Page 63 of The Liar

“Fair enough,” I said.

“Good point.” Sian looked around. “I might grab one too.”

She hustled away, leaving me and Beth alone.

“How are you holding up?” I asked.

She heaved a sigh. “I’ve been much, much better, but at least I didn’t know the guy. Gordon never introduced me to him. It’s just… this whole thing is a lot.”

“I get it.” I could easily remember how shaken I’d been the first time I’d seen someone killed. The man had taken several people hostage and been shot as he’d tried to escape, using a child as a human shield. Perhaps the shooting was justified, but that didn’t stop the moment he’d hit the ground from replaying in my mind on a loop.

Not that I could share my experience with Beth. As far asshe knew, I was just Joanna’s husband, not a law enforcement officer in my own right.

“I just…” She shook her head. “This is supposed to be a fundraiser. Drinks, pretty dresses, good music. Not… this. It’s so strange how he’s just snuffed from existence. Did you know Gordon plays poker with him most weeks? It’s part of his regular routine. But now, they won’t ever do that again.”

My gut clenched. I hadn’t realized yet that I’d lost the ground I’d been working on all night. No Neal meant no poker night with his crooked friends.

Not to mention the fact Beth’s casual comment had just raised a whole lot more questions. Neal had claimed his poker night was only for his non-cop friends and the guys on the force who “thought like him.” If Gordon Thackery attended, did that mean he was dirty too?

18

JOANNA

“I’ve got the ballistic comparison you requested.”

I glanced up from my computer. Hanson stood in front of me, a printed sheet of paper clasped in his hands. He rocked onto his heels, squinting as if he were trying to use x-ray vision to look inside my head.

“Thanks.” I checked the room, but we were the only ones here. Good. I didn’t want anyone to overhear this conversation. “Is it a match?”

Hanson didn’t answer. Nor did he pass me the paper. When I reached for it, he stepped back.

“Why did you want this comparison carried out?” he asked, still studying me with those narrowed eyes. “What case do you think Neal’s death might be related to? You were very vague earlier.”

“Just another sniper murder.” I forced myself to hold his gaze without flinching. Lying wasn’t my forte, but technically, I’d told the truth, so I just had to hope he wouldn’t push.

“Really?” He harrumphed. “Because when I tried to access the case file referenced in the paperwork, I wasdenied. The case is restricted. Only specific personnel know about it, and it would seem even fewer have access to the details. So how did you find out?”

My pulse picked up. “I must have heard about it from someone around the office. It was a similar shooting. A single bullet fired by a long-range sniper, with the shot hitting center forehead. The vic was law enforcement, same as Neal.”

Hanson crossed his arms, creasing the paper as he did. “Who?”

I pulled a face. “I can’t tell you.”

He scowled. “Can’t or won’t?”

“A bit of both,” I offered sheepishly. “I’ve told you all I’m able to.”

“For fuck’s sake, Lee.” Hanson stomped to his chair and dropped onto it. I was surprised when it didn’t give way beneath him. He wasn’t exactly a lightweight. “We’re supposed to be partners. That means we share information. You’re keeping things from me, and it makes it damn hard to trust you.”

Funny that he was having difficulty trusting me when the reason I was keeping secrets from him was because I wasn’t sure if I could trust him. I gazed over at him, torn. We were partners. We should be sharing information. But until I was one hundred percent certain of his innocence, I couldn’t risk him uncovering West’s real identity.

“Is it a match?” I asked, repeating my earlier question.

He balled up the paper and tossed it at me. I caught it and smoothed the paper out on my desk.

“It is,” I whispered.

The same gun had killed both Detective Neal and West’s dad. Most likely, that meant the same shooter had too. But why?

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