"Reeves" illo by Norm Breyfogle. Photo illustration by Stephen Pytak.
REEVES -- The .40 Caliber Mouse hangs around this stranger's neck like the albatross in that famous poem by Coleridge. On the surface, he looks like a bad cliche: good-looking former Interpol agent in his late 30s who lives a dangerous life and has an accent. While that's true -- it's his way of making friends and influencing people -- inside that shell are layers of sticky grays and blacks. His troubles are so bad, he can feel them under his skin, like teeming insects. Plus he's infected by "The Itch," an urge to kill and kill again. It's driving him at top speed to a soul-shattering date with destiny. Not much is known about his background. He prefers to remain an enigma, hiding behind a facade. Corinn has tried to get him to open up time and again, without much success. She didn't know his real name, until she came across an envelope sitting on his desk three months after their first meeting. What she does know is his troubles involve his wife, Joni, who committed suicide a few Decembers back. In her last request, Joni asked him to take care of some business for her by bringing something to life, something she'd made up, a joke at the dinner table. She called it The .40 Caliber Mouse.
ALLIES: Corinn. Mazz. His favorite pistol, a .40 caliber semi-automatic with a 13-round magazine. He calls it "Lucky." Corinn named The .40 Caliber Mouse logo/mascot after it. HOBBIES: Pursing a seemingly impossible death wish. Throwing himself into dangerous situations, oftentimes hoping to catch a bullet or two in the process. Watching Italian and UK horror films from the '70s. He's a fan of directors Dario Argento and Pete Walker. Playing Solitaire chess. MUSIC: Alternative. GUILTY PLEASURES: Brandy. Cigarettes. Occasionally using a side- opening switchblade to do his dirty work. PET PEEVES: Talking about his past. Listening to Corinn's theories about how The .40 Caliber Mouse should be run. People who are "fans" of The .40 Caliber Mouse. Murphy's law.
