Deadly Affair: SCVC Taskforce World Novella (SCVC Taskforce Romantic Suspense Series Book 5) (6 page)

“We would appreciate that,” Lopez said, leading Bailey away. “Thank you.”

Celina was quiet as they watched them head for the main portion of the monastery, though Cooper felt her scrutiny. “You really are going soft on me.”

Her words made him snort. “Why?”

“This isn’t their property and the crime probably has nothing to do with them or the Abbey. But they were upset, so you promised to keep them in the loop, even though you shouldn’t have.”

“Big deal. I don’t want them to stress out about this. Bailey will have a stroke and then where we will get that fabulous food?”

She smiled, curling a hand around his bicep and giving it a squeeze. “This has nothing to do with your gullet. Underneath all that tough guy exterior, you really care about people. It’s a good look for The Beast, but don’t worry,”—she laughed, eyes sparkling with mischief—“I won’t tell the guys.”

“You’d better not,” he growled, pulling her close. “I can’t have them thinking I’ve gone soft. They’ll expect me to take it easy on them.”

“Anyone whose worked for you knows better than that.”

“Hmm…” he murmured, tracing his fingers over the soft curve of her chin. “So what do you think? Should we blow this popsicle stand and let the professionals do their jobs?”

While Cooper didn’t relish the idea of handing over the site to anyone, Sergeant Givens wasn’t about to share his territory.
BFD
. Cooper had ways of finding out what he needed to know and standing around here waiting for crumbs from the local PD irritated the hell out of him.

“Probably,” Celina agreed, nibbling at her lower lip. “What do you think about Father Lopez’s story? Father Bailey seems pretty upset about a girl none of them knew well.”

“I’ll have Ronni do some digging into the Verdoni family. It can’t hurt. Besides, if the bones do turn out to be Ana’s, then we’ll have a head start.”

Celina arched an eyebrow. “I take it we aren’t planning on sharing this information with the man in charge?” She jerked her chin towards Givens, who was glaring down the hill at someone. Jeez. She would hate to be on the receiving end of that look.

“Of course we are. I would never think of withholding information from Sergeant Givens.” Cooper grinned. “We’ll just sit on it for a few days until after we’ve had a chance to do our own investigation. No harm, no foul.”

“Harris,” she smirked, leaning up to press a kiss to the stubble on his chin, “I gotta say, I like your style.”

Chapter Six

Nestled at the foot of the Sonoma Valley, the sleepy town of Paso Vallejo had a calming, stuck-in-time atmosphere. From the forests and rivers that surrounded the historic downtown, to an ancient-looking movie theater that shared space with antique shops, eclectic stores and small cafés, the quaint streets paved the way for those looking to enjoy a day of shopping and relaxation. Or so Cooper had read in the brochure they found on the front desk of the Abbey.

Passing a central park on the way, Cooper hadn’t missed the way Celina’s eyes were drawn to the children playing in the morning sunlight. It was the wistful look on her face that struck him dumb. He hadn’t thought Celina wanted children. It wasn’t something they’d really talked about. He had no doubt she’d be an excellent mother, seeing as how she had charmed her way into his son’s heart as much as his own. However, being a part-time parent with Owen versus the full-time, real deal was a different matter.

In his normally crazy and dangerous lifestyle, having Owen had been a blessing beyond measure. It had also come with worry. Worry that one day he wouldn’t be able to protect his son from the dangers of his job. It had never been an issue as of yet and Cooper took great care to distance his personal life from his job. That didn’t mean the danger wasn’t real.

“You’re awfully quiet.” Celina’s voice drew him from his thoughts, dragging him back to the present. She wore a sleeveless sundress, the swirls of turquoise, pink, and white complementing her features. Her thick hair was in a knot at the top of her head, giving her a stylish, yet relaxed look. After spending a few delicious hours buried between her legs that morning, it had taken every ounce of his willpower not to throw her back in bed when she came out of the bathroom dressed like that. He was still contemplating saying the hell with their research and turning around.

