Page 29 of Flynn

“Flynn?” She couldn’t tear her gaze from the computer. “I think I found him.”

“Really?” Flynn shot out of his chair, hurrying to stand behind her. “Nickoli Yurgis? Are you sure?”

“The nose is the same.” She tapped the screen. “The minute I saw the picture, I remembered it. This guy doesn’t have a beard, at least in this photo, but he has dark hair. I can’t say with 100 percent accuracy that this man is the shooter, but if it’s not him, then it might be another male relative.” She glanced up at him over her shoulder. “Can your tech expert, Gabe Melrose, dig into his background?”

“I plan to ask him to do just that.” Flynn leaned forward to take control of the computer. He clicked a few keys, then let out a low whistle. “Well, this is interesting. Nickoli Yurgis has ties to the Russian Mafia. And he was arrested three years ago for stabbing a man. Too bad he wasn’t convicted, as the only witness to the murder disappeared.”

A chill snaked down her spine as she stared at the additional information Flynn had uncovered. Russian Mafia? She hadn’t even known such an organization existed. From what she saw on the screen, the alleged stabbing done by this Nickoli Yurgis was as cold-blooded as the murders had been. If this man or someone close to him was the shooter, then the connection to the murders had to be the Brookland Bank and Steve Miller’s role as president and CEO.

Detective Klem had mentioned following the money.

A sudden wave of doubt assailed her. What if she was wrong? What if her memory wasn’t as clear as she’d thought?

“Good work, Taylor.” Flynn gently squeezed her shoulder, then pulled out his phone. “Gabe? We have a name for you.”

She listened as Flynn filled Gabe in on the scant information they’d found included with Nickoli Yurgis’s mug shot, hoping and praying she hadn’t made a mistake.

That her identification of this man matching her memory of the shooter wasn’t sending them the wrong path.

All she could do now was pray.

Please, Lord Jesus, grant us the wisdom we need to find the killer!

Excitement coursedthrough Flynn’s veins. Taylor had found the perp, and he had ties to the Russian Mafia! He felt certain they were on the right track, that somehow Steve Miller had gotten mixed up with the wrong people.

“Thanks, Gabe. Please keep me updated on what you find.” He lowered the disposable phone, his gaze lingering on the distinctly European features of Nickoli Yurgis.

Figured his last name started with aY. They should have started going through mug shots from the end of the alphabet.

“Should I keep going?” Taylor asked.

He hesitated, then nodded. “If you don’t mind, yes. You’re almost finished anyway.”

She caught her lower lip between her teeth. “I hope I’m right about him. This looks like the profile I remembered from last night, but it was dark, and I only caught a glimpse as he strode past.”

“I trust your instincts,” he said gently. “I know the circumstances were dire, and you were scared, but you know what you saw.” He cupped her shoulders in his hands. “The fact that you instantly locked on this guy proves that you remember that moment very clearly. I’m proud of you for sticking with it.”

“I’m not sure I had much of a choice.” She reached up to cover one of his hands with hers. “But thank you. I couldn’t have done any of this without you.”

He tried to ignore the zip of awareness dancing along his nerves. Their brief yet intense kiss was still too fresh in his mind. It had taken all his willpower, and then some, to pull away. To put distance between them. Physical distance was one thing.

Spending so much time with her was creating an emotional connection that he’d never experienced with anyone else.

Her dropping her hand from his was his cue to do the same. Releasing her, he returned to his computer screen. But his goal of finding more information related to Lyle and Jake Paulson seemed unimportant now that they had a name to go with their suspect.

Then again, Roman Paulson had been murdered, either because he’d gotten involved with the Russian Mafia, too, or like Taylor, because he had seen or heard something he shouldn’t have. Resigned, Flynn renewed his efforts to keep searching. Digging through social media was tedious, but Taylor had done her part with going through mug shots, so he would finish this too.

Besides, it was much better to stay busy than to think about kissing her again.

He glanced up at her, marveling at how pretty she was. Logically, he knew she’d only kissed him out of gratitude. The way she thanked him for keeping her safe grated on his nerves. As if he or any cop would leave an innocent woman in the lurch.

He was nothing special. And it was only a matter of time before she realized that fact for herself.

Twenty minutes later, Taylor rose to her feet and stretched. “I’m finished. There were a surprisingly lot of last names with the letterZ. But Yurgis is the only profile that matches my memory.”

“Great job.” He flashed a smile. “Relax for a bit. I’ll let you know if I come across anything interesting from your cousins.”

She frowned. “I really think we should take a drive around the lake. I know it probably won’t look the same from the road as it does from the water, but that house is big enough that we should be able to find it without a problem.”

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