No Coming Back by Keith Houghton

Author:Keith Houghton
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, azw3
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Published: 2015-10-05T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

When Tolstoy thought of himself it never came with the label contract killer—even though he had killed at the behest of others, and in return for financial remuneration. He preferred to think of himself as a Good Samaritan: a trusted friend with helping hands—albeit ones able to punch through cinderblocks—whose services were enlisted when dirty work needed handling.

Over the years, he’d worked his magic for many employers, both here in Harper and in the neighboring towns. Debt collection agencies, landlords, loan sharks. Tolstoy prided himself on his discretion, his loyalty, and his commitment to the cause. His hit rate was first class. In fact, his record of achievement was flawless, perfect. In any other industry he’d have awards and promotions coming out of his ears. Not so, when you operated on the edge of the law.

For five decades now he’d been cleaning up other people’s messes, in which time he had rubbed shoulders with those he did label contract killers. Thankfully, he’d found he was nothing like them. Most were paid mercenaries with little regard for either the craft of coercion or for human life, and certainly with no respect for the etiquette of negotiation. More often than not their idea of brokering a settlement came through brute force and lilies at a funeral. No appreciation for the art of positive persuasion.

In his opinion, incentivized people made for better payers.

Give them the right motivation and they would sell their souls.

It was all about leverage and weakness. Find a person’s Achilles heel, apply pressure, and then watch them cooperate. You didn’t always need to resort to chopping out a man’s tongue to get him to cough up.

But sometimes killing was the only option.

Tolstoy thought about the Olson kid as he watched Sergeant Kimberly Krauss of the Harper PD leave the police station and drive away into the deepening dusk.

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