Page 79 of Night Hawk
“Yeah, you’re right.”
They needed additional information to figure this out. “We should wrap things up here and call Trent to take Sharkey in. You done with the closet?”
“Almost.”
“I’ll take pictures of these while you finish up.”
She nodded and started to turn.
He took her gloved hand, wishing it were bare to give them a more personal skin-on-skin touch. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”
She looked at their hands. “At least this one was taken from a long distance. I saw far worse pictures in the investigative files.”
“Still, it’s got to hurt.”
She drew in a deep breath. “What hurts is knowing that smug jerk out there could’ve killed my dad and others and helped traffic helpless girls. We have to make sure he goes away for a long time.”
“Agreed.” Clay’s mind raced. “Time to bring Pong in to search the place.”
“Let me finish the closet first.” She hurried back there, but her shoulders were drooping. She’d been through so very much. Yet she got up each day with a positive attitude and did her job. Right now the urge for revenge was likely fueling her. How would she do if they actually proved this guy killed her dad and the creep was convicted?
What would motivate her then? If Clay didn’t find a way to break through her defenses, he wouldn’t be there to provide any needed help. He desperately wanted to be there for her. Not just for the horrible situation she was going through now, but for little everyday things.
Face it. You’re in love with her.
A lot of good that did either of them. He couldn’t sway her mind about getting involved. Only she could change it.
Help me to get through to her. Help her to want a relationship. If not with me, with someone else. She doesn’t deserve to be alone.
No.She couldn’t be with another guy. She belonged with him, didn’t she?
He couldn’t think about that now. Not when he had a job to do. He snapped the photos then slid the pictures into the envelope and put them back in the drawer. He pressed his mic to talk. “Erik, we need Pong in here to search for electronics.”
“Roger that.” His tone was beyond excited. Probably because he’d struck out at the beach house, and Erik loved showing off Pong’s skills.
Toni returned. “Nothing in there.”
“Let’s wait for Erik up front.” Clay led the way to the door and spotted Erik jogging up the drive with Pong running next to him. They both looked excited, but as a handler, Erik would tone the excitement down the minute they stepped into the house.
Clay and Toni moved back to give the dog room. Erik crossed the threshold, and Pong stopped to sit and peer up at him.
“How does this work?” Toni asked.
“Pong’s trained to detect TPPO and HPK,” Erik said. “TPPO’s short for triphenylphosphine oxide. It’s used to coat memory chips in electronic devices to keep them from overheating. HPK—hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone—is used in removable media, such as CDs, DVDs, Blu-Rays, and even floppy disks.”
“I’ve seen other sniffer dogs alert, but how does Pong do it?” Toni asked.
“He sits, and I ask him to show me. He points to the exact location, and I reward him with food.” Erik smiled. “He’s really something to see.”
“Let’s get to it, then,” Clay said, losing patience.
“Seek.” Erik ran his hand along the sofa.
Nose down, Pong hopped up and sniffed the cushions before jumping back to the floor. He poked his snout underneath. Erik continued forward, leading the dog through the rest of the room.
Erik shook his head. “Nothing here.”
They stepped down the hallway. Through each bedroom. The bathroom. No success.
