Page 57 of Everyone’s a Liar

Livia watched her stiff retreat, feeling like she’d discovered something important. She just couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.

Knowing that it would be a waste of time to dwell on the strange itch in the back of her mind, Livia headed toward her car. Eventually her brain would spit out what was troubling her. Until then she had other worries waiting for her attention.

Weaving her way through the thickening line of vehicles, Livia squeezed through the open gates and drove into Rushville. Unlike the Willows, the town was smothered in a layer of quiet lethargy as the citizens slept off their late-night festivities. Zigzagging through the empty streets, Livia parked in front of the courthouse and headed inside.

Most of the offices were closed, making it easy to follow the sound of a ringing phone to the door with a painted glass window assuring her she was in the right spot. She pushed it open and stepped inside, only marginally surprised that there wasn’t more security. In a town like Rushville they didn’t expect trouble. Not until it happened.

Livia’s lips twitched as she caught sight of the elderly man seated behind the reception desk, his voice gruff as he answered the old-fashioned landline. He looked like he came direct from some casting office. The perfect small-town grumpy deputy with a heart of gold.

Hovering near the desk, Livia was relieved when her friend appeared from the back of the long room. She felt weirdly uncomfortable. Just like she felt when a cop was driving behind her. There was a tingling sense of fear that she might be in trouble even if she hadn’t done anything wrong.

Bryce reached her side and waved her hand toward a desk set against the far wall.

“I’m over here.”

Together they crossed the room, an old air conditioner vibrating against the planked floor and rattling the nearby window. It sounded as if it was losing its battle to combat the humid heat. It felt like it too. Livia could already feel her top sticking to her lower back.

Bryce didn’t seem to notice despite the fact that she was wearing her brown uniform with a wide belt loaded with handcuffs, a walkie-talkie, and her service weapon. She looked as cool as the proverbial cucumber.

Pulling a ladder-backed chair next to the desk, Bryce arranged it so Livia could see the computer screen. Then, waiting until Livia was sitting, she took her own chair, her brows lowering as she studied Livia.

“Are you okay? You look tired.”

“I haven’t been sleeping very well.”

“Hopefully today will help with that.”

“Did you find something?”

Bryce grabbed a piece of paper off the desk. “Finn uncovered a few of Larry Sutton’s aliases. I thought we could skim through social media and see if you recognize anything.”

“Nice.” Livia settled back in her chair. It wasn’t a direct lead, but it was at least somewhere to start. “And speaking of Finn …”

“Absolutely not.” Bryce sent a quick glance toward the back office. It looked empty, but her friend was clearly horrified at the direction of the conversation.

“At least tell me if the two of you—”

“No.”

“Fine.” Livia reluctantly conceded defeat. It was unfair, of course. How was she supposed to live vicariously through her friend if Bryce refused to share the intimate details of her time with the delicious sheriff? “Can I ask how Finn got these names?” she instead asked.

“He has a friend who works for the New Orleans Police Department. Sutton has had more than one brush with the law since becoming a private investigator.”

“No surprise there. How many names did he get?”

“Five. Not including Jacob Pearson.”

“At least six aliases?” Livia’s breath hissed between her teeth. “The jerk.”

“Weapons-grade jerk.” Bryce placed the paper on the desk and tapped on the keyboard in front of her. “We might as well start with the top name.”

A dozen or so links popped up, but none of them resembled Larry Sutton. “Nothing,” Livia muttered.

“Number two.”

Bryce typed in the name. There weren’t any social media pages attached to it, but a dozen pictures with a bleached blonde popped up, along with a familiar man standing next to her.

“That’s him,” Livia said.