Unmasking The Shadow Man

She sipped her drink, relieved to find the other patrons resuming their own conversations. Liam leaned in, keeping his voice low. “You sure you’re going to be okay? You look…weary.”

“I didn’t get much sleep last night,” she admitted. “I kept thinking about that poor guy killed nearby. I tried to tackle a project, to get my mind off the murder, but I read something in Mom’s old papers that disturbed me.”

“Want to talk about it?”

The loud rev of an engine distracted her. Outside, Bryce backed a police cruiser out of his parking place. “Don’t you need to get to the station? What with the full load Bryce mentioned.”

“No hurry.” Liam kept his eyes pinned on her.

Somehow, she found herself telling him about the autopsy report. Strange how she felt so free to confide in him instead of her longtime best friend. Maybe because he never knew her sister, it felt like less of a betrayal to confide about the pregnancy.

“Damn, what a horrible way to find out.”

“I can’t believe Mom never told me.”

“She might have been trying to protect you from more pain.”

“Probably. But I wish she had talked to me. Mom shut down after Presley’s death. Her life became a matter of merely going through the motions of living.”

“Do you think this report has any bearing on your sister’s death—on what you saw that night?”

“No. Her boyfriend, Allen Spencer, looks nothing like whatever I saw on the staircase. Although—I do wonder if Allen knew.” She set down her drink. The sugary sweetness that had tasted so good going down now roiled in her belly.

“I can ask him for you.”

“Seriously? You don’t think that would be presumptuous? I barely know the guy, and you don’t know him at all. Won’t you get into trouble for asking about his teenage behavior—wouldn’t he think you were harassing him?”

“It’s all in the approach. I’ll tell him I’m searching for answers about what happened to Presley since some new information has come up. It’s the truth.”

“He’s a minister now. He’s sure to be taken aback by you questioning him and his reputation. Let me do it. At least I won’t be a stranger.”

“I don’t know…”

“He’s a minister. He knew my sister. Knew of her tragic death. Surely he’ll respond with compassion.”

“All right. But I’ll go with you. Not in an official capacity. I’ll change into my civilian clothes but let you do all the talking.”

His kindness tugged at her heart, yet an ugly suspicion arose inside. Why was he being so helpful? He barely knew her. “Why?” she asked abruptly.

“Why what?”

“Why are you being so nice?”

“Maybe I’m just a decent guy.”

Of course, that was one explanation. Why must she always be so suspicious of people’s motives? If alive, Mom would advise her not to look a gift horse in the mouth. “Okay, let’s do this. When’s a good time for you?”

“When I get off work this evening. Find out the minister’s schedule, and we’ll work something out.” Liam finished the last of his coffee and set it down. “One last word of advice—don’t warn him we’re coming.”

She hadn’t expected that. “Why not?”

“He might not have been the man you saw that night, but say he and your sister argued about the pregnancy. Maybe she wanted to keep the baby, and that infuriated him. Enough so that he hired someone to hurt her.”

“A teenager hiring a hit man? Bit of a stretch, I think.”

“I’ve seen it all in my line of work. Never underestimate what people will do when they’re in a rage or feel cornered. By the way, I filed the report on that truck that came at you. Nothing’s come up yet, but I’ll let you know if something does.” Liam slid out of the booth. “I’ll buzz you later.”

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