Death Penalty

by William J. Coughlin

  “I’ll see you, Mickey.”

  I started to walk to the door.

  “Charley!”

  I turned.

  Mickey raised his glass in a salute. “To the most devious son of a loving bitch I’ve ever known!”

  He downed the drink and grinned.

  I walked out into the sunlight.

  I was new to the hero business and it seemed to me I wasn’t going about it quite right.