NIGHT SHIFT NOTES

Buried in Hal Crouse’s will was a clause no one saw coming: if Ray was cut out, Martha regained partial ownership of the dairy. The language was buried deep, missed by the first review. Now the motive shifts. Martha didn’t need to swing the pitchfork—she just needed Hal gone. Whether she manipulated the killer or simply benefited from the fallout, one thing’s clear: someone knew exactly what that clause meant.

Hal Crouse wasn’t just struck—he was finished. The autopsy shows two blows: one wild and splintered, the other clean and final. First came rage. Then came intent. Whoever did this didn’t lose control—they made a choice. The killer knew Hal, hated him, and stayed long enough to make sure he wouldn’t get back up. This wasn’t a robbery. It wasn’t random. It was personal, and it was planned.

Marlene Givens swears she saw Clint Dyer’s truck near the milking shed at 3 a.m.—headlights cutting through the fog like a blade. Clint says he was checking cattle, but the cows weren’t on his side of the fence. No forced entry. No alibi. Just a long-standing feud over water rights and a witness who knows that engine rattle by heart. Clint’s close enough to smell the feed. Whether he swung the pitchfork is another matter.

We found the pitchfork head behind the shed—no blood, no prints, just discarded in the straw. Hours later, the handle turned up in Jessie Morales’ truck bed, tucked under a feed sack. Wood grain matches the splinters in Hal’s skull. Jessie says it broke last week. No tool head, no blood, no prints. Just a clean break and a cleaner lie. Someone’s planting evidence, and they know this farm inside out.

The milking shed smelled of ammonia and iron. Hal Crouse lay face-down in the muck, skull cracked wide open, while the cows screamed like they knew justice wouldn’t come easy in East Texas. No forced entry. Blood spatter wiped clean in one spot. Under Hal’s desk, we found a feed ledger soaked in blood. One entry circled in red ink: “Ray – unpaid $15,000.” Someone wanted us to look at Ray. We’re not convinced.

The folder was thin, warped at the edges, but heavy with ghosts. Murder Doesn’t Clock Out: Before Quinlan. Back then Loretta and David thought they were invincible—Texas Violent Crimes Task Force rookies chasing shadows. What they found instead was a wax museum of the dead, a blaze that erased more than evidence, and the first mistake that would haunt every case to come.

Before the cabin. Before the quiet. Before East Texas started calling us back. David and I were detectives chasing murder through backroads, burned-out buildings, and lies that didn’t crack easy. Murder Doesn’t Clock Out: Before Quinlan is the prequel — seven cases that built our grit, tested our instincts, and taught us the hard way that justice doesn’t come clean. You want the truth? Start here. — Loretta

Harold Finch was found slumped over his garage workbench, throat slashed clean. A six-inch wooden doll, dressed in miniature overalls, mirrored the wound exactly. The next day, Albert Keyes was discovered in his study, wrist lacerated, with another doll—cardigan and glasses—standing upright on the desk. Each scene was staged with obsessive precision. The killer didn’t just leave evidence. They left a performance.

In 1885, Austin was gripped by terror. A phantom killer crept through the fog, dragging victims from their beds and leaving them mutilated in moonlit yards. No footprints. No witnesses. Just blood and silence. They called him the Servant Girl Annihilator—but no one ever saw his face. The murders stopped as suddenly as they began, but the dread remains. Walk past Pecan and Sabine after midnight, and you might hear him still.

Bragg Road in Saratoga, Texas is home to one of the state’s most chilling legends: the Headless Railroad Worker. Said to have been decapitated in a tragic rail accident in the early 1900s, his ghost still roams the abandoned line, swinging a lantern in search of his missing head. Visitors report seeing a glowing light drifting through the Big Thicket—silent, eerie, and impossible to explain. Some searches never end. 👻

Before Lake Tawakoni was a reservoir, it was a valley thick with pine and secrets. They say one tree still grows beneath the water—upside down, feeding on broken promises. And from it crawls the Splinter Man: a bark-bodied figure with hollow eyes and creaking limbs. He doesn’t kill. He scatters. So if you hear wood groan near the eastern shore, don’t speak. Don’t lie. And whatever you do… don’t look into the water.

The Dollmaker of Point is officially on Audible as an audiobook, voiced by the incomparable Jess Wright. Her narration brings every eerie whisper and bloodstained secret to life. And don’t forget—Teardrops of Lake Tawakoni is available on Audible now, also narrated by Jess. If you love Southern noir, forensic intrigue, and emotionally charged suspense, these audiobooks will pull you deep into the heart of Texas darkness.

Teardrops of Lake Tawakoni – The Eras Remix: In My Gen Z Era is dropping FREE on Kindle from October 13–17. This isn’t the OG—it’s the emotionally feral reboot. Rewritten for readers who binge thrillers like cursed playlists and annotate in trauma-coded emojis. If you missed the original, now’s your chance to spiral for $0. The lake’s not calm—it’s petty. And it’s carving teardrops into bodies like it’s a vibe check.

The lake’s watching—and the cover just dropped. Teardrops of Lake Tawakoni – The Eras Remix: In My Gen Z Era is giving haunted soft launch, forensic dread, and emotionally feral chaos. Loretta and David Smitty are chasing bodies, trauma-coded symbols, and small-town silence. TikTok-style chapters like POV: The Lake’s Got Beef and Unsent = Unsolved make this a bingeable thriller for anyone who spirals at 2AM and screenshots before they cry.

The cover for Teardrops of Lake Tawakoni: The Coloring Book is finally here—and it’s as haunting as the story itself. Split between blood-red dread and stark line art, this eerie design invites you to color your way through grief, secrets, and suspense. With two bonus games—Find & Color the Suspect and Hidden Message Challenge—this isn’t just a book. It’s a puzzle. A ritual. A reckoning. Unmasking evil, one body at a time.

Dive back into the chilling world of Teardrops of Lake Tawakoni with the upcoming companion coloring book. Featuring eerie illustrations pulled from the novel, this creepy coloring experience hides a sinister twist—select pages include a “Find & Color the Suspect” challenge. Submit all completed suspect pages to enter a drawing for a free autographed copy of the book and a free audiobook edition. Dare to color the shadows?

Join authors Loretta & David Allseitz for Whispers & Witnesses, a thriller book signing and vendor haunt on October 18th, 5–7 PM at The Venue at 84 WEST in Denison, TX. Discover chilling reads like Teardrops of Lake Tawakoni and The Dollmaker of Point, shop eerie vendor goods, and experience a night of suspense. Limited books available—bring cash or VENMO. Dare to attend. Witness the whispers. Embrace the haunt.

Teardrops of Lake Tawakoni is now available on Audible! Dive into this haunting psychological thriller inspired by East Texas lore—perfect for fans of eerie mysteries and emotional suspense. Narrated with chilling depth, the audiobook brings every secret and shadow to life. Listen now, and stay tuned: The Dollmaker of Point audiobook is in production and coming soon.

The Dollmaker of Point ebook is free on Amazon until September 20—don’t miss this limited-time offer. Dive into a chilling East Texas mystery filled with folklore, obsession, and atmospheric suspense. Perfect for fans of psychological thrillers and eerie small-town secrets. Download your free copy before the offer disappears.