Murder for Contract Noir Irving Lerner Eng 1958

Seemingly a little too smart for his own good and as such methodical and confidant to a fault in his approach to life and his newly chosen occupation, Claude has just started working as a hit man for Mr. Brink, who will often contract out Claude's services. Not a particularly violent man, Claude has chosen this life as a fast track to wealth to buy a house, purchase price $28,000, along the Ohio River, his previous 9-to-5 job which would not have gotten him to that goal nearly as quickly. Brink sends him across the country to Los Angeles for a hit, he only knowing the target's name of Billie Williams. His methodical process for this job, as with any, exasperates Claude's Los Angeles handlers, Marc and George, especially as Claude seems in no hurry to do any seeming work, even after they tell him the hit has to be done within a week to prevent Billie from testifying as the key witness in what could be a very damaging trial. But after Marc and George get somewhat used to Claude's methods and understand from where he's coming with the job, they will find that what was already known as the difficult job becomes even more difficult for various reasons. Those few and increasing surprises may ultimately show some cracks in Claude's otherwise icy cold veneer.