Rocky Mountain Chapter
Mystery Writers of America

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    R.T. Lawton

R.T. Lawton has over 50 published short stories in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, the Who Died In Here? anthology, the U-Solve-It mini-mysteries in Woman's World Magazine and other publications. Having a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and a Master's degree in Criminal Justice, R.T. is a Vietnam vet and a retired federal law enforcement agent. He currently resides in Colorado with his wife, Kiti, who is also his First Reader.

	"Click, Click, Click," by R.T. Lawton, AHMM January/February 2008 issue. To blend in with the Christmas background, Beaumont and Yarnell dress up in Santa suits in order to burglarize a dope dealer's house. Unfamiliarity with night vision goggles leads to problems, and they quickly realize the clicking noise they hear is not reindeer hooves on the rooftop.
	“Of Wax and Watermarks,” AHMM November 2007 issue by R. T. Lawton, is the second story in the 1660’s Paris Underworld series. The Chevalier, fallen from the social world, is forced to commit a burglary, but first he needs a way to obtain a key to the right door. Our young orphan pickpocket begrudgingly decides to help him. Then the Chevalier must solve a weighty problem for the ruler of the Paris underworld. In doing so, he turns the deadly situation to his own advantage.
	“The Bondstone,” May 2007 issue of AHMM, is the 8th in the Twin Brothers Bail Bond series. Assassins are after the firm’s proprietor, and Theodore must retrieve a little red book by first finding a hidden key which opens a safe in the bedroom of one of Bay City’s Commissioners. Body disposal soon becomes a necessity.
	“False Keys,” December 2006 issue. To avoid being killed, a young orphan pickpocket in 1660’s Paris finds himself involved in the plans of Remy, a bankrupt Chevalier, and King Jules, the self proclaimed ruler of the Parisian underworld, to break one of Jules’ men out of prison.
	“Ransom,” AHMM, November 2006 issue, is the sequel to “Dark Eyes.” Here, the Armenian trader of Turkic goods is enlisted to ransom the body of a dead Chechen back from the Cossacks and in so doing must solve a murder which threatens the negotiations.
	“The Bond That Ties”, July/August 2006 issue is the 7th in the Twin Brothers Bail Bond series. The proprietor’s old nemesis, Herr Morden, attempts to steal the newest and revolutionary computer operating system at a computer fair, but the plan goes awry and the disc with the data file on it disappears. The bail firm’s bond agent, Theodore, who is in the midst of his annual evaluation, is then ordered to recover the missing disc and data file for the proprietor’s own purposes.
	“Dark Eyes,” AHMM, January/February 2005 issue, is an historical mystery set in an 1850’s Cossack village along the Terek River in the shadow of the Caucasus Mountains. A stolen Karbadian horse, two men’s love for the same dark-eyed woman, and the murder of the orderly to the Russian Staff Captain quartered in the Cossack community, all lead to problems for The Armenian.
	“In Bond,” AHMM, November 2004 issue is the sixth in the series. Theodore’s cousin, Lebanese George, has been losing entire wine shipments from his bonded warehouse. With no clues as to how the thefts are committed, George asks for help from the Twin Brothers Bail Bond firm. As one of the conditions for becoming involved in the case, Cletis Johnston, the proprietor, insists that Theodore take along the firm’s Executive Secretary, a suspected Hindu Thuggee.
	“The Other Bondsman”, AHMM, July/August 2004 issue is the fifth in the series. Cletis Johnston, the proprietor of the Twin Brothers Bail Bond firm, discovers that another bondsman is engaged in the same type of murderous duplicity which he and his minion Theodore have found so lucrative in the past. Now the duo wonder if the other bondsman is out to remove his competition.
	“Flying Without a Parachute”, WHO DIED IN HERE? Trade Paperback Anthology - ISBN 0-9676344-2-3 A street addict reflecting on the pleasures of his childhood is trapped inside his dealer’s house when the door comes down. In his haste to escape legal consequences, he frantically commits one more crime and comes full circle with his past.
	"The Bond Servant", AHMM, Sept 2003 issue is the fourth in the series. Cletis Johnston conducts job interviews to fill the position of the firm's recently deceased Executive Secretary. Problems seem to crop up for the top job candidates until the only candidate left is a Hindu who was previously promised a job by Cletis' twin brother, Daryl, even though Daryl has now been mysteriously missing for a couple of years. In a background check, Cletis finds that the Hindu is a descendant from an old time Thuggee family and has been involved in some nefarious business for the Johnston family in the past, the results of which may affect Cletis in the future.
	"The Big Bail Out", AHMM, May 2003 issue is the third in the series. The innocent CEO of a tech company has been charged with embezzlement at the same time someone is stealing large quantities of his microchips. Cletis formulates a plan to uncover the thieves and take over the company. Theodore is the only witness to a multiple murder.
	“The Bond That Keeps”, AHMM, May 2002 issue is the first of the Twin Brothers Bail Bond stories. Theodore, the bail bond agent, has bonded out the master mind of a jewelry store robbery, but Cletis Johnston, the proprietor of the bonding firm, has decided to take the bond collateral and the jewelry from the heist. The double cross gets sticky.
	"The Bond Market", AHMM, Dec 2002 issue is the second in the series. Cletis Johnston, the proprietor, has figured out a way to steal a fortune in Bearer Bonds. The problem comes when Theodore hires several burglars to pull off the job independent of each other. Now, Cletis must find where the bonds have been hidden by the one burglar that managed to steal them. Then he must get rid of all witnesses.
	“Once, Twice, Dead”, AHMM, Sept 2001 issue is a stand alone story about a killing in the Golden Triangle in Southeast Asia where the local opium warlord of the United Shan Army is trying to establish a safe haven on Doi Lang Mountain for his activities. When the warlord invites all the tribal leaders of nearby villages to attend a “merit making ceremony” for the soldiers that have recently died in battle, a retired Frontier Scout for the Thai Army finds he is forced to attend.