“I can’t.”
“Can’t and won’t are two different words. If you really do need to go back to New York, I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
Ashley’s bottom lip trembled. After three years of doing everything she could to climb from obscurity to a respected reporter, she was beginning to think she might never find what she was looking for.
***
Later that evening, Matthew parked his four-wheeler beside the barn. He’d fixed the tractor and helped Sean and Nathan move some cattle. The days were getting longer. Between overseeing the hay contractors, making sure the fields were irrigated, moving stock, and fixing fences, no one was arriving home until late.
It didn’t leave a lot of time to spend with Ashley, but with Jason’s help, he hoped she was finding the information she needed.
The cottage’s front door swung open and Ashley appeared on the porch. It would be hard to see her leave, hard not to think of what could have happened if she’d stayed.
She bounced down the stairs toward him. Her smile made him feel sad.
“How was your day?” she asked.
“Hot. We moved a few hundred head of cattle into the northern pasture. Did you find what you were looking for in town?”
Her smile slipped. “I did, and I didn’t.”
“Sounds like an interesting day.”
“It was confusing. I couldn’t find anything that linked Jasmine Alfredo or her treasurer to the companies that were contracted to help The Reaching High Foundation.”
“That’s good, isn’t it? At least you can eliminate them from the people who misused the government funding.” Matthew climbed the porch stairs and took off his boots. “Did you find the owners of the businesses who were contracted to work on the youth center?”
“That’s where it got confusing. Congressman Welsh’s brother-in-law and nephew are listed as owners of two of the companies. His nephew is only fifteen years old.”
“Sounds like a cover-up to me. Did you call Jason?”
“I did. He’ll do some research of his own and let me know what he finds. The other companies are still a mystery. While I was at the library, Bonnie sent through a copy of the financial records for the youth center project. Anyone looking at their audited report would think the project was completed as planned, but there are things missing from the youth center that should be there.”
“Like what?” Matthew headed into the mudroom and washed the dirt and dust off his hands, arms, and face.
“The original plans show a massive learning center, but only half the computers are actually in the building. The rock climbing wall and play equipment are the same. They’re there, but not as planned. When Bonnie visited the center, she was surprised that it’s functioning so well.”
“Have you thought about Jasmine Alfredo’s involvement in all of this?”
“I have, but I’m not sure about how much she knows.”
“If she had nothing to do with the funding going somewhere else, what would she have to gain by stopping you from publishing your article?”
“Her charities are successful because she has a reputation for getting things done. If anyone knew that hundreds of thousands of dollars have been misused, she wouldn’t receive any more funding.”
They walked into the kitchen, and Matthew smiled. “You made a casserole for dinner?”
“Beef Coq au Vin,” Ashley said proudly. “I found the recipe on the Internet.”
“It smells better than my beef casserole. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“If you’d like to mash the potatoes, I’ll check the green beans and carrots.”
Matthew took the milk out of the refrigerator. “No problem. What about Congressman Welsh? Did you find any more information about him?”
“I might have. I had a closer look at his tax return.” Ashley handed Matthew the salt and pepper. “His expenses last year were higher than his income. A lot of that was probably because of his mayoral campaign. Without looking at his bank statements, I don’t know whether he had enough money to pay all his expenses. So while I was in town, I wrote down the names of the newspapers where he seemed to do the most advertising. I called their billing departments.”
Matthew found the potato masher in the back of a drawer. “And?”
