Page 37 of Cosmo

Coletti’s original Maxfield Parrish-Daybreak- payout four to six million.

Coletti’s three other original Maxfield Parrish paintings-oil- payout seventeen million at lowest.

Johnson’s New York Bank and Trust safe deposit box- payout unknown.

Bentley Mulliner Batur- Payout one point five million.

That was the one that held his attention. Not because he knew that car well, having salivated about stealing one for the big payout, among other high-end vehicles. But it hit him then, why Murphy had wanted him.

He hadn’t needed an inexperienced bartender. He needed a man that was great at another skill.

Boosting cars.

“Fuck. Well, at least it makes sense now.”

He turned to the computer. Not that he knew much about them, but he had been getting better before being thrown in prison. He sat at the desk and touched a key, worrying some alarm would sound, but nothing happened. Nothing except the screen coming to life.

It was password encrypted, so he couldn’t snoop, but he could take a few wild guesses as to what was on the computer. Likely more things they could steal, and likely something about him.

He left the secret part of the basement and pulled out the book enough for the door not to engage again. Once he got to his room, his eyes fell on the pile of phone numbers. “The feds know. Fucking hell.”

He got the card and flipped it over to look at the message again. The words kept repeating in Liam’s mind.In your best interest…

Chapter Eleven

Chewing on what he’ddiscovered, he was angry, so instead of going off on the lot of them, as was his first instinct, he took a walk in the city.

As he turned the corner onto a street that wasn’t heavily populated, he almost tripped over a man that was sitting with his legs sticking out, showing his dirt-crusted pants for the world to see.

He looked up, red eyes pleading, and his voice was nothing more than a raspy whimper. “Help out a guy?”

Liam finally had some money, and though he knew the man would likely drink anything Liam could give him, he crouched to the man and said, “How about I buy you a meal and rent you a motel room for the night, so you can take a shower and feel human again?”

As the man blinked quickly, the words settling into his booze-addled mind, Liam saw the smile that looked tired and ravaged. “I don’t know if I’d recognize that feeling.”

“I’ve been where you are, man. Sometimes a shower can remind you quicker than anything that you’re part of this…sometimes fucked up…human race.”

He got a nod and Liam stood, helping the man to his feet. Down the road was a motel with a fast-food hamburger joint next to it. After paying for the room, Liam let the man into the door, knowing if the manager saw the homeless man, he’d likely rescind the room and make the guy leave.

After running for a bag of burgers and a couple of tall fountain sodas, he found the guy was already in the shower, singing. From that raspy voice to one with much more strength, Liam knew he was remembering he wasn’t some animal looking for a hole to spend the night.

He left the food and the keycard, and a few dollars besides on the little table, then left and started back on his journey.

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