Claws

by Edward Lodi

About the Author: Edward Lodi has written more than 30 books, both fiction and nonfiction, as well as a poetry chapbook. His short fiction and poetry have appeared in numerous magazines and journals, such as Mystery Weekly Magazine, and in anthologies published by Cemetery Dance, Main Street Rag, Rock Village Publishing, Superior Shores Press, and others. His story “Charnel House” was featured on Night Terrors Podcast.

Excerpt

Jake sat at the bar nursing a bottle of Sam Adams. Ronnie slid onto a stool next to him.

“You got that hundred bucks you owe me?” Jake asked, without turning his head.

Ronnie patted his pal on the back. “I got something better, Jake.”

“What’s better than my hundred bucks?”

Ronnie signaled to Carlos, who at first pretended not to see, then took his time sauntering over. “Can I do something for you, Ronnie?” the bartender asked, all innocence.

Ronnie pointed at Jake’s beer. “You can bring me one of those.”

Carlos lifted the bottle. “Let me get this straight. You want me to bring you an empty beer bottle?”

“Quit horsing around, Carlos. I’ll pay you what I owe, real soon.”

Carlos shrugged and walked away, but eventually returned with a bottle of Sam Adams dripping wet from the cooler.

“You ain’t answered my question,” Jake reminded his friend. “What’s better than the hundred bucks you owe me?”

Ronnie took a long swig from the bottle. Wiping his lips with his sleeve, he replied: “A job.”

Jake frowned. “What kind of job?”

“The kind that will rake in a lot more than a measly hundred bucks.”

“If a hundred bucks is so measly, how come you ain’t paid me back yet?”

“You’ll get the hundred soon as we pull this off.”

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