Tim led the way to the elevator, and once on the street, he indicated the way. The summer night was warm, but there was a slight breeze, and Tim took my hand in his. Silently, we walked briefly, and he opened the driver's door to a magnificent, red Oldsmobile Toronado. "This is your car?" "What do you think, Ronnie?" "I think you are taking bribes," I joked and slid over to the passenger side. "I make payments," he laughe...

Thursday night, a few minutes after six, there was a knock on the door. I stopped drying the dishes, placed the dishtowel on the stove handle, and walked across my apartment's living room to open the door. A tall, well-built man in a dark suit stood in the hallway with his back to me. In his right hand, he held a cigarette, while in his left a small book. "Yes?" At the sound of my voice, he turned around and smiled. "I'm...

The alarm clock rang, and I pulled the sheet over my head and reached for the clock. I shut the noisy thing off and rolled out of bed to slowly stumble to the bathroom. My head was pounding with a hangover, while my ass was sore from last night's vicious fucking by Detective Norman. I groaned and looked into the mirror, where I saw an image with bloodshot eyes, and I groaned again. I popped several Excedrin and brushed my...