Culprits Read online

  “Then it’s over. Okay? Done. Finished. Acabado. I couldn’t pursue you and your fellow culprits even if I wanted to. I have more to think about. I have to figure out how to get myself back on my feet. I don’t have the time, the resources, or the inclination to continue going after you.”

  Harrington had another helping of ice cream. He put the spoon back into the carton and stirred it around.

  “You can do whatever you want,” he said. “But I’m out. I’ve had it. As far as I’m concerned, this whole business between us is over. I really am done.”

  O’Conner looked at the man sitting alone in a house big enough to have its own zip code eating melting ice cream from a carton. No wife. No money. No power. He looked older than he was. Old and pathetic.

  “You are half right,” he said.

  “Wha—”

  O’Conner raised his Glock and put two quick shots into the man’s chest. Always go for the center mass.

  Harrington fell backward off the stool onto the kitchen floor, the look of surprise having returned to his face.

  “Business is never done until all the debts are paid off,” said O’Conner.

  He turned toward the door. Thoughts of Hector, the Financier in the wind, and the others, from both sides, ran through his head. All dead probably. Well, that was the risk they ran getting into the bull ring. That didn’t mean, though, he let certain behavior slide all the damn time. You couldn’t call yourself a pro and do that.

  “Paid in full, motherfucker,” he said, walking out of the house and away from the Crystal Q.

  Biographies

  Editors

  Richard Brewer, a native Californian, has always loved stories. Following that love he has worked as a writer, editor, actor, director, bookseller, book reviewer, movie development executive, and audiobook narrator. He is co-editor of the critically acclaimed Bruce Springsteen inspired short story anthology Meeting Across the River, as well as the speculative fiction collection Occupied Earth: Stories of Aliens, Resistance and Survival at all Costs. His most recent short story, Last to Die, was included in another anthology inspired by The Boss, Trouble in the Heartland, and was noted as one of the Distinguished Mystery Stories of the year in The Best American Mystery Stories 2015.

  Born under a bad sign, Gary Phillips must keep writing to forestall his appointment at the crossroads. He has written various novels, novellas, radio plays, scripts, graphic novels such as Vigilante: Southland, and published 60 some short stories. He has had several of his works optioned for film or TV including the graphic novel The Rinse about a money launderer, and his short story “The Two Falcons” from The Highway Kind: Tales of Fast Cars, Desperate Drivers and Dark Roads. Phillips has edited or co-edited several anthologies including the bestselling Orange County Noir, Occupied Earth (with Richard Brewer) and the critically praised The Obama Inheritance: Fifteen Stories of Conspiracy Noir. He is the immediate past president of the Private Eye Writers of America.

  Contributors

  Brett Battles was born and raised in southern California. He is the USA Today bestselling and Barry Award winning author of over thirty novels, including the Jonathan Quinn series, the Project Eden series, and the time bending Rewinder trilogy. Though he still makes California his home, he has traveled extensively to such destinations as Ho Chi Minh City, Berlin, Bangkok, Angkor Wat, Singapore, Jakarta, London, Paris, and Rome, all of which play parts in his current and upcoming novels. Authors who have influenced him over the years include, but aren’t limited to: Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Alistair MacLean, Robert Ludlum, Stephen King, Graham Greene, Haruki Murakami, and Tim Hallinan.

  He has three very cool kids—Ronan, Fiona, and Keira—who are all quickly becoming adults, which both excites and unnerves him. As for his neurotic, paranoid, cute Australian Shepherd Maggie, that’s more of a…developing relationship. You can learn more about Brett and his books at http://brettbattles.com

  Joe Clifford is the author of several books, including Junkie Love and the Jay Porter Thriller Series, as well as editor of the anthologies Trouble in the Heartland: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of BruceSpringsteen; Just to Watch Them Die: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Johnny Cash, and Hard Sentences, which he co-edited with David James Keaton. Joe’s writing can be found atwww.joeclifford.com.

  David Corbett is the author of six novels: The Devil’s Redhead, Done for a Dime (a New York Times Notable Book), Blood of Paradise (nominated for numerous awards, including the Edgar), Do They Know I’m Running ("a rich, hard-hitting epic"—Publishers Weekly, starred review), and The Mercy of the Night (“Superlative” —Booklist, starred review). His latest novel, The Long-Lost Love Letters of Doc Holliday, will appear in 2018. His novella, The Devil Prayed and Darkness Fell, also appeared in 2015, and his story collection Thirteen Confessions was published in 2016. David’s short fiction and poetry have appeared in journals as diverse as Mission and Tenth, The Smoking Poet, San Francisco Noir and Best American Mystery Stories (2009 and 2011). His book on the craft of characterization, The Art of Character (Penguin), has been called “a writer’s bible,” he’s a contributing editor for Writer’s Digest, and he’s written numerous articles on the craft and theory of fiction for other outlets, such as the New York Times, Narrative, Bright Ideas, Zyzzyva, and MovieMaker. He has taught at the UCLA Extension's Writers' Program, Litreactor, Book Passage, 826 Valencia, and numerous writing conferences across the US, Canada, and Mexico. For more, visit www.davidcorbett.com

  Gar Anthony Haywood is the Shamus and Anthony award-winning author of twelve crime novels. His short fiction has been included in the Best American Mystery Stories anthologies and Booklist has called him "a writer who has always belonged in the upper echelon of American crime fiction." Haywood has written for network television and both the New York and Los Angeles Times. His most recent novel is Assume Nothing, and the six books in his Aaron Gunner P.I. series are now available as e-books from Open Road/Mysterious Press.

  Jessica Kaye is an entertainment and publishing attorney at Kaye & Mills (www.kayemills.com) and a Grammy Award-winning audiobook producer. Jessica owns Big Happy Family, LLC, an audiobook distributor (www.bighappyfamilyaudio.com.) She created and co-edited Meeting Across the River (anthology, BloomsburyUSA, 2005) and contributed a story to Occupied Earth: Stories of Aliens, Resistance and Survival at all Costs (Polis Books, 2015.) She is the author of the forthcoming How To Produce (and sell) a Great Audiobook (F+W Media Inc./Writers Digest Books, 2019.)

  Manuel Ramos is the author of nine published novels and one short story collection. The Edgar® and Shamus nominee lives and writes in Denver. He is a co-founder of and regular contributor to La Bloga, an award-winning Internet magazine devoted to Latino literature, culture, news, and opinion. www.manuelramos.com

  Zoë Sharp was brought up on an English dockside and opted out of mainstream education at the age of 12. She wrote her first novel at 15 and created her Special Forces-dropout-turned-bodyguard, Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Fox after receiving death-threats in the course of her work as a photojournalist. Lee Child famously once said (in writing, with no threats involved): “If Jack Reacher were a woman, he’d be Charlie Fox.” When Sharp’s not scribbling, undertaking house renovation, or improvising weapons out of everyday objects, she can be found crewing yachts or international pet-sitting. (It’s a tough life, but somebody’s got to do it, right?) She’s been nominated for just about every prize going (always the bridesmaid, never the bride) for both her short and long fiction. For a free ebook download and more info, visit www.ZoeSharp.com

 

 

 
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