lesson for a thief

An old-school crook. A new-school thief. One moment that changes everything.

Once upon a time, Frank Trondel ran cons with the best of them. Now retired from his life of crime, he spends his evenings nursing a pint at his local pub, minding his own business. Until, that is, he spots a young pickpocket working the place.

Old instincts kick in and Frank steps forward to offer a word of advice and warning. But this new generation plays by different rules and Frank’s about to learn the hard way just how far the world has moved on without him.

What begins as a chance encounter spirals into a life lesson neither saw coming. A clash of past and present, experience and hunger, conscience and survival. The scars they leave on each other may very well last a lifetime.

A taut, character-driven tale from Ben Westerham’s Shorts in the Dark series — where darkness doesn’t hide the truth, it reveals it. This edition includes exclusive author notes.