Cold Snap, page 9
Dobson pressed a button with a flourish and a printer started spitting out pages.
“We’ve sent you the family trees we’ve constructed so far,” Ropero added. “If you can categorically eliminate anyone, do so.”
“If the robber did take something that could identify Eli Kane, then their life may be in danger.” Nash tugged his bottom lip.
“I don’t disagree but, again, it’s hardly laying low, is it?” argued Grady. “I mean, I know he’d have no qualms killing, but each death brings heightened risk, more cops, more eyes on the area. If it gets out that the FBI believe Eli Kane is living in or near Deception Cove, all hell will break loose with the media showing up, and we’ll have tips coming in from every direction to claim the reward.”
Two million dollars was a heck of an incentive.
“Will the Bureau take over the murder investigation from the Montrose County Sheriff’s Department?” Grady asked Ropero.
“Only if the locals ask us for help or if the bank robbery is suspected of being linked to other interstate crimes. We can’t afford to do anything differently than what we’d do if we hadn’t found Kane’s print in the bank because he knows exactly how we operate.” Her expression faltered. “I almost brought the local feds into the loop but…” Her eyes scanned the room. “The more people who know, especially those who live close by and may talk to friends or spouses, the more chance that Kane somehow gets wind of it and bolts.”
And everyone in the FBI wanted to catch this bastard.
“You know that chances are he’s already fled, right?” Eyes on Ropero, Grady took another sip of his coffee.
“We chase this clue until we are certain it leads nowhere,” Ropero stated baldly.
Novak’s chair screeched over the floor as he climbed to his feet. “You two can do that, but my team can’t be on this exclusively for long. If a dynamic situation comes up that needs our skillset we’re out of here, Grady included.”
Grady ignored the warmth that spread through his chest.
“But until such a time, we keep looking.” Ropero pushed back. “Agreed?”
“Be nice to catch this motherfucker,” Grady murmured.
Novak nodded and gave him a look. “I don’t like you being alone without backup.”
He shrugged. “I grew up there. I can handle it.”
“That’s not why I don’t like it. You’re part of the Hostage Rescue Team, and we work together.”
Emotion wanted to choke him, but he forced out, “Yes, Boss.”
“What’s the plan?” Ryan Sullivan asked impatiently. He looked like his Cowboy moniker today, dressed down in worn jeans, plaid shirt, and snakeskin boots. “Because if I have to sit in some shit-hole motel for days waiting for something to happen I may officially go insane.”
“Pretty sure that train already left the station.” Meghan shot him a snide look.
“Bite me,” Ryan shot back.
“Not my type, remember?” Meghan raised her brow and tucked in her chin.
Ryan gave her a silent look that Grady couldn’t read.
“Children,” Aaron Nash admonished gently. “No fighting in front of the guests.” Nash eyed the two case agents. He clearly didn’t trust them yet. Neither did Grady.
Novak narrowed his gaze and took a long, hard look at Meghan Donnelly. “You know, Grady, I think I have an idea how to give you a little extra backup in Deception Cove without being too obvious about it.”
Cowboy sat forward.
“How good an actor are you, Donnelly?” Novak asked.
The female operator’s chin jerked high. “Good enough.”
Her father had died early last week, and the memorial service had been rescheduled for later next week. The fact she appeared to be holding up even though Grady knew she was devastated by the loss suggested she was a very good actor indeed.
“You want me to go undercover as Grady’s girlfriend?” she asked with interest.
For no reason at all, the image of Brynn Webster’s stormy gray-green eyes appeared in his mind. He forced it away. This was an op, not a vacation.
Novak shook his head. “No, not Grady. I don’t want to complicate his backstory or limit his options.” He pierced Cowboy with a look.
“What? Me? As Donnelly’s boyfriend?” Ryan Sullivan’s voice sounded strangled. “You have to be kidding.”
“I figure that with the number of women you date you should be able to act the part easily enough.”
