Absolutely, Positively

be interested to know that until now there's been no indication that he's ever resorted to violence.”

    “I think the violence is new for him,” Harry said. “His original goal may have been to work himself into a position of trust.”

    “In other words, he would have eventually offered his consulting services to Molly?”

    “Exactly. Maybe he figured he could persuade her to turn the day-to-day running of the foundation over to him. After all, he was about to become a member of the family, and he had a working knowledge of engineering technology.”

    “He probably thought that he could drain the assets and then disappear,” Fergus agreed. “But when she hired you, he panicked and concocted another plan. One that required him to get rid of Molly altogether.”

    “He used Wharton Kendall, a rejected inventor, as a stalking horse.”

    “Makes sense,” Fergus said. “This guy has a reputation for doing his research. He would have known who you were and that you were a potential threat to him.”

    “So what's the bad news?” Harry asked.

    “I'm not sure if it's good or bad. Sort of depends on your point of view,” Fergus said. “It looks like Latteridge left the country this afternoon.”

    Harry felt everything inside him go very still. “You're sure?”

    “As sure as I can be under the circumstances. A man answering Latteridge's description was on the two-thirty flight to London. He had a passport, luggage—the works.”

    “The passport was in Latteridge's name?”

    “According to my sources. I've talked to my friends in the police department. The problem is, we don't even have proof of fraud, let alone murder or attempted murder.”

    Harry put his hand over the receiver to speak to Molly. “Latteridge got on an international flight at SeaTac earlier today.”

    Molly's eyes widened. “He's gone?”

    “Looks like it.” Harry heard Fergus say something on the other end of the line. “What's that?”

    “I said, it looks like this thing is over, Harry.”

    “That's what you said when you told me Wharton Kendall had gone over a cliff.”

    “This times it feels real,” Fergus said. “You know these guys. Once the con goes sour, they pull a vanishing act.”

    “True.”

    Molly frowned. “I wonder if Aunt Venicia knows he's gone. I'd better call her right away.”

    Harry shook his head. “We'll go see her in person. This isn't the kind of news you deliver over the phone.”

    Molly sighed. “You're right.”

    “Harry?” Fergus sounded confused. “Are you still there?”

    “I'm here. I wonder what made Latteridge suspect that someone was getting close.”

    “I don't know,” Fergus said. “Maybe your sudden trip down to Oregon worried him. He would have kept very close tabs on your movements. And he does have a history of getting out of the picture just in time to avoid the authorities.”

    “A good con man always knows when to cut his losses.”

    “Exactly,” Fergus said. “You want some more of the details?”

    Harry picked up a pen. “Let me have everything you've got.”

    Giving the bad news to Venicia was one of the hardest things Molly had ever done. She was grateful for Harry's solid, steadying presence. He stood beside her in Venicia's newly redecorated mauve-and-green living room while Molly explained that Cutter Latteridge was never coming back.

    Venicia's initial reaction of irate disbelief gradually crumpled, first into stunned shock and then into tears. Molly began to cry, too. When she got too choked up to continue, Harry calmly and gently filled in the details.

    “But he was a man of comfortable means,” Venicia protested as she dabbed her eyes with a tissue. “The house on Mercer Island…”

    “He took possession of the house with an elaborate scam,” Harry explained. “The banks and the realtors are scrambling to put all the pieces together, but it looks like he established a phony line of credit with an East Coast bank and used it to con the real estate agency and the escrow company.”

    “And the yacht?”

    “Same story,” Harry said. “The yacht broker is till trying to sort out the mess.”

    “I don't know what to say.” Venicia sniffed sadly. “He was such a gentleman.”

    “His good manners and charming ways were part of his stock-in-trade,” Harry said.

    Venicia looked at Molly with woebegone eyes. “I've been nothing but an old fool, haven't I?”

    “Wrong on both counts.” Molly hugged her tightly.