Set in 1971, “Heat Death” visits Skin Kadash nearly two decades before he would be a homicide detective, even before he’s a cop. As a last hurrah before they leave for Army basic training, Skin and his longtime friend Tommy head to a cabin in the Canadian wilderness for a weekend of partying and hell-raising, only to see things take a violent turn. This is Skin in his larval form at a moment when the seeds of the man he would become were planted.
Originally publishing in the July/August 2015 issue of Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. “Heat Death” can be found on page 134.