The Embalmer: A Steve Jobz Thriller Read online

  “The head!” Moonlight shouts over the meaty rib clenched between his jaws. “Watch out for the head . . . I’m fragile.”

  “Oh, he’s fragile all right,” Marconi says, popping the cork on the Chianti.

  Blood releases Moonlight’s collar, picks him up in his arms, like he’s cradling a small child, carries him out onto the narrow riverside houseboat deck.

  “Blood, what are you doing?!” Moonlight screams. “My gun, my wallet, my head. In case you forgot, there’s a small fragment of bullet lodged beside the cerebral cortex . . . You can’t just toss—”

  Blood drops him into the drink. He turns to me, smiles proudly.

  Marconi sips his wine, whispers, “Molto bene.”

  Moonlight rises to the surface face first, makes like a fountain releasing a stream of water through pursed, kissy lips. He proceeds to do the backstroke.

  “Water’s nice,” he says. “You should come on in. Oh, and hand me my beer somebody, please.”

  A grin on my face, I turn, head back into the houseboat. Time to call Janice for real this time and set up that date.

  “My new friends. The Professionals,” I mumble to myself while picking up the cell phone off the counter. “Professional my ass.”

  The End

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  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Winner of the 2015 PWA Shamus Award and the 2015 ITW Thriller Award for Best Original Paperback Novel for MOONLIGHT WEEPS, Vincent Zandri is the NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, and AMAZON KINDLE No.1 bestselling author of more than 25 novels including THE REMAINS, EVERYTHING BURNS, ORCHARD GROVE and THE CORRUPTIONS. He is also the author of numerous Amazon bestselling digital shorts, PATHOLOGICAL and DOG DAY MOONLIGHT among them. Harlan Coben has described THE INNOCENT (formerly As Catch Can) as "...gritty, fast-paced, lyrical and haunting," while the New York Post called it "Sensational...Masterful...Brilliant!" Zandri's list of domestic publishers include Delacorte, Dell, Down & Out Books, Thomas & Mercer, and Polis Books. An MFA in Writing graduate of Vermont College, Zandri's work is translated in the Dutch, Russian, French, Italian, and Japanese. Recently, Zandri was the subject of a major feature by the New York Times. He has also made appearances on Bloomberg TV and FOX news. In December 2014, Suspense Magazine named Zandri's, THE SHROUD KEY, as one of the "Best Books of 2014." Recently, Suspense Magazine selected WHEN SHADOWS COME as one of the "Best Books of 2016". A freelance photo-journalist and the author of the popular "lit blog," The Vincent Zandri Vox, Zandri has written for Living Ready Magazine, RT, New York Newsday, Hudson Valley Magazine, The Times Union (Albany), Game & Fish Magazine, and many more. He lives in Albany, New York. For more go to WWW.VINCENTZANDRI.COM

  Vincent Zandri © copyright 2017

  All rights reserved as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

  Bear Media 2016

  4 Orchard Grove, Albany, NY 12204

  http://www.vincentzandri.com

  Cover design by Elder Lemon Art

  Editing by Plot2Published Editing

  Author Photo by Jessica Painter

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to a real person, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Published in the United States of America

  The author is represented by Chip MacGregor of the MacGregor Literary Agency

  Table of Contents

  The Embalmer

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  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  CHAPTER 25

  CHAPTER 26

  CHAPTER 27

  CHAPTER 28

  CHAPTER 29

  CHAPTER 30

  CHAPTER 31

  CHAPTER 32

  CHAPTER 33

  CHAPTER 34

  CHAPTER 35

  CHAPTER 36

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR