Chapter 3
THREE
Maren stomped toward her Bronco parked in the lot of the clinic with Haven at her side. Her blood boiled. This whole situation had turned into a complication that was equally upsetting and painful.
Her sister.
Alive?
Did she dare hope?
Though she was satisfied she’d been able to confirm Dr. Derek Rolls’s last-known place of employment, seeing a woman who looked like her sister—her heart bumped—who could have been her sister—had sent her into a tailspin.
And now to learn this DEA agent was hunting Opal like she was a criminal?
Aware of Colt and his dog, a beautiful German shorthaired pointer he called Rusk, trailing behind them, she stopped short of her car and turned to face them.
Haven, apparently mistaking Maren’s upset for a sign of danger, moved to stand in front of her as if guarding her from an oncoming threat.
“Friend,” she murmured, letting the dog know to stand down. Haven sat but stayed in front of her.
Colt stopped, with his dog at his heels. The pointer sat with his tongue lolling to the side.
“Why are you following me?” she demanded to know.
Arching an eyebrow, he said, “I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
His matter-of-fact tone grated on her nerves.
“That’s not necessary,” she said. “The shooter is long gone. We don’t even know why he was shooting at the clinic.”
“I think we do know why,” Colt said. “You’re digging into a very dangerous organization.”
She hated to admit the real possibility that someone connected to the illegal adoption scheme was targeting her.
But how anyone could have known she was coming here was a mystery.
She’d only learned of the lead last night from Eva Gomez, tech analyst for the task force, and then driven to the clinic this morning. “What do you know about it?”
“Not as much as I would like,” he said. “Let me help you.”
Her defenses rose. Did he think she couldn’t handle her job? Who was he to judge her? “I have a whole task force helping,” she said. “What could you do?”
“We both know your sister’s not dead,” he said. “I found her once. I can find her again.”
A lancing pain struck her to the core. Why would Opal make her suffer?
“We know no such thing. Just because that woman—” Even as the words left her mouth, she knew they were a lie.
It had been Opal. But now she was in the wind, once again lost to Maren.
But not dead. She took a shuddering breath.
The exhaustion she’d been fighting returned. “Why were you following Opal?”
Colt’s eyebrows twitched. “You do believe she was your sister.”
Blowing out a breath, she admitted, “For now, I will allow there’s a good possibility that Opal is alive.”
The thought conjured up a ton of questions, alongside a tsunami of hurt.
If her sister was alive, why would she make Maren go through the ordeal of believing she was dead?
Especially after the way they’d lost their parents to a car crash when they were eighteen.
And then their uncle who’d taken them in had had a heart attack.
Her twin was the only family she had left.
Maren hoped that if she were open and helpful regarding Opal, then maybe the DEA would give her more information on her sister’s case.
Wariness evident in his eyes, Colt asked, “What made you change your mind?”
She debated how much to say. She didn’t know this man. And she wasn’t sure she could trust him. But he was her best chance of reuniting with her twin.
If Opal was involved somehow with this drug kingpin, then Maren needed to protect her. “I don’t know if you understand the bond that twins share, but Opal and I have always been aware when the other was in trouble or hurt.”
Memories surfaced, taking her back to when they were young.
“When we were eight, I fell from the balance beam at gymnastics camp and broke my arm. Opal, who had been at band camp that summer, knew I was hurt. She wouldn’t relent until the camp counselors let her call our parents, who told her what had happened.
I had to leave camp early and Opal insisted on coming home early, too.
” Shaking her head at her sister’s tenacity, she continued, “Then in our late teens, she’d slipped on ice and fractured her tailbone.
I felt the pain, even though I was miles away at a gymnastics competition. ”
“You two were close,” he said. “But it sounds like you had different interests.”
“We did. She was more artsy and sensitive while I couldn’t sit still.” Resolved, she admitted, “When I was told Opal was dead, I didn’t feel it.” She thumped her chest. “Even though everyone around me told me to let her go. That she was gone, lost to the river…deep down, I couldn’t accept it.”
“I believe you,” he said. “My sister has twin daughters. They’re about to turn six and seem to be able to communicate with each other without words. I’ve no doubt you sensed that your sister was alive. Despite everything and everyone telling you otherwise.”
