Page 85 of Made of Steele
“All he could tell me was where he wasn’t,” Teagan answered. “No hotel booked or house rental. No car booked either. So either he took a rideshare or someone picked him up and is chauffeuring him around.”
“Do you have his flight info?” Drew asked, his mind racing with details and plans.
She nodded. “Nick just texted it to me.”
“Forward it to me. I’ll have Harris get the airport security footage. Maybe we can find out if he was picked up and by who.”
“I can do that,” Teagan said. “Or we can wait on Nick. He said he had a contact who could give him the info right away.”
“Then we wait.”
“What about Harris getting us a warrant for the records we need?” Mackenzie tapped the open binder. “There’s not much in these files about travel except for Romo.”
“She agreed and will jump on it.”
“Once Nick tells us who picked Jabal up,” Teagan said. “We need to get surveillance on him twenty-four/seven.”
“I doubt Harris will spring for that,” Drew said.
Teagan frowned. “I can try County, but honestly, if we want it done fast and done well, we can either tap my family again or hire Nighthawk Security.”
Drew searched his memory for any info she’d shared about the team that had offices in the Veritas building. “The team for the guy who went to Harris on your behalf?”
She nodded. “They’d likely reduce their rate for us, but my family is free.”
Mackenzie looked up. “This is none of my business, but I have to weigh in. If you want top-notch protection, go to those guys—but we can do the surveillance without a problem, and we can get it going like yesterday.”
“Let’s assume Nick will come through and go ahead and schedule your family,” Drew said. “But I want the first shift as I want to lay eyes on this guy for myself.”
“I’m joining you.” Teagan looked at Mackenzie. “You’re great at scheduling. Figure out how many people we need and get others on the phone to see who can fill the slots.”
Drew glanced between the sisters. “When you read them in, it has to be with very limited information.”
Teagan arched an eyebrow. “We won’t skimp on what they need to know to be safe. They have to know they’ll be trailing a man who could’ve killed four other men.”
“I have no problem with that. Let’s get it going.” Drew’s gut tangled, but at the same time adrenaline flowed through his body, and he was eager to act, not sit here and plan. But he knew the success of any op was in the planning. He didn’t just get up one day and decide to be Dylan Crane. It took months of planning to create his cover and identity. To lay out his approach and make sure he would succeed.
They didn’t have months to prepare for tailing Jabal, but they could at least do their best in the limited time they had. If he really was a serial killer, their lives could depend on it.
Teagan parked across the road from Rossi’s large home in Happy Valley and turned off the key on their rented BMW, Drew in the passenger seat. She slid her seat back for extra room and took a long look at the seven-thousand square foot house. She’d located the address online and found pictures of the place with every amenity and a view of Mount Hood. Which she couldn’t see because the sun had already set, leaving a clear sky with sparkling stars.
Drew shifted, his long legs making him look uncomfortable. “Can’t say as I ever surveilled anyone in such a well-appointed car.”
“We fit right into the neighborhood, and no one will ever mistake this for an undercover police car.”
“I wish we could’ve gotten the larger model.”
She did too. Not because of her leg room but because she wouldn’t be sitting so close to Drew. With all the commotion and information learned this morning, she’d managed to put her developing feelings for him on the back burner, but sitting this close? Seeing his strong profile? Catching the scent of his sandalwood soap?
She wanted to forget Rossi and her job and just be with Drew. Enjoy the time. But she couldn’t. In fact, she had to work extra hard not to think of him as a man but as a fellow officer on a stakeout. Problem was, on every stakeout she’d participated in, the talk had always turned personal. It couldn’t with him. She wouldn’t let it with him.
He grabbed his binoculars and watched the house. “Only two cars in the drive, but he has a four-car garage. Who knows how many vehicles are actually here.”
“I’d love to get a closer look, but we don’t want to tip our hand this early in the game.”
“Wait,” he said. “Garage door going up. Black SUV backing out. Tinted windows. Can’t tell who’s inside but there are two people in the front.”
“Could be Rossi and Jabal headed out to kill someone.” She looked at Drew. “Should we tail them?”
