Stone Cold Heart by Laura Griffin

Author:Laura Griffin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pocket Books

CHAPTER 15

Talia pulled into Orr’s Nursery and parked beside a sign advertising two-for-one bags of potting soil. She and Nolan were in an unmarked unit and had spent the entire afternoon working their way down the list of white Chevy Tahoes registered in Allen County.

“You been here before?” Nolan asked.

“Bought a rosebush here once.”

“Thought you lived in an apartment?”

“It was for my mom.” Talia cut the engine and surveyed the tables in front filled with daisies and marigolds.

“There’s the vehicle,” Nolan said, nodding at a row of cars beside the corrugated-metal building. A dusty white SUV with a bent rear bumper sat at the very end. The vehicle belonged to Chad Lindell, thirty-six. Lindell had done a year in lockup following an aggravated assault. Lindell had been one of the first names on their list, but his vehicle hadn’t been at home, and Talia had had to track down his workplace through his parole officer.

Talia looked at Nolan, who had taken the lead on all the previous stops. “I’m ready to switch. Mind if I do the talking this time?”

“He’s all yours,” Nolan said. “I’m not even here.”

“What are you going to do?”

He smiled. “What do you think? Look for clues.”

“What, like maybe he left a bloody murder weapon on the front seat?”

“Hey, you never know.” Nolan pushed open his door. “You got this?”

“Absolutely.”

They split up, Talia heading for the nursery entrance as Nolan strolled across the lot to casually check out the Tahoe. He wasn’t exactly subtle, though. Even with his gun concealed under his leather jacket, Nolan looked like a cop. And any ex-con would spot their unmarked police unit a mile away.

A row of green wagons was parked at the nursery’s entrance. Talia walked past them and was greeted by a smiling blond woman wearing a green apron.

“Help you this evening?”

“Chad Lindell. Where can I find him?”

The woman turned and pointed across the rows of shrubs in five-gallon containers. “At the side entrance there with that delivery guy.”

“Thanks.”

“Sure thing.”

Talia took her time approaching the two men, who stood beside a tall stack of mulch bags. Chad also wore a green apron, and Talia recognized his shaved head from his booking photo. The man was short but stocky and probably outweighed Talia by a hundred pounds.

Chad signed something on a clipboard, then handed it back to the delivery guy, who nodded and walked off.

“Mr. Lindell?”

Chad turned around, instantly suspicious. His gaze went straight to Talia’s badge.

“What do you want?”

“Detective Vazquez, Springville PD. I’d like to have a quick word.”

He darted a look over her shoulder. “I’m working here.”

“This won’t take long.”

He folded his arms over his chest.

“Would you prefer to talk at the station house?”

“No.”

“All right. Sir, is that your vehicle out front there? The white Chevrolet Tahoe?”

“What about it?”

“The 2009?”

He frowned. “What about it?”

“A vehicle like that came up in connection with a crime recently.”

“Hey.” He stepped forward. “Some jackass backed into me and took off. I didn’t even see it.”

“When did this happen?”

“ ’Bout a week ago.

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