The Trade

by Dale T. Phillips

About the Author: Dale T. Phillips has published novels, story collections, non-fiction, and over 80 short stories. Stephen King was Dale's college writing teacher, and since then, Dale has found time to appear on stage, television, radio, in an independent feature film, and compete on Jeopardy (losing in a spectacular fashion).

Excerpt

Behind his office desk, Dante LaGuardia studied the squirming man in the chair before him. Dante was an investigator, which mostly meant being a problem solver for people: searching for missing family members, vetting people for something important, ascertaining innocence or guilt in lovers or spouses who might be straying. He was trying to guess what the nervous man’s problem was.

“He’s going to kill me,” the stress in the man’s voice was palpable.

Well, that’s a new one, Dante thought. “Who?”

“Roberto Pazzi.”

Ouch. Pazzi was the most dangerous man in Florence, the major capo of local organized crime. If this fool had crossed Pazzi, it was a deadly problem indeed.

“Let’s start with your name.”

“You may call me Vincent,” the man said. He was sweating so profusely, Dante wanted to offer him a towel.

Dante raised an eyebrow. “Just that?”

“If you were with the police, you’d know my real name. I don’t use it.”

“Ah. A criminal.”

The man winced. “Not really. Well, not in the real sense. I hurt no one.”

Dante smiled. Of course not. “Then what do you do?”

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