The Tease (The Darling Killer Trilogy) (24 page)

I hesitated. “I could call Triple A.”

“And wait for hours all by yourself? Nonsense. It’s no problem.”

Perhaps tragedy does bring out the best in people. Kevin, the girls, Tish’s parents, even Lynne’s husband. Everyone was being so generous. I felt like my heart could burst.

“Thank you,” I said, and handed him my keys. “You’re too kind.”

“It’s my pleasure to serve,” he said. “I love women.”

T
hank you for reading
The Tease,
Book One of the Darling Killer Trilogy. Watch for Book Two,
The Grind,
in early 2014.

I am deeply grateful to the people who helped me make this dream a reality.

Police Officer Amy Christensen gave me a generous chunk of her time to go over the police procedures. I took poetic license with a few details for the story’s sake, but I like to know which rules I’m breaking.

Drake Spaeth, Ph.D, and Julia Stelzner, LSW, were my therapist expert readers. They responded with insight and great humor.

Jill Ziegler, Jim Glass, Roger Trexler, and Valya Lupescu filled out the ranks of beta readers with tact, candor, and keen insight.

Eric Cherry has been my story engineer, copyeditor, gadfly, and staunch ally for years. I can’t imagine finishing a story without him.

Charles de Lint and J.A. Konrath encouraged me when I needed it more than any of us knew. Thank you, gentlemen, for your advice, inspiration, and kindness.

Juli McCarthy and Robert Birenbaum had a conversation about cats and credenzas on Facebook that I outright stole for Anna and Kevin.

Madame Onça inspired several of Anna’s sentiments about burlesque. She quotes one directly, and others are paraphrased from workshops and a delightful conversation (what burlesque without irony is, and a certain radical notion).

Red Hot Annie was my burlesque expert reader. Not only did she give me insightful feedback on the story, she welcomed me into her creative and wonderful community at Vaudezilla. Serendipity has rarely been kinder to me.

Mark Lancaster inspired the Boylesque Incident. He is unafraid to go toe-to-toe with me and say “Prove it.” I am braver as an artist and a person for knowing him.

Sonya and Eliza, my dance mentors and beloved friends, have cultivated and encouraged my projects and passions for almost a decade.

Michelle L’Amour was my first burlesque teacher, and she taught me a great deal.

Amy Sigil, Princess Farhana, and Zoe Jakes have inspired me in workshops, conversations, and life. They continually push the boundaries of the bellydance art form. Princess Farhana did a lot to break down the barriers between the bellydance and burlesque worlds, for which we all owe her a great debt.

Ariellah shares my love of the dark and macabre, and her dance has moved me to tears more than once. Not only has she has helped me push the boundaries of all my art forms, she has become a dear friend.

Corey Kelly helped me overcome a 2-year stretch of writers’ block through yoga, and taught me more than either of us anticipated.

Gabriel Halpern, Joy Antipow, Kathy Simonik, and Sadie Nardini have also mentored me in yoga, and opened more doors than I thought possible. Namaste indeed.

Drake Mefestta, whose cover design I love. I hope this is the first of many.

Jessica Rifis of Passions Photography and Brywn Arlwyn, who shot and modeled for the cover respectively. Their talent and beauty defies description.

Special thanks to my supportive family: Stephen Pill, Chris and Cassie Alexander, Deb and Arthur Woodward, Evan Woodward, Mel Banks, Karin Houston, Anna and Charlie Deese, Dace Perkins, and Tim and Shelly Perkins.

More special thanks to Steve Deasy: sound engineer, ninja, pirate, lemur, trickster, cat arranger, goofball, and anchor, in his quiet and inimitable way.

Thank you to my friends, who inspire me to laugh and think.

Thank you to everyone who pitched in with donations or signal boosts for the Indiegogo campaign to make this book happen.

Thank you to you, for reading. I am delighted and humbled.

Nikki M. Pill received her BA in English Literature and Philosophy from Lake Forest College. Her short story “Shadows on the Pews” appeared in
Hell in the Heartland Volume I
and received an honorable mention in
Best Horror of the Year Volume I
. She typically writes dark fantasy and horror.
The Tease
is the first non-supernatural piece she has written since 1994.

Her other great passion is bellydance, which she has pursued since 1998. She wakes up at an ungodly hour of the morning to practice her writing and dance disciplines, and is consequently useless after 10 pm. She loves to read, cook, watch movies, do yoga, listen to music, and make things. She lives in Chicago with her intermittently grateful cats.

Copyright © 2012 by Nikki M. Pill.

All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, locations and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover design by Drake Mefestta

Cover and About the Author photos by Passions Photography

Cover modeling by Brywn Arlwyn