Prologue
He noticed that her long tapered fingers
shook just ever so slightly as she handed over the check. The amount was
correct, possibly even a little extra, so he didn’t give it a second glance as
he stuffed it into his pocket. He calmly eyed his former client, his expression
so neutral as to make one believe he was waiting for instruction as what to do
next. A cough, followed by another one, forced his attention to the gentleman
standing beside her. A hand reached out for a shake; a word of goodbye was spoken
to him. Was that fear he saw in the gentleman’s eyes? A catch of desperation in
his voice? He hoped so. His large, massive hand with untold strength enclosed
the smaller one and gave it a quick shake. A desire to crush it, contort it
into an unrecognizable shape overwhelmed him. Almost. He quickly let go of the
hand, giving a short nod with his head and turned to walk out of the plush
office. A small smile of satisfaction briefly materialized on his lips as he
heard the woman behind him break into uncontrollable sobs.
***
