Page 22 of Colorado Cold Case

“If the killer was one of her customers?” Rachel nodded. “I had the same thought. She was happy about her engagement and upcoming wedding.”

Griff’s lips twisted. “Wedding veil.”

Rachel nodded. “I go in every day before or after work to people watch. On my days off, I spend most of the day there. It’s all I have so far.”

“It’s a start. And if he’s still in the area, he might get cocky and think he’s gotten away with—”

“Murder,” Rachel whispered. “I keep trying different search criteria against the crime databases. There are so many strangulation cases. I’ve read through so many of them, but none of the murderers used a wedding veil.”

“How far back are you going?” Griff asked.

“I started at two years and then expanded to five. It’s taking me so much time to wade through the details. I never would’ve thought there would be so many strangulations in Colorado alone. My sister is just one more number to add to the statistics of cold cases. I’ve been going in on my days off to use the computers. The sheriff’s department is short-staffed. I have to patrol when I’m on shift.”

“Maybe with Hank’s guy Swede’s help, you can get through more cases faster,” Griff suggested.

“I don’t know how if Swede isn’t in law enforcement.”

Griff’s lips twisted into a wry grin. “From what I understand, Swede doesn’t always go through legal channels to get to the information.”

Rachel covered her ears. “I didn’t hear that. You realize I’m a member of law enforcement, don’t you?”

He chuckled. “Right. You didn’t hear that from me. Then again, you want to find your sister’s killer, don’t you?”

Her lips pursed, and her eyes narrowed. “Yeah, I do.”

Griff lifted a shoulder and let it fall. “Just saying, two sets of eyes on the databases beat one.”

“True,” she said. “I don’t know Swede, and I can truthfully say I didn’t see him commit any crimes.”

Griff grinned. “Especially since he’s in Montana, and you’re here in Colorado.” He selected a slice of pizza, laid it on a napkin in front of Rachel, and then took one out for himself, his stomach rumbling.

“Hungry?” she asked. “When was your last meal?”

He shrugged. “Coffee for breakfast this morning around five o’clock.”

“That’s it?” Rachel frowned and pushed her slice of pizza toward him. “Here, you need this more than I do.”

“There’s enough for both of us and Nurse Angela.” He slid the napkin with the pizza on it back toward Rachel. “Eat. You need to keep up your strength. We have work to do on your days off.”

She took the slice and sniffed it. “You can’t beat pepperoni. I don’t understand people who eat cheese pizza. It’s like drinking non-alcoholic beer. What’s the point?”

Rachel ate two slices. Griff ate four, making up for missed meals that day.

Griff carried the box with the last two slices of pizza to the nurses’ station and offered them to the nurses manning the night shift.

Angela laughed. “Are you sure you’ve had enough?”

Griff nodded and patted his flat belly. “Absolutely. If you don’t eat it, I’ll just have to throw it away.”

“Well, we can’t waste good pizza,” Angela said. “Thank you.”

Griff turned away.

“Sir,” Angela said behind him.

He faced her with one eyebrow cocked. “Yes?”

“I didn’t mean to upset Ms. West. It’s just that the resemblance was so strong, it’s positively spooky.”

---