Burners (18 page)
Authors: Henry Perez,J.A. Konrath
I nodded. “That’ll work. But I’m the one who should be getting the rain check.”
“What are you talking about, Alex? You just asked me to—”
“But
you
still owe
me
a beer.”
“Are you kidding? I saved your life.”
“You’re joking, right? I mean, we were both in the same courtroom.”
“Yes, the courtroom I took charge of after you nearly got everyone shot by trying to play Perry Mason.”
“I saved lives by risking my own, and solved a crime,” I raised my palms and smiled, “no need to thank me. A drink will be thanks enough.”
“Thank you? You shouldn’t have been on that jury in the first place!”
“Okay, that we can agree on, but if I hadn’t whacked Officer James he probably would’ve shot you.”
“And if I hadn’t gotten my hands on Malvo’s gun and subdued James he probably would’ve shot you, Tony, his father, Luzinsky, and who knows who else.”
She had a point.
“But you never would’ve had the chance to get Malvo’s gun if I hadn’t called you to the stand and given you a chance to tell your story.”
But so did I.
She grunted something unintelligible, stood, started to leave, and was almost at the door when she spun around to face me.
“Here’s the deal, Chapa, from now on you stay on your side of the line, with other members of your dubious profession, and I’ll continue doing a job that actually helps people, and hopefully we’ll keep out of each other’s way.”
“So do I get that rain check or not?”
No answer, just the sound of the door clicking shut.
But as I watched Daniels striding across the parking lot to her car, I had a feeling our paths would eventually cross again.
Jack Daniels thrillersJack Daniels Stories
(collected stories)
Serial Uncut
with Blake Crouch
Killers
with Blake Crouch
Suckers
with Jeff Strand
Planter’s Punch
with Tom Schreck
Floaters
with Henry Perez
Symbios
(writing as Joe Kimball)
Jailbait
(with Ann Voss Peterson)
Wild Night is Calling
(with Ann Voss Peterson)
65 Proof
(short story omnibus)
Crime Stories
(collected stories)
Horror Stories
(collected stories)
A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing
Visit the author at
www.jakonrath.com
Copyright © 2012 Joe Konrath and Henry Perez
Cover copyright © Jeroen ten Berge
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from Joe Konrath and Henry Perez.
Edition: January 2012
The interior design of this ebook was done by Rob Siders at
http://www.52Novels.com
. The cover art was done by Jeroen ten Berge at
http://jeroentenberge.com/
.
