Page 38 of Texas Cold Case Murder

The walk back to the rental car agency seemed to take forever. But once they arrived, they were able to get their vehicle and were back on the road within ten minutes.

“I really hope the police keep an eye on Ellen,” Nina murmured. “If she gets hurt because of this, I’ll never forgive myself.”

“The danger isn’t your fault,” he protested. “We couldn’t have known they’d be circling the area in case we turned up there. And now that we know your biological father, I’m sure we’ll find a way to connect him to these attacks against you.”

“I hope you’re right.” She fiddled with her phone. “I found a few Douglas Tillmans online. One’s a doctor, another is an engineer, and another one is a photographer. I’m still searching, but at this point, there are so many options that my father could be any of them.”

“We’ll deep-dive into each of them. One of them will have grown up in Temple.” He was anxious to work that angle. “The doctor sounds promising. He might be willing to risk everything to cover up his affair with a seventeen-year-old.”

“That seems like a stretch, though,” Nina protested. “She may not have told him she was only seventeen. He may have assumed she was eighteen. And according to Ellen, he wasn’t married at the time, just engaged. To kill someone over that is difficult to fathom.”

It wasn’t difficult for him, but he was used to seeing the worst in people. He often had to remind himself not to become too jaded.

“I bet Douglas went to the same high school as my mother.” Nina’s expression looked thoughtful. “I’ll check his yearbook when we get back to the rental house.”

“Good idea.” Jackson drove through the city, taking several turns. When he was convinced they weren’t being followed, he pulled into a crowded shopping center parking lot. He took the black electrical tape and set about changing the rear license plate.

Nina stayed in the car, still searching for Douglas Tillmans on her phone. When he was satisfied with his attempt to alter the plate, he slid behind the wheel.

“There are so many Tillmans.” Nina sighed and rubbed her eyes. “It will be easier to use the laptop. It’s hard for me to judge their age based on an image on a small screen. And maybe the high school yearbook will help.”

“You’ll figure it out.” He flashed a reassuring smile. “We have extra computers now.”

“True.” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes and he wished there was a way to make this easier for her. Bad enough to know your mother was murdered. Worse to realize your own father may have pulled the trigger.

He took the long way back to the rental house. He ended up on a dead-end street where a rusty-looking iron bridge crossed the water. He hadn’t realized how close they were to the lake and made a mental note to explore the exterior of the property when they returned. Months ago, when he and some of his ranger buddies were in another rental property, they’d been forced to flee on foot when found.

He wanted to make sure they had a reasonable escape plan if needed.

“Call Creed and ask him to open the garage door for us,” he said to Nina.

A minute later, the garage door slowly lifted. Jackson parked inside. Creed lowered the garage door behind them.

“I’m sorry to hear about the gunmen finding you,” Creed said. “Did you tell Nina about Diego being Ernesto’s son?”

“Didn’t have a chance,” Jackson said.

Nina frowned. “I’m so confused. If this is about my biological father being determined to keep my identity a secret, then how does the drug dealer angle fit in?”

“I’m not sure,” Jackson admitted. “We’ll work the Sanchez angle. Maybe we’ll know more when we know for sure who your biological father is.”

“I figure we’ll have frozen pizza for dinner,” Creed said as Nina crossed to the kitchen table to open a laptop.

“Sounds good.” He was normally the one always focused on food. Worrying about Nina had ruined his appetite. “I’m going to walk the property.”

“Good idea.” Creed frowned. “You want me to come with you?”

Jackson shook his head. “Stay with Nina. This won’t take long.”

The back door of the property offered a partial view of the lake. Large trees flanked the yard as he headed toward the water. The waves lapped over a rocky shore, and in the distance he saw the same iron bridge. He arched a brow upon discovering a red canoe lying upside down beneath a tree.

Leaning down, he inspected the canoe more closely. It wasn’t new but he also didn’t see any obvious holes in the boat. There were two wooden paddles tucked underneath. He lowered it back down, then looked out at the water.

A motorized boat would be better, but he wasn’t sure the lake was deep enough for that. At least the canoe could be used by the three of them together, rather than a single-seat kayak. The lake might not be deep, but it was large in diameter. Swimming to the other side may not be an option.

Jackson continued walking the property. The houses to the east and to the west were either unoccupied, or the people who owned them were out for the day. Either was possible on a Saturday. He’d have to come back later to see if there was more activity in either dwelling.

He stood for a moment, looking at the calm, rippling water. There was something comforting about watching the waves. Hearing a door slamming behind him, he turned.