Tommy Doyle is an ex-Detective Inspector in his mid-forties. He lives alone in an old three-story, brownstone building, in a district of LA. Tommy had joined the police force after leaving school, much the same as his father and grand-father had before him.

Having left the force over three years ago; disillusioned and disappointed, Tommy had become a PI - setting up Doyle’s Investigations. He had been a police officer for close on twenty years but had been driven out having been accused of a crime he did not commit. Like Tommy and his pal Mac, most of his fellow officers believed he had been set up, but they couldn’t confirm that.

Although cleared Doyle made the decision to retire, or maybe he’d resigned due to being let down by those upstairs? It all depended on your point of view. Being disillusioned, and with the lack of support from senior management, it seemed it wasn’t what you knew, but more a question of who you knew. He also found he didn’t like the politics of the modern police force.

‘I know who you are, ’ thought Doyle as he walked away from the precinct. ‘And one day, you will pay. One day, wherever you are, I will get revenge.’ Not that Doyle was one to bear grudges, but he never forgot where a debt was owed; either by him, or to him.

As it turned out leaving the police force worked out quite well for Tommy. And, regardless of missing working on the Police force, and being around the guys he’d known for so many years, Tommy had slowly built up quite a solid reputation within his local community. His favourite place to eat and hang out was O'Malley’s Bar & Diner. A middle aged Irish couple ran the bar; Pat O'Malley and his wife Molly, who cooked the food. She made a ‘mean’ Stew & Dumplings, Tommy’s favourite. The fact Doyle was an ex-copper wasn’t held against him, and in fact probably helped as it made the community feel much safer knowing he lived close by. The following short stories are based on some of Tommy’s cases.