Read Online Merciless by Diana Palmer - Free Book Online Page A

that my ancestry includes feathered headdresses and mounted combat.”
    Marquez relaxed, and smiled. “So does mine, actually. One of my forebears was Comanche.”
    â€œReally? So was one of mine,” he replied.
    â€œNo kidding? Small world.”
    â€œMy mother has Cherokee, my father was full-blooded Lakota,” Jon said.
    Marquez’s eyebrows arched. “Cherokees come from back East originally.”
    â€œYes, they were relocated on the ‘Trail of Tears.’ Cherokees were rounded up in 1838 and removed to Oklahoma in late 1838 and early 1839, in the winter cold and snow without proper clothing, because of gold discoveries.” He shook his head. “One of my ancestors said that we could never coexist with a materialist culture, because we shared everything and the conquerors wanted to own everything,” he added.
    â€œInteresting thought.” He put down his coffee cup and became somber. “Harold Monroe’s been hinting about retribution to one of my informants.”
    â€œI heard they cut him loose.”
    â€œYes, they did. Like the rest of his family, he has something of a reputation for revenge.” He looked pointedly at Jon. “He’s been accused of racketeering, gambling, prostitution, you name it, but he’s never spent more than a day in jail on any charge. One of the prosecutors in a murder case against his uncle-by-marriage died under mysterious circumstances, along with the only witness, and he was let go. Nothing was ever proven. You had Monroe in jail for several months while his lawyer worked to get the charges dropped.”
    â€œHe should blame himself for putting little girls in the hands of pimps.”
    â€œThat’s not how he sees things. He said the kid was living in starvation-level poverty. He was just helping her find a better life. Simple.”
    â€œYes. I saw the result of that better life,” Jon said without elaborating, but the expression in his eyes was eloquent.“Well, they can drop charges, but I still have witnesses who’ll testify. One was the man who sold his daughter to Monroe.”
    â€œThat’s the problem.” Marquez grimaced. “The witness says he won’t testify and he’s withdrawn his statement.”
    â€œNo problem,” Jon said. “I know where we can find three more witnesses in the same family, two of whom are perfectly willing to testify despite any threats from Monroe.”
    â€œGive me their names and we’ll help you locate them so you can get depositions, since it’s a federal charge he was arrested on,” Marquez replied. “Why didn’t the witnesses come forward before?”
    â€œBecause they fell through the cracks,” he said. “We had one witness, the father, who gave us a deposition, and the mother, as well as a sister. The federal prosecutor didn’t think he needed more than a handful. Now we do.” He shook his head. “I hope they don’t go the way of the witness who was supposed to testify against Jay Copper at his trial about the death of that teenager in Senator Sanders’s case. He accidentally fell off a ten-story building.”
    Marquez wrote down the names of the witnesses. “We do our best,” he said defensively.
    â€œSo do we, and it wasn’t a criticism. Unless you’re really psychic, you can’t foresee a murder in your city.”
    â€œIt would be nice if we could.” Marquez sighed. “I just hope Monroe doesn’t walk on this one.”
    â€œWith the federal charges dropped on a technicality,” Jon said, grinding his teeth at the so-called technicality,which involved a slipped link in the evidence chain, “and new charges pending, the ball may be in your court if we can’t make ours stick. You can still get him for trafficking, though. We’ll help.”
    â€œHe won’t walk. I promise.” He narrowed his eyes. “But you