Mark Jacobs’ new shortstory in Maple Tree Literary Supplement (Paraguay)

Wild Turkey

Climbing the outside steps to Glynda’s apartment, Mick Garrity felt the gravity of experience slowing his step. The sky was spitting wet snow at him, paying him back for some screw up he could not put his finger on, just now. Glynda’s deadbeat boyfriend Murphy had beaten her up again. Dispatch said she was hysterical. She wanted the police to save her. Again. Across the universe a thousand cops were climbing the same steps hearing the same old story they had heard and told a thousand times.
On the landing, Mick raised his hand to knock but Glynda was already opening the door to him. “I kept my word,” she snuffled. “I swear to God, Mick, I kept my word.”

She looked terrible. The sleeve of her burgundy quilted robe was torn. Her hair was wild. She had always had a cute face, a sexy come-get-me face, but now it was bruised and lumpy, swollen out of shape courtesy of Marvin Murphy.

Click here and read the rest of “Wild Turkey.”

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Mark Jacobs (Paraguay 1978-80) Mark Jacobs has published more than 140 stories in magazines including The Atlantic, Playboy, The Baffler, The Hudson Review, and The Iowa Review. His five books include A Handful of Kings, published by Simon and Shuster, and Stone Cowboy, by Soho Press. He is also a former Foreign Service officer and speaks fluent Spanish and Turkish, along with some Guaraní. Mark’s website can be found at MarkJacobsAuthor.com.