Page 48 of Everyone’s a Liar

“You’re right.” Her stomach grumbled in protest. She was an hour past lunchtime. “Anything else?”

Finn grabbed a sheet of paper off his desk. “As I said, there were never any formal charges brought against Sutton after he left the force, but whenever the cops were called to investigate a complaint against him, they made a running list of his aliases. It’s possible that he’s using one to avoid Livia.” He handed her the paper. “At least it’s a starting place.”

“Nice. Thank you, Finn.” She glanced down at the list of names. There were at least a half dozen. “This is really helpful.”

“I’m not just another handsome face.”

Bryce briefly forgot how to breathe. Finn was right. He was much more than a handsome face. He was smart and sexy and loyal. The sort of man that made a woman forget to be sensible.

She took a step back. Both physically and mentally. “I’ll do some searching on these names when I’m done with patrol.”

Finn narrowed his gaze, but his expression never changed. “Are you going to watch the fireworks at the park tonight?”

Bryce was caught off guard by the question. “I haven’t decided.”

“You should,” he urged. “You won’t be on duty. Take some time to enjoy the holiday.”

“Is that an order?” she teased, her mouth oddly dry.

He held her gaze. “A personal request.”

Laying in her bed until well past ten a.m., Livia at last hopped in the shower and prepared for the day. Her aunt had announced during dinner last night that they would be lunching at the Rushville Country Club with their fancy friends, pointedly not including Livia in the invitation.

Fine with her. She’d rather starve than be forced to eat lunch with a bunch of stuck-up prigs who slammed gin and tonics for breakfast.

Besides, it gave her the perfect opportunity to do some sleuthing.

Waiting until she heard the Land Rover crunch down the driveway, Livia pulled her hair into a high ponytail and slipped on a casual pair of jean shorts, a red T-shirt, and sneakers. She hoped to blend in with the locals who would be flooding the area for the Fourth of July festivities.

Tucking her phone in her back pocket, Livia left the house through the back and crossed toward the gate that opened into the swamps. She wasn’t deliberately putting herself in danger, but she was determined to get answers. And that meant discovering who’d hired Larry Sutton. And why.

She’d already searched her uncle’s office. Now she hoped to find a way to slip into Winston’s house while he was busy at the country club.

Reaching the narrow path that led from the swamps into Rushville, Livia strolled at a leisurely pace. There was nothing to see or hear beyond the rustle of leaves from the thick vegetation that lined the path and the occasional scuttle of a small rodent, but there was always the possibility there were unseen eyes watching her. She didn’t want to attract attention, and more importantly, she wanted to hear if anything or anyone was following her.

Once she neared the Durand estate, she slowed her pace even more, her gaze sweeping over the backyard protected by a low brick wall that framed the large estate. There was no formal garden, but there was a large pond with a fountain in the center, surrounded by flowering plants.

The house itself was more Acadian in style than plantation. It had a wide, wraparound porch with white wicker furniture and large ceiling fans to keep the family cool during the summer heat. The windows were tall with huge wooden shutters and a steep roof that was covered with clay tiles and decorative gutters.

Not as imposing as the Willows, but it made a statement of wealth. She assumed that was the purpose.

Livia stopped near the massive azalea bush that spilled over the top of the wall, pretending to smell one of the blooms. There was no sound coming from the house, and no lights in the windows, but she didn’t have a good view of the garage or driveway. She couldn’t be sure that Winston had left.

Trying to decide whether to risk climbing over the wall, Livia muttered a curse as the French doors opened and a slender figure headed in her direction. Was someone monitoring the security cameras? Or had she tripped some sort of hidden alarm?

Keeping her head lowered, as if fascinated by the flower, Livia watched the stranger approaching. She looked younger than Livia with shimmering red hair that flowed down her back and pale, perfect skin. Her eyes were surprisingly dark and thickly lashed, her full lips painted a bright pink. She was … ​what was the word? Sultry. Yep, that fit her to perfection, Livia decided.

She was wearing tight jeans and a sleeveless white sweater that clung to her large bust with remarkable tenacity.

“Are you lost?” she demanded in sharp, suspicious tones.

Livia pretended to jerk in shock, as if she hadn’t noticed the woman approaching.

“Goodness. You startled me.”

The woman took a slow inventory of Livia, as if silently calculating the worth of each piece of clothing. Obviously, Livia’s off-the-rack style wasn’t impressive enough to earn her more than a dismissive sniff.

“This is private property.”