Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 50823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
Conrad leaned over and kissed the racing pulse at the base of her neck. His warm breath tickled her skin, inciting a new round of goose bumps. “What do you think of him so far?”
The first word to pop into her head once she finished shivering? “Smooth.”
“Agreed.” He eased back in his chair. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to take this stake out to the next level and get face to face with him. Today we learned the drug used was fentanyl. It wasn’t in his coffee grounds or pot, only in the mug he drank from. Someone had to be in the house to add it.”
“And since the deputy disabled his security system, it stands to reason he knew and trusted his killer.”
“Or the killer deactivated the alarm and sneaked in.”
Good pointed. Did Mr. Bennett possess that level of skill? With his alleged connection to the Gentleman, he wouldn’t have any trouble scoring drugs. “Don’t worry. I’ll get us some answers.” She pressed a swift kiss into Conrad’s lips, silencing any reply.
But reply he did, just not the way she expected. Catching her by the nap, he held her in place. “Are you going to stay with me again tonight?” The words whispered against her heated skin.
“I…am.” No need to think. He’d learned to tell her yes, he’d said; well, she’d learned to trust him with her future. Kind of. Mostly.
He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, and her heart fluttered. Before she did something to make a fool of herself, she stood. “I’m ready to subtly question him.”
“Eager to get this done so you can have me all to yourself? I understand.” Conrad winked and rose, then motioned her forward.
Her heart did more of that fluttering as they sidled up to the bar.
Bennett noticed them and smiled his patented smile. “What can I get you?”
“Did you kill Deputy Josh Gunn?” she asked, getting straight to the heart of the matter. Yes, and there went her carefully planned questions.
Thomas went real pale real fast. “Who are you?”
“Jane Ladling, with special consultant to the GHB, Conrad Ryan. Don’t run,” she added. “Our men have got you surrounded.”
Conrad made the slightest shift from side to side, and for some reason, Bennett grew paler.
“Not this again.” The bartender sighed and motioned to a door before wiping his hands on a towel. “Let’s go in back.” He told a coworker, “I’m taking my smoke break.”
The women behind Jane groaned with disappointment.
“You don’t smoke and we’re slammed,” the coworker cried, but with a look from him she changed her tune. “Sure, sure. Go on. That’s fine,” she called next. “Take as long as you need.”
As Jane and Conrad followed him past the door, her boyfriend rasped, “You couldn’t break it to him easy?”
“It was loud and crowded in there. I saved time and energy, two of my favorite things.” They strode down a narrow hallway and into a cramped break room.
Kegs and boxes filled with whisky, gin and bourbon were crammed into the tight space. A small table with two mismatched chairs had been shoved into the corner for employees to grab a quick snack. The air smelled of pine cleaner, deli meat, and stale beer.
Bennett spun, his jovial mask stripped away, revealing anger. “First the cops came, then some reporter, now you. But I didn’t kill Deputy Gunn. I wouldn’t.”
“Let’s talk about your arrest,” Conrad said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “You served as his CI. What evidence did you gather for him?”
Oh, good question!
“How many times do I need to say it?” Bennett burst out. “I’ve never been and will never be a confidential informant. Not even for Gunn. He was kind to me once, so I slipped him a free beer the few times he’d come in, but that’s the extent of our relationship.”
Now hold up a sec. “Going to deny knowledge of the Gentleman too?”
“Yes. I’ll tell you what I told Gunn. I don’t know anyone who goes by that name.” He made a scoffing sound. “I have no idea why the deputy suspected me of trying to kill him except, maybe, out of spite. I dated his daughter, and he hated that.”
Connections kept snapping into place.
Bennett scrubbed a hand over his face. “The deputy planted those drugs and arrested me. The prosecutor saw the holes in the case and dropped the charges at my arraignment. But I knew Gunn wouldn’t stop until I dumped Madeline, so I did. Our association ended there. So did the free booze.”
Hmmm. Was this another performance? With Gunn out of the way, Bennett had a clean slate and an open road. No one to disprove his story. No one to force him to spy on a dangerous crime boss. No one to keep him away from a still loved girlfriend.