Page 6 of Near Miss

“I rather thought so. That means he’ll hire somebody else to beat me up.”

“I wouldn’t put it past him.”

“I’ll try and be ready.”

“He’ll choose a time when he thinks you’re vulnerable and he’s not.”

“Of course. Dinner tonight, here?”

“Love to.”

“Six-thirty?”

“Perfect, then you can molest me further.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

Chapter 4

Trench Molder spent the afternoon at his athletic club, toning up. His trainer, Howard Keegan, a retired Marine known as Huff, helped him with the weights, then sat down next to Molder at his invitation. “Something I can do for you, Trench?”

“No, Huff, but there’ssomeoneyou can do for me.”

“It would be my pleasure. How dead do you want him?”

“Not dead, just crippled a bit. I don’t want to have skinned knuckles if the police should take an interest.”

“Understood. That’s my work, not yours.”

“Five hundred?”

“That’s generous, especially if I enjoy myself.”

“You can enjoy yourself as much as you like,” Molder said.

“Who is he, and where do I find him?”

“His name is Stone Barrington. He’s an uptown lawyer who’s messing with a girl of mine. He lives in Turtle Bay.”

“I know the area. Security?”

Molder handed him Barrington’s business card. “I was there this morning, and if he has security, I couldn’t find it. Still, I think it would be best to take him away from home. I asked around and he travels in a green Bentley and has a small man as his driver.”

“You want the small one hurt, too?”

“Don’t bother. Just put Barrington in a hospital for a few days.”

“As you wish. Description?”

“Over six feet, fairly solid build. Seems to think he’s bulletproof.”

“They’re the best kind,” Huff said, “the ones who think they can’t be hurt.”

“Something else. He has a friend who’s the police commissioner, so don’t get caught doing it. You should wear a mask. I don’t want you ID’d by some passerby.”

“Regular haunts?”

“P. J. Clarke’s, Patroon. I don’t know if he has a club.”

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