If You See Her by Shiloh Walker Read Free Book Online

he does for a living, where he went to college, how he knows Hop … Ms. Carson, all of it.” He pulled out his phone and went to make a few notes and realized that Dwight was staring at him.
    Lifting a brow, he said, “Yes?”
    The sheriff puffed out his cheeks. “I already know some of that.”
    Remy leaned back in the chair. “Well, that makes sense. It stands to reason you did some background work on him, although I thought he had a pretty solid alibi.”
    Dwight jerked a shoulder in a shrug. “Actually, this is stuff I knew before that and yes, he had a damn solidalibi. He had nothing to do with that girl dying, Remy. I’d almost lay my badge on it.”
    He bent over, rummaging inside his desk. When he straightened, he had a battered paperback in hand and he tossed it at Remy.
    Catching it, Remy studied the cover. Then he looked back at the sheriff. “What’s this?”
    “Law’s handiwork. You wanted to know what he did for a living. There you go. Goes by the pen name Ed O’Reilly.”
    Remy blinked. He looked at the cover of the book and then back up at the sheriff. Then back at the book. “You’re shitting me.”
    “No. I’ve known for a few years—was curious. Seeing as how he never seems to leave the house for any kind of job, but he damn sure has a regular income.” He grimaced. “I’ve got a nice, quiet town here and I like it that way. I like knowing what’s going on in my town and I decided to figure out just who he was. The day that girl died, he was out of town attending the funeral of a colleague.”
    Still studying the cover of the book, Remy scowled. He was pretty sure he’d read one or two of these books. At least. Absently, he tapped it against his thigh. “Maybe this is where we need to focus. Could be an overzealous fan—”
    “Not likely.” Dwight shook his head. “Guy’s too private. Hardly anybody other than some colleagues even knows who he is. Yeah, it can be found out if somebody really wants to look, but I suspect somebody who’s
this
far gone would have stirred up the waters some and Reilly … well, he’s a sharp guy. He would have noticed something, seen something. And he hasn’t.”
    “Okay. Still, it’s an avenue we’ll keep open.” He tossed the book back to Dwight and went back to hisphone, made his note. “Shit. Reilly’s a writer. Trying to decide if that surprises me or not.”
    Dwight snorted. “Doesn’t surprise me a bit.”
    Remy eyed Dwight’s face. “I don’t think much of anything surprises you. Okay, so we need to figure out where Reilly plays into this—but he has to play into it. It all comes back to him.”
    “No. Not all.” The sheriff plucked a file off his desk, handing it to Remy. “The fire at Ezra King’s place. Some weird occurrences at Lena Riddle’s. Something’s going on out in that part of the county for certain, but I don’t think it’s just Reilly involved. Shit, maybe he’s just a bystander.”
    “A bystander.” Remy shook his head as he flipped through the file. “No, he’s a little too involved to just be a bystander.”
    He studied the brief report about the fire. No doubt that it was arson, there. “When did you get this?”
    “Just today.” Dwight’s face showed little expression, but there was a look in his eyes, one that Remy recognized.
    Frustration. Fury.
    Remy could sympathize with both. Somebody was fucking with their nice, quiet little town and it was pissing him off.
    Handing the report back to Dwight, he said, “There may not be much of a connection, though. Arson? For all we know, it could be connected to something in King’s past. He was a state cop—he’s bound to have some enemies.”
    “True. Not something we can discount there.” Dwight laid the file down, continued to stare at Remy.
    “Shit. What is it?”
    Dwight just smiled. “I just don’t see his past waiting this long to catch up with him. Besides, if that’s what itwas, I think he would have suspected