Free Harlequin Intrigue, Box Set 2 of 2 by Julie Miller Page B

Hillary Wells murdered Richard Bratcher, and he was the man who was abusing Stephen’s sister, Rosie March.”
    Max swore under his breath. “Don’t remind me.”
    She pointed to the photo of a distinguished white-haired gentleman. “This is Dr. Lloyd Endicott, Hillary Wells’s former boss and mentor. He died in a suspicious car crash that has yet to be solved. We suspect he’s the man Dr. Wells wanted to have killed, since she took over his company and the millions of dollars that went with it.”
    Although Trent sometimes worried that Katie’s knowledge of all these dusty old cases bordered on the obsessive, he couldn’t deny how useful it was to have a walking, talking encyclopedia working on their team. He pointed to the image of a professional woman with short dark hair. “Does Hillary Wells or any of those other suspects or victims connect to Leland Asher?”
    Katie nodded. “You might be surprised to know that before she died, she worked out at the same gym Matt Asher does.”
    â€œLeland’s nephew?” Trent shifted his gaze to the image of a young man in a suit and tie who wore glasses and bore a striking resemblance to Leland Asher. “You think the two of them knew each other?”
    She shrugged. “I can’t say for certain unless I dig into the gym’s schedule, class and personal trainer files, but the opportunity to meet was certainly there.”
    â€œIt would be easy enough to go to the gym and ask some general questions to see if anyone ever saw the two of them together,” Trent offered.
    The lieutenant nodded. “Make a note to do that.”
    â€œYes, ma’am.”
    â€œI don’t have any evidence that Hillary Wells and Leland Asher ever met.” Katie pointed to the nephew and then to Leland Asher. “But Max discovered that Matt regularly visits his uncle in prison.”
    Olivia nodded. “I’m guessing he’s in the family business, although we haven’t been able to prove that he’s guilty of anything illegal. But he’s down in Jefferson City nearly every week, so you know he must be passing messages to and from his uncle. Leland could have ordered Hillary to kill Richard Bratcher.”
    Jim Parker agreed. “It’d make sense for Matt Asher to keep the family business running while Uncle Leland is incarcerated. Where are his parents? Is his father involved in any of Leland’s criminal activities?”
    â€œThere’s no father in the picture. I did a little research through Social Services and found what I could on his mother. She’s Leland’s sister—never married. It’s in your folders. Isabel Asher overdosed when Matt was eleven—ten years ago.” Katie pointed to the image of a blonde woman who had probably once been a knockout before the blank, sunken eyes and sallow skin in the photograph marred her beauty. “That’s why she was in the system—she was fighting an ongoing addiction to crack cocaine, was in and out of rehab. There were several calls from teachers about neglect. After Isabel’s death, Matt Asher went to live with his uncle.”
    Max tipped his chair back and said what they all suspected. “The dope was probably supplied by her brother’s import business. If not, he’d certainly have the money to buy her whatever she wanted.”
    Jim concurred. “Access to her brother’s wealth would make her a prime target. Let me guess, there’s a boyfriend she used to shoot up with. Asher blamed him for his sister’s death and that guy’s in one of your dead files?”
    â€œWell, Francisco Dona did have a couple of arrests in his packet, but he can’t be involved in any of our more recent crimes.” She highlighted the mug shot of a dark-haired lothario with long, stringy hair and a goatee. “He died in a motorcycle accident shortly after Isabel’s