One-Way Ticket — William G. Tapply

Boston attorney Brady Coyne has a generally placid life with a nice house, a stable relationship, and the occasional fishing trip with old friends. But one balmy June evening, that quiet life begins to fall apart after Brady receives a frantic phone call from his friend and client Dalton Lancaster. Dalt is in the emergency room, having been severely beaten by a group of thugs who warned him that he has a week to pay off his debt. Even worse, the message comes directly from Paulie Russo, the head of the Boston mob. Dalt swears he has no such debt, but when Brady tries to intercede, Russo lets him know he is holding Brady responsible for his client's obligation. Then Dalt disappears and no one seems to know whether he's fled for his life or been murdered -- until the ransom demand arrives.

While Brady tries to rescue Dalt, and himself, from the escalating situation, his live-in girlfriend Evie buys a one-way ticket to California to care for her dying father, leaving Brady to wonder when -- or if -- she will return.