Whisper in the Night: An absolutely heart-stopping serial killer thriller

by D. K. Hood

  Wolfe gave him a curt nod, then placed his bag on the grass. He pulled out his cellphone and made a call, then wrote a message and held it out to them to read.

  I’ve called the fire department and told them it was a bomb. They’ll extinguish the wild fires but they’ll have to wait for the bomb squad to arrive from Helena. There’s a chopper on the way. As Jenna doesn’t want the media involved yet, they’ll say it is a training exercise. You’re not in any danger here, so sit still and let me take a look at you.

  Kane nodded and the movement made him nauseous. “Sure, but Jenna first.”

  Wolfe bent to examine Jenna’s eyes and ears, then turned to Kane and repeated the tests. Apparently, they had no permanent injuries but Kane had to push down his pride and allow Wolfe to cut off his jeans to remove the splinters. He’d suffered injuries in the field many a time but having Jenna hold his hand and fuss over him was a new experience. By the time Wolfe had finished, his hearing had returned apart from a strange humming.

  “Here.” Wolfe pulled a foil survival blanket out of his backpack. “Wrap this around you and I’ll help you back to the road. I want you to lie down on a gurney in my van.”

  Kane shook his head. Lying beside Lindy’s corpse was not going to happen. “Thanks but I’m fine.”

  “Maybe not so fine when the local anesthetic wears off, but the penicillin shot will cover any infection.” Wolfe shook his head. “It’s just as well I keep a field med kid with me, with you getting injured all the time.”

  “I’ve one in my vehicle too.” Kane sucked in a deep breath and glanced at Wolfe. “Did my truck make it?”

  “Yeah.” Emily came through the trees and Duke ran to greet her. “Apart from a good coating of dust, I think it’s okay. The old barn protected it from damage.”

  Kane breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, God.”

  “You know Duke led us here. We turned back when we heard the explosion and Duke was going ballistic, running around in circles barking. So we followed him.” She dropped a backpack on the ground. “Dad insisted I wait back there in case he found you in pieces but I could hear you yelling at each other.”

  “He tried to warn us.” He whistled to Duke. “Come here, boy.”

  Duke ran over to him and did his happy dance. Kane rubbed the dog’s ears. “I’m sure glad you’re okay.” He touched Jenna’s arm. “Can you hear me yet, Jenna?”

  “Just.” She sipped a bottle of water Wolfe had provided. “We have to get cleaned up and go and inform Lindy’s parents before the press gets wind of what’s happened here.”

  “You’re not going anywhere but the ER. I’ll go speak to them and then I’ll put out a press release. We’ll say we found Lindy’s body but that no cause of death has been established.” Wolfe’s expression was grave. “I figure you’ll want to keep the fact she was murdered out of the press for a few days?”

  “I would appreciate that, Wolfe, thanks.” Jenna leaned back on her hands. “I’m fine. I don’t need to see the paramedics.”

  “I must insist you go to the ER. You could have concussion and Kane needs his shoulder X-rayed. You’ll be no good to anyone in this condition.” Wolfe patted Jenna on the arm. “Leave everything to me, I’ll arrange for the parents’ viewing as well and call you later.”

  “I can’t thank you enough, Wolfe.” Jenna turned to Kane. “So our killer is not only a murdering SOB – now we have a lunatic planting IEDs.” She squeezed his hand. “Thanks for saving my life.”

  Kane squeezed back. “I guess we should take more notice of Duke, not that I had any idea he was familiar with improvised explosive devices, but he could have picked up the scent of C-4. I’m guessing that’s what the killer used.”

  “Have you figured out a profile for him yet?” Jenna allowed Emily to dab antiseptic on the angry red scratches on her face.

  Kane nodded and rubbed his shoulder. “We’re lucky to be alive but this killer has made a big mistake. Before he planted a bomb, I found it difficult to profile him and could’ve gone a few different ways, but not now. This killer is a psychopath and showing advanced narcissistic tendencies. He enjoys killing and has gotten away with it. Problem is, he wants to be famous and craves recognition.” He pushed to his feet and winced at the pain in his legs. “So, one, he’s not a local, and two, we’re looking for a man between thirty and forty, Caucasian, who’s worked in a variety of jobs and gained knowledge on the way.” He held out a hand and pulled Jenna to her feet. “He’ll likely be hiding in plain sight because he is playing ‘a catch me if you can’ game.”

