Page 18 of Memory of Murder
Frankly she couldn’t see how at this point. But what she could see was the possibility of people who were ambitious, ruthless…maybe capable of anything and who perhaps knew more thanthey’d told the police. But did that make one or all a murderer? No…but it certainly merited further consideration.
On the other hand, it was very possible these suspicions were popping into her head because those were the things she wanted to see. Was she superimposing their extravagant personal gains onto a scenario of evil that was actually only a theory?
This was personal for Anne—more personal than she would ever have believed. As hard as she might try, remaining completely objective was likely impossible. Though she’d had no relationship with her parents, there was the potential for wanting some tiny aspect of their story to not be a heinous murder story.
All the more reason to be grateful for the Colby Agency’s involvement. Jack would keep her grounded and on the right track. He would be objective as it became more and more clear that she might not be able to.
Anne was exhausted when they reached the hotel. At her door she turned to Jack. “Thank you. I’ll be honest—I had major reservations about doing this…all the way up until this morning actually. But now, just talking to someone like Judith and seeing where Mary and Neil lived, I can truthfully say that I’m glad I came.”
He smiled. “I’m glad too.” His gaze was direct when he started to speak once more. “But fair warning—don’t thank me until we’re done. The part that comes next may not be nearly as much fun.”
Anne wasn’t put off by his warning. Not yet anyway.
Chapter Eight
Barrington
Thursday, July 10
Langston Residence
Plum Tree Road, 9:30 a.m.
Jack parked down the block from the turn onto the Langston property. He checked his cell since there had been a couple of vibrations during the drive over. The two waiting text messages made him smile. One was from his contact at the Mayo Clinic, the other from Jamie Colby. Each wanted to ensure he’d received the latest information sent to his email.
Having the power of the Colby Agency as backup was the best. He glanced at the woman in the passenger seat. He wondered if she understood yet how lucky she was that her mother had chosen the Colby Agency.
“Did you have a chance to look over the information I sent you?” He turned his attention to Anne.
They’d had breakfast in their respective rooms, so they hadn’t really talked this morning. On the drive here she’d been focused on a call from her assistant about an in-progress project.
But now, before knocking on this door and kicking off the day with a serious bang, they needed to talk.
“I did.” She stared toward the property that was their destination. “The Langstons made an investment in the research company, BioTech, where the senator worked the first decade of his law career. As he left the company tostart his political career, the stocks soared, making them multimillionaires when they sold out. It would seem they have a legitimate explanation for their super lifestyle change.”
He was surprised she hadn’t made the connection that came with the rest of the information he’d sent her via email. “Maybe you didn’t notice that Carin Carter Wallace’s husband was an angel investor in BioTech well before she met him…well before the Langstons invested.”
She frowned. “So Carin’s husband was one of the original investors.”
“He was.” Jack grinned. “Just one year after his investment in a fledgling company, she shows up in his life and they end up married.”
Anne bobbed her head slowly. “Okay, but what’s the connection to my parents?”
Surprised didn’t begin to cover his reaction to her use of the termparents. This was the first time he’d heard her refer to Mary Morton and Neil Reed as parents…out loud anyway. He suspected it was her first time period. He hoped what they found during this investigation didn’t make her regret that development.
“I can’t confirm anything with any degree of certainty,” he said honestly. “But Carin disappeared from the Crystal Lake area and appeared in Wallace’s orbit just a couple of months before Neil’s murder.”
Anne nodded slowly, as if trying to make the connection he meant, then surprise flared in her expression. “Kevin, Eve and Carin were all trying to get involved with this BioTech. With that in mind, maybe Carin didn’t just get mad and leave. She may have left with an agenda—to weave her way into Wallace’s life.”
“Right. And FYI, BioTech got its start right here in Chicago by a young med student, Michael Smith, at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine.”
Her eyes widened. “Neil was at Northwestern.”
Jack held up his cell. “One of my sources who attended Northwestern just confirmed that the two were friends. But the really interesting part is that Michael Smith and Neil Reed were two of four who shared an apartment for a while.”
“Are you serious?”
He nodded. “I am.” Even Jack had found this news particularly exciting.
