The room had only two paper cups, both wrapped in plastic near the sink.Selena tore them free, set them on the dresser, and poured two measures.The whiskey smelled sharp enough to cut through the motel room’s heat.Connor sank into the armchair near the window, elbows on his knees, hands clasped loosely between them.
There was too much on his mind.She could see it in the way he watched the floor instead of the bottle.
Selena handed him one cup and sat on the edge of the bed, careful to keep the hem of her nightdress in place.
“What happened to you today?”she asked.
Connor stared into the cup.“I was making inquiries, and I left my radio and phone in my car.”
“Inquiries don’t require going radio silent.”
“I saw Carl Higgins.”
“And?”
“He’s still a horse’s ass.”
“That much isn’t evidence.”
“No.”Connor took a sip and winced slightly.“But we can’t discount him.He’s got beef with Victor.Serious beef.Threatened him at his house, lost a contract to him, hated being beaten by him.”
“Arnold mentioned reviewing security footage?”
“Security cameras show he never left the house last night.”
Selena let that sit for a moment.“Then he can’t be the shooter.”
“He could’ve paid someone.He has the money.”
“Do you have anything pointing to that?”
“Not yet.”
“Connor.”
“I know.”He looked up at her.“I know how it sounds.But he has the resources and the temper.”
“A lot of men have both.”
“Few of them told the victim he’d get what was coming to him.”
Selena took a sip of whiskey.It burned cleanly down her throat and settled warm in her chest.“That can’t have taken all day.Are you going to tell me where you went after Carl?”
Connor’s fingers tightened around the paper cup.
That was answer enough.
“Connor.‘Fess up.”
“I went to see Walton Morimer.”
The drink almost caught in her throat.Selena lowered the cup slowly.“What?”
“Let me explain.”
She stood, unable to stay still.“You went to the man who runs most of the organized crime in Harlan County!?”
“He knows things we don’t know.If these deaths were a hit or something, he might catch wind of it.”
