Liar's Dice

Gabriel ValjanLIAR’S DICEA Shane Cleary Mystery First published by Level Best Books/Historia 2023Copyright © 2023 by Gabriel ValjanAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.Gabriel Valjan asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.First editionISBN: 978-1-68512-207-2 Cover art by Level Best Designs This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy Find out more at reedsy.com “What you cannot do with the sword, you could do with guile. You are foolish…always thinking about the sword, always thinking about poison, always thinking about killing. There are other ways to do things.” And he pulled out his dice, saying, “These are my father’s bones.”—Shakuni in The Mahābhārata Praise for Liar’s Dice“Warning: Pick up a copy, turn the page, and you’ll be hooked. Liar’s Dice ticks the boxes: an interesting tale that’s economical and tight, descriptions that are full and rich, dialogue that’s real, and characters that spring to life. Gabriel Valjan just has a way of making every word count.”—Dietrich Kalteis, winner of the 2022 Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence for best novel “Gritty, smart, sharply written…Liar’s Dice is a welcome addition to the canon of fine PI fiction.”—Reed Farrel Coleman, New York Times bestselling author of Sleepless City “A fast-paced mystery that kept me flipping the pages, needing to find out what would happen next. Shane Cleary is a complex, brilliantly written protagonist. A terrific read.”—Hannah Mary McKinnon, internationally bestselling author of Never Coming Home “Gabriel Valjan is the godfather of organized crime fiction and Liar’s Dice is all the proof you need.”—James L’Etoile, author of the Detective Nathan Parker series “Gabriel Valjan writes like a poet but his PI Shane Cleary packs a wallop worthy of Mickey Spillane. In Liar’s Dice he delves deep into the hearty of dirty old Boston, playing the cops against the mob as his own dark memories threaten to overwhelm in this moody, unforgettable noir.”—Clea Simon, Boston Globe-bestselling author of Hold Me Down “Liar’s Dice is a blast! Mobsters, Vietnam, assassins, and 1970s Boston, not to mention sharp characters, witty prose, and a twisting-and-turning plot. A great read with a message that will stick with you long after you put it down. Do yourself a favor and get this fantastic novel.”—David Heska Wanbli Weiden, Anthony and Thriller Award-winning author of Winter Counts “Gabriel Valjan crafts a vivid portrait of 1970s Boston to life in Liar’s Dice. Shane Cleary deserves to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the city’s other famous PIs—a haunted but compassionate character who cuts through a swath of Mob crime with Valjan’s trademark wit and style.”—James D.F. Hannah, Shamus-winning author of Behind the Wall of Sleep and She Talks To Angels Characters Bonnie: Shane’s girlfriend and criminal defense attorney.Delilah: Shane’s cat.Tony Two-Times: Bodyguard and associate of Mr. B.Mr. B: Mafia don.Sal: Driver and Mr. B’s nephew.Vanessa: John’s niece and girlfriend of Sal.Jim Hoban: Deceased advocate for homeless and veterans.Dot: Dorothy at the Mercury Answering Service.Duffy: Desk Sergeant, Boston Police Department.Pinto: Messenger, Boston Police Department.Pedro Gonzalez: Murder victim.Delano ‘Professor’ Lindsey: Shane’s former teacher.Bill: Friend of Shane, an Army veteran, and a Boston Police Department officer.Hunter: Army friend of Shane and a freelance photojournalist.JC: Jean-Claude Toussaint, a former doctor in Haiti, and an orderly at City Hospital Morgue.Maverick: East Boston community activist.Agent Lusk: DEA Agent.Agent Miller: DEA Agent.Jimmy: Southie gangster, Winter Hill Gang.Slim: Southie gangster, Winter Hill Gang.Poodle: Southie gangster, Winter Hill Gang. Chapter One: Thou Shalt Not Say NoI heard the slap of the Boston Globe on our doorstep.It was seven-thirty and Bonnie had already kissed me goodbye. It was a kiss. A long, slow kiss to make a man lose his dignity. I begged her to stay home, to play hooky from work, and give the boys in the office a reprieve. She told me she couldn’t. I watched her walk out the front door. Her perfume may have hinted of spring but the mercury in the thermometer said winter.The phone rang and interrupted my trip to the front door for the paper. I answered on the second ring.“Glad you’re still there,” she said.“Bonnie?”“I’m at a payphone on Comm. Ave.”“Forget something?”“I noticed a Cadillac parked across the street when I left.”“It’s a car that stands out, I’ll give you that, but what’s the problem?”“The man inside the car. He’s getting out.”“I thought I was the PI, and you were the lawyer.”“I’m serious, Shane.”“So am I. Okay, I’ll play. Describe him to me?”“Six-six. Menacing. Dark winter coat. He’s headed to our door. Wait, he’s stopped.”“He stopped?”“To light a cigarette, but he’s not having any luck. He keeps trying with his lighter.”“Tony Two-Times.”“That’s Tony Two-Times? Not exactly subtle, is he?”“It goes with the job description.”“Oh my god, Shane. He’s reached into his jacket.” I’d never heard Bonnie’s voice hit that note, not even during sex, though in my defense, this was panic and not ecstasy. We were nearing our anniversary, and I suppose months of cohabitation or what the Census Bureau calls POSSLQ or Person of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters had eroded her tough exterior.“Never mind,” she said. “It’s a newspaper. I thought he might’ve had a gun.”“Go to work, Bonnie.”I did the rude thing and hung up on her. It’s not that I wanted to do it, but Tony Two-Times, uninvited and unannounced, was not the same thing as the guy at your door with the news you’ve won the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes. Tony was a ‘friend,’ and the mob always sent your friend to kill you. I moved fast and pulled my .38 out of