Death at a Discount

By Joseph J. Costantino

This story of drama and intrigue follows a young man named Ben on his journey to adulthood. Shy and withdrawn he is forced into circumstances that challenge his sheltered upbringing. On the way he encounters Troy, the complete opposite of his character. Troy is popular, confident and has a way with the ladies. This is something that Ben admires and envies at the same time. Add to this mix Troy's ties to the mob, a beautiful girlfriend, and a mean disposition and you have the makings of a suspenseful drama. This is a tale filled with mystery, murder and romance. It is replete with well drawn and sometimes comical characters that lead us to an unexpected conclusion.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Jul 24, 2019
• ISBN: 9781490796444

Joseph J. Costantino

As a kid growing up in Park Slope, Brooklyn, I was fascinated by movies, music, and literature. I always wanted to write as the great writers did. Songs, screenplays, and novels always held my attention. I began writing songs for my band back in the seventies. Great stories from my past and a vivid imagination are the driving force behind my writing.

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Copyright 2019 Joseph J. Costantino.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

ISBN: 978-1-4907-9638-3 (SC)

ISBN: 978-1-4907-9639-0 (HC)

ISBN: 978-1-4907-9644-4 (E)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019910293

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Trafford rev. 07/22/2019

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Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

To all my friends and family and Dale, of course.

Chapter One

A s I turn through the pages of my yearbook, I reflect. I guess Bruce was right, I was the class clown, the nerd, the loner. I had an over bearing - mother. Ben you look sick, you never eat enough fruit. Are the kids bullying you? Do you want me to go up and speak with the principal? That was okay in grammar school but High School? It didn’t matter to Mrs. Sidney Torbenstein.

The kids in school knew I was a mama’s boy. Neatly packed lunch with soup in a thermos. Torby the Nerd, that was my nickname.

Well I made it through High School and now I’m away from those chums. New school, new life. I start my first year of college in a few weeks. Also, a part time job in this big supermarket. Rollie’s Cash and Carry. The store, a ten-aisle shopping bonanza. I’m a deli clerk.

I heard my name being called, echoing from the kitchen. Coming mom. What piece of wisdom does she want to share with me now?

Benny, why don’t you buy some new clothes?

Mom, I don’t need any new clothes, jeans and a t-shirt are fine.

It’s September you’re going to need long sleeve shirts and a jacket. Go to Bubi she has some money for your graduation.

"I told you, I can wear everyday clothes. At Rollie’s, I will be wearing an apron, remember.

I’ll be working behind the deli counter." At that point, she gave me a look of disapproval and left the room.

We can go on forever as to why mom was so overprotective of me. One thing was that I was born 20 years after my sister, Sara. My sister left home about ten years ago. She’s married and living in Tacoma. She and my mother don’t see eye to eye. My mother disapproves of Sara’s husband. Aside from running away with my sister and getting married, he doesn’t have a job. He wants to be a songwriter and folk singer, while he’s working on his career, which brings in little or no money. My sister is a Chemical Engineer. She makes a very nice salary. They have no children, so my mom isn’t even a grandmother. It’s not like Mrs. Torbenstein to not get any return on her investment. My dad on the other hand is oblivious to the whole thing. He likes his TV and crossword puzzles. He works as a jeweler in Midtown. He does pretty well. Along with my mom being a retired school teacher, we enjoy a better than average standard of living.

Weeks have passed, and I am on my way to meet with my new boss, Troy. I am pulling into the Rollie’s parking lot right now. Rollie’s is a big impressive store, beautiful flowers and landscaping adorn the front entrance. Unlike other big food stores in the neighborhood, the prices here are extremely high. As I walked