Subject of Inquiry - Softcover

Through the cut-glass windows adorning the ornate French doors of the house at 12260 View Lane, the man watched from the eerie shadows of the backyard as the tall, aristocratic beauty stood calmly, quietly at the island in her smartly decorated kitchen. She chose a large stalk of celery from the assortment of fresh vegetables lying on the butcher block and methodically, contentedly, chopped and diced her way through the healthy, green stalk. He had strategically parked his late model Buick precisely two blocks away, then walked to the two-story Spanish-style home and made his way through the wooden side gate. Standing just off the back patio, he smiled to himself, realizing it would not be necessary to enter the house. No further risk was required. He checked the photo for the third time, reconfirming the target. The woman in the photo was smiling; the woman in the kitchen was not. Nevertheless, they were one and the same.

The .22 caliber, long-rifle load made barely a whisper through the silencer as it found its mark, a perfect, right-temple headshot. Without a sound, Ann Rushly softly and gracefully crumpled to the floor, as if in a ballet, the butcher knife still held firmly in her hand. The props, the setting, and the unwitting participant had all been cooperative. The K-22 Masterpiece S&W, a silencer, a photo, an unlocked gate, and a perfect backlit profile as his target, all contributed to the ease with which he completed his assignment. Not too bad, he thought, for a hundred thousand dollars. He nodded his head in quiet admiration of his handiwork. Then, confident she was dead he slipped away into the night.