Page 78 of Untamed Sinner

"Clara Whitlock," I say. "Twenty-four. Niece of James Whitlock."

Jake's expression hardens. "Those Whitlocks?"

I nod. "Yes."

"Fuck," Harper murmurs.

Mandy looks around. "Everybody keeps having that reaction."

"The Whitlocks own half of Paradise Valley," Harper says. "And have enough political influence to make the other half nervous."

"Which is why my contact couldn't identify her," I say. "Her digital footprint has been systematically stripped. DMV, public records, social media. Somebody went to considerable effort to make Clara Whitlock difficult to find."

"Protection?" Mason asks.

"Possibly."

"Or containment," Mandy says.

Everyone looks at her.

She leans forward, forearms on the table. "We have a notebook Turner kept that has Clara's photograph and measurements in it, along with another couple dozen young women."

Harper's jaw tightens. "He was tracking her."

"Yes."

I pull up another file. "The memory card my contact found inside Turner's notebook contained photographs, financial records, communications logs, and encrypted files. The accessible material gives us fragments. Turner. Thomas Ashford. Payments routed through shell companies. Dates that correspond with activity we already know was connected to Turner's operation."

“Wait.” Harper raises her hand. “Thomas Ashford, as in the tycoon?”

“You’ve heard of him?” Mandy replies with her usual sarcasm.

"Is there enough to tie them together?" Mason asks as he studies the screen.

"Enough to tell me they were working together,” I answer. “Not enough to prove exactly what Ashford was doing."

"Yet," Mandy interjects.

I glance at her. "My guy is still working on the encrypted files."

Luke leans back in his chair. "So Turner kept insurance."

"That's my read."

Jake nods slowly. "Makes sense."

"Turner didn't trust Ashford," I say. "Men like Turner don't trust anyone. If Ashford was above him in the operation, Turner would have wanted leverage in case Ashford decided he'd become expendable."

Harper looks at the screen. "Which means whatever's encrypted could be bad enough to hurt Ashford."

"Or bury him," Luke adds.

Mandy smiles. “Unless I get to him first.”

Nobody speaks for a moment.

Then Mason points at Clara's photograph. "How does she fit?"