Bővebb ismertető
1
The man was sitting on a bench in the reception room when Miles Vollner came back from lunch that Wednesday ^afternoon. Vollner glanced at him, and then looked quiz-Ideally at his receptionist. The girl shrugged slightly and went back to her typing. The moment Vollner was inside his private office, he buzzed her. [ 'Who's that waiting outside?' he asked. I T don't know, sir,' the receptionist said, i 'What do you mean, you don't know?' r 'He wouldn't give me his name, sir,'
'Did you ask him?' : 'Yes, I did.'
'What did he say?' | 'Sir, he's sitting right here,' the receptionist said, her voice lowering to a whisper. 'I'd rather not—'
'What's the matter with you?' Vollner said. 'This is my office, not his. What did he say when you asked him his name?'
'He - he told me to go to hell, sir.'
'What?' ; 'Yes, sir.'
'I'll be right out,' Vollner said.
He did not go right out because his attention was caught by a letter on his desk, the afternoon mail having been placed there some five minutes ago by his secretary. He opened the letter, read it quickly, and then smiled because it was a large order from a retailer in the Midwest, a firm Vollner had been trying to get as a customer for the past six months. The company Vollner headed was small but growing. It specialized in audio-visual components, with its
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Ed McBain / Evan Hunter (csak hogy a két legismertebb álnevét említsük) Salvatore A. Lombino néven látta meg a napvilágot 1926. október 15-én, New Yorkban.
Igyekezett két írói énjét karrierje végéig különválasztani: láthatóan eltérő stílusban, s teljesen más témákról írt – egyedül Candyland című, 2001-es munkája a kivétel, mely két részre osztott kötet, kollaboráció Evan és Ed között. Az első könyvet követő 49 évben összesen 55, a 87-es körzetben játszódó regényt írt.