The Hitwoman and the Family Jewels by J. B. Lynn

Author:J. B. Lynn [Lynn, J. B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harper Collins, Inc.
Published: 2012-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Two

“YOU LACK EMPATHY.”

I glared at Harry while I counted to ten to keep from telling him that he lacked hair, a personality, and the basics of dental hygiene.

He was unaware that I was giving him a look that could kill. He was too busy studying his copy of the printed-out report he’d given me.

I was having a crappy day, even by my standards, which, let’s face it, aren’t set all that high. First I’d killed Alfonso Cifelli and gotten his blood smeared all over me, then the damn lizard harangued me mercilessly and Patrick practically gave me a heart attack. Now, to make my misery complete, I’d been called into my boss’s office for my quarterly review. It wasn’t even lunchtime yet.

“Yes, you definitely lack empathy.” Harry clucked like a disapproving schoolmarm. “There will be no way I’m going to be able to approve you for a raise on your hire anniversary if you don’t improve those empathy scores.”

I really wished Patrick hadn’t taken the gun I’d used to kill Alfonso. It would have come in handy right about now. I knew damn well that Life Lesson One was: Don’t get caught, but eradicating Harry might be worth it.

“Do you understand what I’m telling you?”

“But my other numbers are off the charts,” I argued. “My call volume. My accuracy. My problem-solving.”

Harry shook his head sadly. “But we can’t tolerate employees of Insuring the Future being heartless.”

“I’m not heartless!” Sure I hadn’t shed a tear for Theresa or Katie, and I hadn’t felt much of anything when I’d pulled the trigger and ended Cifelli, but that didn’t mean I was a cold-hearted bitch. Did it?

“All you have to do is stick with the script, and your scores will go up.” Standing, Harry walked around from behind his desk to sit in the chair beside me. “And if you could refrain from calling people stupid . . .”

“People are stupid. If you’re talking about that call last week with the guy who left his keys in the ignition of his car while he ran into the sporting goods store to buy a new nine iron . . . he is stupid.”

“But it’s not our place to tell the customers that.”

“His kid was strapped into the carseat in the back seat! He left him and the key in the car so he could get a new golf club, and then he has the nerve to complain that the jackass who stole his car . . . and his kid, let’s not forget the kid was in there too . . . the jackass smashed the front fender when the police chased him down.”

“Our job is to take the claim. It’s not our place to judge.”

“If you ask me, somebody should have taken the nine iron to the guy’s skull!”

“That’s not my concern. All I’m worried about is the fact that you called him stupid. According to the transcript of that call, Mr. Balch said, ‘Isn’t that awful?’ And you replied, ‘Awful? No. Stupid? Yes.

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