by Hood, D. K.
Flashes of the recent crime scenes flooded Jenna’s head in a rush so fast she gripped the seat to steady herself. “Let’s hope it’s not this one. With the four of us hunting down this maniac, we should get a result soon.” She glanced at her watch. “Step on the gas, Dave. We have to be back at the office by five.”
She leaned back in her seat watching the forest fly by in a flash of color. The sound of the engine seemed to add a sense of danger as Kane accelerated and the Beast roared in response. They sped by other vehicles, lights flashing, and she heard Jo’s nervous cough from the back seat. She turned and looked at her. “Places are so far apart out here, you’ll have to get used to traveling at speed.”
“That’s why we have a chopper.” Jo gave a nervous laugh.
“ETA five minutes.” Kane flashed Jenna a grin. “It’s good to blow away the cobwebs from time to time.”
As the truck slowed before Kane made the turn into the Triple Z’s parking lot, Jenna faced Jo again. “We’ll play it low-key and hope we can get close enough to them to pick up any recent injuries.”
“They won’t suspect me.” Jo unbuckled her seatbelt as the truck came to a stop. “I know what they look like, I’ll go in first.”
Jenna shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Like Kane said, it’s not safe.”
“I’ll take my chances.” Jo slid out the door then peered in at them. “Give me a head start.” She turned and jogged across the parking lot.
“Ready?” Kane climbed out and looked at Jenna over the hood. “Is she going to be okay?”
Not overly concerned about Jo, Jenna nodded. “Yeah don’t worry, she would’ve been trained the same as we were. I figure she can handle herself.”
“If she kept up her training.” Kane strode toward the bar. “It’s been some years since Quantico.”
As they walked into the bar, the smell of beer and sweat hit Jenna in a wall of nasty. She blinked to allow her eyes to adjust to the dim interior and spotted Jo sitting at the bar, nursing a beer. “Well, how’s that?” Jenna chuckled. “She’s taken a seat right next to them.” She headed to the opposite end of the bar and waited for the barkeeper to walk to them. “Is that fresh coffee I smell?”
“Yeah.” The barkeeper gave her a curious look. “You drove all the way out here to buy a cup of my coffee?”
Jenna met his gaze. “Nope. We’ve been in the mountains and I’m desperate. Give me two with cream and sugar.” She sat at the bar.
“Snow’s coming.” Kane sat beside her and smiled at the barkeeper as he filled two cups. “There’s already snow up near the new ski resort.”
“Same every year.” The barkeeper shrugged. “Although last year it was the coldest I remember.”
As Kane made small talk with the man, Jenna’s gaze slid to Jo. She’d struck up a conversation with Kyler Hall and Cliff Young. The coffee was reasonable and everything was going well, until Cliff Young placed a hand on Jo’s knee.
“Hey, let go of me, lady, or I’ll punch you in the face.” Young’s face was sheet-white.
“I wouldn’t if I were you.” Jo had bent his fingers back and her eyes flashed with anger.
Jenna dropped off the barstool and headed toward the argument. “Okay, what’s happening here?”
“Nothing, Sheriff.” Jo dropped Young’s hand. “This man grabbed my thigh is all. I don’t like men touching me.” She placed some bills on the bar and, without a second glance, headed out the door.
Jenna stared after her and then looked at the barkeeper. “We’re good here.”
“I’ll take care of the coffee.” Kane pulled out his wallet and flicked his eyes to the door.
“Sure.” Jenna walked slowly toward the door and, once outside, noticed Jo leaning against the wall. “You okay?”
“I’m fine. Hall was drinking with his left hand.” Jo grinned at her. “Both men have scratches and you don’t need permission for Cliff Young’s DNA.” She held up a finger. “I accidently caught him with my fingernail.”
“Sweet.” Kane had walked up beside her without a sound. “I’ll grab a test kit.”
Jenna hadn’t taken two paces toward Kane’s truck when Hall and Young walked out the door. The pair ignored them and turned toward their pickup. As they walked, Hall took a cigarette from his mouth and flicked it onto the ground. They all stood motionless as the two men drove away. “This is my lucky day.” Jenna ran to the smoking cigarette and pulled a pair of gloves from her pocket. “A saliva sample and two witnesses to prove who it came from. Take that, Sam Cross.”
