Jack Bates

Inviting the reformed felon in the family to Thanksgiving dinner may not seem like a good idea, especially when the table is surrounded by valuables. Of course, sometimes the real criminal in the family may not be as obvious. This short story appears in the Thanksgiving mystery anthology THE KILLER WORE CRANBERRY.

Hack Ward thought he had found a niche market for his skills as a private investigator when Hollywood came to Detroit. When washed up director Will Peyton gets pegged to direct a low-brow family comedy starring a chimp and a perpetual bad-girl pop star, Hack gets brought in by Peyton to keep an eye on starlet Haley Goslin. It's not because Peyton is concerned about her image; it's because Peyton is in love with the younger woman and doesn't want her fooling around on him. It isn't long, howeve... more info>>