Cold Truth: (Cold Harbor Book 2)

by Susan Sleeman

  The manager, Todd, cued up the video tape in his miniscule office cluttered with cases of product. He sat in his chair behind his desk, and Coop stood behind him, Kiera at his side. He wished he wasn’t stuck in a confined space with her again. First the helo, next the truck on the way to town, and now here. Every moment was raising his awareness of her. Then she’d announced that she recognized there was something between them when he believed he’d done a good job of controlling his interest.

  Right. Nice job on that. He’d failed big time.

  “Okay, this is the date and time that the code revealed,” Todd said.

  Coop forced his attention to the monitor where a person stepped up to the kiosk. He leaned forward to get a better look. Unfortunately, so did Kiera, her soft hair brushing against his face. Would it be soft if he ran his fingers through it, too?

  Stop already.

  He watched the video that captured the man at the photo kiosk from the side. He avoided looking at the camera as if he knew it was there, but there were other clues to his identity. The guy was around five-ten or so, and he wore a jacket with the hood pulled up over a ball cap. He didn’t have a very confident walk, and seemed to be uneasy. Still, he was in the ballpark of Kevin’s size and weight, and if he’d figured out how to scam the lab’s print reader, he could’ve been the guy caught on the lab video. Another factor that weighed in on the truth of Kiera’s story.

  “Do you recognize him?” Coop asked.

  She shook her head, her hair brushing against his face again, but he didn’t look at her. The video continued to play, and the man printed the picture then retrieved it and went toward the register to pay.

  “I’d switch to our register camera, but it’s busted. Been out for a year, but corporate’s too cheap to fix it.” Todd rolled his eyes. “They figure having the camera mounted on the wall is enough of a deterrent.”

  Coop stood to his full height, the muscles in his back protesting, but he ignored the tightening. “Do you have parking lot cameras?”

  “Yeah, sure, let me pull that up.” Todd took out the tape, and after hunting through a pile of other cassettes, he shoved one with the right date inside. He cued up the file, and they watched the man, his back to the camera, exit the store. Head down, he climbed into the passenger seat of a blue Ford Focus, and they couldn’t see his or the driver’s face. Hopefully, this guy would let Coop take the tape, and Eryn could enhance the video.

  “Look!” Kiera exclaimed. “You can see the license plate.”

  “Freeze the video,” Coop instructed.

  Todd hit pause, and Coop snapped a photo of the license plate and quickly texted it to Blake to run the plates. “I’d like to take both tapes with me.”

  “I don’t know,” Todd said. “Corporate might want to see the footage, and I’d get dinged for not having it on file.”

  “I promise to bring them both back after our tech person makes a copy.”

  “How long will that take?”

  “I’d imagine a day or two,” Coop said. “And if you find out you need them before that, I’ll hop in our helicopter and have them back to you in an hour. Plus we’ll owe you one. Never know when our help might come in handy.” Coop pulled out his business card and handed it to the guy, who studied it.

  “Okay. Deal.” Todd swiveled his chair and ejected the cassette, and put both of them in a plastic bag and handed it to Coop.

  “Thanks, man.” Coop shook the guy’s hand. Kiera nodded her thanks and Coop escorted her back to the borrowed pickup.

  She snapped on her seatbelt. “Getting that license plate was good news.”

  “Yes, but I can’t be sure Blake can back to us as fast as I’d like.” Coop took out his phone. “I’ll get Eryn working on another way to track it, too.”

  He dialed Eryn and shared the information. “Can you access Portland’s ALPR database to see if this plate was captured around the time the picture was printed?”

  “ALPR?” Kiera asked.

  Coop held up a finger, telling her to wait until he got off the phone.

  “I’ll do my best,” Eryn said.

  Coop knew she didn’t have access to the database, but might have buddies who could get the information for her. He glanced at his watch. “We still have enough time before we need to be back. We’ll hang here in Portland in case you can get the info quickly. If so, we can pay this guy a visit.”

