“Betty’s our cook, and she insists on you eating with us. She’d take her cleaver to me if she found out I let you guys fend for yourselves.”
The image of Kendall’s grandmother chasing Winnie with a cleaver made Cord laugh. It’d been so long since he’d genuinely laughed and felt so at home that he took a moment to savor the feeling before answering. “We don’t need anything special.”
Cord took a sip of the coffee, which was strong—exactly the way he liked it.
Winnie changed her focus to Kendall. “What about you, honey? Anything you want while you’re here?”
“You mean besides all my favorite comfort foods that I know Nana will make for me?” Kendall grinned.
“Yeah, besides that.”
“No. I’m good.”
“Then be back in a few.” Winnie departed.
“I like your family.” Cord chomped off a huge piece of his coffee cake. “Like this, too.”
When Kendall didn’t say anything, he washed his bite down with a swallow of coffee and tried to wait her out, but she sat quietly for so long, he gave in and had to know what was going through her head. “What is it?”
She met his gaze, sadness radiating from her every pore. “I was wondering if it’s hard to be with my family. You’ve experienced so much loss, and I don’t know how you go on.”
He set down his cup, his appetite gone. “Some days I honestly don’t know if I can. But Lucas needs me. He may not think he does, but he does. And Eve. She needs me—us—too. I tried to check in with her on a regular basis. I really did. But I...” He couldn’t say more and let his words fall off.
“Hey.” Kendall pressed her hand over his. “You did your best. That’s all you can expect of yourself.”
He eyed her. “Is that what you expect of yourself?”
“No, but I—”
“We’re cut from the same cloth, Kendall. You know that and so do I. We set high standards for ourselves and aren’t very forgiving when we fail.”
“But you didn’t fail. So cut yourself some slack.”
He didn’t agree with her, but there was no point in arguing when his focus needed to be squarely on locating Eve. He closed off thoughts of his past life before he started bawling like a baby and opened his portfolio. “Top priority is visiting Eve’s friends at church. If anyone knows where she might be, it would be them. They volunteer in the mornings, so we should be able to catch them now.”
He slipped his pen from the holder and jotted it down on the pad under a To Do heading.
“I’m meeting with the sketch artist this morning,” Kendall said. “It’s a priority to get that distributed so deputies can be on the lookout for the suspect.”
“Agreed.” He added it to the page. “Reviewing Eve’s expenditures is the best way to track her recent movements, so we need to go to the bank.”
“The computer and phone are biggies, too. I should check on their progress after the sketch.”
He added both items and bank accounts to the notepad. “What else?”
“That’s a good beginning, don’t you think?”
He nodded. “Then let’s get to it.”
He stood and picked up his tray.
“I’m warning you. Finish the coffee cake or leave the tray on the table.” Kendall looked like she wanted to laugh. “You won’t want to have to explain to my nana why you didn’t eat her coffee cake.”
“Then I’d best eat it, as my mother taught me to be polite, and I can’t leave the tray here. And I sure don’t want to disappoint Betty.” He set the tray down and reached for the slice.
Kendall beat him to it and shoved the whole piece into his mouth. He got that she was trying to improve his mood, and he appreciated it. She grinned, that mischievous smile that had made life so interesting when they’d been together. He tried to return the gesture, but his mouth was too full. He chewed and was finally able to take a sip of the coffee. “You know I’m going to figure out a way to get back at you.”
He laughed, and the smile he received in return stole his breath, taking him back to the days when they were a couple, and he was on the receiving end of smiles meant just for him. Personal. Secretive. Promising.
In this moment, he could almost remember what hope felt like. Hope for something good. He sure could remember what it felt like to be interested in a woman, and he had no doubt his current expression was openly transmitting those same feelings.
Kendall’s smile evaporated, and she grabbed the tray. “I’ll drop this off in the kitchen so we can get going.”
Right. What was he thinking, hoping for anything with her?
She didn’t want to be with him now any more than she had after their breakup, and if he didn’t get that through his thick head, he’d find himself on the end of another big heartache—the very last thing he needed.
SEVEN
They went straight to the church office and found it bustling with activity as several volunteers sat at a large table and folded bulletins. Kendall could easily imagine Eve here with her friends, chatting and laughing. But now she was missing, maybe injured, and though Kendall hated to even think it, Eve could even be dead. Not a thought she needed to dwell on.
She stepped into the room, Cord following, and chatter ceased as all eyes peered up at them.
“Can I help you?” a frizzy-haired blonde with a warm smile asked.
“That’s Cord.” A silver-haired and frail-looking woman stood. “Eve’s nephew.”
Cord smiled at the older woman as if he recognized her, but he’d mentioned that he didn’t remember anyone’s names so Kendall stepped forward and extended her hand. “I’m Deputy Kendall McKade. Do you have a moment to answer a few questions?”
“Gladys.” The woman’s suspicious gaze traveled between her and Cord. “What’s this about?”
“Eve,” Cord said plainly.
Gladys pushed her black square-framed glasses up her nose. “She okay?”
