A Killer's Agenda by Anita M. Whiting Page B

myself.”
    “That’s our goal. To be the best of the best.”
    He motioned for both of them to sit, glancing at Alex. “You
    know how stubborn Maureen is, Alex.” His gaze flipped back
    toward Brad. “My daughter is into renovation big time. This is the second old house she’s bought with plans to restore it. Great idea.
    Problem is, it’s not in the best of neighborhoods. Now, with a dog and a quality alarm system, at least I have some semblance of piece of mind.”
    Alex leaned over to pat her uncle’s hand, glancing at Brad. “Not to mention the fact that she has a black belt in judo and handles a gun like an expert. If I were any robber, I’d be afraid, very afraid.”
    Brian laughed, easing back in his chair. “She always was a
    sassy one,” he muttered aside to Brad.
    “So I’ve noticed,” Brad muttered back, relaxing.
    Alex’s lips twitched. “Just what I need, the dreaded male
    bonding.”
    “It’s a survival thing,” her uncle said, winking at Brad.
    “Okay, if you two are done, let’s get down to business. Uncle Brian, what do you know about the Ferron murder?”
    Her uncle immediately sobered, gray eyes hardening. “I know it wasn’t what it appeared to be, if that’s what you’re asking.”
    “Why do you say that?” Alex asked, catching Brad’s eye.
    -98-
    A Killer's Agenda
    He uncle stood and walked over to a file cabinet, pulling a
    folder out and tossing it on the desk. “This one still irks me.
    Prominent woman, well-liked, with no reason to be deep in the factory district after business hours. No robberies reported, no gangs in the area, nothing that would indicate she was the victim of a stray bullet.”
    “So what do you think happened?” Alex asked.
    “I think it was a hit.”
    She smiled grimly. “We’ve come to the same conclusion.”
    Her uncle looked at her in surprise. “What do you know about Anna Ferron?”
    “Not a lot. That’s why we’re here.”
    Her uncle leaned against the filing cabinet, crossing his
    massive arms. “Want to tell me why you’re interested in a murder that happened miles from your home almost a year ago?”
    “My aunt was killed in the same way not more than six months later in a suburb of Charleston,” Brian said. “And, like you, we don’t think the reason for her death was as cut and dried as it appeared.”
    “Ellie Lloyd. I remember the case. You have my sympathy, for what it’s worth,” he finished quietly.
    Brad was touched at the sincerity he saw in the man’s gaze.
    “Thank you.”
    “You think the two cases are related?”
    “We think the six cases are related,” Alex said.
    Brian raised an eyebrow, pulling his chair out and sitting once again. “What six cases?”
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    Anita Whiting
    When Alex was finished, her uncle just sat with hands folded for a moment. “Other than that all of them were killed by a drive-by, what else do you have?”
    “Not much,” she said. “However, right before we left, one of my contacts discovered something very interesting. Anna Ferron met with several well-known divorce attorneys about a month before she was killed. Even went so far as to begin proceedings.”
    “Did you find out what grounds she was suing for?”
    She shook her head. “No but I will, believe me. Just his
    multiple affairs would be grounds enough in my mind.”
    “I gather you couldn’t convince the local authorities of any connection?” he asked Brad.
    “Not with what we have at present.”
    “Then what makes you think there is more?”
    Brad weighed his answer, liking the steady gaze of the older man. “Because I’ve got this gut feeling that my aunt was killed for a reason that is much more sinister than an accidental shooting.
    Like the Ferron woman, she was murdered with one bullet,
    perfectly placed.” He paused, fighting the familiar emotion. “One death like that maybe, two, suspect, and more than that tells me there’s a killer on the loose.”
    “You feel the same way?” Brian asked