  “Before I go, you should know I enhanced the video of Kevin. The wall behind him is wallpaper. It’s a deep navy blue with tiny silver triangles. I’ll text the enhanced image to you. You find the wallpaper, you find Kevin.”

  “Great job.” Coop disconnected the call and faced Kiera. “First, you asked about ALPR. It stands for Automatic License Plate Reader. Like many cities, Portland has equipped cars with cameras that scan plate numbers in the city area. They capture color images and stamp them with time and geolocation information that’s stored and mapped.”

  “Seriously? Like they can look up my license plate and see where I am at what time?”

  “Yes, if you were in an area where they were taking pictures.” His phone chimed with the text from Eryn.

  Kiera shook her head. “That’s so big brother.”

  “That’s what I thought the first time I heard about it, but access to the database is limited and it serves a very valuable purpose.”

  “What purpose?”

  “The cameras are used primarily to find stolen cars and suspects in hit-and-run cases, but more recently it’s been expanded to include other suspects. For example, when the police are seeking someone for murder, but can’t find them. The system can be set up to notify the police if they capture this suspect’s plate number.”

  “That’s good, I guess, but...” She shrugged. “And the other thing Eryn told you?”

  He explained about the triangles and showed her the picture. “Have you seen this wallpaper before?”

  She shook her head. “Or at least I don’t think so.”

  His phone rang, startling him. Seeing Blake’s name, he quickly answered and placed him on speaker, allowing Kiera to listen in.

  “I pulled the registration information,” Blake said. “But you know I can’t give it to you.”

  “Now’s not the time to follow the rules, Blake,” Coop said.

  “It’s always the right time for me to follow the law,” Blake replied. “I’ll need to come to Portland to interview the guy myself.”

  “That’ll take hours, and this guy might be holding Kevin at his house.”

  “Might be is the key phrase here. Just because he printed the picture doesn’t mean he’s done anything wrong, and we can’t go storming into his house.”

  “You can’t, but I can.”

  “Please, Blake, you have to help,” Kiera pleaded. “He could have Kevin.”

  “Best I can do is request Portland police to send an officer over to his address.”

  “Can you at least give me a name so Kiera can see if she knows the guy?”

  “No can do.”

  “C’mon, man.” Coop was getting mad. “We’ve shared everything we’ve got with you, and you hold out on us like this.”

  “I have to follow the law, Coop. You’ve worked with me long enough to know that and have respected this in the past.”

  “But this is different.”

  “How so? We’ve dealt with life-and-death matters before.”

  Coop glanced at Kiera. “It just is.”

  “I’ll let you know what Portland police find at the location.”

  “You’ll make sure they know this guy might be holding Kevin so they don’t do something stupid.”

  “I’ll make sure, and I’ll let you know what they report.”

  Coop hung up and slammed a fist into the dashboard. “I wish I could be mad at Blake, but his hands are tied and this isn’t his fault.”

  “I know, but…” Her voice broke.

  He turned to see tears in her eyes, raising his anger. He swallowe
d it down and took her hand. “Don’t cry, honey.”

  “I can’t help it when we keep hitting roadblock after roadblock.”

  “If it helps at all, this is common in investigations. One step forward often produces another step back.” He squeezed her hand. “Let’s focus on the fact a police officer will soon be headed to this guy’s address to check things out.”

  “That’s good, I guess.”

  “Sure it is. Let’s go grab a cup of coffee, and hopefully Eryn will call with the information we need.”

  Kiera couldn’t sit in the busy coffee shop any longer. Thirty minutes had passed while she and Coop had sat there people watching, and she had to get up and move. “Let’s take a walk.”

  She didn’t wait for Coop to agree, but headed for the door, dropping her empty mocha cup in the trash on the way out. The temperature was much warmer in Portland so she tied her jacket around her waist to keep her hands free. She paused for a moment to let the sun warm her face, maybe brighten her attitude, and stepped into the busy downtown crowd.

