Chapter 54
There is an argument, to be sure, for leaving these sorts of things to the professionals, to the type of individual who can switch off any thoughts and feelings of his own and just get the job done.
There have been studies—actual, academic studies—that conclude that even seasoned hit men make mistakes when they get too emotional.
So you’d infer that, for a successful hit, one would want a cold, hard machine.
Far be it from me to argue with an academic, but I think you want that emotion. You just have to make sure that it’s channeled properly, and most people, I find, are pretty focused about staying alive and out of prison.
It’s about risk management, too, and trust me, when it comes to murder for hire, a first-timer is just what you want, every time.
One and done, is the way I see it, because no matter how clean a professional hit man may be, no matter how meticulous he is, if he gets his hands dirty enough times, some of that grime will get stuck under his fingernails.
Too many bodies buried under one patio, and the neighbors are bound to get a whiff of something nasty, metaphorically speaking.
But lots and lots of patios, with just one body tucked away under each?
That’s a hell of a lot easier to manage.
My method is better for the instigator, and better for the contractor, too.
If everyone does their job right, it spreads the stink around.
If not, well . . . I’d tell you what happens if not, but then I’d have to kill you. (Or get someone else to do it. You know the drill.)