Page 15 of Flynn

“I guess so. Although I’m not sure why a meeting is necessary.” She glanced at Flynn. “I haven’t met the president of the bank where I keep my money.”

“I used to use Brookland Bank,” Rhy said. “After my parents died, I ended up moving our account to a credit union to avoid extra banking fees. Back then, we needed every dime. I agree with you, Taylor. I never met with the president of the bank or the credit union.”

“Is the fingerprint enough for a search warrant?” Flynn asked. “Maybe Roman has shady friends who are money laundering through the Brookland Bank.”

“I thought of that possibility,” Rhy said. “But his print isn’t enough for probable cause. Especially since Taylor is convinced that he’s not the shooter. Plus, there is a family connection, which may not be suspicious.”

She tried to ignore the flash of guilt. She was being honest and answering questions to the best of her ability. She couldn’t lie just to help with the investigation. Especially if her cousin’s presence in the house was innocent. The more she considered the possibility of money laundering, the more ridiculous it sounded. “Maybe Roman needed a business loan and was having trouble getting one because of his criminal record.” She looked from the phone screen to Flynn. “He may not be involved in the murders at all.”

“Don’t worry, we’re keeping all possibilities open,” Rhy said reassuringly. “No one wants to railroad your family member into being arrested for a crime he didn’t commit. It’s just one theory out of many. Our goal is to uncover the truth.”

When she frowned, Flynn nodded. “Cops tend to take the position that everyone is a suspect until cleared. But that alone isn’t enough for a judge to grant a search warrant. You make a good point about the possibility of your cousin looking for a loan. That’s something we might be able to find without a search warrant.”

She was surprised by his comment and hoped she was right about her cousin Roman. It wasn’t good that he had a criminal record for assault and battery. Yet she wanted to believe that Roman had accepted responsibility for his actions and had turned his life around.

“Did the police in Brookland find anything else?” she asked, changing the subject from her cousin’s guilt to the larger investigation.

“Not yet, the house was recently cleaned, and therefore they’d really focused on the fingerprint found in the office.” Rhy sighed. “I wish I could say they found more evidence, but they haven’t.”

“I’ll dig into Roman Paulson, see if I can find anything interesting there,” Flynn offered. “Taylor is going through more mug shots.”

“That’s helpful, thanks. Stay focused on the guy’s prominent nose rather than the beard,” Rhy suggested.

“I have been trying to focus on the gunman’s nose,” Taylor said, trying not to sound annoyed. “I understand a beard can be shaved off.”

“Okay, keep me updated on your progress,” Rhy said. “I’ll let Detective Klem know that Roman isn’t the killer.”

“Wait, Rhy? What about Max? Did the Brookland PD say anything about the little boy’s foster family?”

“I’m not sure they’ll be kept in the loop on that,” Rhy said. “Once CPS takes over, police involvement ends. The only reason they’d stay in touch is if the child was a witness to a crime.”

“Okay. Thanks.” She knew she needed to let her concerns over Max’s future go. Especially now that she had been targeted by the gunman too. But she couldn’t help thinking about the little boy. He was such a sweetheart, just starting to smile and coo.

Enough. She couldn’t dwell on Max’s future. Not when there were bigger issues facing them.

Like a brutal killer intent on finding her.

She turned back to the computer, then paused. “Would you rather start digging into Roman Paulson’s background?”

“No, Cass will hopefully be here soon.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ll make another pot of coffee while I wait.”

She nodded, turning her gaze back to the computer screen. As slow and painstaking as it was, she was determined to do her part. If the gunman was somewhere in the police database, then she intended to find him.

Still, with each passing photo, her spirits flagged. She had to force herself to concentrate on the photos, not the possibility of her cousin Roman being involved in a plot to kill Steve and Robin Miller.

Once the coffee was brewed, Flynn refilled her cup and his own too. He settled in beside her and sipped his coffee while watching her work.

It was even more nerve-racking to scroll through one photo after another with Flynn so close. She caught a whiff of his woodsy scent, which brought another wave of awareness coursing through her.

Despite their differences—in personality and age—there was no denying the attraction simmering between them. On her part, not his. He’d looked down at her, which had made her angry.

She told herself his opinion of her career choice didn’t matter. Sure, Flynn had a very important job. She hadn’t been exposed to cops on a personal level until last month when Sienna had reached out to Zeke for protection.

It occurred to her that every face she clicked through on the computer screen belonged to a criminal who had been arrested by a cop just like Flynn. His dedication to serving the public, to taking criminals off the street, was honorable.

She didn’t like feeling as if she’d taken the easy way out by becoming a nanny.

Flynn’s phone vibrated on the table. She glanced at him as he picked it up. “Cassidy and Jina are on their way.”

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