Cold Case Recruit. Jennifer Morey

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СКАЧАТЬ chemistry and how that might crowd her while she searched for her husband’s killer, she said, “Standard?”

      “They asked all the expected questions. Did they ask you if he had any enemies?”

      She nodded. “They did, and he didn’t. Not that I was aware. He was a good man. Well respected by everyone who knew him.”

      “What I found missing was a closer look into those who came in contact with him prior to his murder. They were all questioned and leads checked, but I saw no further investigation.”

      She wasn’t sure what he meant. How much further could those who’d come in contact with Noah be investigated? If they had no involvement, they couldn’t be charged with murder.

      “Tell me about the attempted rape,” he said. “Your version.”

      The attacker had gotten away, but he must know that. He must be looking for inconsistencies, something that might change the investigation. “Noah didn’t mention anything to me, but his partner said she tried to keep them from getting out of control and they kept coming on to her. Eventually they were asked to leave. A few nights later, she was attacked leaving work. She fought and got away.”

      “Did your husband’s partner make any observations about the people he questioned?”

      “You mean, like habits or appearances?” She shook her head. “No. He stuck to the case.”

      “And the domestic violence call?” he asked. “What turned up there? Your version.”

      “Carter.” In case he didn’t recall or know yet, she added, “Carter Nichols was Noah’s partner.”

      Brycen nodded once.

      “He didn’t mention anything significant. The wife refused to press charges and there was no evidence of abuse—no visible evidence. Not only that, but the Cummingses live on a remote island, and there doesn’t seem to be any motive for Melvin Cummings to travel all the way to Anchorage to shoot Noah outside the coffee shop.”

      “I agree,” Brycen said. “Why kill a trooper who didn’t arrest you?” He looked past her where passengers had deboarded the private plane and the crew worked to finish up. The crew working on Drury’s plane had finished and now the plane rolled toward the airport apron, where it would be parked until its next flight.

      “Do you think things are missing from the files?” she asked, much more interested in this than the status of her plane.

      He tucked his sunglasses into an inner pocket of his jacket, revealing a gun holster. “Nothing other than what I suggested, no notes on impressions. No observations on reactions or relationships. Just evidence gathering. Information gathering. Data.”

      Unless the observations were on the killer, Drury didn’t see how those would make a difference. But he was the hotshot detective, not she.

      When she’d first heard about Dark Alley Investigations, she had been skeptical, but after reading about a few of the cases the agency had solved, she changed her mind. Kadin led an aggressive agency, all geared toward justice for cold cases and a reputation for never quitting. But she was curious of one thing.

      “So, what makes you so different than other detectives?” She wasn’t afraid to ask direct questions.

      He laughed shortly, eyes crinkling at the corners and disarming her once again. “I’m not sure.”

      Another plane took off down a runway and she waited for the sound to die a bit. “Kadin said you had a zero unsolved case rate. How do you do it?”

      He didn’t seem uncomfortable, stood relaxed and answered straightforward. “Experience. A talent for looking at the crime from multiple angles. And the evidence. A person’s outlook and circumstances in life are important, too. Circumstances can drive people to do things they ordinarily wouldn’t. On the other hand, people who seem normal can be the most dangerous criminals of all.”

      He must have a keen eye for evidence and how it tied in with a person or a suspect, how all the information told a story. She hoped he could see one for Noah.

      “Excuse me, Mrs. Decoteau.”

      She turned to see the driver of the touring company she worked for, standing in the doorway of the terminal building, holding the door open. He picked her up on the tarmac and drove her home after her days of flying, a perk the company offered its pilots. That saved her parking fees and the company from having to reimburse her. But she just now noticed the van was not on the tarmac and he’d come through the terminal building.

      “My van broke down,” he said. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to take a cab.”

      That would take a while this far outside Anchorage. “Oh.” She had to go pick up her son. She checked her watch. By the time she made it home to get her car and back out to the school, she’d be late. Even if she took a taxi to the school, she wouldn’t make it.

      “I can take you,” Brycen said. “We can further discuss the case on the way.”

      How nice of him to offer. “I have to go pick up my son.”

      Seeing him blanch slightly at the mention of her son, she wondered what had caused it.

      “Kadin didn’t mention you had a son.”

      She smiled to cover her wariness over his reaction. “He left out a lot about me.” The fact that she had a son shouldn’t be significant for what he’d come for. “Didn’t fill you in on the personal details, huh?”

      “No.” He walked to the passenger door of his Yukon, seeming angry that he had not been told. Had Kadin deliberately left the detail out? But why? He must know personal details that Drury didn’t, details that may have prevented Brycen from coming to Alaska to take the case. She found herself much more curious about him.

      She climbed into the passenger seat. As Brycen drove off the tarmac toward the airport exit, she caught sight of a man smoking a cigarette in the gravel parking area, near the entrance to the tarmac. Wearing a hoodie and sunglasses, he leaned against a light post, a few spaces from where Mountain Ridge Air Taxi’s shuttle van had parked—or broken down.

      “Someone you know?”

      Startled and impressed by his sharp observation, she turned to him. “No. Just nervous, I guess. I didn’t get a chance to tell Kadin that someone left a dead cat on my doorstep last night.”

      He drove a few beats as the news registered. “I’ll take that as a welcome back.”

      * * *

      Noah Decoteau Jr. walked out of school, saying something to one of his pals before parting ways. He used to interact with a lot more enthusiasm and the number of his friends had dwindled. The light had gone out after Noah’s death and Drury couldn’t find a way to turn it back on. His resemblance to Noah didn’t help. Arrows of happier times stabbed along with immeasurable love. His head full of dark hair, the way he walked, even some of his expressions were mini versions of the adult. Would she ever get past the heartache? Did anyone who lost someone they loved to murder? Many times she’d felt guilty for living when he died. Or that she hadn’t grieved enough. She hadn’t told anyone that. But it was one of the reasons she’d called DAI. She hoped СКАЧАТЬ