Hunting Evil — Carter Swart

A chance encounter in a favorite restaurant sends a mild mannered man into a panic. Memories from his past, unspeakable memories, flood his mind as he recognizes a man he considers a devil -- pure evil. What to do? He confronts the stranger, a tall, elegant man with a twisted ear, and follows him into the street but can't keep up as the stranger drives away. He needs help and he knows who to go to. Lou Corso, ex LAPD police detective and current security company chief, is at home alone, dozing in his chair when a scratching at his door wakes him. Ever wary, Lou pauses at the door, a faint “help me” sends a cold chill up his spine. He opens the door to find a former colleague, a PI he worked on a case with, in a bloody heap on his doorstep. Lou carries the severely injured man inside and strains to listen as the victim whispers a few words to him before the EMTs carry him away. A man's name. The client or the killer? Lou wants to find out who attacked his friend, and his instincts tell him he needs to hurry because he may be next.