Jina, page 12
part #1 of Oath of Honor Series
“No, the cops asked me that years ago. I honestly didn’t think much of it when he didn’t show up for work. As I said, he was always late. It wasn’t until he’d missed the entire shift that me and his dad noticed he was gone.”
Cole found that interesting too. Henry Crow wasn’t coming across as being a concerned father. More like he was annoyed by his son and maybe glad that he’d taken off. “Anything else stick in your mind about the guy? Anything that could help us find him?”
“Not offhand. I’m surprised you’re still looking for him after all this time.” Someone waved, and Ian nodded to indicate he’d be right there. “Excuse me.”
“I wonder if we could find that dad and his daughter,” Jina murmured once Ian had moved down to refill drink orders. “Maybe Brad tried something there after they left the bar, and the dad reacted in kind.”
“We can try, but if Ian doesn’t remember their names, I’m not sure how we’d track them down all these years later.” He hated to admit the trip to Peabody’s Pub hadn’t been very helpful. Other than to convince him that Ian Muller probably hadn’t killed the guy. Mostly because there was no motive. As Henry had mentioned, Ian wouldn’t be threatened by Brad’s desire to take over his job. Not when it was clear there was no chance of that happening.
He sampled the cheese nuggets and had to agree they were delicious. They were like mini mozzarella sticks. When Ian finished with the other patrons, he returned to check on them. “Another ginger ale?”
“No thanks. Do you remember the name of the father who told Brad off?”
Ian frowned. “No. I don’t think they were locals. I don’t recall seeing them after that.” The pub owner shrugged. “Could be he came back at some point without the family, but if so, I don’t remember.”
“Okay, thanks.” He tried to think of another question but was coming up blank. Lack of sleep and seemingly nonstop adrenaline had fried his brain.
Or maybe it was Jina’s kiss that had done that. His heart rate still hadn’t quite returned to normal after their brief and electric embrace. One that shouldn’t have happened, despite how much he’d wanted it.
Either way, he decided it was time to end the interview. He pulled out a business card and slid it across the table. “I’d appreciate it if you’d call me if you remember anything else.”
“Yeah, sure.” Ian Muller took the card. “I hope you find him.”
He hesitated, then decided the news would get out sooner or later. After all, Brad’s parents knew the truth. “We found his dead body. That’s why I’m here asking questions.”
Ian didn’t look surprised by the news. “I always figured he’d gotten into trouble and had either been arrested or killed.” He shook his head somberly. “I’m sorry for his parents. They’re decent people.”
That sparked another thought. “Did you ever see Henry fight with his son? Arguments that got loud or physical?”
“They argued, but it was never physical.” Ian shrugged. “And most of the fights were about Brad not working hard, being late, or not working at all.”
“Do you think it’s possible Henry lost his temper and hit Brad?”
Ian grimaced. “I’ve never seen Henry lose his temper like that, but if you ask me, he didn’t hold his son in high regard. Could he have lost it at home and slugged him? Yeah, sure. I’m just saying I’ve never seen it.”
“Okay, that’s helpful. Thanks.” He added another ten-dollar bill to the cash on the table. “Again, if you think of anything else, please let me know.”
Ian pocketed the cash, then made his way down the bar to interact with the other patrons.
He took another cheese nugget, smiling when he noticed Jina had eaten more than half of them.
When he glanced at her, she grinned. “Snooze, you lose. What can I say? I like them.”
“Finish them up.” He pushed the basket toward her. “We need to get back on the road.”
Unrepentant, she popped the last nugget into her mouth. “What did you think of Ian?”
“He seems like a decent guy.” He turned to face her. “What about you? I thought you might slap him when he called you pretty.”
She wrinkled her nose. “He wears a wedding ring and shouldn’t be flirting with me or anyone else. But aside from that, I agree with you. Difficult to imagine he’d have a reason to bash Brad’s skull in.” She drained her ginger ale, then waved her hand at the bar. “He has a good thing going here, and you can tell he is attentive to his customers. It’s a nice place, maybe not super busy, but I’ll bet that changes on weekends.”
