Status Updates From Last Call for the Living

"And the flowers died, on the northbound side. And I could care less. This branded man’s headed west."

"They had—as damaged human beings—an understanding. For years she took him in. Cooked for him. Drank with him. They’d make love. By morning any sense of commitment would have worn off."

"After years in prison Lipscomb had developed a talent for intimidation, just a subtle look—maybe a twinkle in his eye, a glint like that coming off the razor edge of a hunting knife."

"He smelled cigarette smoke and sweat-soaked clothing. Inside somewhere, a house maybe? It was a humid place. The rancid odor of squalor."