Bad Rap

By Lynn Townsend

Spin-off of the Rainbow Connection trilogy

David Pritchard loved his wife with everything he had. Sarah was sexy and smart and incredibly competent in her position as a political fundraiser, and did he mention sexy? It was worth mentioning twice. David had never in his life been happier than he was married to Sarah.

And then everything fell apart. Sarah had been killed, and David was the primary suspect. David would mourn for her for the rest of his life. But with Sarah dead and her killer still on the loose, just how long was the rest of his life going to be?

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMS Books LLC
• Release date: Apr 12, 2024
• ISBN: 9781685507350

Lynn Townsend

Described as a social tornado, Lynn Townsend is a geek, a dreamer and an inveterate punster. When not reading, writing, or editing, she can usually be found drinking coffee or killing video game villains. Lynn's interests include filk music, romance novels, octopuses, and movies with more FX than plot. For more information, please visit paidbytheweird.blogspot.com.

Book preview

Bad Rap

By Lynn Townsend

Published by JMS Books LLC

Visit jms-books.com for more information.

Copyright 2024 Lynn Townsend

ISBN 9781685507350

* * * *

Cover Design: Written Ink Designs | written-ink.com

Image(s) used under a Standard Royalty-Free License.

All rights reserved.

WARNING: This book is not transferable. It is for your own personal use. If it is sold, shared, or given away, it is an infringement of the copyright of this work and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review.

This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It may contain sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which might be considered offensive by some readers. Please store your files where they cannot be accessed by minors.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Published in the United States of America.

* * * *

Bad Rap

By Lynn Townsend

July 2007

"This is the part of the farce where I say, Of course my wife didn’t have any enemies, everyone loved Sarah. Right?" David Pritchard said. He leaned back in the uncomfortable metal chair, as much as the chains allowed, the cold steel bar biting into his shoulders. The woman in front of him studied him like a bug pinned under a microscope. There wasn’t anything he wanted more than to scream, weep, beat his head against the floor. But it would be too much, it would speak of guilt and remorse, and there was nothing of that in him. There was rage, there was deep sorrow. She would read into what she wanted to see, and so he gave her nothing but bitter sarcasm. A refuge that he could crawl into—he could snark in his sleep.

I don’t believe you understand how much trouble you’re in, Mr. Pritchard, Detective Miller murmured. She could have been someone’s aunt, with her graying hair scraped back into a practical but unattractive bun and her sharp gaze. She gave the impression that she was trying to be sympathetic, but underneath, she was all steel and stone. No wedding ring, not even the faded markings of one; if she’d wed at all, that partnership had died in the first few years on the police force.

Of course she had enemies, David snapped. She’s a political activist, organizing protests against the NRA lobbyists. Every red-blooded Second Amendment freak out there probably hated her, or would if they had any idea who she was. Hell, she didn’t exactly possess a sunny disposition, either. More like a sarcastic porcupine. She had her share of less-than-enthusiastic fans even among those who agreed with her, politically speaking.

Including you?

Yes, even me, David said. We fought. All the time. Anyone will tell you that. Last night…

Last night, David thought, his mouth stammering to a halt. Last night she’d walked away from him in