The Nightgown — Brad Parks

Shamus and Nero award-winning author Brad Parks takes readers back to the beginning of investigative reporter Carter Ross's career with this intriguing prequel short story. Only 24 years old and still a wide-eyed reporter for a tiny backwater newspaper, Ross is getting his crack at the big leagues with an interview at New Jersey's largest paper, The Eagle-Examiner. If -- that is -- he nails the interview and the on-the-spot writing test. Ross has never had a problem spinning a story, but provided with notes he didn't take and quotes he didn't hear it feels flat, and he's not so sure about his chances. So when a car crashes into a building in a nearby town and Carter overhears the assignments editor complaining that there's no one left in the building whom she can send out to cover the story, Carter jumps at the chance and quickly finds himself dangerously close to being in over his head in "The Nightgown," another stellar addition to Brad Parks's acclaimed mystery series.