wiecek. Reprinted by permission of Michael Wiecek.

  “Blood and Dirt” by Ryan Zimmerman. First published in Thuglit, issue 34, November/December 2009. Copyright © 2009 by Ryan Zimmerman. Reprinted by permission of Ryan Zimmerman.

  Contents

  Cover

  GUEST EDITORS OF THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES

  Copyright

  Foreword

  Introduction

  GARY ALEXANDER

  Charlie and the Pirates

  R. A. ALLEN

  The Emerald Coast

  DOUG ALLYN

  An Early Christmas

  MARY STEWART ATWELL

  Maynard

  MATT BELL

  Dredge

  JAY BRANDON

  A Jury of His Peers

  PHYLLIS COHEN

  Designer Justice

  JOHN DUFRESNE

  The Cross-Eyed Bear

  LYNDSAY FAYE

  The Case of Colonel Warburton’s Madness

  GAR ANTHONY HAYWOOD

  The First Rule Is

  JON LAND

  Killing Time

  DENNIS LEHANE

  Animal Rescue

  LYNDA LEIDIGER

  Tell Me

  PHILLIP MARGOLIN

  The House on Pine Terrace

  CHRIS MUESSIG

  Bias

  ALBERT TUCHER

  Bismarck Rules

  KURT VONNEGUT

  Ed Luby’s Key Club

  JOSEPH WALLACE

  Custom Sets

  MIKE WIECEK

  The Shipbreaker

  RYAN ZIMMERMAN

  Blood and Dirt

  Contributors’ Notes

  Other Distinguished Mystery Stories of 2009

  Foreword

  EVERY YEAR, when I sit down to write the foreword to the new edition of The Best American Mystery Stories, two thoughts leap to mind. The first is: what can I write about that I haven’t written about in the previous volumes? The second is: does anyone actually read it anyway, or do they (wisely) go straight to the fiction?

  Well, just in case this book has found its way into the hands of a completist reader, here are a few things you should know.

  Mystery is a very bro
ad genre that includes any story in which a crime (usually murder) or the threat of a crime (creating suspense) is central to the plot or theme. Detective stories are one subgenre, others being crime (often told from the point of view of the criminal), suspense (impending man-made calamity), espionage (crimes against the state, which potentially have more victims than a single murder), and such sub-subgenres as police procedurals, historicals, humor, puzzles, private eyes, noir, and so on.

  If you are expecting to read a bunch of what mostly passes for detective stories these days, you will be disappointed. Almost no one writes distinguished tales of ratiocination; observation of hidden clues and the deductions a brilliant detective makes of them is largely a lost art. Most contemporary detective stories rely on coincidence, luck, a confession, or flashes of insight by the detective (whether private eye, police officer, or an amateur who has taken time off from his or her primary occupation of cooking, gardening, knitting, writing, hair-dressing, or shopping).

  Mystery fiction today is primarily devoted to the notion of “whydunit” rather than “howdunit” or “whodunit.” Therefore, most tales are based on psychological scrutiny, whether by a detective, by the reader, or by the protagonist.

  The line between mystery fiction and literary fiction has become almost totally blurred. Such mystery writers as Elmore Leonard, Robert B. Parker, Dennis Lehane, George Pelecanos, James Ellroy, and others are certainly writing literary works. Such mainstream literary writers as Joyce Carol Oates, Michael Chabon, Paul Auster, Jonathan Lethem, Salman Rushdie, and others have written stories and books of mystery, crime, and suspense.

  This collection is devoted to the best-written mystery stories published in the 2009 calendar year. You can call them mysteries or crime stories or literary stories, and you will be right. The goal, as it is every year (and this is the fourteenth edition), is to collect the very best mysteries of the year, and I think we have succeeded—again.

  The “we” referred to above includes my colleague Michele Slung, who examines thousands of stories every year to find the most worthy; Nat Sobel, the greatest agent in the world, whose impeccable taste has discovered dozens of first-rate tales that have been recommended for inclusion; the scores of editors of literary journals who keep me on their subscription lists and often point out work that merits extra attention; and of course, Lee Child, the guest editor. It is a cause of astonishment as well as gratitude that Child, an author who hits number one on bestseller lists in America, England, and who knows where else, was willing to take time out from a very full schedule to read the fifty stories I selected as the best of the year (or, at least, my favorites) and pick the top twenty, as well as write a superb, thoughtful introduction.

  Also important, if less directly, to the ongoing success of this series are the previous guest editors, who have generously lavished so much time and attention on these annual volumes: the late Robert B. Parker, Sue Grafton, Evan Hunter (Ed McBain), Donald E. West-lake, Lawrence Block, James Ellroy, Michael Connelly, Nelson De-Mille, Joyce Carol Oates, Scott Turow, Carl Hiaasen, George Pelecanos, and Jeffery Deaver.

  While I engage in a nearly obsessive quest to locate and read every mystery/crime/suspense story published, I live in paranoid fear that I will miss a worthy story, so if you are an author, editor, or publisher, or care about one, please feel free to send a book, magazine, or tear sheet to me, c/o The Mysterious Bookshop, 58 Warren Street, New York, NY 10007. If it first appeared electronically, you must submit a hard copy. It is vital to include the author’s contact information. No unpublished material will be considered for what should be obvious reasons. No material will be returned. If you distrust the postal service, enclose a self-addressed, stamped postcard.