“Yeah. I don’t think he’s good for it either.” Which left him with just Brad’s parents and Jina as likely suspects. Maybe Wade Adams, too, depending on what the guy had to say once he found and interviewed him.
Something he needed to do sooner rather than later.
Tonight? Something to think about. He knew they’d be working most of the day tomorrow trying to set up Jina’s sting operation.
After getting settled behind the wheel, he used his phone to do a quick search on Wade Adams. Disappointed, he quickly noted there were too many to know which Wade Adams was the guy he needed to talk to. It would take time to go through social media and other sites to find the Wade Adams that was the right age and had gone to Peabody High School. Oh, and who’d been arrested for disorderly conduct, which was the most likely charge that had been filed against him after the fight.
Then he brightened. The quickest way to get an image of the guy would be to check online for the Peabody High School yearbook. From there, he might be able to find a guy who looked a little similar on social media.
“Did you change your mind about heading to the Wildflower Motel?” Jina asked.
“No. I was trying to find Wade Adams.” He slid his phone into his pocket and started the rental. He backed out of the parking space, then headed back toward the interstate. “I thought his name was unique enough, but apparently not. I’ll have to find his old yearbook photo first.”
“I can help—” Her voice broke off as a crack of gunfire rang out, shattering his rear window.
“Down!” He wrenched the wheel into a tight right-hand turn to get out of the shooter’s line of fire.
“No. Keep driving.” To his shock and horror, Jina unbuckled her seatbelt and began to crawl into the back seat.
“Don’t!” He didn’t want her anywhere near the line of fire. “Keep your head down, Jina. He might shoot again!”
“That’s fine. I need you to slow down, so we can draw him closer.” Her voice was incredibly calm and infuriating. He understood what she was trying to do, but the risk was too great.
Then he was forced to take his foot off the gas pedal because of a parked car up ahead. Somehow, he managed to go around it without sideswiping it.
“Slower,” Jina urged. A quick glance in the rearview showed Jina kneeling on the rear seat, holding her weapon in two hands. The only good thing about the missing window was that it offered her a clear view of the area behind them.
Swallowing hard, he did as she asked. But almost immediately the headlights of the vehicle behind him blinked off.
Then the vehicle disappeared altogether.
Chapter Ten
“Turn around! Don’t let him get away! We need to find him!” Jina did not want to lose this shooter. “Hurry!”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Cole said tersely. “We need to get out of here.”
“No! There are two of us and only one of him!” She would have grabbed his shoulders to shake him if she wasn’t preoccupied with watching out the rear window. Or what used to be a window but was now open space. “We have the advantage!”
Cole turned the vehicle around. Yet he was moving too slowly for her peace of mind.
“I think he headed east.” She had only gotten a glimpse of the vehicle as it turned away. No doubt the driver had understood that she would have taken him out and had decided to bail. “Take a right up at the next block.”
Thankfully, Cole did as she requested. The street was empty. It was too late. This guy could be hiding anywhere.
She dropped her chin to her chest with despair. She hated being forced to play defense with this perp. Taking a deep breath, she turned and slid into a sitting position. “Never mind. He’s gone.”
“We need a replacement vehicle,” Cole said, his gaze meeting hers in the rearview mirror. “And I’d really like to know how he found us here at the pub.”
“I can’t answer that.” The way the perp had shown up was cause for concern. Then a thought occurred to her. “Pull over. Maybe he put a GPS tracker on the car.”
“And when would he have done that?” Cole asked, as he pulled into the parking lot of a local business. “He found you at the American Lodge without the rental being there.”
“It was there earlier, though.” She jumped out of the back seat, then leaned in to ask, “Do you have a flashlight?”
