“LIAR!” Alex screamed at his ex-wife Kat Barringer-Holmes as his vehicle swerved to avoid an oncoming car and he went through a red traffic light.

     Alex Barringer snarled at his ex-wife Kat through the storm door of her home. His fist barreled through the glass window from which he stared at her. Shattering glass sprayed Kat and her friend Lexi who were standing inside the breezeway near the garage.

     He reached inside the storm door and thrust the lever upward unlocking it, blood running down his thickly muscular arm and off his hand. “You stup...

Ronny Quinn of Quinn Security Agency stood at the helm of the agency's conference table. Fifteen undercover agents were ready to hear the mornings’ briefings. "Agent Astolfi, hit the lights. Will you?" Ronny picked up the projector remote.

Maverick Astolfi leaned back and pushed the light switch up with the back of his head. The room went dark and then the projector light illuminated the wall beyond the conference table. Ronny...

Kat Holmes-Barringer was stressed about meeting her best friend Lexi at Beechwood Coffee. “They remodeled the place?” Lexi placed a large coffee down in front of Kat. “My treat.”

“That’s nice of you, Lex.” Kat trying not to tear up because she couldn't afford a coffee, took a sip of her drink and smiled. “Yeah, just last week the construction was taking place in here. Today’s the first day they’re open. There’s more electrical...

The mail truck’s engine hummed in front of Kat’s house and she heard her mailbox snap shut. It triggered fear. She’d been late on her mortgage for months. She no longer looked forward to getting mail six days a week. It had become anxiety inducing. Days’ worth of mail was still in the box. She knew she had to get it. She didn’t want anyone to think she was away, because mail was starting to pile up. Sorting it was too painful....

The man who engaged Kat Barringer days prior, followed her to Newport Lake's Beechwood Coffee and watched her enter the shop. He sat in his dented truck trying to figure out what he'd say to her. He noticed five people, in their cars, were waiting to get a parking spot. There aren't going to be any seats left next to her, he thought, and went inside, but used the wall partition to shield him from her view should she look aroun...

Undercover agent, Ryan Roberts zipped into Quinn Security Agency. Outside Ronny Quinn, his boss, made eye contact with him, nodded towards the agency's building, and went inside. He grabbed his phone, the image of a battered woman that his boss sent him the previous night, on it's screen. Ten years on the Newport Beach Police force got Ryan's foot in the door at Quinn’s agency. He was getting his first assignment this morning...

JOE COFFEE CHRONICLES ©

Keith slid a cashier's check across the wood desk to Ronny Quinn. "This is next month's payment for keeping an eye on my daughter."

Ronny glanced at the check. This is a whole month's fee.  What if the dividends are sent to me prior to using up these funds?" Ronny shook the check.

"Don't worry about it. If I die beforehand, keep the change. I've instructed Hugo Barucci to start payments to your agency upon...