Page 6 of For Wrath

"Did yourmom know you were going out?" Morgan inquired, trying to piece togetherthe timeline of events.

"Yes,"Amelia said, sniffling. "She told me to have fun and not to worry aboutcoming home too early."

Morgan silentlynoted the detail, her mind already working on potential theories. Maybe thekiller broke into Sheryl's home and grabbed her when she was least expectingit. There were no signs of forced entry, so it was also possible he was knownto her.

Morgan studiedAmelia's face, noting the shadows beneath her eyes and the way her fingersgripped the edge of the nearby table. "Did your mother have any plans lastnight?" she asked gently. "Was she expecting visitors or goingout?"

Amelia shook herhead, her gaze distant as she tried to recall any details that might berelevant. "No, I don't think so," she said slowly. "I thoughtshe was just going to stay home and read all night."

"Any reasonyou think someone would want to harm her?" Morgan pressed, watching forany flicker of recognition in Amelia's eyes.

"Look,"Amelia said, her voice suddenly firm. "You don't need to waste your timelooking into other people. I know who did this." Her eyes filled withtears again, but there was a fire in them now, too – a burning determination.

Morgan frowned,taken aback. Her heart pounded in anticipation. "What do you mean?"

"Herex-husband, Trevor Swanson," Amelia spat, choking on her words as freshsobs wracked her body. "He's a gold-digger, and he never loved my mom. He’sway younger than her. He runs some personal training business downtown, and hewas only after my mom for her money so he could start his stupidbusiness."

Morgan felt asurge of anger at the mention of Trevor's name. She knew the sting of betrayalall too well and could understand Amelia's pain. She took a steadying breath,forcing herself to remain focused on the task at hand.

"Tell me moreabout Trevor," she prompted.

"They hadproblems," Amelia admitted, her body trembling as she fought to regaincontrol. "I figured he would do anything to get to her money, but I neverimagined... I never thought he could do this." The last word came out as achoked sob, and Morgan felt her own eyes burn with unshed tears.

As Amelia cried,Morgan's mind raced. Trevor Swanson was now their prime suspect, and shecouldn't help but feel a sense of urgency to bring him in. She knew all toowell the pain of having someone you love ripped away from you, and she would doeverything in her power to ensure Amelia didn't have to suffer any longer thannecessary.

"Amelia, Ipromise you, I'll find Trevor," Morgan said, her voice filled withdetermination.

"Thankyou," Amelia whispered.

With a finalglance at the distraught young woman, Morgan steeled herself and left themansion. She had a job to do, and she wouldn't rest until Sheryl's killer wasbrought to justice.

CHAPTER FOUR

Morgan sat in thedriver's seat of her car, the sun casting angular shadows across the dashboard.The heat of the day had turned the car into a sweltering oven, and she couldfeel beads of sweat trickling down her forehead as she typed on her laptop. Itwasn't the most comfortable situation, but she had learned to adapt during hertime in prison. Besides, finding Sheryl Stewart's killer was more importantthan personal comfort, and she wasn’t about to waste fuel idling.

"Alright,Trevor Swanson, let's see what you're all about," Morgan muttered underher breath as she navigated through the FBI database, pulling up files on theman who had been named a potential suspect by Sheryl's daughter, Amelia. Thegruesome image of Sheryl's mutilated face was still fresh in her mind, fuelingher determination to get to the bottom of this case.

As she scannedthe information on Trevor, one detail immediately caught her eye: he was twentyyears younger than Sheryl. "Huh," Morgan mumbled, her brow furrowedin thought. "Gold-digger much?" She continued reading but wassurprised to find that Trevor didn't have a criminal record. This certainlycomplicated things; if he had a history of violence or fraud, it would beeasier to pin him as the prime suspect. Still, Amelia’s statement was more thanenough to fuel Morgan’s investigation.

It was notuncommon for criminals to keep a clean record strategically, and she knewbetter than to underestimate anyone – especially after being framed for murderherself.

Morgan leanedback in her seat, rubbing her temples as she contemplated her next move. Hergut told her that there was more to Trevor Swanson than met the eye, and shewas determined to uncover it. In the distance, she saw a group of teenagerslaughing as they exited an ice cream shop, blissfully unaware of the darkerside of life that she had become all too familiar with. For a moment, sheenvied their innocence.

Focus, Morgan, she chided herself, shaking her head to dispel the distractions.She knew she couldn't afford to waste any more time – Sheryl's killer was stillout there, and every second counted. With renewed resolve, she continueddigging into Trevor's background, determined to find any shred of evidence thatmight lead her closer to the truth. Morgan's fingers danced across her laptop'skeyboard, searching for Trevor Swanson on various social media platforms.

Well, if therewas one thing Trevor liked almost as much as money, it was himself.

"Look atyou," Morgan muttered under her breath, scrolling through an endlessstream of selfies and gym pictures showcasing his chiseled physique. Shecouldn't help but feel a pang of disgust at his vanity; the man seemed to haveno sense of humility or self-awareness. "All those muscles, but does yourbrain work just as well?" she wondered aloud, her voice dripping withsarcasm.

In between thephotos of him flexing and working out, she found several posts where hevehemently argued with other users about topics ranging from politics tonutrition. It quickly became clear that Trevor was not only vocal but alsohighly opinionated. Morgan raised an eyebrow, taking note of this newinformation. A heated temper combined with a bruised ego could be a dangerouscocktail.

She shifted herattention back to the FBI database. As she dug deeper, a startling factsurfaced: Trevor had been married to Sheryl for a mere six months before filingfor divorce. And, in a move that screamed gold-digger, he had managed to walkaway with a hefty sum of her money – enough to open his own gym.

Six months?Really? Morgan shook her head in disbelief. Shecould practically hear the gears turning in Trevor's mind when he saw anopportunity to cash in on Sheryl's wealth. But was that enough to make him amurderer?

Short marriage,big payout, and a brand-new gym, Morgan mused, weighing the evidence beforeher. She knew she'd need more than this to prove Trevor's guilt, but shecouldn't shake the feeling that she was on the right track. It was time togather more intel, and she knew just where to start – the gym.

She checked thegym’s hours online. It was currently open and during prime hours at that. Shedidn't hesitate for a moment, turning on her car and revving the engine. It wastime to pay Trevor Swanson a visit.

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