Given a choice, Demarco and Ciro would have preferred to skip the funeral. Beck had mixed feelings. But out of respect for Manny, they all attended.

Manny had taken care of everything. Beck never asked how he managed to make the funeral arrangements, obtain a death certificate, and cremate the body.

The four of them stood in their best suits in a small chapel at Ferncliff cemetery north of the city. The minister was Hispanic. They listened to the ritual, keeping their thoughts private.

From the chapel they walked a short distance to the mausoleum where the urn containing her ashes was placed into a small crypt.

The day was bright and crisp, the air cold and clean, much like the day when it had all started. As they walked from the mausoleum to their car, Beck thought about Olivia Sanchez. What a terrible, terrible waste. Such a smart, tough, stunning woman. But in the end, so very heartless and reckless, so driven by greed.

Beck resolved to put her out of his thoughts. He would have to concentrate on Manny now.

Tomorrow, thought Beck. After the paper, with my second cup of coffee, I’ll sit with Manny. In his kitchen. Across from him at that beat-up old wooden table.

They’d talk over things. He knew, despite whatever grief or hurt or anger Manny felt, he would want to go over everything with him. Again. That was his way.

Confirm that Milstein was dead. And Crane. And Stepanovich. And Kolenka. And all their men either dead, deported, or locked up for a long time.

Beck knew it might take some time to reassure Manny that the last one who had tried to harm them, Markov, was also dead. The mercenaries were sure to destroy the corpse. But he would put the proposition to Manny. Explain his theory that if Crane had paid the ex–Special Forces soldiers to protect him, it stood to reason that he’d paid them to take out Markov.

Crane had to know that when Markov went after Beck and Olivia for his money, one of two things would happen. Beck might kill Markov, and that would be the end of it. Or, Markov would kill Beck. Undoubtedly after torturing him to find out where the money was. At which point, Markov would know that Beck didn’t have his money. And that Olivia had disappeared, as had Crane. Which means that Markov would know who really took his money. Therefore, Crane couldn’t let Markov live.

Of course, Manny would want to know how they could be sure the mercenaries would succeed. Beck would explain they were very good at such things. And that Markov’s protection was based on no one ever knowing where he was. As Ahmet Sukol had explained, Markov never stayed in one place for longer than one night. But Beck had solved that problem. The flash drive he had given Markov with the information about his Belize account also contained a GPS receiver and software that transmitted his location. And Ricky Bolo had confirmed that he gave Ralph Anastasia the URL of a Web site that would display Markov’s location. There was no doubt that Markov would keep the flash drive with him wherever he went until at least noon on Monday. Plenty of time for Anastasia and his team to find him.

As Beck walked the final steps to the gleaming black Mercury Marauder, he hoped knowing all that would give Manny solace. Maybe, he thought. But not enough. Not nearly enough.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Sincere thanks to my agent, Alexandra Machinist, who made this happen. Gratitude and respect to Keith Kahla, my editor, a talented and generous man who made this a better story, and to his team at St. Martin’s who performed at the highest level on everything from cover to copyediting. And thank you, Hannah Braaten, for watching over everything with great energy and good spirits.

ALSO BY JOHN CLARKSON

And Justice for One

One Way Out

One Man’s Law

New Lots

Reed’s Promise

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JOHN CLARKSON is the author of several previous novels, including And Justice for One. He spent many years in the New York advertising industry—as a copywriter, running his own agency, and as a private consultant. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Visit the author’s Web site at www.johnclarkson.com.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

AMONG THIEVES. Copyright © 2015 by John Clarkson. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

www.minotaurbooks.com

Cover design by David Baldeosingh Rotstein

Cover photographs: shadows of men © Eduardo Ripoli / Arcangel Images; puddles © Kuttelvaserova Stuchelova / Shutterstock.com

eBooks may be purchased for business or promotional use. For information on bulk purchases, please contact Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department by writing to [email protected].

The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

Clarkson, John, 1947–

    Among thieves / John Clarkson.

        pages   cm.

    ISBN 978-1-250-04724-3 (hardcover)

    ISBN 978-1-4668-4760-6 (e-book)

  1.  Corporations—Corrupt practices—Fiction.   2.  Organized crime—Fiction.   3.  New York (State)—Fiction.   I.  Title.

    PS3553.L3443A83 2015

    813'.54—dc23

2014033881

e-ISBN 9781466847606

First Edition: February 2015