Deadly in New York Read Free Page B

means that canny and often corrupt developers and landlords can make fortunes. One of the largest development corporations in the city is owned by Fister Corporation, under the name Fister Limited.
    â€œNow, Fister Corporation, you see, has a history of obscuring its scale and worth by working through numerous wholly owned subsidiaries. Through bribery and maybe some blackmail, Fister Corporation learned almost a year ago of this federal grant for The Bronx. As a result, its subsidiaries have been buying up just as much of the neighborhood as it can. Because most of this area consists of junked lots or abandoned buildings, it was easy for them to buy fast and cheap. But the remaining, oh, five or ten percent of the neighborhood consists of brownstone houses in which live some tough and stubborn old German families. And Hawk, if those Germans wouldn’t move when The Bronx was going to hell around them, they sure as hell don’t plan to move now that the place is going to be fixed up.”
    â€œIs that the conflict?” Hawker put in. “Fister Corporation wants to buy, but the Germans don’t want to sell?”
    Hayes smiled. “Exactly. It’s not an uncommon situation in the world of urban reclamation. But Fister Corporation has, unfortunately, uncommon ways of dealing with it.” Hayes raised his eyebrows and looked into Hawker’s eyes. “Renard is a perfect example of their methods. Very professional. Very cold. And absolutely without mercy.”
    â€œThen they’ve already chased the Germans out?”
    Hendricks allowed himself a rare chuckle. “Jacob, permit me to explain to James about the Germans—he’s obviously too young to remember much about World War II.”
    Hawker listened with a wry expression on his face while the Englishman straightened him out.
    â€œYou must remember,” Hendricks went on, “that the Germans—using the resources of a country only the size of your Georgia—came all too close to defeating the entire world in a highly complex, highly mechanized war. Thumb your nose all you like at the taboo subject of racial traits, but the fact is, the Germanic tribes do not frighten easily.” The old Englishman chuckled softly. “Jerry gave us all quite a turn back in those days. Quite.”
    â€œI stand corrected,” Hawker allowed. “The German families have not been chased out of The Bronx.”
    â€œLess than sixty families remain,” continued Hayes. “And they’re having a tough time of it. The head of Fister Corporation is Blake Fister. He achieved prominence in the tough world of New York real estate by the almost indiscriminate use of corruption and intimidation. From there, he pyramided his holdings into a billion-dollar international conglomerate. But he still keeps a firm hand on the home operation. He considers its continued success a matter of personal pride. If he somehow got beaten on his own home turf, Fister would lose no little esteem among his fellows in the world of international finance. And no one is more aware of this than Blake Fister.
    â€œIn the last month, the German families have been subjected to increasing pressure in the forms of threatening phone calls and personal attacks disguised as street muggings. To carry out his dirty work, Fister employs a Mafia organization of about twenty-two individuals who specialize in strong-arm tactics and murder.”
    Hawker had grown increasingly interested as he listened. “Renard was from his security force?”
    â€œRenard, according to my sources, is among the elite of the world’s professional assassins. He contracts out and works totally alone. And, as I said, he is a fair example of what we can expect if we choose to butt heads with Fister.”
    â€œWhat about the New York cops? Aren’t they doing anything about it?” Hawker asked.
    â€œI suspect the precinct police are sympathetic but powerless. They