What I've Done (Morgan Dane Book 4)(32)

Lance and Morgan donned ear protection. Morgan gratefully filled a cup. The ache that cradled the back of her head felt semipermanent.

Kieran raised his earmuffs. He pointed the gun down range and pulled the trigger two times. He paused, sized up the target again, and fired twice more. He set the gun on the table and lowered his earmuffs around his neck.

“Ed Brown Signature Edition 1911.” Lance whistled.

Kieran pushed a button, and the paper target moved toward them. He’d hit the human outline twice in the chest, once in the forehead, and once in the neck.

“Care to try it?” Kieran gestured to the weapon. He loaded a new target and sent it back about thirty feet.

They all raised their earmuffs. Lance walked to the table, took the gun, and moved into position. He fired three shots at the target, then lowered the pistol. “Nice weapon.”

Kieran brought the target in. Lance’s shots had all pierced the target’s center mass.

“Ms. Dane?” Kieran gestured toward the weapon.

“No, thank you.” Morgan finished her coffee and set the cup on the table.

“Are you sure?” Kieran asked. “It doesn’t have a strong kick, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“That’s not what I’m concerned about.” Morgan sighed. She wasn’t into gun porn. Her handgun was a tool, not a fashion accessory.

“I assure you, the weapon’s performance is even more impressive than its appearance.” Kieran refreshed the target. “I insist.”

Morgan just wanted to ask him questions, but apparently, he was going to make her shoot the gun first. What the hell? She took the pistol, secured her earmuffs, and fired three shots at the target.

Kieran brought her target in and frowned at it. “Well done.”

But his tone belied his words. Was he annoyed that her cluster of shots was grouped slightly tighter than his? She’d been shooting since she was a child. Her father was a cop and insisted all his children learn to handle and respect guns. She practiced several times a month, not because she loved guns but because her father and grandfather had drilled the necessity into her head. Like self-defense, shooting was a perishable skill. A person had no business carrying a gun if he or she wasn’t proficient in handling it.

Clearly, he expected some sort of gun-praise. “It’s a lovely weapon.” Morgan set it on the table. “What do you do for a living, Mr. Hart?”

Kieran ejected the magazine from the pistol. “My great-grandfather secured a patent for a lubricating oil. Small families have kept the fortune relatively intact. I don’t have to do anything, but my father thinks that humans need purpose. I am therefore employed by the family trust. My main task is managing charitable contributions. One of the benefits of being disgracefully wealthy is having the ability to actually make a difference. Last year, the Hart family funded a pediatric emergency wing at the hospital in Scarlet Falls.”

“That must feel wonderful,” Morgan said.

“It’s satisfying.” Kieran opened the box of bullets. “I suppose my father is right. Even I need a purpose. In addition to donating money to charity, I host outlandish events and talk other wealthy people into opening their wallets for the less fortunate.”

“That sounds easier than it probably is,” Lance said.

“You know it.” Kieran grinned. “It’s easier to get donations from the homeless. The rich are notoriously tight with their pennies. That’s why they’re rich.”

“I’ll remember that.” Lance folded his arms.

Kieran turned from Lance to Morgan. “Now, why all the questions about me? I thought you came here to discuss Haley.”

Morgan waved a hand. “I was just trying to get a sense of who you are.”

Kieran leveled a gaze at her. “If it comes down to testifying in a courtroom, I can assure you that I show well, Ms. Dane.”

Kieran was articulate, handsome, and successful—all qualities that impressed juries.

Morgan moved on. “How long did you date Haley?”

“A few months.” He tried to cover his irritation, but it showed in the tension around his mouth and the force he used to insert a bullet into the magazine.

“When did you break up?” Morgan asked.

“About eight months ago?” His questioning tone suggested he couldn’t quite remember the exact date. “I’m happy to help her, but I can’t imagine what I can tell you.”

“How did you meet?” she asked.

“At a charity event I hosted for the hospital. Haley’s mother made a sizable donation.” He pushed another bullet into the magazine.