  Coop left his jacket on, and she suspected he was concealing the gun holstered on his belt. She wasn’t a big believer in guns, but if something bad happened, she was thankful that he could protect them. Or if they did get to talk to the guy driving the Ford Focus, Coop was prepared to free Kevin if they found him.

  Coop suddenly reached out and took her hand. Confused, she shot him a look.

  “Don’t want to get separated.” He settled his sunglasses on his nose, hiding any hint of what he was thinking.

  “Right,” she replied, but she was honestly disappointed there wasn’t more to his answer.

  But he didn’t want a relationship, meaning he wouldn’t likely hold her hand for any other reason. Unlike her. It didn’t matter that he’d taken her hand for security purposes only. She relished the feel of his long fingers wrapped around hers and was drawn to him.

  Why couldn’t she get these feelings under control? Sure, she was in a vulnerable state and she craved support. She’d worked hard to build an independent life and loved every bit of it, but she always had Kevin nearby anytime she’d faced major life turmoil. Maybe she was relying on Coop the same way.

  His phone rang, and he urged her under an awning by a storefront while he took out his phone. “It’s Eryn.”

  He answered, his tone hopeful, but his forehead furrowed and intensity radiated from his alert posture.

  “You’re joking.” His eyebrows rose above his sunglasses.

  Kiera watched him intently, eager to figure out what Eryn was telling him.

  “That is good news. Text me the address and find out everything you can about this property.” He listened again. “Let me ask her.”

  He faced Kiera. “Eryn has an address for the license plate captured on video. If we head over there now, we can’t get back in time to check in on the website, but Eryn can do it for you.”

  “That’s a no-brainer. Kevin could be held at this house. Have her enter my name, but not until right before the time is up. And ask her to text us to confirm the entry.”

  Coop relayed the message, and after he hung up, he grabbed her hand again. “Let’s move.”

  He stepped into the crowd. She nearly had to run to keep up with his long-legged strides. Still, she wasn’t about to ask him to slow down. Not when she finally had hopes of freeing her brother.

  10

  Coop was eager to burst into the house in a respectable neighborhood on the east side of Portland, but he decided to spend a few minutes casing the place before approaching.

  The small bungalow sat below tall pines casting deep shadows over the neglected property. A mixture of tall grass and weeds swayed in the front yard. Coop suspected the older building could hold the diamond wallpaper. But what interested Coop even more was the blue Ford Focus with the correct license plate sitting in the driveway and no police car in sight.

  Kiera leaned forward to stare out the front window. “Do you think the police already talked to this guy?”

  “Maybe. Or maybe this isn’t his home address. Like it could be his girlfriend or a friend’s place and the day ALPR caught his plates he was visiting.”

  “It might not even be his car. Could be hers or the friend’s, right?”

  Coop nodded. “We should wait a few minutes to see if Eryn texts with additional information. A little recon might pay off, too.”

  She glanced at him. “But what if Kevin’s in there?”

  Coop didn’t want to be insensitive to her emotions, but he had to act like an operator on a mission, not the man who cared for her. “This guy won’t do anything to Kevin until after the deadline passes. We still have thirty minutes. He should be fine.”

  “Should be?” The words choked out.

  “Things can go sideways, and I can’t promise anything.” He didn’t like the way his statement made her curl into herself, but she had to know the truth. “If you want us to go in now, tell me and we’ll go.”

  “I do.”

  “Then let’s get after this.” He started to open his door, and his phone chimed with a text. He glanced at the screen. “House belongs to a Darren Rice. Recognize that name?”

  “No.”

  “He doesn’t have a criminal record. Not even a speeding ticket.”

  “That doesn’t really mean anything, right? People can change.”

  “Right. Eryn’s searching to see if she can find a connection to Kevin.” He pushed out of the truck and stepped to the crumbling walkway. “Stay behind me at the door, okay? Until I’m sure this guy isn’t going to hurt you.”

