by Misty Evans
Cooper shifted next to her, eyes intent on the scene below. “Good thing we got some shots before they arrived.”
After the initial discovery and before they called the local PD, Cooper had wrestled his way down the hillside, getting as close to the site as possible without tumbling down the rest of the hill. Using Celina’s camera, he’d taken several shots of the outstretched skeletal hand and arm sticking from the ground.
Propping a hand on her hip Celina turned to study Cooper. He was stewing as much as she was—The Beast never took the backseat to anyone, even though this wasn’t his territory or his mess to deal with. They’d discovered the body and that was enough for him.
Celina touched his arm. “There’s really not much we can do. I sent the photos to Ronni and she’s going to run them by her friend, the forensic anthropologist, to see if she has any insights on how long those bones might have been here. But I’m guessing that without actually examining the bones themselves, there’s not much she can tell us. Ronni will get back to us as soon as she can.”
Ronni Punto was Celina’s former partner and closest friend, and the newest addition to Cooper’s taskforce. To the outside world Ronni was a tough-ass agent who, even after taking a knife in the back from a ruthless psychopath and spending months in physical therapy recuperating, had bounced back on her feet and come back for more. Celina knew better. The anguish her friend had suffered both mentally and physically had taken awhile for her to overcome and Celina wasn’t entirely certain Ronni ever would fully recover from the trauma. Celina still felt the guilt over what had happened since the reason Petero Valquis had come after Ronni in the first place was because of her.
Good thing Ronni had Thomas Mann, one of Cooper’s trusted taskforce agents, to help her heal. The two of them were complete opposites, yet their love was a thing of beauty.
Shaking away the cobwebs clouding her brain, Celina gestured towards the crime scene. “What are your thoughts?”
“Until forensics comes back?” Cooper shrugged. “Hard to say. It definitely appears to be human remains.”
“Wow, thank you, Captain Obvious.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she arched an eyebrow. “I meant what’s your impression?”
“My first impression?” He rubbed at the stubble grazing his jaw. “Someone was where they shouldn’t have been and ended up as plant fertilizer.”
Celina eyed the bones again, speculative. “What makes you think that?” Not that she was arguing the point. She had a funny feeling about the entire situation herself.
“You think someone simply dropped dead here and no one noticed? Oh, and they ended up buried by squirrels?”
Smartass. “You’re quick to jump to the conclusion the person didn’t die of natural causes and who knows? Maybe they were buried by a mudslide. There’s no flesh on the bones, so it could have happened a long time ago.”
The face he made at her suggested she needed to go back to the Academy.
“We deal in too much shit, you know that?” She shook her head. “It’s not out of the realm of possibility that it was a hiker who got lost or hurt and died of natural causes. And, by the way, you’re the one who taught me to consider every scenario, or don’t you remember that?”
He tipped his head in acknowledgement, then swept a finger around at the scene before them. “The area is fairly secluded, nothing but woods and hills. The odds of someone hearing a cry for help from all the way back at the Abbey are miniscule.”
Hadn’t they already proved that by their hot sex session against the tree?
Crouching low to the ground, Cooper pointed to the outstretched hand. “You see the angle of the arm, how it’s reaching upwards like that? And the tech’s are digging down into the ground, rather than in an oval around the body. It’s appears the person was dumped into the hole standing upright. They were trying to reach the ground’s surface, suggesting…”
His voice trailed off, but she got the picture loud and clear.
“They were buried alive and trying to dig their way out.” Celina swallowed, bile rising in the back of her throat. She’d seen some horrible things in her line of work, but trying to picture the torture that person must have suffered, knowing they were trapped and unable to get free, was too awful to imagine.
Cooper nodded, eyes solemn. “That’s my best guess. I’ve seen it before, which is why I recognized the pattern. But how, or why, they ended up here is anybody’s guess.”
The murmur of the crowd behind them grew in her ears, and Celina turned to see Father Bailey making his way to the front of the onlookers, pausing at the perimeter of the tape. When he tried to duck under the yellow tape, a uniformed officer stopped him. “I’m sorry, Father, but you can’t pass this line.”
Exasperated, Father Bailey found Celina’s eyes over the officer’s shoulder. “Miss Davenport, Mr. Harris…can you kindly explain to this gentleman who I am and allow me to pass?”
Cooper strode to the officer and tapped his shoulder, jerking his chin towards Father Bailey. “It’s alright, he’s with us.”
With much reluctance, the officer begrudgingly lifted the yellow tape and allowed Father Bailey to slip underneath, turning a stern eye on the crowd lest anyone else consider trying to slip through.
“I don’t understand what’s going on. I retired early tonight and then I heard the sirens. We all thought at first that they had gone farther up the road, but then one of the guests said they were gathering here, at the valley.”
Father Bailey’s face was pinched with distress as they led him to a more private area, away from listening ears.
“We aren’t certain what we’ve discovered yet, Father,” Cooper said. “But it appears to be human remains. We’ll know more once CSI has a chance to dig them out.”
The color drained from the man’s face, and Celina felt a pang of guilt. She really hated this part of the job. Being the bearer of bad news never sat well with her, even if it was to an uninvolved bystander.
