Innocent Target by Elisabeth Rees

Author:Elisabeth Rees
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2018-11-27T15:32:02+00:00

EIGHT

Kitty wrapped her arms around her torso, shivering in the parking lot of the Starlight Bar. Harvey’s former business had been reduced to little more than ashes. Only the charred timber frame remained upright, like bones that had been stripped of flesh. On the asphalt next to the fire truck were two body bags, one large, one small, both zipped up tight, awaiting transportation to the morgue.

Several firefighters were carefully inspecting the ruins, seeking the primary source of the blaze. The Bethesda residents had long since returned to their homes, but Kitty was sure this would be the talk of the town in the morning.

“It’s total annihilation,” she said to Ryan.

“The fire chief said that an accelerant was probably used. Someone wanted to obliterate everything.”

“The killer needed to make sure that he destroyed any evidence linking him to Molly’s murder,” she said. “If Harvey kept the CCTV footage from that night, who knows what else he kept?”

“Okay,” Ryan said, turning to her. “There are two possible theories here. The first is that Harvey set the fire himself and then committed suicide. The second theory involves Harvey being murdered and his killer torching the bar afterward.”

“It has to be the second one,” she said. “How did I get locked inside? Somebody else was here.”

Ryan rubbed at his chin deep in thought, and she remembered how grateful she’d been to see his face appear in the doorway of the bathroom. If only he would now believe her, she could let down her defenses and truly trust him. They would finally be able to work as a team.

“Yes, somebody else was here,” he said after a long pause. “And Harvey was murdered. I believe you, Kitty.”

She smiled, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him. “I’ve waited forever to hear you say that.”

He gently peeled her arms away. “I don’t want you to get your hopes up. I’m still not ready to fully accept that your father is innocent.”

She took a step back. “You’re kidding.”

He raked a hand through his hair, its vibrant red color hidden beneath the sooty layer. “This case is really complicated,” he said. “Who knows how your dad might have been mixed up in it?”

“He wasn’t mixed up in it. He was framed.”

“Without being able to interview Harvey, I have no way of establishing these facts for myself.”

“You have me,” she protested. “I’m a witness to what Harvey said.”

He grasped her by the shoulders. “And I believe you’re being honest with me, but I can’t be sure you have all the facts. Harvey might not have been telling the whole truth, and now that he’s gone, we have to try and piece together the clues for ourselves.”

“You said you’d keep an open mind. So surely you must accept that my father might be innocent?”

“Yes,” Ryan replied. “I accept that he might be innocent.”

She beamed. “That’s a step in the right direction at least. Thank you.”

A large hearse pulled into the lot, rolling to a stop next to the body bags on the ground.

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