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trap
shut. There are things you do not know and you will never know if
you don’t stop talking and start listening.”
    Terry recognized the tone of voice. He was
very curious but there would be no hurrying the explanation. It
would come in time. He did hope the information came before Ginger
got too drunk. There was no telling what might happen if he
did.
    “What you know of your father is only half
of what he did. He was a calm and considered gentleman and a
devoted family man.” Ginger took a large sip of his drink as if he
needed it to continue. “He was also a world class assassin.”
    Terry’s jaw dropped. He had never gotten the
slightest inkling of this part of his father’s life. If George had
survived, Terry might have suspected something after a while but he
had never gotten a clue during his formative years. He was about to
stammer some sort of protest but the look in Ginger’s eye silenced
him.
    “This is not something I suspect, boy, this
is something I know. He and I did some work together years back. I
am a better shot than he was but he was so subtle about it that he
always made me look like an amateur. There are rules to this sort
of an existence and he followed them scrupulously. Do you want to
continue this conversation?”
    Terry nodded his head, struck dumb by the
revelation.
    “I will continue but I have already warned
you that if you open your mouth to any of your school chums, or the
silly little sheilas you’ll be plucking, I will shoot you myself
and bury you in the fields in four or five pieces. Am I making
myself as clear as I can?”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “Good. This is not a joke or some sort of
game. I will not do it willingly, and I will not enjoy it, but if
you can’t keep your mouth shut, I will dismember you and fertilize
the corn with your body. You never leave witnesses alive, that
includes family, friends, lovers, and children, if they can’t keep
their big mouths shut.” Ginger called for another drink and ordered
Terry a cup of coffee.
    “That is the first rule, boy, you never
leave witnesses alive.”
    “I understand, but why are you telling me
this now?”
    “I created a witness when I went to that
man’s house and started asking questions about the dark blue boat
he had in the back yard.”
    “Is he the one…?”
    “No, but he is now a witness. Tell me what
he witnessed.”
    “He saw a man in a suit, driving a Holden
Monaro, who wanted to know about the boat in the back yard.”
    “Wrong. He saw a blond man in a suit and
hat, from Helping Hands. He may or may not have seen you, depending
on how curious he got. He saw a confused claims examiner.”
    The waiter brought the drinks and Ginger
said nothing until he had left them alone again. Then he said, “Do
you want to continue this conversation?”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “Then you had best be aware of all the rules
involved. You never leave fingerprints. You never allow yourself to
be fingerprinted. You never call attention to yourself. You never
accept a woman or child as your primary target. You never agree to
work with the police unless you can eliminate the entire station
force and destroy all evidence. You never talk. The men who hire
and distribute jobs in this part of the world are limited in
number, but they are ruthless. I have been expecting the man who
shot me in the hospital to appear at the farm for the past eight
years. I do not know why he has not. It has been a mistake on his
part, boy. He knew where we lived, there is no doubt about that. We
did not know where he was until today and we still cannot be sure
it is him. What are the rules?”
    “You, uh, I never, uh, I… I never talk. I
never go after women and children. I never leave a witness. I never
work with the constables. I never leave fingerprints or let them
fingerprint me.”
    “Not bad. You never call attention to
yourself. I’ll be asking you again so don’t forget. There is one
more lesson that does not constitute a rule, just a