Deal Breaker by Harlan Coben

Author:Harlan Coben [Coben, Harlan]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3, pdf
Tags: Crime Fiction, Hard-Boiled, Literature & Fiction, Mystery, Mystery; Thriller & Suspense
ISBN: 9780345535153
Amazon: 0440220440
Publisher: Dell
Published: 1995-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Myron Bolitar, the essence of keen observation.

He heard a man in a gruff, truck-driver voice say, 'Yeah, big man, slide it all the way in. That's it. Oh, yeah, that feels good.'

Lucy smiled at the man. The man rolled his eyes and continued, 'Don't stop, Stallion. Ride me.'

Esperanza, Myron was glad to see, looked equally confused. 'What's going on, Lucy?' she asked.

'It's the times,' Lucy said. In this economy men are a cheaper source of labor. Most of the girls are on the streets. These are brothers, cousins, street kids.'

'But their voices--

'They use a voice changer. Sharper Image sells them, but I get them cheaper in the Village. You can make little girls sound like Barry White, or vice versa. These guys can become a husky woman, a teenage virgin, a little girl - whatever the line calls for.'

Myron was stunned. 'Do the customers know this?'

'Of course not.' She turned to Esperanza. 'Dumb. But he is kinda cute.'

Myron Bolitar, Lesbian Fantasy Man.

The room looked like any telemarketing office. The phones were high tech. Dozens of lines lit up, each marked for what role was to be played.

Horny Housewife. Dominatrix. Cross-dressers. Busty Babes. Even Foot Fetish. Each employee also had another phone for Visa and MasterCard verification.

'The lines with a C next to them got to be kept clean,' Lucy explained.

'We also have another hundred or so people working phones from their homes. Most of those are women.'

'Horny housewives?'

'Some of them. Most are just plain housewives. Anyway, that's why I found the ad strange. A 900 line shouldn't have a topless girl.'

They left the room and walked back down to the studio. Myron almost tripped over a wino who chose the moment Myron was stepping over him to stand up.

'Is ABC one of the companies upstairs?' Myron asked.

'Yeah.'

'And we know Gary Grady called you yesterday. Can you tell us why?'

'Who?'

'Gary Grady.'

Lucy shook her head. 'Don't know him.'

'How about Jerry?'

'Oh yeah, him.' She gave a small laugh. 'I figured that wasn't his real name. He was always real secretive.'

'So what did he want?'

She nodded as though something had just occurred to her. 'I get it now.'

'Get what?'

'He was asking me about a photograph I'd taken a couple years back.'

'This one?' Myron asked, pointing to Kathy's picture again.

'Yeah. One of his girls.'

Myron and Esperanza exchanged a glance. 'You mean there were others?'

'Few. Half dozen, maybe more.'

Myron felt the rage consume again. 'Underage girls?'

'How the fuck am I supposed to know?'

'You didn't ask?' Myron asked.

'Do I look like a cop? Look, man, if you're here to hassle me--

'He's not,' Esperanza said. 'You can trust him.'

'The fuck I can, Poco. He comes busting in here with a fucking gun, scares the piss out of my model.'

'We need your help,' Esperanza said, 'I need your help.'

'I don't want to hurt you, Lucy,' Myron said. 'I'm just interested in the girl in the picture.'

Lucy hesitated. 'All right,' she said at last. 'But back off.'

Myron gave a quick nod of agreement. 'Jerry brought this girl to you?'

'Yeah, when I had my other studio a couple blocks away.

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