Page 108 of Not That Impossible

“Come on, now. Liam’s all right.”

“Okay, one? No, he’s not. He’s a dick. And two? I was talking about this drivel.” Ray flicked at the paper. “This nonsense. This arsehole reporter, whoever wrote it. The man I’m going to sue.” Ray picked the paper up and squinted at it. “J.C. Connolly.”

Yep. I was definitely fucked.

“Don’t sue Jasper,” Amalie said. “He’s a lovely lad.”

I was vaguely aware of some sympathetic looks aimed my way, which was nice, if not technically warranted at this point.

Ray, on the other hand, was still going off. “I’ma lovely lad,” he whisper-yelled. “He'sa slanderous muppet who just cost his employer a hundred thousand pounds!”

Slanderous muppet? Ouch. That one stung. It would have stung more if I wasn’t reeling at the rest of the sentence.

A hundred thousand pounds?

Ralph didn’t have a spare hundred thousand pounds lying around.

Even if Ralph did, he wouldn’t pay. He’d make me pay.

“How d’you figure that?” Amalie said. “And if it’s in print, it’s libel, not slander. Slander is slagging someone off down the pub. Which Jasper would never do.”

Ray ignored her in favour of jabbing at his phone. “I don’t know the going rate for libel these days, let me fucking ask fucking Google. Oh.” He stared at the phone. “That solves all my problems.”

“What?” Amalie asked, trying to look at the phone.

“That is a nice chunk of money,” Ray was saying thoughtfully. “I could move from this awful, awful place instead of being stuck for the rest of my life because all my money’s locked into a murder house, and the idiot locals think I did it!”

“Babe,” Adam said. “Where’s my coffee? You’re taking forever.”

The entire coffee shop, including me, had been so engrossed in the drama happening up at the counter, that I don’t think anyone noticed Adam’s arrival until he stopped behind Ray.

Ray looked over his shoulder and frowned. “What? Adam? Was I getting you coffee? I don’t remember that. Are you sure? This is all very stressful.” He passed a hand over his forehead. “I forgot. Sorry. And an Americano for Adam, thanks,” he said distractedly to Amalie before turning around and laying his hands on Adam’s chest. “Adam.”

“Yes, Ray?”

“All these people think I’m a murderer.”

Adam’s eyes briefly met mine over Ray’s head.

It was hard to gauge his mood. I wasn’t optimistic enough to think he was quite as amused as he was playing it.

I didn’t think he was friendship-endingly mad. He sure as shit wasn’t pleased with me, though.

“I heard,” he said, returning his attention to Ray.

“And that Liam arrested me,” Ray continued, shoving the paper into Adam’s hands.

Adam took it and scanned it. His face did something complicated.

He was trying not to laugh.

“This isn’t funny,” Ray said.

“Itdoeslook like you’re being arrested.” Adam glanced over at me again.

“Well, I wasn’t!” Ray said. “Unless Liam forgot to inform me of the fact. You know what? I hope that is the case, since everyone thinks he did anyway. Then I’ll sue himandJasper, and I will definitely be able to set fire to the murder house and go live somewhere else!”

I didn’t want to be sued!

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