Page 29 of Montana Manhunt

Another head shake.

Ellis frowned. “Do you know anyone with a grievance against your sister?”

“Not really.” Her voice, though, said something different.

“Are you sure?”

Under the cover of the table, Noah wrapped his hand around Violet’s and squeezed. “Someone’s name popped into your head, perhaps more than one person. Who was it?”

Her gaze locked with his. “I’m being ridiculous. It can’t be true, Noah.”

“You’d be surprised what people you thought you knew can do. Give the detectives the names. If the people you name are innocent, the detectives will clear them and move on to the next person on the list.”

“No one will know you passed along a name for us to check out,” Ellis said.

Violet closed her eyes for a second and sighed. “She’ll know and blame me for besmirching her good name.”

Freeman straightened. “What’s her name?”

“Rosalie Trevelyan, my aunt.”

The detectives stared at her. “Do you really think your aunt could murder one of her nieces?” Freeman demanded.

“According to Aunt Rosalie, we’re the reason she could never enjoy the perfect life.”

“Your aunt and Camilla didn’t get along?”

“Not even close. Despite that, Cami was the good sister.” She gave a wry smile. “I was always the black sheep of the family.”

“Is that why you left town at eighteen without looking back and never returned?”

“Aunt Rosalie kicked both of us out of the house the day we turned 18. We hadn’t even finished high school yet. We had to scrimp to pay for an apartment during our last year of school. Both of us worked 30 hours a week to pay for our expenses and carried a full load at school, including several honors classes.”

“Where did you go after graduation?” Ellis asked.

“Boot camp.”

“Why didn’t you go to college?”

“Even with the scholarships, I couldn’t afford the tuition. The Army promised to help me pay for school and give me a chance to see the world.”

“Did you?” Freeman asked.

“If you count seeing cesspools as world travel, then, yes, I saw the world.”

“Do you regret your decision to join the military?” Ellis asked.

“Never. I love what I do, Detective Ellis. I found my calling as a medic. Joining the Army was the right decision for me.”

“Then why did you join Fortress Security?”

She tilted her head. “What does that have to do with finding my sister’s killer?”

“Curiosity on my part.”

“I deployed a lot during my military service, several times to war zones. I missed Cami and wanted to spend more time with her between deployments with Fortress.”

“Did that work out like you expected?”

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