Midwest homicide. Burned blackened sunflower field. Body missing. Large black flies. No dental work; teeth clean as a whistle. Waterpik and floss. Black crows watching. A murder.

Private investigator. Retainer plus mileage, lodging, meals. Big black Buick bypassing back roads, sucking sunbaked blacktop. No GPS. Looking for bar, bed, breakfast.

Jon is a writer and collector of fountain pens and notebooks.