Page 10 of The Last To Know (Hallowed Halls Series #2)

S o far, none of the people who visited his father in prison were familiar.

Cooper rubbed his tired eyes. They’d been at it for hours without any luck.

“I’m going to have Jane get us a phone number for Doctor Melendez. Looks like she treated your father multiple times for diabetes. Did you know he had it?”

“No, I didn’t. He never talked to me about it, and my mother hadn’t said a word.”

“Maybe Doctor Melendez will remember something your father might have said.” Jack sat back in his seat. “It never ceases to amaze me that serial killers can garner such a following.”

Cooper didn’t understand it either. There were at least six women who wrote his father in prison. Two men whose letters spoke of admiration. Most of the women had proven harmless. One of the men had been ruled out. The second didn’t answer.

While Jack spoke to Jane about the doctor, Cooper dug deeper into Harold Salcedo, the remaining man to send letters to his father. He tried Salcedo’s phone again without any luck. “This is interesting,” he said after Jack ended his call. “Salcedo lives about twenty miles outside Grand Island.”

“You’re kidding. Show me.” Jack came over and looked at the location where Salcedo lived. “We need to go there as soon as the weather allows. What does he do for a living?”

Cooper did a further search. “He’s a pharmacist. Apparently, he flunked out of medical school.”

“He might know how to embalm.” Jack held his gaze.

“He could be holding Tiffany Beckham at his house. This can’t wait.” Cooper rose quickly and grabbed his coat, shoving his arms into it. So far, the full force of the storm hadn’t hit. Maybe they had time to reach Salcedo’s home first.

“Call Chief Milam. Have him meet us over there. And we need a warrant to search the place. I’ll get Jane started on that. Go let the team know what’s happening.”

Cooper left Jack and stepped into the main conference room.

Zeke immediately saw something was wrong and stood.

Sierra caught Zeke’s reaction and turned. “What’s going on?”

Cooper told them what he and Jack discovered. “We’re heading over there now.”

Cooper left to find Hannah. With Megan being pregnant, Jack wouldn’t want her part of the takedown in case they ended up in a firefight with Salcedo.

He stuck his head into the small room and froze. Images of his father’s embalmed victims in the cubicles his old man placed them in seemed to jump off the computer screen and mock him.

Hannah noticed his reaction and closed the laptop. “Everything okay?”

He struggled to regain his composure. “We have something.” He updated both women on their findings. Cooper’s attention went to Megan. “Jack told me if you tried to come with us, I was to restrain you.”

Megan smiled and held up her hands. “I know my husband. I’ll man the fort from here. Good luck. I hope this is our guy.”

Cooper did too. But could it be that simple?

“Keep me updated,” Megan called after them.

As they approached the rest of the team, the weather outside seemed to have deteriorated further.

“It’s getting bad,” Jack confirmed. “But this can’t wait. Chief Milam is having his people meet us at the house. Who wants the honor of driving in this mess?”

“I’ll do it,” Cooper volunteered. He needed something to distract his anxious thoughts. Jack slid into the passenger seat while Hannah got behind Cooper. Once everyone was inside, Cooper started from the portico. The parking lot was completely covered in snow. Thankfully, the Suburban was equipped with snow tires that gripped the pavement.

“According to Google, Salcedo’s home is out in the middle of nowhere.” Sierra had pulled up the location on her tablet. “It would certainly make the perfect place to keep his trophies.”

Cooper’s gaze connected with Hannah’s in the rearview mirror. She’d seen his reaction to Sierra’s statement. She smiled. He focused on his driving as snow continued to swirl around them. He gripped the wheel tighter when the vehicle threatened to slide a couple of times.

“The turnoff’s coming up on the right.” Sierra alerted him to the upcoming change of direction. “Quarter of a mile.”

Cooper nodded and leaned forward, squinting through the windshield.

“Almost there.”

“I see it.” Cooper slowed carefully and made the turn.

“Looks like the place is about a half mile up this road. There aren’t any other houses.” Sierra continued to monitor the location.

Jack’s cell phone rang. “It’s Jane.” He put the phone on speaker. “Tell me you’ve got the warrant.”

“I do. I woke the judge up and can’t say I made friends with him, but we got it.” Jane laughed. “Document is on its way to you now.”

“It’s coming through. Thank you, Jane. Appreciate the help.”

“Anytime.”

“There’s Chief Milam and his people.” Zeke pointed to taillights that appeared through the storm.

Cooper braked harder than he expected to when the cruiser came up quickly .

Jack’s phone rang again. “It’s Milam.” He once more placed the call on speaker. “Chief. Appreciate your assist. We have the warrant.”

“That’s good to hear. We’ll let you take the lead.”

“Copy you, Chief.” Jack punched End.

Cooper turned off his lights and carefully passed the two cruisers. Salcedo’s drive was around a curve. Cooper eased onto the driveway. “He’ll know we’re coming if he has any type of security at all.” And if he was modeling himself to be the next Embalmer, then he’d be prepared.

Cooper parked in front of the sprawling single-story home. The two police cruisers pulled in behind them.

“We don’t know what we’re facing. Keep your eyes open and your weapons close.” The tension in Jack’s voice confirmed the seriousness of the situation.

Cooper shoved the door open and got out. Gusts of wind threatened to slam it in his face. He held it tight and shut it as quietly as possible before assisting Hannah.

“Stay close to me,” he said above the wind. “I have a bad feeling.”

With Hannah at his side, they started for the house. Detectives Siegler and Jordan were part of Milam’s team.

Jack motioned for Zeke, Sierra, and the two detectives to take the back.

Milam would accompany Jack’s group.

Jack stepped up on the porch. Though it was already eight in the evening, not a single light shone inside.

“He could be gone,” Hannah said.

“Possibly.” Still, Cooper didn’t like it.

Jack pounded on the door. “Police. Open up. We have a warrant.”

The order was met with silence.

Three more attempts confirmed if Salcedo were inside, he wasn’t going to let them in voluntarily.

“Tell your people to take the back.”

Milam relayed the command. Jack tried the door handle. It opened freely. He stared at his team. Something bordering unease etched his face.

Cooper’s internal warning bell went ballistic. Something bad was waiting for them inside. Something from his past ready to take away the house of cards he’d lived in since his mother’s death.