That young woman was complex, to be sure. Where most women could be cowed or forced, Abrianna was unmoved. Even so, she had her vulnerabilities, and Welby knew those at least in part. Her family was uppermost in importance to her, as well as that Ackerman fellow. Given this knowledge, Welby felt he had a good start on a plan. If he threatened the well-being of the people she loved, Abrianna Cunningham would yield to save them. He smiled. It was really too simple. He could affect a few accidents that threatened the lives of those dottering old ladies, perhaps even claim the lives of one or two to get his point across. Or he could cause her father to be arrested. After all, the old man had quite a history. Welby had put a man on investigating Cunningham’s existence prior to coming to Seattle. It hadn’t been difficult, even though the man went by the name Jay Bowes for a time. Cunningham had a history of brawling and letting his fists settle disputes. He also spent most of his adult life in prison.
