Thoughtful driving tips from Eso, number three.

This is Kiran. He's doing 70 on the motorway,

on his way to a cheeky spar appointment,

though his diaries as he's visiting a client.

Naughty Kiran, lowering his speed to 60 could save him up to 9% in fuel on the journey.

Enjoy that hot stone massage, Kiriron, slowing down a little.

Kitz Pad, by David Krugler, from the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, November, December, 2023 edition.

She didn't scramble the numbers.

Kit was so cold, the wind chill zero degrees.

Easy, a brutal wind scuffing off Lake Michigan to numb his ears right through

his double knit hat, he almost didn't notice or care. She was young, hooded up in a plump Canada goose coat, wearing stretch yoga pants, also fluffy

ug slippers with no socks. Jesus H, how'd she not get frostbite? Kit had on wool Sox, same pair, six days now, and his

ankle still felt like he'd been holding an ice compress to them. She might be a

dog walker, one of those gig economy workers he'd heard about about keying into a client's apartment to do her thing

No need to reset the dial on the gray and black master lockbox dangling on the iron fence outside the Buena Avenue highrise

She'd do that after the dog did its business.

Slipped the key back into the compartment, snapped the lid down, then spin the numbers.

Hands jammed deep into the pockets of his parka kit crossed the street. More than a dozen such lockboxes festooned the fence's bars. He glanced at the one the

young woman had used.

It was stamped with a logo, rover, in curving green letters with a cutie paw print

4, 9, 3, 0.

The combination stared at him

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