Page 29 of Texas Cold Case Murder

She opened the laptop and quickly found the next yearbook. As much as she wanted to see all the candid photographs throughout the volume, she went straight to the list of senior classmates.

Her mother’s photograph seemed to jump out at her. Unlike her previous picture, in this one her mother wore her hair down, copper-red curls framing her face. Nina looked so much like her mother, her breath caught in her throat.

“Wow,” Jackson murmured. “You could be twins.”

“Yeah.” She couldn’t tear her gaze away. “She looks happy. As if she can’t wait to see what the world has in store for her.”

“Don’t torture yourself over the past.” Jackson slipped his arm around her shoulders, giving her a hug. “None of us knows what God’s plan is for us. All we can do is to embrace life every day.”

Tears pricked her eyes, and she quickly blinked them away. “It’s hard to imagine why God’s plan was that my mother wouldn’t live long enough to raise her daughter.”

“I know.” Jackson kept his arm around her shoulders. Across the table, Creed intently studied the menu as if there would be a test. “Take heart, Nina. Your mother is in a better place now.”

She wanted to ask more, but Ashley returned at that moment with their sweet tea. Nina took a sip, reminding herself why she couldn’t lean on Jackson’s strength the way she wanted to.

“Are you ready to order?” Ashley asked.

Nina hadn’t even looked at the menu. She forced herself to close the laptop. When Jackson removed his arm, she immediately missed his warmth. “Ah, do you have a grilled chicken sandwich?” When Ashley nodded, she said, “Great. I’ll have a grilled chicken sandwich with fries.”

The guys both ordered barbecued ribs. When Ashley left, she opened the laptop again, then glanced at Jackson and Creed. “You don’t mind if I work, do you?”

“Have at it,” Creed drawled. He drank deeply from his sweet tea. “How long did you book the rental for, anyway?”

“Just the weekend.” She shrugged. “You guys have to be back in Dallas for the trial starting Monday, right?”

“Maybe not until Tuesday,” Jackson said. “The DA said it may take all day to pick a jury.”

“I can see if we can extend our stay another day if needed.” She turned her attention back to the screen. A quick glance at the rental property confirmed it was open the following week. Not that she expected they’d need it for that long. There may not be much more to learn in Temple, unless she was able to find a former classmate who knew her mother.

A big if. It was more likely many of her former classmates had moved on, either for college or a job. Temple wasn’t that small, but it also wasn’t nearly as large as Dallas, Houston or Austin.

“I think we need to look at possible connections between Diego Sanchez and Mark Lange,” Creed said. “I know it’s been almost three decades, but there could be some overlap there.”

“You’re right. We should start with Lange’s arrest report.” Jackson glanced at her. “Maybe when you’re finished with the yearbooks, you can get that for us?”

“Of course.” Nina reluctantly minimized the yearbook screen to get to the police database. Looking into her uncle’s murder was more important than walking down memory lane to find her mother’s friends.

No matter how much she wanted to know more about the woman who’d only been a Jane Doe for the past twenty-eight years.

* * *

Jackson could feel the tension radiating off Nina as she went to work. He exchanged a concerned gaze with Creed, who simply shrugged. Jackson knew he was letting his personal feelings for Nina get in the way of the investigation.

“Maybe we should pick up a second laptop,” he suggested. “I’m not an expert but I can manage a simple search.”

“Sure, that’s fine.” Creed eyed him over the rim of his glass. “Whatever you think is best.”

Jackson knew Creed suspected he was getting tangled in knots over Nina. Her uncle’s murder should take priority. Violent crimes not solved within forty-eight hours tended to go cold really fast.

Which was probably what happened twenty-eight years ago. Without an ID on Nina’s mother, the detectives on the case would have had no idea where to start.

Their server arrived with their meals a few minutes later. Nina closed the laptop, placing it on the seat beside her. He sensed she would have preferred to work over lunch.

“Anything else?” Ashley asked. She seemed to be looking at him, so he glanced questioningly at Nina and Creed.

“Looks good, thanks.” Nina’s tone was polite, if a bit reserved.

“I’d like to say grace.” Jackson longed to take Nina’s hand in his, but didn’t. Distance, remember? “Dear Lord Jesus, we thank You for this food we are about to eat. Please continue to keep us safe in Your care and guide us on the right path to the truth. Amen.”