Parker 04 - The Fury (39 page)

not there by mistake.

"Is that it?" the detective asked, pointing to the

small stone.

"I expect to be able to begin shipments within six

months," the woman continued, ignoring the question.

"Right now I'm taking your word that we can resume

without any further interruptions, issues or problems.

If I feel for one moment that you're holding back from

me, or information is coming faster than you can relay

326

Jason Pinter

it, I will detach your head from your body with the tips

of my fingernails and find someone useful. Do you

understand me,
Detective?
"

"I do," Detective Makhoulian said, looking at that

small black rock. "And I give you my word when I say

that they have no idea."

* * * * *

Acknowledgments

You don't write one book, let alone four, without some

incredible support, advice and a heaping helping of

good old-fashioned luck. Many people have been in

my corner from day one of this journey, while many I've

been fortunate enough to meet along the way. If I

actually thanked everyone who had any positive impact

on my first four books, this page would run longer than

a Charlton Heston movie. So here's the condensed list,

the people who've had the biggest impact (and the

people who groveled the most).

A sincere, knees-on-the-ground,
we're not worthy

thank-you to Joe Veltre, my agent, and Linda McFall,

my editor. Joe and Linda have had tremendous input on

every book, have made me a better writer and a better

author, and their passion and guidance resonates on

every page. If you're able to find my books, read them

and enjoy them, they deserve the credit.

My thanks to the MIRA team is unending. I owe a

debt of gratitude to Margaret O'Neill Marbury, Donna

Hayes, Dianne Moggy, Heather Foy, Michelle Renaud,

Andi Richman, Craig Swinwood, Don Lucey, Adam

328

Jason Pinter

Wilson, Emily Ohanjanians, Ana Luxton, Maureen

Stead, Jayne Hoogenberk, Ken Foy, Katherine Orr,

Loriana Sacilotto and Stacy Widdrington. Having seen

the publishing beast from inside the belly, I can appre

ciate these folks even more.

Just recently I've begun working with the MIRA

U.K. arm as well, and it's wonderful to see that my pub

lisher's expertise and enthusiasm literally cross oceans.

Thank you to Catherine Burke, Belinda Mountain,

Oliver Rhodes, Selma Leung, Darren Shoffren and Ian

Roberts for introducing my work to a whole new con

tinent of readers.

I've been fortunate to work with some great publi

cists both here and abroad. Susan Schwartzman, Sophie

Ransom and Grainne Kileen have helped spread the

word with incredible tenacity. You make my job a whole

lot easier.

Thanks to Paddy McDonald and Paddy Breathnach,

who saw something in my work that made them

believe that it could translate to another medium. I

hope you're right.

Jonathan Hayes, a talented author in his own right,

was a tremendous help on the forensics side. If I ever

want to commit a homicide and get away with it,

Jonathan's the guy I'd call to help me cover my tracks.

I've known Joel Hirschtritt and his family for years,

and I was finally able to take advantage of that for the

benefit of one of my books. Thanks to Joel for his legal

help, and also to Nancy, Jon, Stef, Ali and Marissa for

lending him to me for a little while.

A special thank-you to Philip Schnelwar, who untan

gled many of the legal loopholes Henry and Co. had to

The Fury

329

jump through in this book. Philip was more than

gracious with his time, and if for some reason I ever end

up in hot water, it's Phil I'll call to right the ship.

Sergeant Steve Rodriguez of the NYPD and Officer

Michael Gill of the Bend Police Department informed

me of procedure on opposite sides of the country. I ap

preciate their help, and admire them for their service.

Both of my families--Mom, Dad and Ali, and Jane,

Jeff and Sabrina--have been as supportive as could be

expected from anyone not on your payroll. Thank you

for everything, including flagging down strangers to

attend my signings. You might have scared a few people

away, but I appreciate it nonetheless.

Susan, who has been my partner, my rock and my

heart for years. You gave me the courage to pursue my

dreams, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life re

ciprocating.

Thank you to the booksellers and librarians who've

hosted events and invited me to speak to their commu

nities. It's been a real pleasure, and I hope you'll see

more of me in the coming years.

And, most important, to the readers. When it comes

to carving out a career as a novelist, your words of en

thusiasm, kindness and support are just as important as

mine on the page. Thank you for all of it.

(r)

ISBN: 978-1-4268-4054-8

THE FURY

Copyright (c) 2009 by Jason Pinter.

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or

utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic,

mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including

xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or

retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher,

MIRA Books, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are

either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and

any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments,

events or locales is entirely coincidental.

MIRA and the Star Colophon are trademarks used under license and registered

in Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, United States Patent and Trademark

Office and in other countries.

www.MIRABooks.com

Document Outline