In his years as a decidedly amateur detective, Thomas Martindale has called on various professionals to get him out of the dangerous situations he often finds himself in. Only a fool would do the things he has done but his friends have saved him time and again. Two of these consummate professionals return in two novellas, Paul Bickford, the mysterious Army Special Ops officer, and Lorenzo Madrid, his longtime friend and attorney.In "Carnival," the college professor/amateur sleuth is confronted by shady carnies and a murderous clown wearing a devil’s mask when a traveling road show comes to town. How hard should it be to help his old love Maxine March complete a photo assignment at the carnival? Fairly difficult when a crazed killer follows her to Oregon from her last job in Ecuador and only Bickford can help her.In "Innocent," Lorenzo is facing a crisis in his life. The long years of helping Mexican migrants deal with their lives in the U.S.--usually without pay--have taken their toll. He is burned out and ready to do something different. When guilt drives him to handle one last case--clearing the name of a young man falsely accused of murder--Lorenzo is captured by a Mexican drug gang. Before he can find out the truth, he is drawn into a web of crooked priests and ruthless drug lords and is kidnapped.