Suckers - J.A. Konrath
Suckers - J.A. Konrath
Suckers - J.A. Konrath
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Billy showed a bit of reluctance, so I smacked him again to help with his motivation.<br />
It helped. He also gave me fresh batteries for the player.<br />
“Now what?” he sniffled.<br />
“Now we tell your parents.”<br />
“Do we have to?”<br />
“You’d prefer the cops?”<br />
He shook his head. “No. No cops.”<br />
“That blonde upstairs with the face like a snare drum, that your mom?”<br />
“Yeah.”<br />
“Let’s go have a talk with her.”<br />
Mrs. Johansenn was perched in front of a sixty inch television, watching a soap.<br />
“Nice TV. High definition?”<br />
“Plasma.”<br />
“Nice. Billy has something he wants to tell you.”<br />
Billy stared at his shoes. “Mom, I bought an ad in the back of Famous Soldier Magazine,<br />
and some lady gave me fifty thousand dollars to kill her husband.”<br />
Mrs. Johansenn hit the mute button on the remote, shaking her head in obvious<br />
disappointment.<br />
“Billy, dammit, this is too much. You’re a hired killer?”<br />
“Sorry,” he mumbled.<br />
“You’re father is going to have a stroke when he hears this.”<br />
“Do we have to tell Dad?”<br />
“Are you kidding?”<br />
“I’m gave the money back.”<br />
“Who are you?” Billy’s mom squinted at me.<br />
“I’m Harry McGlade. I’m a private eye. I was hired to find Billy. Someone is trying to kill<br />
him.”<br />
Mrs. Johansenn rolled her eyes. “Oh, this gets better and better. I need to call Sal.”<br />
“You husband?”<br />
“My lawyer.”<br />
“Ma’am, a lawyer isn’t going to do much to save Billy’s life, unless he’s standing between<br />
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