CHAPTER 5It was almost light when Johnny Liddell got back to the Livermore Arms. He parked his car around the corner and walked to where he could keep an eye on the entrance.
He was on his third cigarette when a cab skidded to a stop at the curb, and the familiar broad-shouldered bulk of Mike Murphy stepped out onto the sidewalk. While the big man was paying the cabby, Liddell walked over to where he stood.
“It took you a long time, Mike,” Liddell told him softly.
The big man started, turned. “You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that, Liddell.” His face was a damp grey in the early morning light. “I’ve had a bad night.”
“Sometimes it gets worse before it gets better.”
“Look,” a hard note crept into the big man’s voice. “Don’t go giving me a hard time. Drop around in the morning, and
