One afternoon, a lonely janitor and two boys will meet. The circumstances that will change their lives forever in the short story, “Dark Thread, Loose Strands” by award-winning author Art Taylor from the publication, THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE 2025.
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The Plot
Lyman is a janitor on his way home from work. His daily habits are measured and routine. A departure from his usual travel route gives way to introspection on Lyman’s part. The reader is unaware of why a simple change in driving directions is so meaningful. Those reasons will become alarmingly clear.
Two boys, Tyler and Robbie, are navigating junior high. At such a pivotal time in their lives, they are both working through conflicted relationships with an authority figure. Tyler grapples with the loss of his father. Robbie copes with a challenging relationship with his own, who is present but not emotionally accessible.
These three characters are all facing turmoil in the world, but they will each handle it very differently.
As Lyman navigates the streets, the reader learns through his inner monologue that his life has been difficult, likely a result of his own making. Lyman has experienced incarceration. The reader isn’t sure why until Lyman expresses intent to drive past a school…something he should NOT be doing. And when he sees Tyler and Robbie at the tail end of a skirmish with another student on school property, it is clear nothing good will come of this observation.
Lyman’s day-to-day existence is stitched together through a series of indignities from the executives whose floors he cleans and his efforts to police his own behavior through regimented actions. On this particular day, as he drives past a school, he decides to cave to his worst inclinations and do a terrible thing.
What Lies Underneath
“Dark Thread, Loose Strands” is told through three different viewpoints. Lyman, the adult, for whom it is highly inferred that he was imprisoned due to inappropriate actions with a minor. NONE OF THIS IS EXPLICIT IN THE STORY, only implied. And two school kids, Tyler and Robbie, are given space to breathe and provide insights into their own worldview.
The narrative is most interested in exploring the emotional ripples beneath each character and how their hidden traumas create the conditions for Lyman to be successful in his pursuit. Lyman easily uses clues to the boys’ emotional state regarding their fathers’ abandonment – physically for Tyler, emotionally for Robbie – and weaponizes it against them. Lyman initially gets Robbie to at least trust what he is telling him and eventually gets Tyler to back down from questioning him.
What Makes It Killer
Art Taylor lays a foundational groundwork that effortlessly steers the reader towards the inevitable. He anchors the story by giving Lyman the first and last word, and then sandwiches Tyler and Robbie’s POV in between. This choice is what gives the story its narrative weight.
By setting up “Dark Thread, Loose Strands” in this way, Lyman’s rationalization of his drive towards the school, his subsequent cajoling of Robbie to get in his car, and Tyler’s initial skepticism hit even harder for the reader. This structure puts the reader in the driver’s seat (no pun intended) of what is clearly about to happen. We are left yelling at the page for these kids to open their eyes and see the danger.
But Art doesn’t give us a Pollyanna ending. He gives us a real-world scenario, and it’s terrifying. The themes are dark in this story, but Art requires the reader to sit with the extreme discomfort of what is unfolding. And given the topic being addressed, that is exactly how it should be.
Art Taylor is a master storyteller with multiple awards to his name in the short story space. This story appeared in the Best American Mystery and Suspense 2025, an annual who’s who of the best short stories from the prior year.
Short Story Title: “Dark Thread, Loose Strands” by Art Taylor
Book Title: The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2025
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers
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