by D. K. Hood
Kane smiled at her then ran a finger gently down the scratches on her cheek. “Ditto. You look as if you’ve been fighting down at the Triple Z.” He sighed. “I guess me landing on you didn’t help much either?”
“You protected me from the blast and the splinters.” Jenna leaned into him. “I’ve a few bumps and bruises but you took the mother lode of the falling debris. When I saw that pile of bricks an inch away from your head… it made me sick to my stomach.” She shook her head slowly. “I’m not taking any meds right now. I’ll need all my senses to solve this darn murder case. You ready to leave?”
Kane gave her two go cups in a cardboard holder. “Yeah, I’ll grab a Thermos of coffee. Okay to take those chocolate chip cookies with us?”
“Sure.” Jenna picked up the bag. “Anything to stop your stomach growling.” She smiled at him.
Kane grinned at her, whistled for Duke and headed out the office.
* * *
“As luck would have it, Anderson is working in the same area as the Rosens’ ranch.” Kane dropped his cellphone into his pocket and added the coordinates to the GPS in Jenna’s cruiser. “Silent Alarms is a full-service company.”
Jenna turned her cruiser into Stanton Road and accelerated. “I know they took over the old bank building on the edge of town. Maybe they needed the extra security if they run the business twenty-four seven.”
“Yeah, they offer a top-of-the-range system and around-the-clock surveillance – at a price.” Kane leaned back in his seat and yawned. “It’s not a company I’d recommend.”
“How so?”
Kane rubbed his chin. “They have too many levels of security. In one package, they offer a panic button. So rather than call 911 if they fear for their lives, the homeowner must rely on a security guard to protect them.” He cleared his throat. “Some of the options, the motion sensors and lights, are good, so is the storing of any triggered CCTV footage to the cloud, but I figure the nanny-cam option should be something only available to parents, as in they set it up themselves and run it through their cellphones. Having a company collecting that data, for me, is a little disturbing.”
“I can’t see why.” Jenna turned into the road leading to the Rosens’ ranch. “If I had a baby at home, I can’t watch twenty-four seven so I’d be ecstatic to know someone else was watching on my behalf.”
Kane snorted. “If I had a baby at home, I’d be there caring for them myself.” He glanced at her and grinned. “I’d be more than happy to be a stay-at-home dad. Sit around watching football all day and changing a few diapers. How hard can it be?”
“You wouldn’t last a day.” Jenna’s eyes flashed as she glanced at him. “You were all tuckered out watching Wolfe’s girls for a couple of hours, and a baby is full-time. Trust me, there aren’t enough hours in the day to get things done.”
Kane held up both his hands in surrender and chuckled. “Okay, okay, I believe you.” His eyes danced with mischief. “I’d still rather work my tail off than have a nanny for my kid. I was an army brat and my dad never had too much time for me growing up. Later we were best buddies but by then it was too late.”
“Ah, that makes a lot of sense.” Jenna turned into the Rosens’ ranch and headed along the driveway to the house. “Did Mrs. Rosen say where Kittredge and Packer are working today?”
The awkward conversation filtered back into his mind. Speaking to a distraught woman planning her daughter’s funeral had been difficult, but at least she was civil when he explained they were chasing down leads on Lindy’s killer. Mr. Rosen was unavailable. His anger had come close to stroke level after identifying his daughter at the morgue and the local doctor had sedated him. “Yeah, Packer’s inside the house and Kittredge is working on the grounds somewhere. There’re four gardeners here today.”
“We tread lightly around the Rosens.” Jenna pulled to a halt beside a pickup parked outside the house. “Make sure we speak to the people of interest way away from any family members.”
Kane slid from the car. “Sure.” He opened the back door and allowed Duke to jump onto the ground. He moved to Jenna’s side. “We’ll see if Duke picks up anything when we speak to the men. I have Lindy’s PJ top in an evidence bag in the back of your cruiser; we’ll give him the scent before we speak to them.”
“Won’t he be confused?” Jenna frowned. “If there’re two scents on her clothes, how will he know which one to follow?”
Not able to figure the mind or workings of a dog’s sense of smell, Kane shrugged. “I have no idea, but I figured it’s worth a try. Right now, we have zip. Wolfe couldn’t find as much as one foreign hair on her clothes.”
“Okay, so we’ll have to rely on good old police work to find this killer. I’ll question Packer and you watch his body language and see what you can get from him.” Jenna headed toward the steps, and then turned. “Wait here, I’ll ask Packer to come outside for a word.”
Kane hustled back to Jenna’s cruiser and opened the back door. He was out of sight of the Rosens’ front door and offered Duke a sniff of the clothes. “Seek.”
Duke walked a few feet in every direction, then came back and sat at his feet. Kane patted his head. “Keep that smell in mind when we talk to these men.” He leaned against Jenna’s vehicle and watched the front door.
