Come Easy—Go Easy / In a Vain Shadow (Stark House Classic Thrillers)

Come Easy—Go Easy Chet Carson works for the Lawrence Safe Corporation. One night temptation gets the better of him, and he and his partner decide to rob one of their clients. Some months later, Carson is languishing at Farnworth Prison. But Carson has a plan and soon escalates from convict to escaped con, on the run from the sadistic guards. That’s when he comes across Carl Jensen at Point of No Return, a filling station on the edge of the desert highway. Jensen takes a chance on Carson and gives him a job—and a new lease on life. The Swede has a good feeling about Carson. Unfortunately, the Swede’s greedy wife Lola doesn’t share his sentiment, and sets up Carson to crack one more safe or she’ll turn him in. Jensen has a small fortune stashed away. And it’s just one more safe--only this one could be Carson’s last. In a Vain Shadow Frank Mitchell is bored and restless when he spots the ad for a bodyguard. He’s tired of feeling like a kept man. So when he finds that Mr. Sarek needs someone to protect him against a series of threatening letters, he jumps at the chance to get away from Netta and her smothering love. On the surface, Sarek looks like a harmless little guy in a loud coat who deals in diamonds. Eccentric but harmless. But Frank gets more than he bargains for when he meets Mrs. Sarek. Rita is something else indeed—she hits like a sucker punch. She’s all that he can think about. But Rita’s got more surprises for Frank. She wants him to help her kill her husband. And the payoff? All those diamonds….