“And as I told you then, I know little about computers, so I doubt I can help you.”
“Ah, but I’m sure if you were interviewing a person of interest in a crime who gave you such a reply, you’d point out that you could easily know someone who is a computer expert.”
“A crime?” He met her gaze and held it. “And I’m a person of interest?”
“Honestly, yes,” she said. “We have a working theory that you might have tried to stop my class.”
His eyes widened in genuine surprise. “Why on earth would I want to do that?”
“That’s what we’d like to know.”
He ran a hand over his hair that was cut short but seemed to have a mind of its own, sticking out at odd angles even after he pressed it down. “Look. Let’s cut to the chase here. What do you have on me?”
“For starters, you lied to me when I talked to you last.”
He crossed his hands behind his head and leaned back. “Refresh my memory about what we discussed.”
“I asked you if you were working on any cases you could use my specific class for, and you said no.”
“And?”
“And you have quite a big investigation going on right now.”
He eyed her. “How do you know about that?”
She was finally garnering a reaction from him. “I’ll be helping Detective Rudd with the pictures in the child porn investigation to link them back to the suspect’s phone.”
He crossed his arms. “Rudd needs to learn to keep her mouth shut.”
“Why, when I can potentially help you close this case?”
He shot forward in his chair, veins bulging in his neck. “Because we don’t share investigation details with civilians, that’s why. Not with anyone outside the department. And we especially don’t do it without talking to our partner.”
Eryn resisted leaning back from his aggressive posture as she was sure that was what he hoped she would do. Detectives were masters at intimidation, but so was she. “Rudd didn’t tell me anything that isn’t in an interview you did with the local newspaper. Plus, she’s going to get your LT’s permission before sharing the photos. So your reaction is overkill. Mind telling me why that is?”
He scowled. “She’s a rookie detective who doesn’t know her place. Always pushing. Overstepping.” Eryn thought his attitude had more to do with Rudd being female than her pushiness.
Eryn leaned closer to rile him. “Point is, why didn’t you mention that you had an investigation where the new techniques could be used? You wouldn’t have had to share anything. Just say yes instead of no.”
His jaw clenched. “Because it’s none of your business.”
“Sounds like you resent that I asked you about it. Do you have something to hide?”
He slapped his hands on the arms of his chair and gripped tightly. “What’s this really about?”
“ShadowPrince,” she said and watched to see if recognition flashed in his eyes.
“Excuse me,” he said sounding and looking surprised. “Should I know something about this ShadowPrince?”
“ShadowPrince is the screen name for whoever deployed ransomware on my computer, warning me not to teach my next classes. I’ve confirmed the software was written by someone who prefers the Russian alphabet to American.”
“And because my family came over from Russia you think it’s me?” He swung his head side-to-side with exaggerated movements. “Of course, you would think all Russians are bad, so you figure this points to me. But you’re forgetting I don’t know diddly about computer programming.”
“And you’re forgetting that I know you could’ve hired ShadowPrince to write the code and deploy it. With your years as a detective, it wouldn’t be farfetched to think you could find a criminal to do your bidding.”
“But why? Why would I do that?”
“Because you didn’t want Rudd to attend that class. You were worried she would learn something that you didn’t want her to know. Is it related to your porn investigation or something else? I don’t know, but now’s your chance to tell me before I figure it out and you pay the price for not cooperating.”
He growled. “I won’t even bother justifying myself to you. Get out of here. Now.”
He shot to his feet and started for Eryn, his chest rising and falling with each breath. Eryn could easily see him getting angry enough to murder someone.
Trey jumped up, standing there in full warrior mode, stance wide, his chest rising and falling, and Eryn couldn’t take her eyes from the sight he made.
“I’d stand down if I were you,” he said in a low, threatening tone.
“Right, like you’re gonna do anything in a room full of my fellow detectives.” He laughed mockingly. “Get moving, or I’ll ask them to help me throw you out.”
Detective Rudd pushed open the door and poked her head in. “Anything I can help with?”
“Yeah,” Petrov snapped. “You can show your buddies out of the building.”
“Glad to.” She stepped back, and Eryn got up to join Rudd in the hallway. Trey backed out of the room, his gaze remaining on Petrov. Eryn didn’t think the detective was foolish enough to try anything, but she was thankful for Trey’s protection.
In the elevator, Rudd turned to her. “I’m glad you stopped by. I was going to call you.”
“Did you get your LT’s permission to bring me in?” Eryn asked.
“No. Not yet. This is about Petrov. I overheard him on the phone this morning when he didn’t know I was nearby. I think he’s blackmailing someone, and it might have to do with our porn investigation.”
Really? “I’m surprised you’re telling me this instead of reporting it to your LT.”
Rudd scratched her neck, leaving long red marks. “I hate to go outside the brotherhood, but if I go to my LT, I’ll be branded as a whistle-blower and my career will be over. I already have issues because of my age and sex. I can’t add to that. And I can’t lose my job. I’m a single mom and my kids depend on me.”
Eryn nodded. “I totally get that. So did you hear who he was talking to?”
