A frail looking elderly man shuffles along a sidewalk in Boise, Idaho. Perhaps he reminds you of your grandfather. But he isn’t your grandfather; he’s a KILLER!
Oxley Van Dam, is a retired accountant. His face is dominated by gigantic bags under his eyes, better described as ‘trunks.’ He reminds you of a bloodhound suffering from severe depression.
Ox has one desire; to become rich. He believes he’ll make a lot of money in the murder for hire business. Ox puts together a syndicate he calls ‘As Ochos,’ Spanish for aces and eights, known as the dead man’s hand. Oxley seeks out active seniors interested in making money. With no religious beliefs, he feels no qualms about his murderous plan. Ox knows that a young mean person will become an old mean person. Ask any nurse in a nursing home how many times they’ve been pinched, hit, bitten and cursed.
His operatives have agreed to become contract killers for a variety of reasons. Some are bitter for the way life has treated them. Others are ex military and discovered they enjoyed the taking of human life. Still others are desperate for money. The truth is ill refutable. A few elderly people will turn to crime if given the opportunity.
Charlene Kelly-Lasiter, known as ‘Charlie’ to her friends, is the Administrative Assistant to Edgar Larimore, the founder of a world wide conglomerate. Charlie is beautiful, loyal and blessed with a brilliant business mind. The company has been her life passion for more than forty years. But Edgar dies under mysterious circumstances and his worthless, pig-like son, Maurice, ascends to the presidency. He despises his father’s employees and wants to cause them pain. Charlie resigns because of her hatred for this evil son and moves to Boise, Idaho.
Charlie’s hatred grows as she hears about terrible things Maurice is doing. She happens upon an ad which offers help in dealing with troublesome people. Charlie buys a contract to have Maurice murdered.
The book describes a number of As Ochos murders and tells how Charlene, burdened with guilt and shame, meets the mysterious Abisha, which means ‘God’s gift,’ who tells her about God’s love and forgiveness. She receives the Lord and her life is transformed.
The story is full of excitement and intrigue as we follow various police departments and their detectives as they try to solve many murders committed with one clue left at each crime scene; the dead man’s hand left on each victim.