  To be eligible, a story must have been written by an American or Canadian and first published in an American or Canadian publication in the calendar year 2010. The earlier in the year I receive the story, the more fondly I regard it. For reasons known only to the dimwits (no offense) who wait until Christmas week to submit a story published the previous spring, this happens every year, causing much gnashing of teeth as I read a stack of stories while my wife and friends are trimming the Christmas tree or otherwise celebrating the holiday season. It had better be an extraordinarily good story if you do this because I will start reading it with barely contained rage. Since there is necessarily a very tight production schedule for this book, the absolute firm deadline for a story to reach me is December 31. If the story arrives twenty-four hours later, it will not be read. Really.

  O. P.

  Introduction

  EVERYONE SEEMS TO KNOW what a short story is, but there is very little in the way of theoretical discussion of the form. A tentative definition is often approached from two directions simultaneously: first, Edgar Allan Poe is quoted as being suspicious of the novel, preferring instead that which can be consumed at a single sitting; and then Mark Twain is quoted as saying — of a letter, not a story — “I’m sorry this is so long; I had no time to make it shorter.”

  Some people attribute the second quotation to Pascal, but Twain is always a safe bet for quotes, and in either case the counterintuitive meaning is clear: it takes more time and greater effort to hone a narrative into a short form than to let it run a longer course. Combined with Poe’s concept of the “single sitting,” the short story is therefore seen as a delightfully well-crafted jewel, to be enjoyed by the connoisseur in the same way as a great meal or a glass of fine wine is enjoyed by a gourmet.

  I’m not so sure.

  To take issue with Poe first: his quote is full of self-interest. No one form has an inherent superiority over any other. All writers are scufflers at heart. We’re all trying to earn our daily bread, and we’ll do whatever sells. Poe’s “single-sitting-as-a-virtue” trope was driven by what the market wanted. He was trying to keep the wolf from the door by writing for periodicals, of which there was a huge and increasing number during his lifetime. Believe me, if he could have sold thousand-page novels, he would have, and today he would be remembered for extolling their manifest superiority over shorter fiction. But the market wanted bite-size pieces, so bite-size pieces were what he wrote. Charles Dickens was in the same boat, but Dickens just broke up his (thousand-page) novels into chunks, and they were printed sequentially, to great acclaim, not least because the desire to know what happened next proved so powerful. Arthur Conan Doyle was somewhere between the two; the Sherlock Holmes canon is certainly mainly a series of short stories, but “Sherlock Holmes” is also a single, massive entity, loved and enjoyed for its totality rather than its episodic nature, as if the whole arc exists independently of its disjointed publication history, as one giant mega-novel.

  And to take issue with the assumption behind the Twain quote: I absolutely guarantee that none of the stories in this anthology took longer to write than their authors’ various novels. Not even remotely close. Yes, each sentence is crafted and polished; yes, each story was read and revised and then reread and revised again — but so is every sentence and chapter in a novel, and novels are much longer than short stories, and the effort expended is entirely proportional.

  So, are the short stories in this collection not delightfully well-crafted jewels to be enjoyed by the connoisseur in the same way as a great meal or a glass of fine wine? Well, yes, they are, but not for the reasons given by conventional wisdom, but for a whole bunch of different reasons.

  Short stories allow a little freedom. In their careers as novelists, the authors presented here are all, to some degree, locked into what they write, by economics and expectations. But in today’s market, short stories have neither a real economic upside or downside; nor are they constrained to any real degree by reader expectation. So authors can write about different things, and more especially they can write in different ways.

  Novels are assembled like necklaces, from a long sequence of ideas that combine like gemstones and knots; short stories can contain only one idea. Novels must take aim at the center mass of the
ir amalgam of issues; short stories can strike glancing blows, even to the point of defining the idea only by implication. (As in Ernest Hemingway’s famous six-word story: “For Sale. Baby Shoes. Never Worn.”) To some degree the slightness of — or the partial knowledge of — the central issue or idea becomes a virtue. For instance, I was once in an expensive boutique on Madison Avenue in New York City. It sold pens and notebooks and things like that. A woman asked to see some Filofaxes — small leather ring-binders designed for personal clerical use. She was shown two. She dialed her cell phone and said, “They have blue and green.” She listened to the reply and said, “I am not being passive-aggressive!”

  Now, there is no way that eavesdropping incident could inspire a novel. There’s not enough there. But it could inspire a short story. Every writer has a mental file labeled “Great Ideas, Can’t Use Them in My Novels,” and short stories are where those ideas can find release.

  Equally, every writer has mental files labeled “Great Voices, Can’t . . .” and “Great Characters, Can’t . . .” and “Great Scenarios, Can’t . . .” and so on. Noir writers might want to try a sweeter setup at some point, and “PG” writers might hanker after a real “R” rating — or even an “XXX.” The short story market is where those wings can be spread. The result is often a between-the-lines feeling of freshness, enthusiasm, experimentation, and enjoyment on the author’s part. That’s the feeling you’ll find in this collection, and perhaps that feeling brings us to a better definition of exactly what a short story is — in today’s culture, at least: short stories are a home run derby . . . the pressures of the long baseball season are put to one side, and everyone smiles and relaxes and swings for the fences.

  LEE CHILD

  G A R Y A L E X A N D E R

  Charlie and the Pirates

  FROM Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine