Deadbeats

by Ted Miller

Eddie Thomas, a slick auto wholesaler has visited Joe Lags’ office almost every Monday the past ten years, either making payments on existing loans or opening new ones. Eddie got a little too slick and scammed Joe for a $20,000 loan using cars on his used car lot for collateral, cars he had on consignment. Learning he’d been duped, Joe is insanely angry. Eddie stumbles across a banker with like vices, Brian Sweeney and shortly puts him on a program that Eddie hopes will get him even, a goal he’s been trying to achieve for years. The chief of police, Harry Burton is also on Joe Lags’ payroll, but is in deep trouble with the citizenry because of four un-solved bank holdups. When Harry was a young beat cop he falsely arrested Eddie for breaking and entering, knowing full well the store had been broken into by other thieves. Eddie and his friends entered the store when they noticed a wide open door. Eddie did steal some bananas. Eddie and Harry do not like one another. A dark humored tale taking place during the turbulent sixties with swindles occurring on every corner, and sprinkled with characters right out of Damon Runyon’s short stories.

296 pages, Paperback

First published June 10, 2009