After making sure the samples were safe, Jenna climbed back into Kane’s truck. “Okay, we’ll drop the samples to Wolfe and then head back to the office.” She grinned at him. “Strike three.”
Forty-Five
There was one benefit of starting work at daybreak because a man got to finish early and most days he liked to be back in town before five. At this end of town, side roads led to a row of small businesses. As the need for more retail outlets grew, many houses had transformed into stores overnight. The beauty parlor, a sturdy brick dwelling, had at one time housed the local bank manager; now it spewed chemical odors in great clouds. In truth, he’d located the store by its smell. He’d been watching the movements of Ann Turner, one of the local hair stylists, for some time. It seemed she had a reputation for being manipulative. The talk around town from the womenfolk was that the small, cute, bubbly girl had a smile for any man who looked her way. She was the dangerous kind, the type that thought nothing of breaking up a happy marriage for a few nights of fun. She used her female charms like a siren and lured married men to their downfall. He chuckled, imagining his hands closing tightly around her soft, smooth neck.
Ann, like most people, followed the same daily routine to and from work. A little after five, most of the hair stylists would leave for the day, and Ann would carry the garbage to the dumpster in the back alley and then head for her car. She always parked in the same place, behind the bank in the next lot. The owner of the beauty parlor would lock up, get into her vehicle parked outside, and drive away.
The moment the owner’s vehicle pulled away, he pulled on his gloves, made sure his hoodie was down over his face, and strolled along the sidewalk. The road off Main was quiet, and a swirling mist crawled across the blacktop, covering him to his knees. Dressed all in black, he could move through the fading light and blend into the shadows. It was as if he’d become the mist, sliding into spaces and then vanishing like a ghost. No traffic passed him, and one quick glance around told him that when he’d slipped into the alley, nobody had seen him. He blended into the shadows and a chilling calmness replaced the rush of anticipating a kill. In this state, he could wait here, hardly breathing for hours if necessary. He didn’t have to wait long in the garbage-tainted air before she came down the steps, purse over one arm and juggling three huge black garbage bags. When she set them aside, he made out her pink leather jacket, short skirt, and black stockings disappearing into pink cowboy boots. Dressed for me to kill. He waited for her to open the dumpster, and as she went up on the tips of her toes to toss the bags inside, he stepped behind her. “Hello, Ann.”
“Oh, you scared me.” Ann’s eyes widened in surprise. “Do I know you?” She turned to face him her eyes bright with expectation.
He didn’t reply but grasped her by the throat, lifting her off her feet to meet his eyes. Watching their expressions was all part of the thrill. She looked startled and then alarmed as panic filled her eyes. She raked at his hands, trying to break his grip, but he had her. She wasn’t getting away. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish tossed onto the riverbank but no sound came out.
It always surprised him how long it took to strangle someone. It wasn’t a fast death. It was up close and personal. He could feel the life leave their bodies. Luckily, the element of surprise usually robbed people of their first instinct to survive. Most women would go for his hands in a feeble attempt to break his grasp. It was a futile move. I
f they dragged his pinky fingers back, maybe he’d release his grip, but he couldn’t understand why they never went for his eyes or at least tried to knee him in the privates. At least Ruby had tried to attack him, lashing out with her nails before he’d subdued her.
He squeezed harder and smiled as the blood vessels exploded like little red stars in her eyes, and finally the life left her in a rush of urine. He dropped her, disgusted, and went to the faucet to wash any trace from his boots. As he walked away, he glanced behind him but all he saw in the alley was a pile of trash. He’d forgotten about her already.
Forty-Six
At last Jenna believed she’d made some headway in the case. She walked into her office and found Carter sitting opposite her desk, working on his laptop. “How did you go? Any luck with the search warrant for Mrs. Robinson’s bank accounts?”
“Oh yeah.” Carter grinned at her. “Obtained and served.”
Jenna smiled. “Great. We’re just waiting for Rowley and we can bring everyone up to speed.”
“I’m here.” Rowley walked into her office, followed by Kane and Jo.