“Dating lots of women doesn’t make them interchangeable.” Ryan looked appalled by the idea.
“It’s okay, Cowboy.” Donnelly’s grin was as sharp as an alley cat. “I promise I’ll go easy on you, babe.”
Ryan groaned. “Kill me now.”
“Better be on your best behavior, Sullivan,” Nash warned with a laugh.
“Damn straight.” Grady crossed his arms and gave his buddy a death glare. “That’s my partner you’ll be cozying up to. We don’t date teammates, remember.”
Cowboy raised his face to the ceiling and closed his eyes. “Sweet Jesus. I promise never to complain about downtime again. Send Nash. I bet Donnelly likes him.”
“Too late. I want you two in town ready to act as backup if necessary. You can scope out the locals in the meantime. Take photos for facial rec. Act like tourists.” Novak stood, ending the discussion. “I’ll get the backgrounds organized and bookings arranged. You guys are going to make a great couple and have a lovely time exploring Maine on the government’s dime, and you won’t be stuck in some shit-hole motel.”
“I’m thinking about breaking my arm like Livingstone did,” Cowboy announced with his eyes still closed.
“I’ll help,” Donnelly offered.
“Won’t matter. You can do this op with a broken arm. You could do it with two broken arms.” Novak smirked.
Donnelly nudged Cowboy. “Come on, Ryan. It’ll be fun.”
“Sure, it will. Bank robberies, dead managers, FBI fugitives. Winter in Maine. And now an actual fake girlfriend.” Ryan shuddered and shook his head. “I’m not sure I’ll survive this op.”
“Nothing usually happens in Deception Cove.” Grady scrubbed his face. He was in disbelief that he was working undercover in his hometown and that the place might be hiding the secrets of one of the biggest mysteries in FBI history. He pushed back his chair to stand. “I’m going to head back now.”
“Yeah. Use your charm on this Brynn woman and see what she knows,” Ropero stated.
Grady gritted his teeth to stop from snarling at his colleague. It might have been his original plan, but hearing her spell it out put his back up.
“There is one thing,” he remembered. “Her husband left her a few years ago. I want to know what the story is.”
“I’ll start digging,” Dobson offered. “What’s your next move?”
Grady headed to the door. “I plan to visit another high school friend of mine this afternoon. Saul Jones, the security guard who was shot during the bank heist.”
Ropero’s gaze sharpened almost gleefully. “Maybe you’ll prove useful after all.”
16
Darrell York adjusted his sheriff’s hat and gave Brynn the smile that had once enthralled all the girls in high school. But the dazzling brilliance of that classic young male quarterback beauty had faded. Overindulgence had led to a loss of muscle tone and his smile had become bitter with cynicism.
She could sympathize. “Sheriff.”
“Brynn.” He said her name warmly, as if they shared some kind of secret.
It was weird. He’d once pushed for more than she’d been willing to give, and he’d been pissed when she hadn’t yielded. But now he acted as if that part of their relationship had never happened. Or maybe this was just one long continuum in a game designed to get her into bed. Boy, was he ever in for disappointment.
“You coming to make your statement?”
She’d forgotten all about that.
“Yes.” She checked her wristwatch. “But I only have ten minutes. I figured it wouldn’t take long,” she said hopefully.
“I can always bring it by your place later…”
Her smile froze in place. She wondered where that iron-clad self-belief came from. That if he kept pushing, he’d eventually wear down her resistance. Finally get what he wanted.
Was it a man thing? Or a cop thing? Or exclusive to Darrell York?
“That’s not necessary. You must be incredibly busy with the robbery and Milton’s death. If I don’t get finished today, I’ll come by tomorrow.”
They headed up the steps and inside the square redbrick building that housed the Montrose County Sheriff’s Department on one side and City Hall on the other. Darrell put his hands on his heavily laden equipment belt and looked down at her. “A murder investigation should take precedence over serving coffee, don’t you think?”