Not sure how to digest his support, she said, “None of that negates the fact that your agency has failed to bring down this opioid monster that you think Opal can identify.”
“Touché,” he says. “I apologize on behalf of the Drug Enforcement Agency. It’s been a long and arduous investigation with many moving pieces. My boss and I both agree that the man known as Shadow has connections within various law enforcement agencies that has kept him protected.”
She hated to think there was a traitor among those who served their communities. But she knew it happened. No one was infallible. People were vulnerable to greed and blackmail. Could there be a mole somewhere along the line in law enforcement keeping the adoption racket protected, too?
Even those who had faith could be led down dark roads. Just like Opal. The grief her sister carried had led her to a destructive path.
“I need to check in with my boss,” Maren told Colt as she shook off the memories. “If he gives me the okay, then we can compare notes and see what we can come up with to help both of our investigations.”
Colt inclined his head in agreement.
Maren popped open the special K-9 compartment in the back and clicked into her cheek. Haven immediately turned and jumped inside.
“I’m parked over there,” he said, indicating a small compact truck with a camper shell over the bed.
Eyeing the older vehicle, she said, “Not what I would have expected.”
“Don’t let the old girl fool you. It’s fully equipped with a specialized air-conditioned unit for Rusk in the back camper.”
Not wanting to admit she was impressed, she nodded. “Give me your number. I’ll let you know what my boss says.”
He rattled off his number and she entered it into her cell phone, storing it under his name. Then she climbed into the cab of her Bronco, started the engine and blasted the AC.
She watched as Colt and Rusk hurried across the street to his unassuming yet fancy rig. The back hatch popped open, and Rusk jumped inside. Colt closed the tailgate, concealing the dog. He gave Maren a wave before he slipped into the driver’s seat.
She called her boss in the task force unit, Emmett Dane.
“Maren, I trust you’re calling with an update,” Emmett said by way of greeting.
“Yes, sir. I’ve confirmed that Dr. Derek Rolls once worked at the OB clinic here in Barren Valley. The description given by one of the employees matches that of the man seen at the free clinic in Denver.”
“Good. That’s all good,” Emmett said. “But I want to know how you are. A shooting? Explain to me what happened.”
She told him the situation, including spotting her supposedly dead twin sister.
“You’ve had a rough morning,” he said. “I can send someone your way as backup. I would have sooner but everyone’s out working various angles on the case.”
For months the task force members had been going to clinics and asking after suspicious incidents. And warning doctors and staff about the danger to young moms in the area. Everyone promised to keep vigilant and to ask their patients to as well.
Her gaze went to the brown truck. “About that,” she said.
“DEA Agent Colt Dawson would like to be read in on our investigation. We want to see if somehow his search for a drug kingpin and our search for this illegal adoption ring intersect.” Could the two investigations share the same mole within law enforcement?
Guilt pricked at her for not mentioning their shared goal of finding her sister.
“I would imagine that you and Agent Dawson are both eager to locate Opal.”
Maren winced. That was why Emmett was the boss. Perceptive and highly intelligent. Nothing got by him. “Yes, sir. But I promise I won’t lose sight of our mission.”
“Maren, you don’t have to sell me on this,” Emmett said.
“I believe in you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have asked for you to join the task force.
I’ll reach out to the DEA. In the meantime, you have my permission to read Agent Dawson in on our investigation.
If you two can work together, then I don’t have to reallocate resources. ”
Pleasure at hearing that her boss had confidence in her made her expel a pent-up breath. “Thank you. I will keep you abreast of any information that will pertain to our investigation.”
“I’m sure you will,” Emmett replied. “Find this woman. Find out if she is your sister. Maybe she’ll know something helpful. If nothing else, it will give you closure one way or another.”
Closure.
Something she hadn’t had when their parents were killed, nor when her sister supposedly drowned.
“I appreciate it, sir.”
Emmett signed off and Maren sat for a moment, taking deep, calming breaths to ease the knotting of anxiety in her stomach.
When she was ready, she dialed Agent Dawson’s number. He picked up on the first ring.
“Officer Anderson.”
She sighed. “Call me Maren. I talked to my boss. He said to read you in. He’s calling your boss now.”
“Wonderful,” Colt said.
She could hear the smile in his voice. It did funny things to her insides.