  “Yeah?” Jenna gave him a determined look. “Well in the past, I figure he’s been dealing with a few backwoods sheriff’s departments.” Her mouth turned down. “Now he’s playing against my team and I don’t intend to let him win.” She snorted. “I’m going to enjoy taking him down.”

  Eleven

  Tuesday

  Bruised and battered, Jenna made her way into Aunt Betty’s Café. She’d trimmed away some of the singed hair and showered, but the smell of the explosion seemed to have set up permanent residence in her nose. A street sweeper drove down Main Street and the local council workers moved around in organized chaos, cleaning up the mess left behind by the swarms of people and media involved in the search for Lindy. The response had been overwhelming, followed by an outpouring of assistance of food and hot drinks for the teams, supplied by the Black Rock Falls Women’s Association. The search had delayed the preparation for the Spring Festival the following weekend, but she assumed the bunting and advertising would be up before the end of the day. Life goes on.

  Jenna limped up to the counter and placed a large order with Susie Hartwig. She’d called a meeting in her office at ten. Murder investigations involved a lot of tedious grunt work and as they worked long hours for days on end, she made a habit of providing food for her deputies. She leaned casually against the wall and noticed the inquisitive looks from the other customers. The explosion had caused more than a few scratches to her face and in fact, she looked as if she’d lost a fight. She wondered if they’d gotten a look at Kane yet – if so they’d figure they’d both been in a brawl.

  The time immediately following the explosion was still a blur – she remembered heading to Kane’s vehicle then vomiting and Emily had ended up driving them to the ER. She’d left after a couple of hours but due to his previous head injury, the doctors insisted Kane remained overnight. When she’d returned at six this morning with his clean uniform, she discovered he’d spent half the night running background checks on a list of possible suspects. At the meeting, they’d discuss his findings.

  She glanced out the café window to where Kane had parked his sparkling-clean truck. It was hard to believe the dust-coated vehicle they’d found after the explosion was the same SUV. After dropping them at the hospital, Emily had taken the truck home and with help from her sisters, Julie and Anna, had set about putting it and Duke right. She wished she had taken a photograph of Kane’s grin when he set eyes on “the beast” and a very clean Duke when they left the ER.

  She collected the bags from Susie, slipped out the door and went to the truck. “The town gossips are going to be busy today.” She handed Kane the food and climbed into the passenger seat. “You should have seen the strange looks they gave me, like I was a zombie or something.”

  “And it’s not even close to Halloween.” Kane grinned at her. “Just as well I stayed here.” He started the engine. “Wolfe called. He’ll be at the meeting as well. I’ve sent the case file to everyone so we’re all on the same page.”

  “Wolfe is a rock.” Jenna sighed. “While we were stuck in the ER last night, he informed Lindy’s parents, arranged and supervised the viewing and gave a press conference.”

  “That’s Wolfe.” Kane’s mouth twitched at the corner. “He’s gotten me out of so many situations, most of them I’d one chance of surviving and he found me that one chance. He’s always been someone I can rely on when everything goes to hell.”

/>   “Yeah, there’s a special bond between you. You’re like brothers.” Jenna leaned back in the seat. “I asked Agent Josh Martin to sit in as well. He arrived yesterday from the FBI Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team and worked alongside Rowley. We’re lucky to get him – they only deploy the response team if a child abductee is under twelve years old. He’s going to give us a run-down of similar cases in the state.”

  “I know him.” Kane’s brow furrowed into a frown. “I worked with him in my other life on a case before he joined CARD.”

  Worried, Jenna turned to him. “Will he recognize you?”

  “Nope. I don’t recognize me.” Kane pulled his vehicle into his space outside the sheriff’s department. “He’s never met Wolfe either… although, Josh might recognize my voice.”

