Page 59 of Montana Manhunt

CHAPTER TEN

A KNOCK SOUNDEDon the suite’s door as Violet propped up the piano lid. The inside of the instrument was as pristine as the outside. She couldn’t wait to get her hands on the keyboard.

Grant checked the peephole. “Room service.” He opened the door and gave the server a tip. “I’ll get the cart. Thanks for the fast service.”

“Sure thing, bro. Ask for Nash if you need anything else. I’ll be glad to deliver.” The college-aged kid hurried off.

Grant pulled the cart into the suite and secured the door. “What’s your preference, Violet?”

“Tea. No sweetener.”

He poured tea into a to-go cup and handed it to her.

After taking a few sips, Violet set the cup aside and raised the key lid. The keys gleamed in the overhead light. The Yamaha instrument was truly beautiful.

Ignoring the activity going on around her, Violet settled in to play one of her favorite pieces by Bach. The longer she played, the more tension left her body.

When she finished that piece, Violet shifted to another favorite piece by Brahms, then another one by Debussy. On and on she played until finally she finished the last piece and lifted her hands from the keyboard.

She looked around, surprised to see her teammates seated around the sitting room, listening to her impromptu concert.

Rayne set her empty mug on the coffee table. “I could listen to you play all day, my friend. That was amazing.”

Violet glanced at her watch. Her eyes widened. “I didn’t realize I’d been playing for more than an hour.”

“No complaints from us.” Grant grabbed his laptop and handed Rayne’s to her. “Play any time.”

Noah, who now stood beside Violet, held out his hand to her. “If you weren’t a gifted medic, you could be a concert pianist.”

Her cheeks burned at his praise. “I don’t think so, but thanks for the compliment.”

He tugged Violet to her feet and into his arms. “Feel better now?” he murmured against her ear.

She nodded. “I wish I lived in a house. My apartment living room is too small for a baby grand. Besides, I don’t think the neighbors would appreciate the noise.”

“Something will work out.”

Eventually, she’d find a house she loved and buy the piano of her dreams. When her team had moved to the Nashville area, she hadn’t had time to do more than sign the lease on an apartment before Artemis was sent to Otter Creek with Noah and his team to train at Personal Security International. When they finished the intensive eight-week training, Maddox had sent the teams on a joint mission.

Noah escorted her to a recliner, refreshed her tea, then handed Violet her computer. “We’ll eat in the hotel restaurant in a couple of hours, then get ready to go to Camilla’s apartment. In the meantime, whose background do you want to dig into?”

“Bradley Melton’s.”

His mouth curved. “Thought you might choose him. I already sent you the information Zane put together.” Noah brushed her mouth with his. When he broke the kiss, he grabbed his own laptop, sat in the other recliner, and booted up his computer.

Soon, the room was silent aside from clicking keys. More grateful than she could say for the help of her friends, Violet resolved to do her part. She hadn’t been carrying her own weight. That changed now.

Yes, her friends were former cops used to digging into the backgrounds of people connected to their cases. That didn’t mean she could let them do the grunt work while she wallowed in grief. She couldn’t do that to them or herself. Cami was her sister. She had a responsibility to offer her best effort. If she was the one who’d been murdered, Camilla would have dogged the detectives working on the case, insisting on knowing everything they knew. How could she do any less for Cami?

Violet read the information Zane uncovered and had to admit to herself that she wouldn’t have been as thorough. Too much on her mind, and she felt numb. Didn’t matter. She had a job to do, and do it she would.

She reread the background. No surprise to her that Bradley Melton came from old money and was a trust-fund baby. Good grades all the way through school. No, she corrected herself. Excellent grades. Straight A’s all the way through school. He majored in history at Harvard, then attended law school and graduated at the top of his class.

Violet frowned. Mrs. White said Bradley begged Cami to date him for months before she finally gave in about six weeks ago. Knowing he came from old money might explain her sister’s hesitancy to let Bradley into her life. She and Violet came from nothing. That made them naturally suspicious of those who lived a privileged life. Growing up, the sisters had been the butt of the wealthy kids’ jokes.

Everyone in Morrison knew Aunt Rosalie hated them. According to her, they were terrors at home behind closed doors. She and Cami avoided their aunt as much as possible and didthe chores she assigned with no need to be reminded so they wouldn’t have to interact with the hateful woman.

Violet read more about the family tradition of going into law practice. Rather than join his father and grandfather, though, Bradley struck out on his own in Morrison, establishing his own law firm. Zane noted Bradley’s desire to get out from under his family’s influence to be his own man.

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