Thieving Weasels (17 page)

“Keep it,” I said. “It's a down payment for leaving me alone the rest of my life.”

My mother started to say something, but I didn't want to hear it and pulled the locker door shut. I was tempted to break the key off in the lock, but thought better of it and ran behind the storage facility to where Claire was waiting for me in her car.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“They tried to kill me,” I said. “My own family tried to kill me.”

“Jesus!” Claire said. “I had no idea they'd do something that crazy.” Then she wrapped her arms around me and said, “If it's any consolation, I promise my parents won't try to kill you.”

“That's reassuring,” I said, and Claire put the car in gear.

From the
New York Post
:

FBI Nabs Three Crooks in Decades-Old Heist

This morning Federal agents announced the arrest of two suspects in a 1995 robbery and shooting of an undercover agent. Philip O'Rourke, 57, and Sheila O'Rourke, 53, were apprehended in predawn raids in Copiague and Amityville. Also arrested was Royston Patrick O'Rourke, 22. All three possessed bills from the robbery which they had only recently begun spending. Agents say the case was cracked when the younger O'Rourke dropped over ten thousand dollars in marked bills at a Manhattan strip club.

If convicted, Philip and Sheila O'Rourke face a maximum of twenty-five years to life in prison for the shooting of a federal agent, while Royston O'Rourke is looking at five years for possession of the stolen cash, not to mention being an idiot. When asked why the trio would wait over ten years to pass the money, Special Agent Richard McMahon replied, “They're a pack of weasels. Who knows why they do what they do?”

Uwe Stender, my agent at TriadaUS, is the greatest guy in the world and the reason you are reading these words. Brent Taylor, also at TriadaUS, is the most enthusiastic reader imaginable and a fantastic agent in his own right. Namrata Tripathi, my editor at Dial Books for Young Readers, is a gift from the literary gods and made this book far better than I ever thought possible. Stacey Friedberg, also at Dial, is a backstage ninja with a black belt in awesomeness. David Liss is the best friend a writer could ever have. Period. My wife, Anne, deserves to bathe in a tub filled with diamonds every night for all the help she gave me with this project. My children, Liam and Kate, fill me with joy and giggles on an almost hourly basis. And Mom, I miss you terribly.

BILLY TAYLOR
is the author of the adult novel
Based on the Movie
. He is a graduate of the Film Program at SUNY Purchase and the Interactive Telecommunications Program at New York University. Before turning his hand to writing, he worked as a dolly grip on dozens of movies and TV shows, including
Pee-Wee's Playhouse
and
My Cousin Vinny
. He lives in San Antonio, Texas, with his wife, Anne, and two amazing children, Liam and Kate. Visit him online at billytaylor.com.

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