Suddenly filled with a new burst of enthusiasm, Jenna dropped into her chair. “Okay, let’s get the show on the road.” She explained Wolfe’s conclusions and what had happened at the Triple Z Bar. “We’ll need statements from Kane and Jo to verify the origin of the DNA samples. Wolfe is running them now.”
“I have something interesting in the Lucas Robinson case.” Carter stood and went to the printer. He collected documents and handed them out. “Mrs. Robinson made two substantial withdrawals in cash about two weeks prior to her husband’s death. If she can’t account for the money, it’s possible she paid for a hit.”
Amazed, Jenna stared at the bank statement. The account was in Carol Robinson’s name and the withdrawals had almost drained it. “I gather her husband was insured and she would have something to gain from his death.”
“Yeah.” Carter smiled. “Five million.”
Kane whistled. “That’s a motive, and she knew he was having an affair.” He looked at Jenna. “How does someone find a hitman in Black Rock Falls?”
“Did you know she was big in IT before she married?” Carter stretched his legs out in front of him. “She probably found him on the dark web. She’ll have covered up all trace on her computer as well, so we’ll find nothing.”
“It would’ve helped if the kid they’d sent me as a computer whizz had shown.” Jo shook her head. “He might have been able to hunt down the hitman.”
“I doubt it.” Kane shrugged. “Wolfe is our go-to guy when it comes to IT, and he’s found a few traces of websites in his time, but if Carol Robinson has a solid background in programming, she’ll have wiped every trace clean.”
“Then when we find her husband’s killer, we might be able to find a money trail. If she paid him in cash and he’s still in town, he’ll have the money stashed somewhere.” Carter looked at Jenna. “Don’t you agree, Jenna?”
“Yeah, a hit is a distinct possibility, and we’ll certainly be looking for a money trail.” Jenna checked her notes. “Moving on. Rowley, any luck finding out where Kyler Hall and Cliff Young were at the times of the murders?”
“Only hearsay and vague memories.” Rowley met her gaze. “Their neighbors recall seeing their truck outside as usual most nights. The only morning one of the neighbors noticed it missing was the morning of the Stanton Forest murders. They’ve already admitted to leaving early that morning.” He leaned forward in his seat. “No one is prepared to give them an alibi for any of the times of death.”
Glancing at the clock on the wall, Jenna frowned at him. “Oh, you had Tom Dickson cleaning out your garage today, and I’ve kept you back. You’d better leave now.”
“It’s fine.” Rowley smiled at her. “I dropped by earlier and fixed him up. He’s a very reliable worker. My garage is as neat as a pin.”
“That’s good to hear.” Jenna pushed to her feet, went to the whiteboard, and brought it up to date. She turned to look at Walters. “How did you go with Mrs. Robinson?”
“I haven’t gotten in to see her as yet.” Walters scratched his thinning gray hair. “I went down to speak to Weems at the funeral parlor. He told me Mrs. Robinson called him and told him to cremate her husband’s body the moment he arrives at the parlor. Weems showed me all the documents he’d taken to the hospital for her signature. He also told me Parker Louis and Timothy Addams, from the Stanton Forest murders, will be laid to rest next week.”
“Okay, thanks.”
The landline rang and Jenna held up a hand to quiet the chatter in the room. “Sheriff Alton.”
It was the forensic anthropologist, Jill Bates. Her cheery voice came down the line and Jenna put the phone on speaker. “Jill, great to hear from you. Have you found anything?”
“Yeah, from the dental records, the remains we found in Stanton Forest belong to Luitl Kelly. I’ve finished my examination and will be passing the case to Wolfe. I’ve stepped up the search for her son Scott. He has to be close by but so far we’ve found nothing but a kid’s shoe.” She took a deep breath. “Seems to me the story Brad Kelly told me about what happened is accurate. The skeletal remains we unearthed are complete. The head trauma is consistent with his memories. Another thing of note. This woman suffered constant trauma over several years. I found evidence of broken bones, in different stages of healing.”
Anger and remorse for Brad’s mother swept over Jenna. “From all accounts, she tried to leave her husband. This should never have happened. I can’t imagine what it would be like to live with a monster like that.”
