Contents
Title Page
Dedication
Epigraph
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Acknowledgments
By Stephen King and published by Hodder & Stoughton
NOVELS:
As Richard Bachman
STORY COLLECTIONS:
NON-FICTION:
STEPHEN KING
Billy Summers
A NOVEL
‘I once was lost, but now am found.’
Amazing Grace
CHAPTER 1
1
Billy Summers sits in the hotel lobby, waiting for his ride. It’s Friday noon. Although he’s reading a digest-sized comic book called
At two minutes past twelve the door opens and two men come into the lobby. One is tall with black hair combed in a 50s pompadour. The other is short and bespectacled. Both are wearing suits. All of Nick’s men wear suits. Billy knows the tall one from out west. He’s been with Nick a long time. His name is Frank Macintosh. Because of the pomp, some of Nick’s men call him Frankie Elvis, or – now that he has a tiny bald spot in back – Solar Elvis. But not to his face. Billy doesn’t know the other one. He must be local.
Macintosh holds out his hand. Billy rises and shakes it.
‘Hey, Billy, been awhile. Good to see you.’
‘Good to see you too, Frank.’
‘This is Paulie Logan.’
‘Hi, Paulie.’ Billy shakes with the short one.
‘Pleased to meet you, Billy.’
Macintosh takes the
‘Yeah,’ Billy says. ‘Yeah. I like them quite a bit. The funny ones. Sometimes the superheroes but I don’t like them as much.’
Macintosh breezes through the pages and shows something to Paulie Logan. ‘Look at these chicks. Man, I could jack off to these.’
‘Betty and Veronica,’ Billy says, taking the comic back. ‘Veronica is Archie’s girlfriend and Betty wants to be.’
‘You read books, too?’ Logan asks.
‘Some, if I’m going on a long trip. And magazines. But mostly comic books.’
‘Good, good,’ Logan says, and drops Macintosh a wink. Not very subtle, and Macintosh frowns, but Billy’s okay with it.
‘You ready to take a ride?’ Macintosh asks.
