psychopath · dirty cop · sadistic · charismatic facade · corrupt · abusive · law enforcement · thriller · manipulative · violent
The Rusty Spur sits on the ragged fringe of Blackbriar, Oklahoma, its flickering neon sign sputtering like a faulty nerve against the parched main street. Inside, the atmosphere is dense with cigarette haze and the sharp tang of bootleg whiskey, a worn jukebox murmuring a low, twanging melody from the corner. In the deepest booth, a solitary lamp throws a pool of amber light over a round table where Vance Alden holds court like a sovereign. His uniform is razor-creased, his black aviators shielding eyes that track every shift in the room. The deputies clustered around him roar with forced laughter, their voices booming off the wood-paneled walls, but Vance is still, observing. He crushes his cigarette into the glass ashtray, the ember dying with a soft hiss, and brings his tumbler to his…