“Do you know why Haley broke up with you?” Morgan asked.

Kieran sighed. He was trying to look casual, but Morgan caught a flicker of anger in his eyes. He quickly suppressed it. “I’m ready for a family. Haley isn’t. It wasn’t her fault or mine. We’re just not at the same place in our lives.”

A little different from Haley’s story, but it sounded good, she’d give him that. “Have you been to the new nightclub, Beats?”

“I have.” His eyes closed to half-mast.

“Did you see Haley there on Friday night?” she asked.

A muscle in the side of Kieran’s jaw twitched. “I did.”

His hesitation told her if he could have lied, he would have. Kieran might be a jerk, but he was smart. There was no benefit in lying about a fact that could be easily verified.

“Why were you at the club?” Morgan asked.

“I just wanted to check out the scene.” He shoved another bullet into the magazine, his movement more forceful.

“May I use your restroom?” Lance asked.

Kieran gestured toward the stairwell. “Yes. Second door on the right.”

“Thanks.” Lance jogged up the steps.

Morgan could only hope he didn’t snoop anywhere he’d be caught. She knew from experience that there was no point trying to stop him. All she could do was keep Kieran occupied until Lance returned.

“Tell me about what happened Friday night,” she said.

Kieran’s free hand clenched. “You need to understand that I was saddened by the breakup with Haley. I haven’t been out much. I was home, alone, bored, restless. I went to the club to break out of the rut. But when I saw Haley there . . . with that other man. Dressed the way she was dressed.” A slide show of emotions passed across Kieran’s face. Disappointment. Sadness. Resignation.

“How was she dressed?”

“Her dress didn’t leave anything to the imagination.” His sniff was oddly prudish. “This is going to sound arrogant, but I’d thought she slept with me on our first date because we had some special chemistry. Now I know she was just a slut like most other young women today. They have no interest in commitments or relationships. They just want to hook up.” He used air quotes around the term.

Kieran had a narrow, negative opinion of women. He stopped talking and stared over Morgan’s shoulder. She glanced back, but there was nothing there but a cinder block wall.

Morgan steered him back on topic. “What time did you leave the club?”

Kieran’s gaze dropped to the magazine in his hand. When his gaze lifted, his eyes were shuttered, and his emotions seemed to be back under control. “I don’t remember exactly what time I left, but I didn’t stay that long. If I had to guess, I’d say I left around ten thirty. But I wouldn’t be able to swear to that time.”

“What time did you get home?” she asked.

“I already said I’m not sure.” His tone turned defensive. “I went for a long drive in the country.”

“You must have been upset.”

His gaze lifted to hers. “Why would I have been upset? I already said Haley and I haven’t dated in a long time.”

Morgan paused. “You were not upset to see her with Noah Carter?”

“Not at all. I was merely disappointed in her behavior. Do not put words in my mouth, Ms. Dane.” His voice dropped to a threatening tone. “Are you trying to trap me?”

“Into what?” she asked.

Without the gun, Kieran wasn’t especially physically threatening, and Morgan refused to be bullied by his wealth and position. Did he think they were living in feudal England?

His mouth snapped shut, and his eyes narrowed to mean slits. “Typical lawyer. Talking in circles. Trying to twist my words around. I won’t play your legal games.”

“I assure you, I’m not playing.” Morgan’s head pounded, and she lacked the patience to deal with his bull.

Kieran’s personality had done an about-face after Lance had left the basement. Did he have such little respect for women, or was it because there wasn’t a witness present? Either way, Kieran was either trying to intimidate her or he was unstable. Maybe both.

“I think we’re done here.” Kieran closed the box of bullets and picked up the pistol. “Where is your partner?”

Coffee sloshed uneasily in Morgan’s belly. That was a very good question. She could think of only one topic that might distract Kieran from Lance’s absence. It was time to poke the badger.

She leaned forward a few inches. “Eight years ago, you were arrested in Connecticut for stalking your ex-wife. Can you explain?”