“He called the guy Olson. Petrov warned him that if he didn’t pay up, he’d expose him.”
“Is there anyone named Olson in this investigation?” Trey asked.
“Not that I’m aware of, but Petrov hasn’t shared his old files with me. I’ve asked, but he keeps stonewalling me. This might be why.” Rudd frowned.
Eryn hated that this guy was making Rudd’s job difficult, but it was looking like he was into something illegal, and he was going to pay for it if Eryn had anything to do about it. “Any way you can get a look at the files without him catching on?”
“Maybe. I’ll try anyway and get back to you.”
“And watch for any mention of the name ShadowPrince, too,” Eryn added.
“Explain,” Rudd demanded.
It was time Rudd knew about the ransomware, so Eryn told her about it. “I’m thinking Petrov hired someone to do the hack.”
“But why?”
“To stop me from teaching the class where you’d learn how to prove pictures came from certain phones.”
“Do you think some of the pictures in our investigation could lead back to this Olson guy? If so, Petrov wouldn’t want me to be able to expose his blackmailing scheme.”
Eryn nodded. “See what you can find out. In the meantime, we’ll do some digging on our own.”
The elevator doors opened, and Rudd escorted them through the locked door to the lobby. “I’ll be in touch.”
Eryn and Trey stepped onto the busy downtown Portland street, and Eryn caught a whiff of something savory cooking, making her stomach growl.
Trey faced her. “If Petrov is blackmailing the person who took the pictures, it makes sense that he wouldn’t want Rudd to take your class so she could figure out who took them.”
“Agreed, but I think he’s telling the truth about not being computer literate. So he had to have hired someone to deploy the software
to scare me off. Our best bet now is to try to figure out who he’s blackmailing.”
“Olson is a common name. How exactly do you plan to do some digging?”
“I’ll start with public figures or influential businessmen. These are the guys who have the most to lose and would be very susceptible to blackmail.”
“Then you best be careful,” Trey warned. “Men who have something to lose can be dangerous. Very dangerous.”
21
Eryn didn’t want to leave town without at least doing a cursory investigation into potential blackmail subjects. “Mind if we find a coffee shop so I can do a little research on the name Olson? Maybe grab something to eat.”
“Works for me. I saw a Starbucks south of here on the way in.” He gestured for her to go ahead of him, but when she did, he gently guided her to the inside of the sidewalk.
He never forgot about her safety, and her heart was touched by his care and compassion. She didn’t know how much longer she could ignore these feelings she was developing for him. Even more important, she didn’t know if she wanted to anymore.
She sighed, drawing Trey’s attention.
“Anything I can help you work out?”
“No.” She picked up her pace, winding in and out of pedestrians and forcing her mind from Trey. She enjoyed strolling along the tree-lined streets. Enjoyed the warm breeze when it was often so chilly in Cold Harbor. Enjoyed the smell of coffee filling the air as they reached the Starbucks.
Trey held the door for her, and surprisingly there was no line. She ordered a chicken and quinoa protein bowl while he got a chicken wrap, and they both ordered black coffee.
As they waited for their food, she took out her phone and typed “elected officials Portland, Oregon” in a search engine. She opened the official City of Portland website and scanned the list of positions. Near the top of the page she saw a city commissioner named Avery Olson. She clicked on his link and brought up his bio. He’d held office for three successive terms, and he was very involved in education.
The barista called Trey’s name, and he collected their order. They found a small table by the window and took a seat.
Trey distributed the food. “Anything?”
“I found Commissioner Avery Olson. One of his passions is education.”
“Which might give him access to children, fitting the porn aspect of the investigation.”
“Exactly.” She grimaced. “I really hate the way we have to think sometimes. I’d much rather think he’s a good guy passionate about education.”
“I hear you on that.” Trey opened his wrap and took a large bite.
She uncovered her bowl, scooped up a bite, and tapped the “In the News” link on her phone. A page of listings opened, and she read down them to the first post involving education. She continued to eat and read the articles until a photo opened, and she sat back stunned.
“What is it?” Trey asked.
“Olson knows Petrov.” She held out the picture of Olson and Petrov shaking hands outside a downtown preschool where they’d worked on a fundraiser together.
Trey frowned when she expected excitement. “This isn’t enough to go barreling into a councilman’s office and accuse him of child porn.”
“I know. What we really need are phone records and bank account information. Or for Rudd to get those files on the investigation that she hasn’t seen yet.” Eryn took her phone back. “I’ll call her and give her a heads up on Olson so she can watch for anything referencing him in the investigation. And maybe she can also get a look at Petrov’s phone.”
After the call, Eryn started eating in earnest as she pondered their next move.
“Are you still thinking Veronika Abram is involved in the ransomware?” Trey balled up his wrapper and took a sip of his coffee.
Eryn shook her head. “I’m convinced Petrov is behind this hack now, and we haven’t found anything yet to connect him to Veronika. But if she’s not involved in the ransomware, why did she have my business card?”
“Actually,” he said. “I can’t seem to let that go. I think you were right earlier. That she wanted your help with finding whoever took the pictures of the captured fox.”
