“I haven’t,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean there might not be more people involved. I sat here for two days waiting for that door to open. And when it did, Opal stepped out.”
Needing to know if Opal was there, she said, “We have to risk it. I need to do this.” She took a beat before adding, “I should go alone.”
“No way.” He opened the passenger door and turned to look at her. “Let me lead. My investigation.”
Not liking having someone else in charge, she frowned. She was stepping on his investigation, but it was her sister that might be in that room. Maybe all the more reason for her to allow him to take point. “Fine.”
With their dogs at their heels, they made their way across the parking lot. The heat coming off the pavement made them hurry to protect the paws of their canines.
They made their way up the staircase to the second floor and proceeded down the cement corridor and approached room 210.
The window shades were drawn closed. They couldn’t see inside.
Colt rapped his knuckles on the door. Rusk stood at his side. His body tense as if he expected to protect his partner.
No response to Colt’s knock.
“Housekeeping,” Maren called out. Beside her, Haven shifted as if ready to lunge at the door.
Colt glanced over his shoulder at her. She wasn’t sure how to take his raised eyebrows. Approval or reprimand?
She shrugged, unapologetic.
Still no answer or movement from inside the motel room.
Colt tried the brass doorknob. It easily turned in his hand. He unholstered his sidearm and pushed the door open.
Holding her firearm at the ready, Maren tapped his shoulder to let him know she was on his six. Her heart hammered against her ribs as they entered the room.
Neither dog alerted.
They were greeted by orange shag carpet, with one of the two queen beds mussed as if recently slept in, and the remnants of fast-food wrappers littering the desk and floor.
Colt cleared the bathroom.
He holstered his gun. “She apparently didn’t come back.”
“She might still show up.” Maren couldn’t help the hope in her voice.
He gave her a sympathetic look. “Do you really believe that?”
No, she didn’t believe Opal would return. Not with dangerous drug dealers on her tail who wanted to keep her from possibly identifying the boss to the authorities. This was a dead end. “How long have you been following my sister?”
Maren couldn’t believe how easily those words rolled off her tongue. Now that she’d basically accepted her sister was alive, the urge to see her and hug her was strong.
“Five days ago, my informant told me that someone who looks a lot like the supposedly dead Opal Anderson was hiding out in Barren Valley. Though this town is small, there are places here that someone could easily hide in.”
“That doesn’t explain how you identified her.”
He grimaced. “I’m sorry to say, I’ve arrested your sister a few times in the past.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.” Hurt and disappointment permeated her chest. Opal’s drug use had started right after their parents’ death and continued on. No matter how much Maren pleaded with her to go to rehab, Opal had refused. “Clearly, she never mentioned she had a twin.”
“No, she did not. Nor did she mention her sister was in law enforcement. Maybe things would have gone differently for her if she had.” Colt’s gaze turned intense. “I sense there was estrangement between you two. Why?”
“She didn’t like that I went into law enforcement.” She remembered the arguments. The accusations. The guilt and blame. “Or that I wouldn’t give up searching for our parents’ killer.”
His mouth dropped open, then snapped shut. “Your parents were killed?”