But Ronni had found little on the Internet about Ana. She was still digging, but had suggested they do some HUMINT—human intel—while she continued to scan cyberspace. She was also waiting to hear back from her forensic anthropologist friend about the photos, and so far, Givens and his crew had no information for them either.

Not that that was a surprise.

“Just thinking.” He flashed a smile across to Celina. “The library should be in the next block.”

“Hmmm…” she mused, lips pursing into a smile. “You? Thinking? That could be dangerous.”

“Behave, or I’ll show you what happens to naughty little girls when they talk back.” He waggled his eyebrows at her.

She laughed. “Bring it on, big boy.”

As promised by Google Maps, the library was indeed on the next block and Cooper pulled to a stop in front of the weathered building.

The smell of glue and old paper assaulted their nostrils when they stepped inside, and Cooper instantly wrinkled his nose. “This is why I don’t do libraries. Give me a computer any day.”

Swatting his arm, Celina approached the front desk where an elderly woman sat looking at them expectantly.

“Good morning, how may I help you?” Graying hair framed her face in a halo of curls as wizened blue eyes peered at them from behind the pair of glasses perched on the end of her nose. She had a kind smile and a keen intelligence that shone in the depths of her eyes.

Cooper had a feeling not much got past her. “Good morning. We’re looking for your media room?”

Not wanting to stir up a hornet’s nest, they’d decided to check around discreetly on the off chance that Sergeant Givens might catch wind of their digging and not appreciate it. If he did, so be it. They’d cross that bridge when they came to it. For now, they’d play things on the down low and see if they found any local sources while Ronni ran Ana’s name through some government databases.

Rolling back her chair, the woman slid from behind the desk, motioning for them to follow her. “The media room is in the back. Is there anything in particular you’re looking for?”

“We’re researching the town history,” Celina volunteered with a smile.

If only they didn’t have to worry about Givens, they could tell the librarian exactly what they were looking for and probably save themselves some time.

Opening the door to a small room, the woman flipped on the light. Rows of filing cabinets wrapped around the outside walls, and a table with an ancient-looking computer sat in the room’s center. Cooper’s stomach dropped. This was going to take longer than he thought. With any luck, Ronni would turn something up a hell of a lot sooner.

“You’ll want to start with the slide computer, then. You can filter your search with keywords, which will help find results faster. But the town dates back to the late seventeen hundreds. You might want to narrow your search a bit.”

At the mention of a computer, hope flared for a brief second until Cooper realized what the librarian was pointing at. Nestled in the middle of the table, the ancient computer was hidden beneath what looked to be a clear, plastic garbage bag. And a layer of dust. The thing had to be fifty years old, probably an original Apple from back in the day, he decided, somehow managing to stifle a groan.

“Right,” Celina agreed. “We’ll stick to the last thirty years or so.”

Removing the garbage bag, the librarian sneezed at the layer of dust that filled the air. “Sorry, it’s been awhile since anyone’s been in here.”

“As in years?” Cooper grumbled under his breath.

Celina elbowed him in the ribs.

Flipping a switch in the back of the computer, the librarian smiled as sounds of the motor whirring filled the air, negating Cooper’s doubts that the thing actually worked. The screen came to life and the librarian tapped in a few words, bringing up a search box.

“There you go. Just type in what you’re looking for and it should pull up samples for you. To go through the slides, you push the arrows here,” she said, pointing to the arrows on the keyboard, “and tell the slides where you want to go. I’m sorry to say that not all of the information is in the computer, so it may be worth your while to go through the filing cabinets as well.”

Cooper turned a dismal eye to the cabinets, the start of a headache throbbing in his temples.

“Let me know if you have any questions. I’ve been around a few years and know some of the place’s history first hand.”

She flashed a bright smile before leaving the room.

“Thanks for the help.” Celina called after her, then turned to Cooper, hands planted on her hips. “Where do you want to start, computer or filing cabinets? You tackle one and I’ll tackle the other.”