“If so, her death is totally unrelated to the ransomware. So who killed her and why?”
“Someone in direct opposition to her goal. Like the person who took the fox.”
“Could be, I suppose. But if she came to the resort to talk to me, why dress up like a fox?”
“Maybe she thought you wouldn’t talk to her, and she had to do something to get your attention.” He paused for a minute. “I know Blake interviewed Coker, but I’m liking him for this murder.”
She frowned, tapping her finger on the table. “What’s his motive?”
Trey set down his cup and leaned closer. “Imagine Veronika arriving at the resort. She wants to get your attention. Maybe she’s out front planning to upstage Coker, but he’s not having anything of it. So he lures her away. She tells him she’s here to get your help. He can’t let that happen, right? I mean, if you helped save the cute fox, people would side in your favor, and he would strike out. He takes her aside because he doesn’t want people to see her. When they’re alone, he asks her to let it go. She refuses, and he shoots her.”
“He’s just unstable enough to do that.” Eryn’s eyes burned with intensity. “We need to track him down while we’re in town and question him again.”
“Sounds like a good idea to me.” Trey started clearing the table. “But shouldn’t we check in with Blake first? You know. Keep him informed.”
“Yeah, probably.” She got out her phone and dialed Blake, but the call went to voicemail.
“He’s not answering,” she said. “I’ll try him again later, but first I’ll get Coker’s contact information.”
“Can you find him?”
“Are you seriously asking me—the great computer master—that question?” She wrinkled her nose at him. “I’ll be talking to him in a few minutes. Mark my words.”
Trey loved that Eryn could find humor after all she’d been through. She really was resilient, and he was beginning to think she didn’t need anyone’s help. But the hacker and her attacker were most likely hoping he’d let his guard down, when in fact, the closer they got to the suspect, the more vigilant Trey needed to be.
“Got Coker’s phone number. Let’s see if he’ll meet with us.” She dialed and held out the phone for Trey to hear the conversation.
He leaned close to her, and her nearness sent his thoughts whirling in every direction they shouldn’t go. He shoved them away and focused on the phone, willing Coker to answer. On the fourth ring, he muttered a grumpy hello.
Trey didn’t like Coker’s tone, and Trey prayed that the guy would be amenable to Eryn’s request.
“Eryn Calloway, here,” she said as pleasantly as if she were calling a friend.
“Didn’t get enough of harassing me at the resort?” Coker replied. “Now you need to do it by phone?”
“Are you afraid of a little conversation?” she asked, taunting him, and Trey loved seeing her give back as good as she got.
“I’m not afraid of anything,” he snarled.
Her lips tipped in a victorious smile. “Then you wouldn’t mind if I stopped by your place to have a chat with you. I’m in Portland now.”
“Bring it on.”
“Your address?” she asked casually.
He rattled off a nearby location, and she said goodbye.
“To the Batmobile, Robin.” She grinned widely and shot to her feet.
“If anyone in the relationship is Robin, it’s you.” Trey mocked tossing a cape over his shoulder as he stood. “I’m Batman all the way.”
Laughing together, they disposed of their trash and headed outside. The minute they hit the street, Trey forgot all about joking to deliver her safely to the parking garage. The place was dark and dank after the sunshine in the busy downtown Portland street, raising Trey’s vigilance even higher.<
br />
She settled in the car, and when he slammed the door, he felt a sense of relief. He didn’t know how many times he could escort her somewhere before something bad happened. The odds had to be growing that the suspect was going to try something again soon.
Inside the car, he punched Coker’s address into the GPS and started the vehicle. He was starting to have regrets over agreeing to take her to this lunatic’s place. He looked at her. “You should try Blake again so someone knows where we’re going.”
“Good idea.” She dialed his number, and Trey heard it ring until voicemail picked up. “Blake, it’s Eryn. We’re headed over to Coker’s place to question him. Call me when you get a chance.”
“Maybe we should reconsider this little visit.”
“Are you kidding?” She gaped at him. “No way. Not when he agreed to see us.”
“I don’t know. I don’t like it all of a sudden. He could be a killer, and I’m bringing you right into his lair.”
She waved her hand. “We’re both carrying. We’ll be fine. Let’s go before he changes his mind and doesn’t let us in.”
Hoping she was right, Trey backed out of the space and headed down the ramp.
She turned to him. “I appreciate you remembering Blake in all of this. I should do it more often, but I’ve been out of law enforcement long enough that I tend to act first then think of him later.”
“I’m sure he wouldn’t like to hear that.” Trey stopped to pay their fee then drove into the bright sunshine.
The GPS voice told him to take a right, and he followed the directions until they pulled up to a tall concrete-and-glass apartment building a few short miles away.
“He’s on the fifth floor.” Eryn slid out of the vehicle.
Trey jumped out and rushed around the front to the sidewalk. “Let’s take a few seconds to case the place and not rush into danger.”
She placed her hands on her hips and stared up at him.
“Humor me,” he said. “If our theory is correct and Coker killed Veronika, then he’s likely willing to kill you, too.”
Her attitude vanished. “We’ll proceed with caution then.”
Cold Case Page 20