AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“How did the killer get to the marina if he drove away in Morton’s car?” Noah pondered.
“He came with Morton?”
“Unlikely. Unless they were meeting someone else.”
“So the killer has a partner. Or took public transportation.”
Noah considered. “Or, Ralston went with Morton.”
Abigail frowned. “But if Ralston and Morton were working together as closely as they appeared, why go back to Morton’s motel after he was killed? The manager’s description, though vague, doesn’t come close to fitting Ralston. If the killer wanted both of them dead, why take Ralston back to his apartment?”
“Maybe Ralston was scared, trying to buy time.”
“It’s possible.”
But something was missing. It seemed too convoluted a plan, but until they knew who Morton was meeting and what Morton was supposed to exchange for the money he expected to get, they wouldn’t know.
“Did you check taxi and limo companies?”
“No licensed driver took anyone out to the marina that night.”
Noah tapped his finger on a mark in Somerset, Maryland. “What’s this? It looks residential.”
“I haven’t checked it out yet; I just got this an hour ago.”
“He drove there Thursday night.”
His computer beeped, telling him he had a new email. He glanced at it, then did a double-take. “Here’s something new,” Noah said.
As he opened up the message, Abigail looked over his shoulder. It was from one of their analysts.
Agent Armstrong,
Per your instructions, I retraced Roger Morton’s steps prior to his arrival at Dulles. Under his name, there was no travel. Under his cousin’s name Cliff Skinner there was only the ticket from Denver to DIA. However, there was a charge to Skinner’s credit card for a round-trip ticket from Dulles to Seattle on January third, returning on January fourth, under the name Robert Ralston. I contacted the airlines and they confirmed that the ticket was issued and used.
Let me know if you need anything else.
—Sandy Young, Analyst II
“Ralston went to Seattle? What for?” Abigail asked.
Noah didn’t respond. Morton paid for the ticket, but Ralston did the travel. One day, overnight, why? What was Morton’s connection to Seattle?
He replied to Sandy:
Thanks Sandy. See what you can find on Ralston in Seattle. If he got a rental car, hotel, under his name or Skinner. Noah.
“Curiouser and curiouser,” Abigail said.
Noah agreed. “Let’s go check out the location in Somerset.” He started walking, then stopped so abruptly that Abigail nearly ran into him.
“I see a flash of brilliance,” she said.
“Seattle. It was in the files Stockton gave me. It’s where Adam Scott and Morton took Lucy Kincaid after they kidnapped her.”
“You think it’s connected?”
“I doubt it’s a coincidence.”
