An Act of Deceit: Book 2 of the Sarah Woods Mysteries Read Online Free PDF Page B

broke, right? I thought hit men made a good living.”
         “Maybe this was a one-time deal. Or maybe he stashes his cash somewhere. That’s why we need to find a connection or a motive.” Carter rifled through the documents. “I also made another interesting discovery. Last Wednesday, Harding went out of his way to drive past the Chestnut Inn during deliveries. Other routes would have been shorter. Why did he choose that route on that particular day?”
         “It was raining pretty hard that day. Maybe there was an accident or a construction delay along his normal route.”
         “I checked. No accidents or construction last Wednesday.”
         “So you’re beginning to think Janet’s instincts are valid?”
         Carter chewed his lower lip, ignoring my question. “His computer is going to be difficult to hack. I’m leaving that as a last resort. It can be done, but it’s not legal.”
         “Has that ever stopped you before?”
         Carter smiled. “Nope.”
     
* * *
        
         During the ten-minute drive to Sunrise Dry Cleaning, I couldn’t help but notice the relaxed expression on Carter’s face. I would’ve guessed he’d be a little on edge with the prospect of questioning a potential murderer. I certainly was. But there was something about Carter that made me feel secure. Whatever it was--stature, air of confidence, laid back attitude, or years of experience--it almost didn’t matter. I was learning how this business worked, and I was fascinated.
         Sunrise Dry Cleaning came into view. We parked directly behind a van being loaded with what appeared to be plastic-wrapped bundles of linens. I followed Carter’s lead, getting out of the car just as the man in the grey uniform closed the rear doors of the van.
         “Lance Harding?” Carter inquired as we approached the van.
         “Yeah?” Harding’s husky, egg-shaped body turned to face us. The man’s considerable facial hair matched that of the photo. Harding was about my height--five foot seven--but appeared to weigh well over two hundred pounds.
         Carter made a friendly gesture with his right hand. “My name’s Carter. This is Sarah. Can we talk with you for a minute or two?”
          “About what?”
         “Just a couple of quick questions concerning the accident you were involved in the other day.” Carter paused then added “We were friendly with Marty, the guy you hit.”
         Harding’s eyes widened.  He shook his head and put up his hand. “Look, I already gave the police my statement. I never saw that guy walk into the street.” Harding looked down at his feet. “I called 911 immediately.”
         “Did you know Marty?” Carter asked.
         Harding scratched his chin and shook his head. “No, I didn’t know who he was until the police told me later that day.” He slipped his hands into his pockets and looked down at his feet again. Despite the freezing temperature, his sweaty forehead glistened in the faint sunlight. “I swear I wasn’t speeding,” he added. “I’ve learned my lesson. I can’t afford to lose my job over another ticket. My boss is already angry enough. The company just bought a brand new fleet of vans and I managed to screw mine up the second day I had it.”
         “I understand. Where were you headed when the accident occurred?”
         “I had just dropped off a couple bundles of linens at the Yellow Daisy Motel. I was on my way to Hometown Inn.”
         “Really?” Carter rocked heel to toe, hands clasped behind his back. “Odd you’d take that route. Wouldn’t Main Street have been more direct?”
         Harding looked away and scratched his neck. “There was a lot of traffic that day. I was running late and decided to take a side street with no traffic lights.”
         “And you never saw Marty walk out into the road?”
         “No, I did not. Look, it was raining like