“Let’s step into the hall and talk about it, shall we?” Kendall suggested and smiled.
“If it’s about Eve, I’m coming, too.” A rotund woman with a cap of silver curls got up and shoved her hand at Kendall. “Name’s Pauline.”
“Nice to meet you, Pauline.” Kendall led them out into the hall.
“What’s going on, Cord?” Gladys asked him immediately.
He took a long breath. “Eve is missing.”
“Missing?” Pauline grasped her chest and gaped at Cord.
“What do you mean, missing?” Gladys’s eyes narrowed.
“She’s not at her house, but her car, purse and phone are there.”
Kendall was glad he didn’t mention the blood. “Do either of you know where she could be?”
Gladys frowned and shook her head, her glasses sliding down her nose and lodging near the end. “Once upon a time we knew everything she was up to, but she’s been distant the last month or so.”
“Distant how?” Cord asked.
“Closemouthed. Not sharing. Sure, she was down for months after the plane crash. That’s to be expected, but then her mood seemed to pick up.”
Pauline nodded. “And all of a sudden she would smile at us and say she had a secret that she’d tell us about when she could.”
“When was that?” Kendall asked.
“A week ago, maybe.” Gladys stabbed at her glasses again.
Pauline rubbed her forehead. “Yeah, about then, give or take a day or two.”
“She said she was cutting back on her volunteering and not to be surprised if she didn’t show up here or at the shelter,” Gladys added.
“I honestly wondered if she had a boyfriend.” Pauline giggled like a teenager.
“A boyfriend!” Cord’s voice erupted from his chest. “At her age, that’s crazy talk.”
“Hey, now. We’re ol
d but we’re not dead.” Gladys winked at him. “But if she was dating, she didn’t mention it.”
Cord stood openmouthed, and Kendall took over. “Is there anything else you can think of that might help us find her?”
“Maybe she ran away to Vegas to get married.” Pauline smiled.
“Maybe,” Kendall said and tried to pretend that Pauline could be right so as not to alarm the women too much. But with the blood and the messed-up house, a trip to Vegas wasn’t the answer. “What about Facebook? Were you friends with Eve there?”
Gladys and Pauline both shook their heads.
“Never got into that computer stuff,” Pauline said.
“Can you think of anyone who might be friends with her online?” Kendall asked.
Gladys looked over her glasses at Pauline. “Doesn’t Maribel do the Facebook?”
Kendall almost chuckled at her use of the before Facebook.
Pauline’s forehead knotted. “I’m not sure, but we could ask her.”
“Would you mind checking with her now?” Kendall asked.
“Sure,” Pauline said. “I’ll be right back.”
Cord stood, his gaze vacant as he watched her leave, proving he hadn’t recovered from his shock at thinking his aunt might have a boyfriend.
Kendall pulled out her small notepad and pen and gave them to Gladys. “Would you mind writing down your last names and a phone number where I can reach you?”
Gladys scribbled down the contact information. Kendall confirmed she could read the chicken scratching, then handed Gladys a business card. “In case you think of something that can help us.”
She nodded and dropped the card in a pocket on her flowery blouse.
Pauline hustled back into the hallway. “Maribel says she left the Facebook when they shared her information with some company. She explained it to me, but I honestly didn’t understand it.”
“Thank you for checking,” Kendall said. “Call if you think of anything else.”
She urged Cord to head down the hallway. She was used to him being large and in charge, and this distracted guy wasn’t familiar to her at all. It worried her, on top of all the other things he’d gone through.
In the parking lot, he took her arm and tugged her to a stop. “Can you believe that nonsense? Eve dating.”
“Actually, it’s not nonsense. Seniors very actively date these days, and it’s an avenue we need to explore.”
“Seriously?”
She nodded.
“But where would Eve even meet this guy if she didn’t meet him here?”
“The animal shelter. Grocery store. Library. Senior center. You name it.”
He shook his head. “I just can’t see it. She still loved Ollie and talked about how much she missed him all the time.”
“You know, when love strikes, you often have no control over it,” Kendall said before she could filter her thoughts.
He eyed her then, long and hard, a whirr of emotions flashing over his face. “You’re right. You have no control over those feelings. We know that better than most, right? So I can’t ignore this lead.”
Kendall didn’t like that he’d made this personal, but she was glad he opened his mind to the idea. “I’ll check her phone at the lab. Maybe we’ll find something there.”
* * *
The sheriff department’s small conference room felt airless to Cord as he listened to Kendall describe her attacker to the sketch artist. The same man who’d likely abducted his sweet aunt. It was one thing to hear her describe the attacker last night, but the intimate details she now shared, as she clutched her hands together, was a different thing altogether.
It was far too easy for Cord to imagine the same man in the kitchen, with Eve cowering and fearful. The man hunkered over her. A knife in his hand. The blood on the floor. So much blood.
He forced the sight away, but a full-blown vision of Kendall’s attack replaced it. If Cord hadn’t arrived when he did, she might—no. He couldn’t let his mind go there. He refused to let this guy win even by conquering his thoughts.
