
The 918 FILES:
CASE 000317GILBERT
A case so strange, nobody believed it. A man was found lying in the street with bruises and scratches all over his body.
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In 1918, at 6:10 pm, Harry ran and ran, thinking he could escape the mess that he was sucked into. He had lost all hope when finally, he saw the light but little did he know that he wasn’t just in the wrong place but also the wrong era.
Charles believed him when nobody else did. Charles Gwillam, and his private detective agency, “Zona Investigations”, was always one to attract the unusual.
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Intense drama, mysterious details combined with doubtful eyes; will anyone believe Harry? Will he be able to prove his innocence, or will he end up choosing silence over proving himself?
The 918 FILES:
SHORT CASES Vol 1
When Charles Gwillam turned in his Phoenix Police badge, he thought he was leaving the strange cases behind. He was wrong.
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After stepping away from law enforcement, Charles founded Zona Investigations, a private investigation in Arizona. Over the years, he worked dozens of cases—some open-and-shut, others not so easily explained. The ones that didn’t add up? The ones that couldn’t be solved, categorized, or forgotten? He filed those under a special classification: The 918 Files.
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This book contains 20 of those real-feel short cases, each formatted like a police report narrative.
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If you’ve ever wondered how weird Arizona can get—this is your entry point.
The 918 FILES:
CASE 000414PAYSON
Puzzled by the gruesome killing of his livestock, a rancher in northern Arizona struggles to find answers as to what is happening on his property. Was his neighbor behind the killings motivated by a recent dispute? Could it possibly be a rogue predator such as a mountain lion or bear? Or maybe it was something else. Something that some believe was just a myth no matter how many stories are told. When he can’t get answers from anyone, he turns to a private investigator for help.
Charles knew this had the making of another case for the "918 files", which always seemed to find him, but the lure of the unusual was enough motivation to pack his gear and head up north to help find answers.
A strange bigfoot like creature, a perplexing mystery that baffles the community and a question that no one can seem to answer; who or what is killing Kaminsky’s livestock?
The 918 FILES:
CASE 000207SEDONA
When three experienced hikers return from a trip in Northern Arizona after being missing for almost ten days, questions start to arise as to where they have been. Were they abducted? Legitimately lost? Or did something happen that just can’t be explained?
While sipping coffee and scrolling the local news online, a private investigator named Charles Gwillam notices the story and reaches out to the families of the missing hikers to assist. Before he knows it, he’s knee deep in another “918” case where answers don’t seem to be had.
Missing hikers, talk of portals, an exciting missing persons case that just leaves you wondering, what exactly happened to these men?
The 918 FILES:
GHOST CASES Vol 1
Eight Investigations. One Reluctant Investigator.
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Charles Gwillam doesn’t believe in ghosts. He never did—not during his years as a Phoenix cop, and not during his time running Zona Investigations. But belief has nothing to do with it when you’re standing in a room that shouldn’t exist... listening to someone cry on the other side of a wall that wasn’t there yesterday.
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In this chilling collection of true case files, Gwillam recounts eight of the strangest investigations he ever took—stories he swore he’d never tell. From haunted motel rooms in Winslow to disappearing bridges in Jerome, every case was real. Every client was sincere. And every answer only led to more questions.
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He never wanted to take ghost cases. But sometimes, the ghosts take you.
The 918 FILES:
CASE 000820PHOENIX
When a property manager in Phoenix, Arizona finds a perfectly clean white-painted rock on the countertop of a locked, vacant apartment — no forced entry, no fingerprints, no camera footage — he calls in former Phoenix PD officer turned private investigator Charles Gwillam.
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At first, Charles is skeptical. But strange details emerge: undisturbed dust except where the rock rests, reports of unexplained lights, and a paint mixture no expert can identify.
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When surveillance and testing fail to produce answers — and the same rock later appears in another unit — Charles is left with no choice but to file the case under his designation for the truly unsolved: The 918 Files.
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CASE 000820PHOENIX is a short case in The 918 Files series, available only as an eBook — perfect for readers who enjoy fast, chilling investigations and Arizona’s strangest local mysteries.