Here was how ANC ended. I am deleting a little bit that might give too much away about The Watcher. This was in fact the first time I’d written about him.

A NOIR CHRISTMAS

AND ON…

When the wine had all been drunk, the sun slipped into the ocean and the moon rose over the flats. A cool wind whipped up and Laura anchored the edges of the picnic blanket with stones. She leaned back against Charlie. Charlie put his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. They stared up at the stars. Stack, Needless and Smiles sat on the hood of Smiles’ car not far away. Stack and Smiles had spent most of the evening catching up and that had given way to telling Needless all their best cop stories while Needless’ jazz mix tape wafted quietly out of the open car doors.

A few hours later Laura and Charlie were the first to leave. Needless soon followed. Smiles and Stack found themselves alone looking out over the moonlit flats. As they finished their beer, messages of sadness over lost time passed silently between as did the happiness of rekindled friendship. Change was in the air. They both felt it. They didn’t know where it would take them, but they didn’t care. They walked back to their cars.

Stack opened his car door. “I’ll probably see you sometime this week.”

Smiles just smiled. “Yeah.”

That was all that needed to be said. The two drove the dark winding mountain road back down to Big City.

Out on the flats the man with green eyes lowered his binoculars. He nodded and smiled as he climbed into his car. A moment later there was a rush of wind and XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX