by Hood, D. K.
“Are you related to Brad Kelly?” Carter looked at him closely.
“What, do all us boys from the res look alike to you?” The man snorted. “Anyway, Brad is dead.”
Kane leaned against the wall. “What makes you believe Brad Kelly is dead? I spoke to him not four hours ago.”
“Liar.” The man thrashed around. “I’d like to see you die real slow, Deputy.”
“Why does speaking about Brad upset you?” Jo moved forward. “Can I speak to someone who knows?”
“Let me up from the floor and I’ll let you speak to anyone you like.” The prisoner’s voice had changed to smooth and cajoling. “I won’t hurt anyone. Promise.”
Kane wanted to observe him all night. Being this close to a psychopath with dissociative identity disorder was something he’d never imagined would happen. He noticed Carter scrolling through his phone and then walk into the kitchen. He left Jo trying to get some sense out of the lunatic and followed him. “What are you looking for?”
“I’m following up on Jenna’s hunch and searching for birth records.” Carter smiled at him. “We know Brad Kelly’s date of birth, so I’ve set up a search for relatives born around the same time. He looks the same age.”
Kane nodded. “The eyes are unusual and the same as Brad’s—they have to be related.”
“Well, darn.” Carter looked at him and smiled around his toothpick. “I believe we can call off the search for Scott Kelly’s remains. His father didn’t murder him after all. Scott and Brad Kelly are identical twins. They both escaped after their father murdered their mother.” He indicated with his chin toward the hallway. “Identical twins have identical DNA. Scott is batshit crazy and admitted to killing Lucas Robinson and Ann Turner. He fits the profile and, unlike Brad, is exhibiting dissociative identity disorder. He admitted to using different disguises to get close to people. It fits in with the Baltimore murders—all the same MO but seemingly done by different people. If we search his home, I’m guessing we’ll find a ton of professional disguises like contact lenses, wigs. If this guy worked alone, we’ve charged the wrong twin and Scott Kelly is the Chameleon Killer. It will be difficult to prove Brad isn’t involved, unless this guy has scratches on him.”
“It’s out of our hands now.” Jenna pushed both hands through her hair. “It’s up to the DA to sort things out, we just catch the bad guys.”
Epilogue
The following Friday
It was dark on Halloween night by the time Jenna finished writing the reports. She had waved goodbye to Jo and Carter on Thursday morning. Heck, she missed them already. It had been wonderful having Jo around, and she looked forward to working with her again soon.
Kane walked into her office, dressed all in black, to-go cups of coffee and a bag of takeout from Aunt Betty’s Café in hand. She closed her laptop and looked up at him. “That’s it, case closed.”
“Not in my wildest dreams would I have figured on identical twins.” Kane placed the takeout on the desk and dropped into a chair opposite her. “Not so identical… One of them was just angry and his other half turned out to be a murdering psychopath.”
Jenna closed her daybook and pushed it to one side. “I’m not surprised. Brad made it to the res and they raised him in a family, but Scott lived a life of hell. What are the odds of one brother making it to safety and the other running into a pedophile in the forest?” She pulled a takeout bag toward her. “I still can’t get my head around why Scott had so many personalities.”
“After being held in a small room for years, his mind created different personalities to cope.” Kane opened a bag containing a pie and looked at her. “His first kill was his tormentor and it gave him freedom. It opened the door to his murdering rampage, and it seems each of his tougher personalities took part. I couldn’t believe the wide range of disguises we found in his home. He was a master of disguise—no wonder the FBI couldn’t find anyone to match his description. If I had Tom Dickson in front of me right now, knowing he was Scott, I doubt I’d see through his disguise. Oh, he was good. I honestly believed he was an older man down on his luck. He looked nothing like Scott. I mean, with the dark brown contacts, a limp, and gray hair… he even had wrinkles.”
“Yeah and he smelled pretty bad too. I think covering his unusual tiger eyes with the brown contact lenses made him generic, and the spray-on wrinkles would have fooled anyone. He even spoke differently and appeared to be an older man to everyone he met. No wonder Jo named him the Chameleon Killer. He could change into just about anyone his crazy split personality chose and no one would recognize him. To think he was working so close to people we care about.” Jenna sipped her coffee. “Why didn’t he try to kill any of us or Rowley?”
“It was a game to him and by fooling us, he never came into consideration as a suspect. It was a clever move.” Kane rubbed his chin. “Tom was a personality he used as a front man to move around unnoticed. I guess he must have had a run-in with the workers at the Old Mitcham Ranch as Tom, and then Scott took over and decided to kill them.”
“Yeah, I thought the same.” Jenna nodded. “Then he turned back into Tom and calmly came to work for us the next morning. He likely burned his bloodstained clothes and disabled the generator then hightailed it in his truck up the hill overlooking the Old Mitcham Ranch to take pot-shots at us. He didn’t have to leave the boundaries of my land to do that.” She spun the to-go cup in her hands and looked at him. “Seems he’s boasting about his crimes. Jo was able to extract tons of information from him. His story checks out about killing his tormentor. A hunter found the bones of his abductor long ago, and the cage in the basement, where the man held him. It’s been a cold case for years.”
“I know.” Kane wiped his hands on a napkin and then lifted his coffee to his lips. “The way Jo managed to draw out his different personalities to give their accounts of events was incredible. Listening to his confession of the murders he committed here was intense, but when he added a string of murders from Baltimore and other killings, she’d been unable to solve for years, it was mind-blowing. The tape she made of Kelly’s interview will be used for teaching behavioral analysts for years to come.” He looked at her over the rim of his cup. “I’ve learned a lot from her.”
Jenna nodded. “I’m going to miss them but it’s good to know they’re close by if we need any help.”
“Yeah.” Kane met her gaze. “Running through clues with other investigators will be a bonus, and they’re not likely to pull the FBI card and take over.”
“The feather was a clue we didn’t understand. Not knowing the significance slowed down the investigation.” Jenna sighed. “I wish Atohi had explained more.”
“Yeah, if he’d told us Luitl regarded herself as part of the Crow Tribe because of her father and her name means ‘feather,’ it would’ve helped.” Kane sighed. “Seems as if in Scott’s deluded mind, each time he killed, it was to avenge his mother. Atohi doesn’t agree. He believes Scott disrespected her name by dropping the feather in the victims’ blood. At least Brad is home now and was able to lay the poor woman to rest with her people.”
“It’s so sad. They both thought the other twin was dead.” Jenna leaned back in her chair. “I’m glad the DA cleared Brad of all charges. Without the scratch on Scott’s wrist it would have been difficult. It’s fortunate Wolfe took another look and found soap residue in the tissue sample from under Ruby’s nails and matched it to the soap found in Scott’s bathroom.”
“Thank God for Wolfe.” Kane raised his coffee cup in a toast.
“Amen to that.” Jenna touched her cup to his. “I think the biggest shock to me was Carol Robinson getting bail. Sam Cross is going the battered-woman angle to bring down the charges.” She shook her head. “At least now we know why she was so shocked at the scene.”
“Yeah, she paid the hitman but had no idea when or where he’d kill her husband. She actually believed the hitman was an intruder.” Kane scratched his cheek. “She’s still a murderer, even if
she didn’t pull the trigger. She’ll get life.”
Jenna looked at Kane and frowned. “When you look at the cases, they can be blamed on spousal abuse. The ball started rolling with Luitl Kelly’s abusive husband twenty years ago and ended with Carol Robinson.”
“It’s something that needs to stop.” Kane’s eyes flashed with anger. “Maybe we need to talk to the mayor and set up a campaign in Luitl Kelly’s name. We can raise money for more safe houses for women to go to if they’re in danger.”
“Yeah, we’ll start a campaign, now we have time on our hands. We’ll call it Her Broken Wings. I’m sure the town will get behind us.” Jenna indicated toward the dog. “Now it makes sense why Duke was acting strange. I put it down to the cat and now realize he probably sensed that when Scott was disguised as Tom Dickson, a killer was close by.”
“I really need to learn how to speak dog.” Kane bent and scratched Duke’s floppy ears. “He probably thinks I’m losing my edge.”
“Nah, he just thinks you’re human.” Jenna smiled at him. “Oh, I have some good news for you. Do you remember Mrs. Grainger? Her son held up the pharmacy for drugs for her?”
“Yeah, that case was hard to forget.” Kane frowned. “Is she okay?”
Jenna nodded. “Better than okay. Since she’s been under Doc Brown’s care, a new specialist is on her case and she’s undergoing treatment. Her son called and said she’d made a significant improvement.”
“That’s wonderful news.” Kane cleared his throat. “Do you think now that our caseloads are clear, we could sneak off on a vacation before anything else happens? I really need a break—we all do.”
He must have been reading her mind. Jenna had been thinking about making vacation time for everyone in the office. “Well, I’m hoping to get away for a couple of days to try out the ski resort before Christmas, and you did promise me a weekend.”
“Sure.” Kane laughed. “You’re a glutton for punishment.”
“Me? Why?” Jenna stared at his white grin. “Come on, what dark secret do you have now?”
“No secret but I’m one hell of a good skier.” Kane chuckled.
Jenna tossed her to-go cup in the trash and laughed. “Me too.”
“Oh, we’re going to have fun, the slopes up there are fast.” Kane balled up the paper bags and pushed them inside his cup. “I can’t wait for the first snow.”
“When we go, I’ll have to make arrangements for Pumpkin. We can take Duke with us but she’ll need someone to care for her.” Jenna stared into space. “Maybe Em will take her for a couple of days. I know she likes cats.”
“So, she’s staying, then?” Kane raised one eyebrow. “Says the woman who doesn’t like pets.”
“I do so like pets, and Duke likes her too.” Jenna laughed. “She’s staying—she saved my life by giving me an early warning someone was in the house.”
A knock came on the door and Shane Wolfe’s youngest daughter, Anna, poked her head inside, although Jenna hardly recognized her in her Halloween costume. She smiled at her. “Hello, Anna, you scared me.”
“Did I really?” Anna giggled. “Daddy said it’s time to go get some candy.” She grinned at Kane. “You look awesome.”
“Thanks.” Kane stood, pulled up the hood of his long black cloak, and grabbed the scythe leaning against the wall. “You look great too. Tell your dad we’re on our way.”
“Okay.” Anna scampered off down the hallway.
Jenna stood, adjusted her demon costume, and walked around the desk. She looked at Duke, rigged out in a superhero cape and mask, and giggled. “Ready, Duke?”
The dog barked and gave her his best doggy smile and wagged his thick tail.
In the reception area, Wolfe’s kids were chatting excitedly as they headed out the door. Kane and Jenna followed them into the cold, misty night and stood at the top of the steps, surveying the people moving happily along Main Street. She glanced up at Kane. In his Grim Reaper costume, he looked huge and frightening. She shivered and he turned to smile at her. “What are you grinning at, Dave?”
“Come on, my little demon.” Kane took her hand with a laugh. “If we have to walk down Main Street dressed like this, let’s do it like we own it.”
If you want to find out what happens next for Kane and Alton, sign up here to be the first to know about the next book in this gripping series.
Hear more from D.K. Hood
If you’d like to keep up to date with my latest releases, just sign up at the link below. We’ll never share your email address and you can unsubscribe at any time.
* * *
Sign up here!
Books by D.K. Hood
Don’t Tell A Soul
Bring Me Flowers
Follow Me Home
The Crying Season
Where Angels Fear
Whisper in the Night
Break the Silence
Her Broken Wings
AVAILABLE IN AUDIO
Don’t Tell A Soul (Available in the UK and the US)
Bring Me Flowers (Available in the UK and the US)
Follow Me Home (Available in the UK and the US)
The Crying Season (Available in the UK and the US)
Where Angels Fear (Available in the UK and the US)
Whisper in the Night (Available in the UK and the US)
Break the Silence (Available in the UK and the US)
A Letter from D.K. Hood
Dear Reader,
I am delighted you chose my novel and joined me in the exciting world of Jenna and Kane in Her Broken Wings. If you’d like to keep up to date with all my latest releases, just sign up here. You can unsubscribe at any point and your details will not be shared.
If you enjoyed my story, I would be very grateful if you could leave a review and recommend my book to your friends and family. I really enjoy hearing from readers because when I write, it’s as if you are here with me, following the characters’ story.
Writing a novel is a very isolated business, and I would love to hear from you—so please get in touch on my Facebook page or Twitter or through my website.
* * *
Thank you so much for your support.
* * *
D.K. Hood
www.dkhood.com
Don’t Tell a Soul
Detectives Kane and Alton Book 1
Get it here!
* * *
The floor was stone cold on her bare skin. Her heart pounded in her chest. “Not a soul knows where I am,” she thought as she took in the darkness around her. And then she heard his footsteps…
* * *
When a body is found stuffed into a barrel at the local dump, covered in long red cuts, Detective Jenna Alton and her new deputy, David Kane, rush to the scene.
* * *
Nothing ever happens in the small town of Black Rock Falls, so Jenna believes the victim must be one of two recent missing persons, and she fears for the life of the other.
* * *
Both were strangers to the town, but there’s nothing else to link them. Jenna knows someone must have seen something, but no one’s talking; how well does she really know the people around her?
* * *
Then a disturbing clue makes Jenna suspect a connection with other disappearances in the town’s history. Just when she begins asking the right questions, she realises she’s being followed. Is she next on the killer’s list?
* * *
In a race against time, Jenna and David must unlock the dark secret at the heart of the town, before it’s too late…
* * *
A completely addictive detective thriller that will have you guessing right to the end. If you love Robert Dugoni, Karin Slaughter and Rachel Abbott, you’ll love Don’t Tell A Soul.
* * *
Available now!
Bring Me Flowers
Detectives Kane and Alton Book 2
Get it here!
* * *
She didn’t know he was watching. Until it w
as too late.
* * *
She’d walked this way hundreds of times before. She knew every twist and turn. She didn’t know this was the last time she’d ever walk this path.
* * *
Hidden deep in the forest, schoolgirl Felicity Parker is found carefully laid out on a rock with nothing but a freshly picked bunch of flowers next to her. The body lies just off a popular hiking route, and Detective Jenna Alton thinks the killer might be a visitor to the town, until another girl’s body is found at the local swimming pool, once again posed with a bunch of flowers.
* * *
Jenna recognizes the signs of a serial killer, and thinks it could be a local. As the town is gripped with fear, Jenna must examine each person the girls knew, and trust between neighbors starts to crumble.
* * *
Both girls went out on their own, and were found where they shouldn’t be. Were they taken by chance, or did they know their killer? How were they lured so far from safety? And can Jenna and her team find the killer before another life is lost?
