Page 109 of Not That Impossible

“Don’t sue Jasper,” Adam said, brushing a lock of dark hair out of Ray’s eyes and smiling down at him. “He’s a lovely lad.”

Oh, thank god. Adam wasn’t going to let him sue me.

“I’ma lovely lad!” Ray yelled.

Everyone was glued to the drama now. I wasn’t the only one who jumped when Liam appeared beside Adam. “I’d rather you didn’t threaten arson in my hearing, Mr Underwood,” he said. “I really would have to arrest you.”

“I’ll burn down my own damn house if I want to,” Ray snapped. “Kick back and toast some marshmallows. Grill a steak, who knows? It’s my house.Liam. Don’t worry, though. I won’t be claiming the insurance. I won’t need to. When I’m done suing you and Jasper, I’ll be a millionaire.”

The blood drained from my face so fast my vision greyed out. He was going to sue Liam, too?

Liam didn’t seem bothered by the threat. “It’s still illegal to burn down your house, whether or not you’re trying to commit insurance fraud. And it’s the site of an ongoing investigation. That would be tampering. I’d have to arrest you twice. Hey, Adam.”

“You got here quickly,” Adam said.

“I was coming over anyway.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah, had about ten calls that a murderer was about to go off.”

A quick glance around the coffee shop showed that most people had their phones out. A few were being subtle about it, but at least three were very obviously recording.

I probably should have been one of them. Except my career had just flatlined and, as yet more evidence that I wasn’t cut out for this journalist gig, it hadn’t even crossed my mind to.

“You’re not funny, either,” Ray said to Liam. When he registered the attention they were all getting, he shrank back against Adam. Adam slung an arm around his waist and tugged him closer.

“I need to talk to you again this morning, Ray,” Liam said.

Everyone shifted forward a bit in their seats.

“You’re not arresting him, are you?” Adam said. Loudly, for the benefit of the room.

“No.”

“Why is that, Liam?”

“Because he’s not a murder suspect, Adam.”

“What about this?” Amalie waved the paper in Liam’s face.

He didn’t even look at it. “Incorrect,” was all he said.

“Libel,” Ray hissed.

Liam winced.

Hewinced.

Oh my god, that meant Ray really could sue me for a hundred thousand pounds.

I’d have to flee the country.

“What is the procedure when it comes to libel, Detective Nash?” Ray continued. “I’m afraid I don’t know off the top of my head.”

“Don’t be an arse, Ray,” Amalie said, sounding bored as she set two to-go cups on the counter.

“Me? I’m the only person in here who isn’t an arse! Ten minutes ago, you thought I was confessing to necrophilia with one of my murder victims!”

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