Once a Killer Read Online Free PDF

must have known I’d want nothing more to do with you after…”
    “After what? Still can’t bring yourself to say it, can you?”
    Michael’s throat felt dry. “After that day.”
    Rondell narrowed his eyes. “That’s right. That day a defenseless old man was killed.”
    “We both know what happened.”
    “We know all right, Danny Boy.”
    Both men remained silent, staring at each other.
    “When did they let you out?” Michael said, breaking the long silence.
    Rondell scowled. “I heard it was years after you got out.”
    “No more than you deserved. Everyone knew the kind of kid you were.”
    “And you were completely innocent?”
    “They all understood how you led me on. How the whole thing was your idea.”
    “They only knew what you told them. And you were a harmless little white boy, not even ten. Sure the police were going to believe you over me. Don’t make it the truth, though.”
    “It was the truth.”
    “You were a liar then, and you’re lying now. The fact is, Danny Boy—” Rondell emptied his glass “—you owe me.”
    A wave of contempt ran through Michael. “I owe you nothing. Because of you, I lost years of my life. I lost my family, my identity, everything.” Michael wanted to pick up Rondell and throw him through the window. How dare he think he could come back into his life again? He rose to his feet. “I’m finished here,” he said before walking to the door. When he opened it, Bull Neck was standing in the doorway, blocking his way.
    “Sit the fuck down, Danny Boy,” said Rondell. “You’re going nowhere. I haven’t finished with you yet.”
    Bull Neck shoved Michael hard in the middle of his chest and pulled the door closed. Michael fell backward onto the floor, stunned.
    “What the hell’s going on here?” he asked, scrambling to his feet.
    “I told you. You owe me. Did you think I got you here because I wanted a cozy chat about old times? This ain’t a social meeting, Danny Boy. I haven’t spent months trying to track you down so we can pretend we’re old friends.”
    Michael returned to his chair and tried to control his breathing. “So what do you want from me?”
    Rondell grinned. “That’s better. Now we‘re getting somewhere. There’s no reason we can’t be civil about this.”
    “Civil? I’m surprised you even know what that means.”
    “We’re both businessmen. Let’s see if we can handle this in a businesslike fashion, shall we?”
    “Handle what?”
    Rondell stood up, walked to the window, and leaned his back against it, his hands in his trouser pockets. “I hear you’re a pretty good lawyer. Even I’m impressed by how far you’ve climbed out of the cesspit we grew up in. From what I hear, you’ve made a name for yourself over there at Dudek’s. Seems you handle some of their clients’ biggest deals.”
    “So you’ve checked me out.” Michael uncrossed his arms and turned both palms toward the ceiling. “Is this actually going anywhere?”
    “I told you to keep things civil.”
    “That’s rich coming from the man who has his hired muscle standing outside the door.”
    Rondell rolled his head. “Okay. I thought a professional man like you would want to handle things in a certain way. Let’s dispense with the pleasantries.”
    Michael snorted. “Is that what they were? You haven’t changed.”
    “Long story short. I run a successful hedge fund here. There’s a team of twenty traders on this floor alone, and I have another six on the west coast.”
    “Am I supposed to be impressed?”
    “I don’t give a shit whether you’re impressed or not. The thing is, the work you do could be a real help to my operation.”
    “As I told your two knuckleheads when they met me, I’m not looking to take on more clients.”
    “Do I look stupid? I’m not interested in becoming a client. I have my own lawyers. I want something much more valuable from you.”
    “And that is?”
    Rondell returned to his seat and pulled out a stack of