From The Adventures of Lance Mannion: Lance Mannion, Ace Reporter

Mannion ripped the last page from the typewriter and handed the copy to Brogan.  "Story like this could blow the lid off this town," the editor said.  "Power of the press, baby," Mannion said, then he watched in horror as Brogan tore the pages into shreds.  "Too bad nobody's ever going to read it," Brogan said.

"You should have played ball when you had the chance, Lance darling."

Mannion looked up to see Lila standing in Brogan's office doorway.  She was holding a snub-nosed .38, which she proceeded to empty in his direction.

Half an hour later, with Clancy's G-Men taking her away in cuffs and Brogan's body still lying dead there on the floor, Clancy said, "I thought they were in this together."

"They were," Mannion said.

"But she put six slugs into him."

"They were all meant for me," Mannion said.  Clancy stared at him.  Mannion pushed his fedora back on his head and grinned.  He said, "You know how in the movies there's a scene where the girl you thought was plain unpins her hair and takes off her glasses and all of a sudden you see she's really a knockout?"

"Yeah, so?"

Mannion said, "You think all those girls remember to put their glasses back on after?"

Comments

[Linkmeister]

Ouch.

Somehow I'm reminded of the final chapter of Spillane's I the Jury.

[Claire]

Nice twist!

[J.]

Tell me something - I keep looking in Amazon to see your books, and I don't find any. Why have you not authored a few fiction books by now? You clearly have the chops, and I'm not trying to be smarmy about this. Admire your flair and hope to see the book/screenplay that you are certainly capable of writing.

[Lance]

J, know a good agent?

Seriously.

Also, seriously, thank you very much.