“It’s more common than you think, I’m afraid.” Jill cleared her throat. “At least he’s dead now and not hurting anyone else.”
Jenna’s mind flashed to Brad Kelly. He’d seen and likely suffered terrible abuse as a child. Like father, like son played in her head like an earwig. She hoped with all her heart they’d made a mistake and Brad Kelly hadn’t turned out worse than his father. She sighed and looked at the faces of the people in the room; all had expressions of concern. “Thanks, Jill, I appreciate your call. Let me know if your team finds Scott Kelly’s remains. It will sure put his brother’s mind at rest.”
“I sure will, bye.” The line went dead.
Jenna replaced the receiver and blew the bangs from her forehead. “We’re at a stage in the investigation when all we can do is wait. All the evidence we have is circumstantial at best. The only thing we can do is wait for the DNA results. With luck, Wolfe will have them soon. It’s after six, go home, and as it’s Sunday tomorrow, stay there and I’ll call if I hear any news. I’ll take the 911 calls. I want everyone to rest up until needed.”
She waited for her deputies to leave but Jo and Carter remained. Although she wanted to go home, soak in the hot tub and forget about mass murder for an hour or so, she had guests. “I suggest we head back to the ranch and then go out for dinner. I’m too tuckered out to cook tonight.”
“Where can we get a good steak?” Carter removed his toothpick and flicked it into the trash can under Jenna’s desk.
“There’s a steakhouse in town, surf and turf mainly.” Kane stood and looked at Jenna and Jo. “That okay with you?”
“It’s fine with me and I have a generous expense account.” Jo grinned. “It’s one of the perks of being in charge of the field office.”
Jenna smiled. “Great, I’ll book a table on the way home.” She stood and walked over to the pegs behind the door to grab her coat.
As they walked to the front door, Carter smiled at her. “You’re sure not what I expected.” He tossed another toothpick into his mouth. “I’ve met plenty of sheriffs in my time and not one of them could run a string of complicated investigations like you do. How do you cope with so many murders?”
Jenna gave Maggie a wave at the counter. “Go home, it’s late. See you on Monday.” She turned to Carter. “It’s never just me, Carter, it’s the team.”
As they walked ou
tside into the cold, crisp evening, Jenna inhaled the fresh pine breeze and alpine scents. A movement caught her attention and Brad Kelly, tiger eyes blazing, seemed to appear from nowhere. Caught off-guard, she instinctively took a step back. Kane and Carter must have reacted instantaneously as the next moment all she could see was Kane’s wide shoulders. She glanced to her right to see Carter pushing Jo back inside the bulletproof office doors. She prodded Kane in the back. “For Heaven’s sake, Kane, he’s not armed.”
When Kane moved slightly, Jenna stepped out from behind him and looked at Brad’s angry face. “Honestly, Brad, it’s not a good idea to jump out at me when we have a serial killer in town.” She looked up at Kane but he had his combat face on and would not move his attention from the perceivable threat. Instead, she turned back to Brad Kelly. “Did you want to speak to me?”
“Jill Bates has confirmed the remains are my mother and now she has loaded her into a coffin and is sending her somewhere else.” Brad was about to burst with rage. “Where are they taking her?” He moved closer to Jenna, looking like a trapped wild animal.
Jenna lowered her voice to just above a whisper. “I’m sorry you haven’t been informed. Jill called me a few minutes ago. She is handing the case over to Wolfe. Your mother’s remains will be at the morgue. Wolfe will review the findings and then release her body to you.”
“I don’t want her going back to the funeral parlor.” Brad shook his head. “My people will take care of her now.”
“You can be assured that Wolfe will treat her with the respect he gives every victim that comes into his office.” Jenna could almost cut the emotionally charged air around Brad. Could the killer be standing right in front of her? Seeing him like this, it was very possible.
“Respect, huh?” Brad shook his head. “You act like you care. Nobody cared. I told my teachers when my pa bashed my mom but they did nothing. When my mom and brother went missing, did anyone care? Not one law officer came to the res looking for us. The sheriff allowed my pa to get away with murder.”