  “They made a lot of changes to me too.” She glanced at him. “I like my look apart from one thing; I’m really a blonde. I’ve a few scars around my eyes but I’d never know you’d had plastic surgery. What did they do?”

  “Hmm.” Kane gave her a long searching look and ignored her question. “Blonde… really?” He grabbed the bags from the back seat and handed them to her. “I’ll grab Duke and meet you inside.”

  She figured the few things Kane mentioned about his past life would be all he’d ever tell her. She slid out the truck and made her way to the office. “Morning, Magnolia.” She smiled at the receptionist and noticed Wolfe’s teenage daughter, Julie, looking at her with an apprehensive expression. “Did you want to speak to me, Julie?”

  “She sure does.” Maggie beamed at her. “This child spent the entire day yesterday manning the phones. I couldn’t have managed without her.”

  Jenna caught sight of Kane walking up behind her with Duke at his heels. She glanced at Julie. “That was very kind of you.”

  “It was very exciting.” Julie smiled. “I wanted to ask you if I could do an internship here at the sheriff’s department.”

  Jenna smiled. “Yes, as long as it’s okay with your dad, we’d love to have you. Bring me the paperwork to sign.” She turned to Kane. “I’ll need some time to add all our potential suspects to the whiteboard. I’m not sure when Agent Martin is arriving.”

  “I’ll brew some coffee and make sure everyone is up to speed.” Kane’s stiff gait told her the wounds from the splinters were hurting like hell.

  Twelve

  As she entered all the information onto the whiteboard, Jenna grunted and stretched out the ache in her back. She had so many bruises on her body she looked like a statue carved out of blue marble. She made a mental note to tell Kane how much she appreciated the hot tub he’d installed in her gym last year. After making one more notation on the whiteboard, she turned to see him at the door to her office, carrying two jugs of fresh coffee. Rowley followed close behind with the fixings and Walters brought up the rear with the cups. “Has Wolfe or Agent Martin arrived yet?”

  “They’re outside, ma’am.” Rowley placed the fixings on the desk beside the cups and copious amounts of food Jenna had purchased from Aunt Betty’s Café. “I’ll go get them.” He headed out the door.

  When the men walked into the room, Jenna smiled at Agent Martin. “Nice to see you. Thanks for coming.” She poured a cup of coffee and waited for the men to take their seats. Anxious to get her deputies out interviewing potential suspects, she remained standing at the whiteboard. “Listen up. I have a list of the main persons of interest we have so far. Our investigations to date suggest all these men had the opportunity to interact with Lindy Rosen in the weeks before her death.” She pointed to the whiteboard. “Paul Kittredge, thirty-eight, is one of ten men employed by the Green Thumb Landscaping Service. He’s of interest because he worked close to the house for a full week prior to Lindy’s disappearance and after a background check we discovered he pleaded guilty to a case involving the sexual abuse of a child in his care. The judge in the case gave him a six-year deferred sentence and after he completed the time, he changed his plea to not guilty and the district judge dismissed the case.”

  “That’s the strangest thing I ever heard.” Wolfe rubbed his chin. “So he pleaded guilty and now he walks free?”

  “Montana laws are complex.” Agent Martin’s mouth twitched at the corners in a half-smile. “No doubt it was the result of a plea bargain and the law does offer the chance to change a plea in this situation.”

  Jenna tapped her pen on the table. “Did you chase down any info on any of the other men working for Green Thumb?”

  “The owner gave me a list of the men who worked at the Rosens’ ranch. The company landscaped the entire block of land over a period of about three months before winter. There were a few gardeners working the same week as Kittredge but he’s the only one with priors.” Kane reached for a packet of sandwiches. “It seems Lindy was surrounded by potential suspects.”

  Jenna sipped her coffee. “Yeah, but we’ll concentrate on the shortlist for now.” She pointed to her second notation. “Local handyman, Sean Packer, thirty-five. This man had access to the house over a period of four weeks and is still finishing up a few small jobs. His background check revealed he was dishonorably discharged from the army.” She looked at Kane. “What else can you give me on him, Kane?”