“Only my phone.” He turned the flashlight app on, then handed it to her. “Do you know what you’re looking for?”
“I hope I’ll know it when I see it.” GPS trackers came in all shapes and sizes. Some were easier to detect than others, especially if the perp placed it somewhere well out of reach. She stared with the rear of the vehicle, deciding that was the most logical place to put it.
It only took five minutes to find it. She stared at it for a long moment, then decided to leave it. She took a picture with Cole’s phone and then returned to the front seat.
“This is it.” She showed him the picture, which wasn’t as clear as she’d have liked because of the darkness. “I left it there, though, so we can use it tomorrow.”
He frowned. “Why would we want this guy to find us tonight?”
“He won’t. We’ll park this at a motel, then get a ride to a different one. Then we can pick up the rental SUV prior to the sting operation.”
“The SUV will attract attention now that the rear window is broken,” he said with a frown.
“We’ll park it in the back, out of sight.” She glanced at him with exasperation. “Why are you being so stubborn? We can make this work for us. I’m sure this guy will come after me tomorrow at our designated place. Between my phone and the rental car, he’ll believe he has me cold.”
“Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m afraid of,” Cole argued dully. “Cold as death.”
She scowled. “I wish you had more faith in me and my team’s skills.”
“I have faith in God and in you and your tactical team.” He pulled back out into traffic. “But that doesn’t mean a plan can’t go sideways.”
“What’s the alternative?” She tried to swallow her anger. “Seriously, Cole, what other option do we have? This perp knows far more about me than I do about him. We’ve tried to narrow down his identity from a list of possible suspects without success. I’m open to your thoughts on a better way to find him.”
He was silent for a long minute. “I’ve spent these past five years as a Peabody detective tracking perps through solid police work. Digging into the victim’s backgrounds, interviewing those closest to the vic, and going through forensic evidence. I feel like this idea of setting yourself up as bait is premature.”
“I disagree. We’ve been playing defense for twenty-four hours without success. I’m ready to shake things up.” He may as well accept the fact she wasn’t changing her mind. “And as I said before, if you don’t want to participate, that’s fine. I’ll get my teammates to provide backup.”
“I’m in.” He didn’t sound happy about it, but that was too bad. “Where do you suggest we leave the SUV?”
“Good question.” She tried to remember what other motels were in the area. Back in July, Roscoe had stayed in the Red Mill Motel. “Head west on the interstate. I know of a place that should work.”
“I hope this guy doesn’t do something crazy to hurt innocent people,” Cole muttered.
“Me too. But keep in mind, he’s already putting innocent people into harm’s way by shooting at us. Not to mention setting Mr. Glen’s house on fire.”
“I know.” He didn’t look satisfied.
“Trust me, I don’t want anyone hurt either. Which is exactly why we’re going to set a trap for him tomorrow.” She smiled grimly in using his own argument against him. “The sooner we get him behind bars, the safer everyone will be.”
“I said I’d help.” He sounded testy. “Where’s this motel?”
She continued giving him directions to the Red Mill Motel. When they arrived, she was glad to see the red “No Vacancy” light was on. Having all the rooms full might give the perp pause since he wouldn’t know which was their room.
Cole drove around to the far side of the motel, then backed the SUV into a narrow opening so the broken back window wasn’t readily visible. Then they climbed out, grabbed their respective bags, and walked back out front.
“Call for a rideshare,” she suggested.
“They may not have anyone nearby,” he warned as he thumbed his phone screen.
“If not, I’ll call someone on the team.” Cassidy would likely volunteer to head out to pick them up.
“I found one.” He sounded surprised. “Although it appears the quickest arrival time is fifteen minutes.”
Fifteen minutes was a long time to stand around waiting outside the motel. Especially when the perp had put a tracker on their car. “Here’s a better idea. Let’s walk over to the restaurant to get a ride from there.”