Several hours later, Celina rolled her neck, satisfied when the sore joints popped and cracked, releasing tension. So far all they’d uncovered were two stories on missing people in the area, one about a lost hiker and another on a surfer who was sucked away with the tide. There was nothing about Ana Verdoni. It was as if she hadn’t existed, or at least in the computer database she hadn’t. Trading places with Cooper, Celina had spent the last hour tackling the filing cabinets in the hopes of uncovering some information on the missing girl. No such luck.

“This is hopeless.” She glared at the drawer in front of her, frustration swirling. “Nothing in the way these are organized makes any sense. It’s as if whoever put these files away just stuffed them in the drawer and called it good. I can’t find Ana’s birth announcement or even a mention of her in school or sports.”

Cooper swiveled in his chair, scrubbing his face with his hands. “This computer is a wash as well.” He sighed heavily. “Maybe we should take a break and hit it again later? Or wait and see what Ronni comes up with?”

As if on cue, Cooper’s phone rang and Celina’s ears perked up at the familiar ringtone. Lifting it from his back pocket, he hit speakerphone. “Punto, I hope you’ve got something.”

“Hey, boss and boss’s girlfriend,” Ronni Punto’s amused voice came over the speaker. “Enjoying vacay?”

“We’ll enjoy it a hell of a lot more if you’re calling with some news,” Celina announced to her bestie.

Ronni chuckled. “You’re in luck then, because I have some.”

The sound of papers being shuffled filtered through the phone, then the click of keys on a keyboard. “First things first, the two missing people you sent me this morning—the body of the surfer pulled out with the tide was recovered, so that case is closed. Your missing hiker, however, was never found. Name was Luis Perez, from San Francisco. Sixteen year old male camping with friends when he went on a hike by himself. He never returned to the camp.”

Plopping into a chair, Celina absorbed the information. “Any leads?”

“Nothing conclusive. When he didn’t return to camp, they went searching for him. His backpack was found shredded as though he’d been attacked, and there was a mention of a lot of blood on the ground. Due to the population of wild animals in the area during that time, it’s assumed he was attacked and dragged off.”

Celina shuddered at the image that came to mind. What a horrible way to go.

“What about Ana Verdoni?” Cooper paced the room, jaw set.

“Well, that one is more interesting.” More papers being shuffled. “I finally found out a few things about her. She was homeschooled, apparently, after second grade. I tracked down her first grade teacher, a Mrs. Alvarez. According to the teacher, Ana was a very bright student, though she remembers there were problems at home. Ana’s father was unhappy with her schooling and that’s why he pulled her from the public system. He tried a private school, didn’t like that either, so she ended up at home with tutors. Mrs. Alvarez remembered there was a lot of gossip about the family and she wasn’t all that surprised when Ana disappeared.”

Celina furrowed her brow. Sounded suspicious. “Did she say if she thought Ana ran away?”

“Unfortunately no. She said there was a lot of gossip, but she really didn’t have any clue what happened to the girl. She thought Ana’s private tutor might be able to shed some light on it. And wouldn’t you know it? It just so happens that the tutor still lives in Paso Vallejo. Name is Elizabeth Waters.”

Grabbing a pen and a scrap of paper, Celina quickly jotted down the woman’s address and phone number as Ronni rattled them off.

“Ronni, you’re an ace.”

“Duh,” she returned. Celina smirked, imagining her friend’s eye roll. “I’ll let you know if I find anything else.”

“Thanks, Ronni.” Something akin to relief crossed Cooper’s face. Celina could relate. She wasn’t exactly relishing the idea of coming back here for more research any more than he was.

“Anytime. And for heaven’s sake, take a break and go enjoy yourselves. It’s called vacation for a reason, and I’m sure the local cops can handle a cold case.”

The call disconnected before Celina could voice a reply, not that she had a good one. Ronni knew her well enough to understand that she wouldn’t be able to let this go. Not just yet, anyway.