Runner-up 3

Hauser struggled to stay conscious, to stay alert. He needed time to think, and time was fast running out. He was sure Palmieri hadn't bought the fake voice routine and would already be on his way from LAX.

He gritted his expensively capped teeth against the dull pain throbbing in his wounded shoulder. He knew he needed immediate medical attention, but that would mean the police.

It was time to call in a marker. Grimacing, he reached for the black book he always carried in his back pocket and opened it. He flipped through the pages until coming to the "Ks."

"Kenny One-Eye," he muttered, and clumsily punched the number into the dead hood's cellphone. While it rang, he could hear loud overlapping voices coming from inside Congressman Falco's house. Hauser recognized the voices of Falco, his wife Evelyn, Chuck and Genie Bonner and the hood Ernesto, before his attention was drawn to Kenny One-Eye's voice on the cell.

"Yeah?"

"It's me, Hauser."

"What's up, buddy?"

"Need clean up," he grunted. "Aisle four."

"I'm kinda busy right now."

"Get unbusy."

"Where are you?"

"Reseda. Congressman Falco's place."

"Your lucky day, Hauser. "I'm in Encino."

"Lucky, that's me. You still got that 12-gauge street sweeper?"

"Both barrels, locked and loaded."