“Whatever.”
Eva snapped her fingers. “Oh, by the way, you should know I found this cash, too.” She set the five crisp one-hundred-dollar bills on the table in front of her brother-in-law.
“Five hundred dollars?” Pete stared at the cash as if it were a snake that would lash out and bite him. “Drug money?”
Finn exchanged a knowing glance with Eva. That was exactly what they’d thought, but there was no reason to add to Pete’s distress. “We don’t know that it’s drug money. It could be from something else.”
“Yeah? Like what?” Pete roughly pushed the bills toward Finn. “Take it away. I don’t want it.” He stood abruptly and moved to the other side of the room. “I’m finished answering your questions. I need some time alone.”
“Pete, please...” Eva reached out to touch his arm, but he moved away.
“Not now, Eva. I need some peace and quiet. Time alone with Mikey. I have the next few days off work, and I’d like to spend that time with my son.”
“I understand.” Finn rose to his feet. “But you need to remember to stay inside for the next few days. I’ll keep a squad posted outside your home, but until we get the guy who dognapped Cocoa, you and Mikey are still in danger. And so is Eva. I’d like her to stay here tonight.”
Pete looked through the window at the police car that was parked in his driveway. “Yeah, that’s fine.”
“I can head home,” Eva interjected. “I think Pete and Mikey have been through enough. They deserve time alone.”
“I don’t like that idea,” Finn protested. “If you insist on leaving, then you need to stay in a hotel.”
“I’ll figure something out.”
Finn wasn’t sure he trusted that she’d actually go to the hotel, although he did see that she had her own suitcase packed and ready to go. “I’ll drive you.”
She looked as if she wanted to argue, but he held up the keys. “We’ll make a stop at the training center first, if you don’t mind.”
She looked relieved and nodded. “Sure.”
Pete turned from the window. “There’s no reason to leave, Eva. I didn’t intend to make you feel unwelcome. The sofa is yours for as long as you want it.”
“Thanks, Pete, but I think you and Mikey deserve some quality father-son time. He’s missed you.” She gave Pete’s arm a gentle squeeze, then retrieved her purse and looked at Finn expectantly. “Ready?”
Finn nodded and picked up Abernathy’s food and water dishes, along with her duffel bag.
As they headed outside to his SUV, he hoped taking Eva with him to search the guide dog training center wasn’t a mistake.
FOURTEEN
The training center looked different at night with only one light shining through the front window. It was well after eleven o’clock, so Eva knew none of the caretakers for the puppies would be around. As Finn parked his SUV and got out, she followed suit, feeling nervous for some reason, as if they were doing something wrong. They weren’t, since Finn had taken a good hour to jump through the hoops to obtain a warrant, but still it felt deceitful for some reason.
Finn let Abernathy out of the back, and together the three of them approached the front entrance.
Malina’s key, which looked shiny and new compared to hers, unlocked the front door. Since finding Malina’s key, she’d tried to understand why her sister would have made a copy for herself. Why would Malina have needed access to the training center after being let go? Eva had no clue. Using this place as a hiding spot for the package was risky. There were plenty of people who went in and out of the training center. Too many to make sure you could get in and out without being noticed.
Unless of course Malina had done exactly what they were doing. Going inside at night.
As they entered, the puppies in the back kennel began to bark. She wanted to go there to reassure them but followed Finn and Abernathy into the office area.
“We’re searching for the missing package,” he told her. “Nothing more.”
She nodded. “I can look through the drawers in the reception area.”