The irritated police officer appeared next to Cooper, a breathless Father Lopez in tow. “I assume this one is with you as well?”
Cooper’s lips twitched, the only indication that he was humored by the officer’s irritation. “Sure is. Thanks.”
The officer glared. “This is a crime scene. We can’t have everyone in the county trampling through here.”
“You have a body, nothing more, and the person died a long time ago by my estimation, so any evidence that was here has been washed away or damaged long before tonight.” He was used to running the show, used to standing around and barking orders while his team scrambled to get things done. Standing on the sidelines wasn’t his style and Celina knew he probably took a great deal of satisfaction in this small victory. “So quit your bitching and relax, kid.”
Celina suppressed a groan. Great. Was Cooper going to beat on his chest next?
Rather than take the bait, the cop wisely returned to his post, grumbling something incoherent under his breath as he walked away.
Smart man.
“Mr. Harris? Miss Davenport? Could you two please explain the meaning of this…circus?” Sweat beading his forehead, Father Lopez dabbed the excess moisture away while trying to reign in his exasperation. “We’re running a business here. We can’t have them upsetting our guests or blocking the parking lot with all their vehicles.”
Celina had a feeling their discovery had put a crimp in his evening plans. That made two of them.
“A human body has been discovered.” Though his voice was steady, Father Bailey’s jaw tremored at having to repeat the gruesome news. “The police are only doing their job, Brother.”
Father Lopez inhaled sharply, making the sign of the cross. “Dios mio. Are you sure? I thought it was probably an animal or something.”
Or something?
“Gentlemen, I’m sorry to have to ask you this,” Celina said, “but is there anyone you can think of that might have been reported as missing around here? The bones we can see so far a
re clean of skin and tissue, so it’s probably been a while since the person died, but any information you might have would be helpful.”
Father Lopez slowly shook his head, a frown forming. “A missing person? No one comes to mind, Miss Davenport. Perhaps it’s a runaway?”
Father Bailey’s voice was strained, a single word forced through stiff lips. “Ana.”
“Ana?” Father Lopez shook his head, gripping the older man’s arm. “Don’t be ridiculous. That girl is probably hundreds of miles from here, living in peace.”
Celina met Cooper’s stare. “Who is Ana?” he asked.
Both men flinched at the question.
Which made Celina’s stomach tighten.
“Ana Verdoni,” answered Lopez. He paused, eyes darting to Father Bailey as if seeking his approval to continue. When Bailey nodded. Lopez continued. “Her family lived in the neighboring town of Paso Vallejo. Miss Verdoni disappeared twenty years ago. Some say she ran away to escape her difficult father, though nothing was ever confirmed.”
The pained look on Father Bailey’s face was too raw for Celina to ignore. Ana Verdoni had meant something to him, and he obviously felt her absence still. “You knew her, then?”
Bailey’s nod was nothing more than a dip of his head. “She was a good soul.”
“Does her family still live there?” Cooper asked.
“Yes.” Father Bailey paused to clear his throat. “I can give you the address.”
Celina squeezed the Father’s arm. “That would be helpful, thank you.”
Cooper watched Celina give the monk’s arm a squeeze, the compassion shining in her eyes unmistakable. Though it was only a slim possibility that the bones buried in the mud were actually the remains of Ana Verdoni, at least they had a starting point while they were waiting for the ME’s preliminary report.
“Of course, anything we can do to help.” Bailey’s Adam’s apple worked as he swallowed hard. “Do you think there is a chance it is Ana?”
Relying on his training, Cooper studied Bailey and Lopez intently, watching for any telltale signs of deceit. The body wasn’t on the monastery’s property, but it was in a good spot to conceal a murder. Maybe he was as jaded as Celina had accused, jumping to conclusions, but after all of his years in the underbelly of the criminal world, his gut was rarely wrong.
“How well did you know the girl?” Cooper asked Bailey.
The priest stared off into the valley, the creases in his face standing out in the glare of the lights. He seemed immune to the look Lopez was shooting at him.
Interesting.
“We, uh,” Bailey started to answer, and Lopez stepped forward and placed a hand on the senior Father’s elbow.
“We knew the family to some extent,” Lopez explained. “Not well, but Ana did help out during harvest season a couple of times, and her father insisted she seek counsel from us about potentially serving God as her calling in life. She wasn’t interested, I might add.”
“Did you believe the stories about her running away? Was her father abusive?”
Neither man answered.
“If there’s anything you can tell us about her,” Celina said, “it might be helpful.”
Lopez gave her a sad smile. “There’s nothing to tell, I’m afraid. As Father Bailey noted, we can share her father’s address, but I’m afraid that’s it.” He gave Bailey’s elbow a tug. “We really should get back and handle our upset guests.”
“Yes,” Bailey agreed, turning his face down. “But please keep us posted.”
“Of course.” Cooper said. This wasn’t their case and he couldn’t guarantee anything, but he liked Bailey. He knew from experience that a little peace of mind was a priceless commodity. “I’ll make sure the police keep us and you in the loop.”
“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 sh
e 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.