“How’s this?” The stocky sketch artist handed his pad to Kendall. He’d been tenacious in getting the drawing right and reminded Cord of a little bulldog they’d seen at the local kennel when they’d stopped in to question Eve’s friends and the volunteer coordinator. Unfortunately, no one knew anything more about Eve’s whereabouts, but she’d also told them she was cutting back on volunteering, so they didn’t think anything of her absence.
“Yes!” Kendall shot to her feet. “That’s him. Perfect.”
She glanced at Cord, and her radiant smile had his heart fluttering. He was still attracted to her. That he got without question, but did he still have feelings for her? And what about her? Did she still feel something for him?
She ripped the page from the pad. “I’ll get this distributed and be right back.”
She charged out of the conference room, and Cord stayed with the artist while he packed his supplies. When Kendall didn’t return, Cord showed the guy out and ran into her in the hallway on the way back.
“I’m pumped about finally having something that might pan out. Let’s head to the lab and check Eve’s phone and computer.”
He nodded his agreement, and she bolted like an angry bull down the hallway. He loved her enthusiasm for her job. Always had.
At the lab door, she rang a bell positioned next to a card reader. Although she was a county employee, she didn’t have unfettered access to the lab, a rule put in place to maintain the separation of duties and prevent evidence tampering. Just down the hall, evidence lockers were available to detectives and deputies to secure evidence for the techs to catalog and process.
Tessa, wearing a white lab coat, opened the door. She looked annoyed.
Kendall held up her hands and smiled. “I know, I know. I interrupted your work. Sorry, but I’m here to check on the computer and phone.”
“Follow me.” Tessa spun on her heels, her athletic shoes squeaking on the tile floor.
Cord took a good look around, as the lab had changed a great deal since he’d worked for the county, and with only a few lights on last night, the place was dark and hidden, but today he could see that the space was spotless and well-organized. Plus it was filled with what he thought was state-of-the-art equipment, all newer looking than what was in the Houston lab.
Tessa unlocked the room where Kendall had left his aunt’s devices last night. The small glass-enclosed room was blessedly cool, likely set at a lower temperature to preserve equipment.
“I’ll be processing fingerprints if you need me. Let me know when you’re done, and I’ll lock up.” Tessa closed the door behind them.
“The lab has really come a long way,” he said. “Looks like you all are more up to date than my department.”
“When Tessa still lived at the ranch and had extra money to spend, she bought and donated the latest gadgets so she could use them.” Kendall sat down behind the computer terminal she’d plugged the phone into last night.
He gestured at it. “Like that machine.”
“Nah.” She grinned up at him. “I bought this baby. With so many mobile devices in circulation and the number growing each day, we needed a way to access phone information quickly.”
“This machine does that for you?”
“Yes. After we crack the phone’s password.” She tapped the screen. “Yes! We’re in. The phone. I have the passcode. Now all I need to do is image it like her computer hard drive, and we can look at her call logs.”
“Could be just the thing we need,” he replied.
Kendall typed for some time, and then rolled to the other computer, her chair moving like a bullet across the space. He’d watched her set up the equipment last night under the same configuration at Eve’s house, but here, she’d also connected it to a small gray box and the
n the lab computer.
He hadn’t wanted to delay her last night with asking for an explanation, but today he really wanted to understand the procedure. “What’s the gray box?”
“It’s a write blocker,” she replied without looking up. “The device prevents me or anyone else from writing to Eve’s hard drive. Because of that, I have proof that I have a forensically sound copy of her files.”
“By ‘write’ you mean alter the hard drive?”
She nodded but didn’t look at him, so he took the time to watch her when she was so intensely occupied. She wore her navy-blue uniform just like yesterday, but this one was freshly pressed, and she’d swept her hair into a high ponytail. He had the urge to reach out and brush it from her neck, then bend down and press a kiss on her soft skin.
She still had a large goose egg on her forehead with hints of a bruise that she’d covered with makeup. But even with the lump, she was still a striking woman and hadn’t changed much in six years.
She glanced up and caught him watching. He tried to smile in a laid-back and spontaneous way as he might with other people, but when she jerked back, he figured he hadn’t managed it.
Right. She didn’t want him to be interested in her.
“What in the world?” She scowled at her computer and leaned forward to squint at the screen. “Someone completely wiped Eve’s computer.”
That got his attention. “‘Wiped’ as in erased?”
She nodded. “The hard drive is totally empty.”
Cord could hardly believe the news. “How could that be? Eve barely knows how to use a computer, much less how to erase a drive.”
“Well, someone erased it. Maybe that’s why the intruder was at the house.”
“So we’re out of luck on her information, then?”
“Not necessarily,” she said. “I can run a file-recovery program to try to retrieve the information.”
“Will that work?”
“Depends.” She returned her focus to the screen. “If whoever erased the drive sanitized the data using a data destruction program or file-shredding software, it’ll have overwritten the data on the drive. In that case, I won’t be able to recover it. But if they only formatted the disk, I have a good chance of locating the deleted files.”
Taken in Texas Page 8
