I sat down without even giving the kid a glance, he was nice and returned the favor. The magazines on the table were years out of date and mostly untouched. I pretend to take in my surroundings and above all else remain calm looking. I always try to act cool when waiting just incase I am being watched, usually you are. From behind me the low mutter of, �Follow me.� I was quickly brought out of my cool and turned to meet the man. He was ugly, real ugly.
I�m not saying I�m handsome by any means, but wow was this guy ugly. I looked over my suit once more. It was a sharkskin brown with black shoes. The shirt was a light blue the woman at the store said something about my eyes then flashed hers and I bought it. Compared to ugly I was dressed like old blue eyes. Ugly was a good foot taller than I and two feet wider. I�m used to being an above average sized man, but this guy was an above average bear.
I learned not to say anything, but now standing the man had yet to move. �Lead the way.� He nodded as if in a trance and led me down the hall. I was assaulted by a smell so foul I had to ask, �What is that god awful smell?�
�You don�t want to know.� Was all my guide said as he placed the key in the lock of room 6. Inside was what I think to be the missing twin to most the lobby furniture.
The room was cramp, hot and looked unused. No doubt these three men were using this room for this meeting only and then leaving. I would have to agree with the arrangement, no one should stay here. The boss was easy to stop because he was seated in the middle of two men and they both waited for his response.
The two men wore cheep suits and honest to god hats. I thought people stopped wearing hats with suits, but these two looked like mobsters. I scanned the room for Tommy guns, but was disappointed to not find them. My guide walked out of the room shutting the door behind him. As soon as the door shut the man on the right started chewing his gum loudly with an open mouth. The other man never met my eyes or even looked at me. The leader of this rag tag bunch met my eyes and uncrossed his legs.
�I have a job for you. I hear your suited for this kind of task. All the arrangements have been made.� With that the gum chewer handed me a picture and a bag. In the bag was money. The picture was of an attractive woman.
After getting a rough idea of how much cash was in the bag I sat it aside on a desk. �This little lady? Won�t be a problem, how would you like me to go about this?�
At this he leaned forward and placed both hands on his knees, �No, no the woman is not my problem. There is a young man that will always be with her. It�s part of his condition. He is whom I want dealt with. Any way you deem fit is fine.� This did not sit well with me. I at least need a picture of the man. I could shoot anyone off of this.
�Can you give me anything else to go on. One picture of someone he can be seen with really isn�t enough.� I was starting to sweat the room had to be eighty degrees or more. I just want to speed this up so I can get out of here.
�Trust me, he cannot leave her side at any time. He will look similar like me. You will know him when you see him because he is my son.� At this his expression didn�t change. He looked as though he was waiting for my response so I spit something quickly out.
�Still really vague-� Before I could say more he interrupted me.
�I forgot to tell you. The money on the desk is just the first half the rest will be paid upon completion of your task.� That was a selling point two times anything is enough.
�I�ll contact you the usual way when I am done.� I turned without another word snatched the bag off the desk and headed for the door. I left the shambled living space with a jerky haste. Due in part to the heat, the smell, but mostly wanting to get the rest of the money. Ugly was outside the door looking straight at the wall not flinching an inch when I shut the door.
Back on the street I fingered the picture. Flipping it over I found her name and known locations. This was useful because in my haste I forgot to ask. I�m sure he noticed this. I hope he takes it as a sign of good faith, or my abilities.
The way the man talked bothered me word choices kept bubbling in my mind. Deem, upon, completion, and even his tone was all wrong. It all struck me as forced like they wanted me to view them as gangsters from the 1950s. The hotel everything was out a damned pulp. I started to find this funny until looking at the bag again. My good humor turned to business which is a much better feeling.
By now you should have a good idea as to what I do. I am a hit man. I don�t
consider my job any different than yours. Hell some jobs are just like mine take a photographer he takes aim, waits for a good shot, and takes it. The only difference is I can�t take mine again it�s all hit or miss. He could get another chance. Usually my work is the subject of his work.
I pass my home a circle back around, you can never be to careful. My home is modest right outside of town. It is a one level brick home, with a brick porch, and car port. Driving by it you�d never give it a second glance. This is why I bought it, old women have cat farms at houses like this. I enter my home and get the tools I�ll need for the task at hand. Once back out I do a quick sweep for people and load my trunk.
I drive a Buick for the same reason I bought this house no one ever gives it a glance. Oh, and trunk space, I like having the extra trunk space.