  “He’s married, has knowledge of explosives from his time in the service and had plenty of time to befriend Lindy and discover the security code.” Kane leaned his wide shoulders back in the chair, making it moan. “He fits the profile; in fact everyone on the list fits the profile to one degree or another.”

  “Moving on.” Jenna glanced at Wolfe. “You’ve spoken to Charles Anderson, the technician who ran the check on the security system. He’s on Mr. Rosen’s list as a person who worked at the house. What are your impressions?”

  “I don’t really have an impression of him. I observed him testing the system and he’s proficient at his job.” Wolfe’s expression gave nothing away. “I’d be interested to know if you found anything on him because he’s currently holding art classes on Saturdays at the local hall.” He met Jenna’s gaze. “Julie goes there with a few of her school friends but it’s a mixed class with adults as well. I’d have thought he’d have to undergo a background check before being allowed to interact with teenagers.”

  “He would and I didn’t find any priors on him.” Kane sipped his beverage. “He came under my scrutiny because of his work in and around the Rosens’ house. He’s one of eight technicians working for the security company, so he’d know the system inside and out. I’d say Rosen mentioned him because he had free access to the house and likely interacted with his girls.” He sighed. “He’s had a varied career. I know about him volunteering to teach at the community art school but he also worked out of Colorado in the mines some years ago, so it’s not too far-fetched to believe he has some knowledge of explosives.” He shrugged. “That’s reason enough for him to be on our list.”

  “May I butt in here?” Agent Josh Martin raised one black eyebrow in question. “Don’t assume any suspect requires hands-on knowledge of explosives. These days everything they need is freely available on the internet.”

  The men in the room fell into a discussion about the pros and cons of the internet. Agitated, Jenna cleared her throat. “Can we move along? I want these people interviewed today. One of them could be planning another kidnapping.”

  She pushed a hand through her hair. “The next two on my list came through our crime hotline and although Kane hasn’t unearthed any dirt on them, I believe they should be considered as potential suspects. Noah McLeod, forty, is one of the janitors at the high school. The woman who called in worked there for a time and found him to be a bit too familiar with the students. We received a similar anonymous complaint about one of the groundskeepers, Mason Lancaster, the youngest of our potential suspects at twenty-eight.” She sat down behind her desk. “Does anyone else have any other pertinent information?”

  The room was silent.

  “Good.” Jenna sat down and looked at Wolfe. �
�When can we expect the results of the post on Lindy Rosen?”

  “I should be through by five. I’ll email you the report.” Wolfe’s gaze narrowed. “Unless you need Webber? If so, I’ll need a deputy present for the autopsy.”

  Jenna glanced at Deputy Webber. She had all but lost him as a deputy since he started working alongside Wolfe. “No, that’s fine. The autopsy is crucial, we’ll handle the interviews.” She glanced down at her notes. “Rowley, you and Walters can take McLeod and Lancaster. Both men work at the high school. I’ll head out to the Rosens’ ranch with Kane to speak to Kittredge and Packer. We’ll track down Anderson via his place of employment and speak with him as well.” She glanced at Agent Martin. “Do you have a preference?”

  “I’d be interested in attending the autopsy.” Martin glanced at Wolfe. “The evidence is all in the post. I’ll be heading back to base directly after but I’ll be able to come back if you need me.”

  Jenna nodded. “Thanks, I appreciate your help.” She glanced at her deputies. “Okay, you have all the information you need. Let’s get this show on the road.”

  Thirteen

  Relieved Josh Martin hadn’t recognized him, Kane filled a couple of go cups with coffee, grabbed a paper sack of sandwiches from Jenna’s desk and tucked them under one arm. He took in her bruised and battered appearance. She’d not complained once since the explosion but it was obvious the injuries she’d sustained were causing her more pain than she cared to admit. “Do you want me to drive?”

  “Nah, you’d better ride shotgun and relax your sore butt.” Jenna smiled at him and pulled a cap over her singed hair, then thrust her arms into her jacket. “We’ll take my cruiser, as we’re interviewing these men at their place of work.” She gave him a worried stare. “Did the doc give you anything for the pain? Those puncture wounds must be painful.”