Page 62 of The Liar

Damn. No useful eyewitness testimony here.

“How are you doing?” I asked Ireland. “Were you beside him too?”

The detective scowled at me. “How do you think I am? My friend was just shot dead and there was nothing I could do about it.”

I nodded. “Sorry. Stupid question. Is there any way I can help?”

Ireland huffed. “Just back off. I know you’re trying, but stop.”

Double damn.

“Okay. All right. You know where I am if you need me.” I backed away, trying and failing to catch Sewell’s eyes.

Looking around, I noticed Ronan and Willow King nearby. I joined them, my hands in my pockets.

“Did either of you see anything?” I asked.

“No.” Ronan spoke firmly. “I noticed the bullet hole in the window about the same time you did, but I didn’t see anyone out there. My guess is that a long-range rifle was used. Considering the accuracy, possibly by a military or law enforcement trained sniper.”

“I’d have to agree.” Restlessness curled within me. I wanted to be out, hunting this sniper down. If he was the one who’d killed my father, then I needed to punish him.

Willow bit her lip. “Do you think this has anything to do with… you know?”

I narrowed my eyes. “You know.”

It was a statement rather than a question, but Ronan nodded anyway.

“Zeke doesn’t keep secrets from Kade and I,” he said. “But don’t worry, no one else knows.”

Willow waggled her hand back and forth. “Well, Fiona and Sage do. But beyond that.”

“Christ.” I dragged my palm down my face. “I’m so compromised.”

“We’ll protect your secret,” Ronan said. “Now, go and talk to people who might actually be helpful.”

With a sigh, I left them and joined another group. Then another. But no matter who I approached, it seemed no one had seen anything. Not a soul present had any inkling that anything was wrong until Neal dropped dead.

I even hovered beside a group of the venue’s staff, and they seemed as lost as everyone else.

I looked around for Joanna and found her near the entrance, speaking with the venue manager. I strode over, waiting until they’d finished talking before going to her side.

I cupped her elbow and guided her away from the throng. “You should get the ballistics tech to compare the bullet used tonight to the one that killed my father.”

Her expression softened. “You think it might be the same shooter?”

“My gut says yes,” I admitted.

She hugged me, and I was so taken aback that I stiffened.By the time I’d regained enough self-awareness to return the embrace, she was already releasing me.

“I’ll make sure they run the tests,” she said. “Do you think you could check on Beth? Thackery has gone into work mode, and I’m not sure he’s thought about the fact that she hasn’t witnessed anything like this before.”

“Sure.”

I searched the room. Beth was standing with one of Marcelli’s protégées. Sian, perhaps. I cut a line directly for her, grabbing a glass of wine on the way.

As I arrived in front of her, I offered her the glass. “Need this?”

She made a sound that was somewhere between a sob and a laugh. “That’s perfect. Thank you.” She took the wine and gulped it down so quickly that both Sian and I stared at her, wide-eyed. When she noticed, she flushed. “If witnessing a murder doesn’t entitle me to drown my sorrows, then I don’t know what does.”

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