She kept her face expressionless. She’d done her part last night when she’d retrieved Milton’s body from the sea. She hadn’t seen anything that could help catch Milton’s killer, and Darrell knew it.
“As long as you’re prepared for the riot that ensues in town when customers don’t get their caffeine, then I can stay for a little while longer.” She spoke lightly, but she did not want Darrell finding an excuse to turn up on her doorstep tonight.
He held the door for her, and she looked around curiously. She’d never been inside the Sheriff’s Department before. Had never even received a parking ticket.
Darrell keyed in a combination for a door beside a wide counter protected by Perspex and waved her through. There were two people in the waiting room, and Deputy Jean Trout turned from dealing with one of them to smile brightly.
“Hey, Brynn. How are your mom and dad?”
“Doing great, Jean. Thanks. How’s yours?”
“Mom is currently obsessed with K-Dramas, and Dad is miffed she’s not paying him enough attention.”
“Wait until she discovers K-Pop, then he’ll really be in trouble. Give them my love when you see them next.”
“Same.” Jean looked serious all of a sudden. “We’re all praying for Gwen. Just so you know.”
Brynn felt the lump in her throat grow. “We appreciate that.” Her mom was a sworn atheist, but no one in town seemed to hold it against her.
“This way.” Darrell caught her attention again.
She followed him, weaving between desks where some of the deputies sat working and a couple stood around talking. She raised her hand to the people she knew. She’d gone to school with many of them and waited on the rest.
Darrell headed for his office, and she balked at the door. “I’m sure one of the deputies can take my statement. You must have more important things to do. You don’t need to bother yourself.”
“Nothing more important.” Darrell gave her a smile that was way too warm and held the door in such a way she was compelled to go inside.
She could feel the deputies eyeing them speculatively as Darrell shut the door. He took off his wide-brimmed hat and heavy jacket and hung them on the coat rack in the corner. No doubt it had belonged to his father.
The frosted-glass-walled office with its old-fashioned wooden paneling was cluttered with thick stacks of manilla folders on the desk. The windows were high up, so it was hard to see anything outside except the currently cloudless sky, which was the same vivid blue of Grady Steel’s eyes.
She thrust the thought out of her mind. Discovering that her libido wasn’t dead was shocking. But maybe it wasn’t a terrible realization. However, she had no intention of acting on it.
“Make yourself comfortable,” Darrell insisted, indicating the office chair this side of the desk.
It was hot from the old-fashioned radiator that sat pumping out heat beneath the large window. Reluctantly she removed her own hat and coat. Looked like she was staying.
She clasped her hands together. Was she a suspect the way Grady had suggested? Should she call her lawyer?
Darrell pulled out a form from his file drawer and handed it to her along with a pen. He slid the stacks of folders across his desk to create space for her.
Then he propped himself on a corner close enough that his thigh almost touched her forearm. “Detail exactly what happened after you left work last night and mention if you noticed anything unusual yesterday. Anything at all.”
“Unusual?”
“You know, any strangers at the café.”
Seriously?
“We have strangers in the café every day. Wouldn’t be much of a café if we didn’t. We had a couple in today with Eastern European accents. You think the Russians sent a hit-squad to murder Milton?”
“It’s not a joking matter, Brynn. The man is dead.” Darrell was clearly disappointed in her.
She sighed. “Trust me, I’m aware.”
She started writing, reliving the movements of last night step by step, uncomfortably aware of the way Darrell watched her as she wrote.
“Did you identify the person I saw walking away?” she asked.
Darrell grunted noncommittally.
“Any clue who might have had a reason to kill him?” She glanced up.
Darrell’s mouth tightened, but he didn’t respond.
“Oh.” Realization dawned. “Grady said I’d be a suspect… I never imagined…” She hesitated. “Is that true?”
Darrell didn’t meet her gaze. “Standard procedure to investigate anyone who finds a body.”
