Page 34 of Jina

This wasn’t the time to be distracted by a good-looking man. She was immune to that sort of thing or was until now.

Glancing at her phone, she realized the rest of her team wouldn’t need her for at least another thirty minutes or so. Crossing to Cole’s computer, she dropped into the chair to pick up where they’d left off digging into the guys on Mike’s list.

It was either do something or go crazy. She preferred action, but a computer search would have to do.

Yet her mind wandered back in time to that fateful night when she’d heard the sound of her bedroom window opening. Replaying the sequence of events, she knew with absolute certainty she had only wounded the intruder’s arm. Was that enough to have caused him to stumble and fall, hitting his head on a rock?

And if so, who had buried him?

It didn’t make sense, but stranger things had happened.

Squashing the temptation to call Shelly, she forced herself to search social media. They’d found Oliver and Evan, but she didn’t think either of them was the shooter/arsonist.

With painstaking slowness, she moved on to the next name. She was only halfway through when her phone buzzed with an incoming text from Zeke.

We’re ready.

About time! She jumped out of the chair and dug in her pocket for Zeke’s truck keys. Darkness had fallen, but there was a light outside each of the motel rooms. She crossed the parking lot, unlocking Zeke’s truck with the key fob. She took a moment to pull the spare vest from Zeke’s back seat. Covering her torso would have to be good enough. Head shots were extremely difficult to make, and cops were taught to aim for center mass.

If this guy was a cop, that’s what he should do. Although he hadn’t come very close that first night outside the gym.

The truck key fob slipped from her hand, and as she bent to pick it up, a gunshot rang out.

What in the world? Dropping to her knees, she reached for her weapon and scanned her surroundings. How had the shooter found her there?

The lights along the front of the motel made it difficult to see. She avoided them, searching for the assailant. Another gunshot ripped through the air, pinging off Zeke’s truck.

He must be somewhere near the trees.

“Who’s sorry now?” The male voice was low and full of spite. It was the first time the perp had said anything, and she wasn’t sure if that was a good thing. Edging along the side of the vehicle, she tried to pinpoint his location. Then she had to duck back behind the truck when another gunshot rang out.

It was almost as if this guy knew she was alone! How long had he been out there watching the motel? Long enough to see Zeke, Flynn, and Cole all leave?

There was nothing worse than being on the defensive. She made herself small, hoping Gary had heard the gunfire and was calling it in.

Her plan to draw the shooter had worked, but not in the way she’d intended.

She only hoped she could hold him off long enough for her backup to arrive.

Cole sat in the living room of Mr. and Mrs. Crow. To his critical eye, they didn’t look shocked or horrified upon learning of their son’s death.

“He’s been gone a long time,” Erma Crow said in a low voice. “We figured something bad had happened to him.”

“Where did you find him?” Henry Crow asked.

Cole chose his words carefully. “His body was uncovered by construction workers here in Peabody. Do you know of anyone who would do something like this? Did your son have enemies?”

“None that I know of,” Erma said, without looking at her husband. “He was a nice boy. Didn’t like school much, but he worked hard at the bar.”

When Henry didn’t expound on that, Cole asked, “Where did you think he’d gone twelve years ago? Had he mentioned wanting to travel?”

This time, they exchanged a quick look as if gauging how much to say.

“Look, I can’t find out what happened to your son if you don’t tell me what you know.” Cole added a note of steel to his tone. “I need your cooperation. At the time you reported him missing, three months after you last saw him, you told the detective on the case that you thought your son went to Madison to find a new job.” He’d stopped in at the precinct on his way here to get the former detective’s file on the missing person case.

“I, uh, yes.” Erma shot a guilty look at Howard. “We had a disagreement with Brad over his taking over as bar manager. We didn’t think he was ready for that level of responsibility.”

A wave of relief hit hard. An argument between Brad Crow and his parents opened them up as possible suspects too. “How long after your disagreement did you notice your son was missing?”

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