One Last Bullet: An Action Thriller (Adrian Hell Series Book 3) Read Online Free PDF

before you go?”
    “Actually, it’d be a big help if I could borrow your telephone to make a call before I leave,” he replied.
    “No problem, honey—it’s just over there.” She pointed to the far side of the semi-circular reception desk, where a phone was standing on its own at the end.
    “Thank you,” he said.
    He walked over and dialed a number from memory. It picked up after a couple of rings, and he said, “It’s me.”
    “Mr. Manhattan?” The somewhat surprised voice belonged to his trusted associate, Paulie Tarantina, who had assisted Manhattan for many years during their mutual service to the Pellaggio’s. “Sir, we heard what had happened to you, but had no idea how to come and get you without drawing more attention to ourselves. Under the circumstances, we—”
    “Paulie, it’s fine—there’s no need for apologies. What’s done is done, and we can all chalk the last twelve months up to experience and move on. Now listen to me very carefully. Danny’s dead. He went behind our backs, and it blew up in his face. I want to head home, regroup and look to rebuild the family.”
    “Just tell me what you need, Mr. Manhattan.”
    “I’m just about to leave the hospital in San Francisco. But I think it’s time to re-locate the business to somewhere new, so it can flourish without any ties to the past. I need you to arrange a flight and connecting travel for me. There’s an old business over on the East Coast that Roberto kept legitimate. I’ll head there, and once I’m settled, I’ll call you with farther instructions.”
    “No problem,” said Tarantina. “So, where exactly are you goin’ to, Boss?”
    Manhattan paused for a moment before answering, thinking things over one last time before committing to the path he was about to go down.
    “Allentown, Pennsylvania.”

6.
    MEANWHILE…
     
     
     
     
    14:08
    Wilson Trent rode in the back of his car with Bennett next to him. Duncan was riding shotgun as the driver navigated the busy streets. The previous day, he’d instructed his two enforcers to look into Tommy Blunt’s life—search his home, look through the financial records, everything—to find out where the fifteen grand a month had been disappearing to.
    He knew he could rely on his men to resolve the issue. They had always proven themselves his most capable, and most loyal, employees. That was why they’d been by his side as his personal protection detail for so long. And while it was a trivial amount of money in comparison to what he had and what he earned, that wasn’t the point—you didn’t steal from Wilson Trent and get away with it.
    And sure enough, after a few hours of investigation, they came up with the answer. It turned out, Blunt had been stealing the money, but not for himself. Duncan had found bank statements in the apartment documenting the fifteen grand going in on the same day each month. But, strangely, it was transferred back out a day later. He’d spoken to Bennett, who was searching the premises where Blunt worked at the time, and they began trying to figure out why Blunt would’ve been stealing money off Trent for someone else.
    They concluded that he wouldn’t, based on his loyal service over the years, so Duncan went away to look into whose bank account he had been transferring the money to, while Bennett reviewed the security tapes on the premises to see if anyone had visited Blunt around the times the transactions took place.
    Another hour or so later, and they had both come up with the same name.
    Caroline Dawson.
    She had a seat on the Pittsburgh City Council, and she had been on Trent’s payroll since taking the position three years earlier. She had visited Blunt on the day the transfers had taken place, and sure enough, the money was moved to her bank account.
    Duncan and Bennett took this to Trent, who immediately arranged an appointment at her office for a meeting. They explained to him that Caroline Dawson was, in some way, blackmailing or