***SPOILERS*** It was Paint and varnish salesman Tommy Rogers' misfortune to spot hoods Nick & Boots using loaded dice in a crap game that got him worked over by the two where he ended up in critical condition in the city hospital. This had private investigator Mike Barnett get on the case using the cover of a kitchen equipment salesman to get himself into a crap game with the two who by using loaded dice took him to the cleaners leaving Barnett with just about enough cash for a bus ticket back home.
What Nick & Booths didn't know is that Barnett was setting the two up by making them believe that he was using counterfeit money in the game to lose and thus taking their good cash that he used his to replace his lost and phony money with. This didn't dawn of the two hoods until they tried to spend their winnings that no one seemed to want: They'll only take bank checks Postal money orders or credit cards instead.
***SPOILERS**** Realizing that they've been stiffed by Barnett Nick & Booths paid him a visit in his hotel room to work him over and were told that he had the goods on the two and will turn them in for counterfeiting to the IRS. That's unless they come clean in what they did to Tommy Rogers which will only result in a simple assault and Battery charge. It's after they confessed their crime with a number of witnesses present-including Mike Barnett-that the two were both shocked & surprised to find out that Tommy Rogers died from his injuries a few hours ago! And instead of an simple assault and battery facing them where they can get less then five years behind bars their now facing a charge of homicide that can easily land them behind bars for at least 10 to 15 years instead!