“Works for me.” He pocketed his phone, and they quickly set out to cross the overpass of the interstate. It had only been two months ago that she’d helped rescue Roscoe’s pregnant girlfriend, Libby, from a gunman determined to take her and her child out of the picture, permanently. Thankfully, they were able to catch the bad guys before anyone was hurt.
The way she hoped to get this perp in cuffs.
She kept an eye on the exit ramp leading to the Red Mill Motel, but not a single vehicle had headed that way. Thankfully, the rideshare driver showed up right on time.
“You’re going to the Wildflower Motel?” the driver asked.
“Yes, please,” Cole answered.
“I know the Red Mill is booked. There’s a family reunion this upcoming weekend,” the driver explained, clearly the chatty sort. She preferred those who drove in silence. “I’ve taken a few people into town to the local bar.”
“That’s nice.” She managed a smile. “Do you know if the Wildflower has rooms?”
“Dunno,” the guy said with a shrug. Then he caught her gaze in the rearview mirror. “Guess we’ll find out when we get there.”
She glanced at Cole, who surprised her by taking her hand. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. We’ll find a place to stay.”
Sweetheart? Had he lost his mind? Then she realized he was playing a part for the driver. Which seemed a bit extreme, since she didn’t see how the perp would know which rideshare they’d taken.
“I’m not worried, darling,” she responded, giving his hand a warning squeeze. “I know we’ll find something.”
Their driver continued talking about the reunion and how nice it was to have more business in this rather remote area. She tuned him out, trying to think of a good place to use for their sting operation.
MPD had a safe house. She wasn’t sure it was available, and it was located in a neighborhood that would make keeping eyes on the property from a distance more difficult. The home they chose needed to be somewhat remote while offering locations for her teammates to lie in wait.
That wasn’t asking too much, was it?
At least she had her computer and could start looking for rental properties that would suit their needs.
They arrived at the Wildflower Motel fifteen minutes later, and the vacancy light was on. Well, part of it anyway, the middle letters were burned out.
“We appreciate your help,” Cole said, releasing her hand to use his phone to pay and tip. “Have a good night.”
“You too!” At least the guy was cheerful as he waved at them before taking off.
They headed inside to find a young adult sitting there, watching movies on her phone. She seemed annoyed to be interrupted. “I suppose you need a room?”
“Do you have two connecting rooms?” Cole asked.
“Nope. But I got a room with two beds, which is kinda the same thing.” The girl eyed them curiously. “Want it or not?”
“We’ll take it.” Jina hadn’t known Cole for long, but after spending the past twenty-four hours with him, she accepted that he was an honorable guy.
He used a credit card to pay. Since they’d used his phone to get there, she didn’t complain. Her phone had likely been used as well as the tracker on the SUV. Without those two items in play, they should be safe.
“Room 5,” the girl said, handing them a keycard. “Checkout time is ten a.m.”
“Thanks,” Cole murmured.
A few minutes later, they were in the room. She dropped her bag on the bed closest to the bathroom, sweeping the room with a critical eye. “Not the worst I’ve seen.”
“You want first dibs on the bathroom?” Cole asked, stifling a yawn.
“Sure.” She grabbed her overnight bag and ducked inside, reminding herself this was not the time to relive their kiss. Especially since she’d never shared a room with a man. Sure, she’d spent hours on a stakeout with her teammates in a car, but this felt different.
Her problem, not his. Cole had been married. He knew how to share personal space.
Splashing cold water on her face helped wash away her bone-weary fatigue. Her night of practically no sleep, combined with the various aches and pains from her workout, followed by rolling the Jeep were catching up with her.
Emerging from the bathroom, she nodded at Cole. “Your turn.”
As he disappeared inside, she pulled her laptop from her bag and began searching for rental properties. But all too soon, the words blurred on the screen. With a sigh, she set the computer aside and pulled the blanket up to her chin.
And despite her concerns about being stuck in a small space with Cole, she fell instantly to sleep.
