"Deputy U.S. Marshal Custis Long accused of manslaughter for gunning down a fellow lawman? Say it ain't so! But if it ain't, then why is Marshal Billy Vail demanding his badge? And why has Longarm hit the bottle, gotten thrown out by his landlady, and ended up in jail on a drunk and disorderly charge? Once you hit bottom, there's nowhere to go but up. In this case, 'up' is getting a job as a bouncer in a house of ill repute. Longarm is perfectly willing to offer protection when called upon, but he soon discovers there's more going on behind closed doors than the practice of the oldest profession, namely, a little side business that deals in death."--Back cover.