“If I’d shot Milton, I sure as heck wouldn’t have gone in the water after him.” She shuddered at the memory of the bone-chilling cold. She tried not to think about the heavy dragging weight of the body she’d hauled to the surface, or the black unseeing eyes of a man she’d known since she’d been a little girl.
Darrell laid his hand on her wrist, and she started in surprise.
“I have to play this by the book, Brynn. We might be a small police department, but we do things right.”
“Of course.” She shifted to break the physical connection. “When was the last time we had a murder in town?”
Usually, the local cops only dealt with traffic offenses, drug addiction, and property theft—not bank robberies or murder. The low crime rate was one of the reasons people moved out here. It certainly wasn’t for the taxes.
“We had a suspicious death a couple of years ago, but the Medical Examiner ruled natural causes in the end. We’ve had the occasional questionable missing person case—” He cut himself off when Brynn flinched.
She dragged a tired hand through her hair. “Yes, I’m familiar with how the world views unexpected disappearances. When Aiden first left, everyone thought I’d murdered him and buried him in the woods.”
Darrell’s lips pressed together in a tight line.
Brynn ignored him and carried on writing her statement.
“Milton was always pleasant to me. I liked him.” He was a little obsequious maybe, but polite. Whenever he came into the café he tipped well, and his wife had a dry wit and a wry sense of humor that Brynn appreciated.
Darrell grunted. “Obviously, not everyone felt the same way.”
“How’s Edith taking it?”
“I went to see her after I left your place last night.” He made it sound like they’d shared a hookup. “She was well and truly shook. Doc had to come over and give her something to help her rest.”
“I can only imagine how awful that must have been for her.” Brynn gripped the pen so hard her knuckles ached. The clock ticked on the wall, and she could smell the odor of the man beside her, not entirely unpleasant but something she’d rather avoid if possible.
“How are you doing, Brynn? Recovered from the shock yet?” Darrell asked as she finished writing about her arrival back at the house with Grady.
The sheriff was reading as she wrote, which at least saved time.
She hunched her shoulders. “I’m okay. I guess. Still a little shaken. My first dead body.” She grimaced, then looked up. “Do I date and sign it?”
“Yes.” He stood and took the form from her.
“Can I go now? Jackie finishes at two, and Linda will be on her own. I can’t afford to upset her—unless you know anyone who wants to work full-time at the café?”
He shook his head. “Not off the top of my head, but I’ll think about it.”
He sat in his chair.
Eager to escape she went to stand up, but he held up his hand.
Dammit.
“I need to sign it and then I can give you a copy.” Rather than reading it through again though, he templed his hands on the desk and stared at her. “Brynn, I know it’s been difficult since Aiden—”
“That man leaving me was the best thing that ever happened.” She hid the painful throbbing wound beneath a rueful smile. “Pity he didn’t do it before we tied the knot because the paperwork was brutal.”
Having to pay to file for a divorce in absentia when the man had stolen all their savings to run off with some bimbo had been the final insult. She didn’t even know if he knew they were legally divorced. He obviously didn’t care.
Darrell shook his head and stared at her statement. “I never did take to the guy.” He shot her a look from under his lashes. “He wasn’t nearly good enough for you. You’re a very special woman, Brynn, one I shouldn’t have let get away.”
What was she, a fish?
He signed her statement with a flourish and turned to make a quick copy on the printer behind him. Brynn realized he’d made her endure this entire episode simply so he could deliver his play like some sort of performance art.
“Well, it all worked out for the best. You found Lorraine and are blessed with such an adorable family. I enjoy them all when they come into the café, and that baby. He’s gonna break a few hearts, just like his daddy.”
Darrell opened his mouth, probably to bemoan the fact his wife didn’t understand him, but Brynn didn’t give him the opportunity. She took her copy of her statement from his hand.
“I can’t wait for Mom to get better so I can get back to my boyfriend, Bowie.” Damn, that was the name of her friend’s dog, but it was all she could come up with in a pinch.