  She agreed, but he wondered if she’d be able to hang back when the door opened. They climbed the steps to the front porch. The door opened, and a slender guy wearing a Portland Rockies cap stepped out.

  “Can I help you?” he asked.

  “Are you Darren Rice?”

  “I am.” He cocked an eyebrow.

  “And this is your car?”

  He nodded. “Who are you, and what’s this all about?”

  Kiera slipped around Coop, and his hand automatically went out to stop her. She pressed it out of her way. “My name is Kiera Underwood, and my twin brother Kevin is missing. We think you know something about that.”

  “What?” His eyes narrowed. “I’ve never even heard of a Kevin Underwood.”

  “Someone you know printed a picture of him at a nearby drug store two days ago, and you gave him a ride.” Coop gave the address.

  Darren’s eyes cleared. “If you say I did, I probably did, but I don’t really remember it. I’m an Uber driver. I give people rides all the time.”

  Kiera sighed. “But it was only a few days ago. You must remember.”

  “Sorry, I don’t pay much attention to the people. Just make sure they pay and take them where they need to go. Who knew I could make money without working very hard?” He chuckled.

  Coop nearly snapped at him. How dare he act this way when Kiera was worried about Kevin.

  “Look,” Coop said keeping his voice level. “I know you don’t need to do this, but would you mind showing us around your house so we can be sure Kevin isn’t here?”

  The guy frowned.

  “Please,” Kiera said. “It’s not like we don’t believe you, but it would help me to let this go and start looking elsewhere.”

  “Fine.” He swung around to head back into the house.

  “Out of curiosity, did the police stop by here to ask about Kevin?”

  “Police?” He glanced over his shoulder. “Seriously, am I in trouble or something?”

  “No,” Kiera assured. “They would have asked the same questions.”

  “Guess they coulda been here earlier. I just stopped in to grab a drink.” He held up a can of soda in an insulated holder and led them into the house.

  He’d closed all blinds, and the place was dark and musty smelling, but no wallpaper. Old furniture filled the room with worn wood floor holding stacks of boxes and trash. Coop wasn’t a nea
t freak, but this place was disgusting even by a partying frat boy’s standards.

  “Excuse the mess,” Darren said. “I inherited the house from my grandpa a few years ago, and he was kind of a packrat. I’m driving all the time just to make a living and don’t have the time to clean it out.”

  He wound his way through the piles and each room was pretty much the same except one bedroom that he’d obviously cleared out and was using for a bedroom and living space. A sickly green paint covered the walls, the paint chipping and stained.

  Back in the hallway, he turned to look at them. “Satisfied?”

  “Do you have a basement or garage?” Coop asked, despite the odds of finding wallpaper in these locations was nearly zero.

  “Garage and cellar, but we can’t all go down there together. It’s too full of junk.”

  “I’d still like to take a look.”

  “Sure thing.” He started for the back of the house, which led them through a kitchen with a sticky floor. He grabbed a flashlight and stepped out to the yard where he found a double cellar door attached to the house. He flipped the doors open and held out the flashlight to Coop.

  He wasn’t comfortable leaving Kiera here with the guy, so he ignored the flashlight offer. “Mind coming down with me?”

  “Like I said. We all can’t fit.”

  “Kiera can stay here.”

  He sighed. “It’s gross down there, man, but if that’s the only way I’m going to get you to leave so I can go back to work, then fine.”

  He flipped on the light and tromped down the stairs. The moment Coop entered the space, he knew Kevin couldn’t be there for two reasons. The walls didn’t match the video and there wasn’t a spot big enough for him to sit down and point a video camera at him. Still, Coop had to be sure. He trailed Darren through the maze and back outside. He climbed the stairs, glad to be back in the fresh air.

  He glanced at Kiera, and she stared at him expectantly.

  Coop shook his head and hated how crestfallen she looked. He faced Darren. “Let’s see the garage, and we’ll get out of your way.”