Page 34 of Cooper's Command

“That tape Kian found. That’s the reason. It was from one of the bricks of cocaine left inside the lab.”

“And that’s important because…”

“Because it was also one of the pieces I put on the two bricks Cooper’s team found in Bogotá when they were sent in to retrieve Octavia. The ones I placed inside the evidence locker at the office before leaving for the States.” She met Porter’s gaze. “In Columbia.”

“You’re sure?”

“Unequivocally.”

“And you think Paulin somehow got his hands on them?”

“The last time I saw them, they were secured in the Colombian DEA office and then I find them at a crime scene here, so you connect the dots. And I’m betting any record of me logging them in has conveniently disappeared, leaving me holding the bag on two kilograms of cocaine.”

Porter arched a brow. “Let me get this straight. You found evidence that suggested Paulin was involved with dealing stolen DEA drugs to further some hidden agenda. Then the man calls you and asks to meet when he’s still supposed to be on O’ahu, and you go there alone? Why the hell didn’t you take Emery or at least Harris with you?”

Nova sighed, glancing at Emery then Cooper. “It seemed like the best option at the time.”

“Bullshit. You’re way too savvy to make that kind of monumental mistake.”

“Are you sure about that? Because it’s obvious I’ve been off my game since Tate died.”

“Not buying it, Martin. In fact, I’m betting it has nothing to do with the state of your head, and everything to do with the guy standing behind you.”

CHAPTER 10

Nova cursed under her breath,glancing back at Cooper. And it didn’t take their connection to deduce he’d figured it out. Knew there were only a couple scenarios that would compel her to follow Paulin’s demands.

Cooper hissed, moving in lover close. “This isn’t about best decisions. Or whether or not you’ve lost it. There are only two reasons you’d agree to meet Paulin alone. Either he threatened to hurt someone you care about, or he hung a giant-ass carrot out in front of you. The kind that likely involved Tate because regardless of getting Moody, I know you still think something’s off.”

Nova shifted her weight, not making direct eye contact. He inched closer. “Nova… Talk to me.”

She clenched her jaw, hating that her chin quivered. Not a lot, but Cooper noticed.

He took both her hands in his. “I know it’s hard for you but I can’t help you if you don’t trust me.”

“You know I trust you, Coop, it’s just…” She groaned, glancing at the ceiling before pushing out a rough breath. “He said he wanted out of whatever he was involved in because as soon as Tate was murdered he knew he was next.”

Cooper frowned. “How could he have been next when Moody’s dead?”

“All he would say over the phone was that I wasn’t asking the right questions or making the right connections. Then he said he’d bugger off if I brought anyone with me. And I couldn’t take that risk if there was even a slight chance he was telling the truth. And seeing as he was killed before we could talk, it seems he had a good reason to be paranoid.”

She huffed, slipping her hands free as she drew herself up. “Look, I get it. I should have confided in you and trusted that you could have found a way to back me up without him knowing. But I think we both know I don’t think too clearly when it involves Tate’s murder. So instead of standing here, analyzing all the stuff I’ve screwed up, can we focus on crap we can change? Like figuring out who, other than Simmons, is trying to frame me and why?”

That other guy — Milligan — arched a brow. “You seem fairly convinced that Detective Simmons is involved.”

“The man did shoot me while I was giving Paulin CPR. And I didn’t even have my gun in my hand. So yeah, I think he’s in on it. In fact, I think Simmons is the shadow figure I keep remembering. That he saw me find that tape and told Paulin, which is why he called. Who he was referring to when I told him he could trust Emery but he said he knew not all the cops were clean.”

“Do you think he killed Paulin?”

“Him. Mercenaries. Either’s possible. Which brings us back to all the evidence you’ve been collecting and interpreting while I was recovering. Your turn to share.”

Milligan shook his head. “Autopsy was a bust. Whoever shot him used frangible rounds, so they only recovered a couple useful fragments. Not enough to identify anything more than the slug likely came from a Sig. Which, you carry as your backup.”

“As does your department.”

Milligan grinned. “You’ve done your homework.”

“I don’t like surprises. What about the ledger?”

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