Page 76 of Secret Triplets for Christmas

Iwoke up that Sunday morning, the weight of Liam's documents pressing on my mind. It felt like I was on the cusp of a life I’d never dared to dream of. One which included Lindsay. But to get there meant dealing with Liam’s past, as well as my own issues about loving the woman my brother loved first. But none of this would be dealt with until tomorrow, when Agent Marsden was back and I could hand Liam’s documents to her.

Needing a distraction, I decided to work out in the hotel gym. As I ran on the treadmill, sweat dripping down my face like I was trying to purge my guilt, I couldn't help but question whether I was putting too much faith in Agent Marsden. She hadn’t been able to help Liam. And in checking the documents, I couldn’t see that there was anything linking Wally or any crew members to the scam. Was she just going to tell me what she’d told Liam? She needed more proof? If that happened, chances were good that whoever was texting would still be looking for the documents. Lindsay and I wouldn’t be free.

Maybe it was time to talk to Flynn Donovan. After all, he knew Liam and the crew from our foster care days. That and he was investigating Lindsay’s break-in, which had to be related.

After the workout, I returned to my hotel room and showered. Then I called Donovan, setting up a time to meet him in a bar in the old neighborhood. I considered calling Lindsay as well, to let her know about Agent Marsden and the meeting with Donovan, but held off. I really had no news to share, so I’d wait.

Just after noon, I entered the rundown bar. The scents of stale beer and cigarette smoke greeted me as I made my way over to Donovan and slid into a well-worn booth.

“Oliver, how’s it hanging?”

“Donovan.”

A waitress took our beer orders and moments later returned with a mug for Donovan and a bottle for me.

Donovan held up his bottle. “Cheers for beers.”

I laughed as I clicked my bottle against his glass. “Damn. Liam lives on through that.”

“He was the life of the party. Remember when Liam stole Old Man Peterson's car and me and him drove that thing around all night?”

“How could I forget?” It was the first time Liam had been stopped by the cops, although that time, no charges were filed since Liam agreed to fix Old Man Peterson’s roof.

“Did you know the only reason we got caught was that Liam had to help a stray dog?”

"Classic Liam, always had a knack for finding trouble." And it ultimately killed him.

“You were no saint. Remember when we broke into Smitty’s corner store and found the crate of candy? We thought we'd hit the jackpot."

I snorted. “Liam wanted to eat it all and you wanted to sell it at school.”

“Meanwhile, you were trying to remove the box from the inventory on his computer.”

That was my first and last foray into crime. Somehow, we’d escaped detection and I was grateful. The whole experience scared me straight.

"Man, we've come a long way since then." Donovan raised his glass, a toast to our shared past. “It’s hard to believe it’s been five years.”

The bittersweetness of the fond memories with the reality of Liam’s death filled me as we continued to laugh and reminisce about Liam and the challenges we’d faced together growing up as foster kids.

“I’ll tell you what, Oliver. If not for you, who knows where I’d be,” Donovan said.

“I’m glad I made a difference. I’m glad you make a difference through your work. Speaking of which, any chance you have news on the case?”

He sighed as he mindlessly wiped the condensation from his glass. "Nothing yet. It’s one of those fucked up situations in which we need to wait and hear from the guy texting you.”

I didn’t like the sound of that. I wanted to be proactive. Take charge. It wasn’t right that we were in a holding pattern, waiting to see if and when we’d be contacted again.

“What about the security on Lindsay’s home? Did you figure out how that was breached?”

"I don’t have the details on that yet, but Oliver, you know it’s not impossible to fuck with home security.”

“Sure. I know guys from the old days who used a phishing scam to get login and passwords on security systems. Charlie Haden once used a two-dollar dongle that fucked up the system when it got close."

I swirled the beer in my bottle, feeling the cold seep into my fingers. It was a metaphor for the cold I felt chilling my veins. The type of cold that signaled danger. I reminded myself to check to see if Lindsay's security could be improved. It was disturbing to think how easily someone could violate her home.

"Hey, relax." Donovan sat back and smirked. I supposed it was confidence, but it came off as smugness. "We'll figure it out. We always do."

“I like your confidence.”

---