Mrs. Rosen appeared looking distraught, red-eyed and ashen. She looked horrified at Jenna’s appearance but after Jenna offered an explanation, she stepped to one side to admit her. A few moments later, Jenna was ushering a man from the house. Kane took out his notebook and pen and waited for them to join him by the cruiser. Packer was of medium height, Caucasian with light brown hair and a muscular body. He wore surprisingly clean coveralls and a tool belt around his waist. He was what he would consider quite ordinary in appearance, quite bland-looking with no outstanding features, scars or tattoos he could see.
“Mr. Packer, this is Deputy Kane. You’re not under any obligation to speak with us but we are interviewing anyone who came in contact with Lindy before the kidnapping.” Jenna spoke in a low, direct tone. “We need to have some idea of who was coming and going over the last couple of weeks.”
“Sure, but is this gonna take long?” Packer glanced at his watch. “I usually take a break around now and need to head into town.”
“We won’t keep you long.” She lifted her chin. “How long have you been working at the Rosens’?”
“I’ve been working here for some time now.” Packer rubbed the end of his nose. “Mrs. Rosen wants most of the fixtures and fittin’s changed. So, I’ve been changin’ doorknobs, kitchen cupboard door handles, those sort of things.”
“Do you have any interaction with the children?” Jenna tilted her head. “Mrs. Rosen mentioned you put shelves up in Lindy’s room a week ago.”
“Yeah, I’ve spoken to all of them.” Packer narrowed his gaze. “They live in the house – it’s hard not to speak to them when they’re runnin’ past me every few minutes.”
“Did you hear Lindy mention anything before her disappearance, about a boyfriend, or her nightmares?”
“I know about the nightmares. They spoke about them all the time.” Packer rubbed his chin. “That’s why Lindy wanted shelves in her room. Her father wanted another wardrobe but she was frightened someone might hide inside.”
“When did you last see Lindy?” Jenna folded her arms across her chest and leaned casually against the cruiser.
“Day before she went missin’. I didn’t speak with her; I was workin’ in her parents’ bathroom.” Packer frowned. “Terrible thing that happened to her.”
“Was it?” Jenna straightened and moved a step closer. “We don’t know exactly what happened to her. Do you know what happened to Lindy?”
“I know she was kidnapped and murdered.” Packer took a step backward. “It’s all over the news and I heard the family talkin’ about it.”
“Where were you the night she disappeared?” Jenna stared at him.
“At home. Where else would
I be?” Packer’s face filled with concern. “I don’t need a lawyer, do I?”
“These are just routine questions, Mr. Packer.” Jenna frowned at him. “The same as we’re asking everyone. I don’t intend to arrest you. Can anyone verify you were at home?”
“My wife, Aileen.”
“I’ll be sure to speak with her.” Jenna glanced at Kane. “Do you remember seeing anyone hanging around the house before Lindy went missing? Anyone we haven’t accounted for – we know about the gardening service, but did you happen to see anyone else?”
“Yeah, the security company had men crawlin’ all over.” Packer shrugged. “All that security didn’t do squat, did it?”
Kane wrote down the name of Packer’s wife. He wasn’t convinced he was telling the truth. The body language of the man, the way he folded his arms in a defensive manner, and covered his mouth as if to hide something, was a concern. When Jenna looked at him, he straightened.
“Do you have any questions for Mr. Packer?”
“Yeah, I do.” Kane cleared his throat and moved his attention back to Packer. “You spent some time in the army. Did they instruct you in the use of explosives and if so what did that entail?”
“Explosives?” Packer shook his head. “Nope, I don’t know about explosives. I’m a handyman, jack of all trades maybe, but blowin’ up things isn’t one of them.”
“Okay.” Kane whistled Duke and Jenna called the dog to her side.
“Thank you for your help, Mr. Packer. This is Duke; he came from the animal shelter.”
“Nice to meet you, Duke.” Packer offered his knuckle to the dog.
Kane waited in anticipation as Duke sniffed the man’s hand, then walked around in circles and flopped onto the manicured grass. He’d hoped Duke would give him a positive result but he still wouldn’t discount this man. The killer hadn’t left any DNA trace evidence but could’ve been wearing coveralls and gloves when he kidnapped Lindy. In his years of experience, he’d found most people became nervous when questioned by law enforcement, yet up to the point where Jenna had asked him to account for his whereabouts Packer had acted as if they were asking him about his favorite restaurant rather than a brutal murder. Most importantly, he’d caught him out in a lie. His background information on Mr. Packer clearly stated his experience in the use of explosives.
Fourteen
It was spring break and people filled the streets, enjoying the warmer days. The council had arranged a variety of local attractions in the park. He glanced up to see an escaped balloon drifting by on the wind. What he liked most about the western towns were the festivals; each contained a smorgasbord of delights and Black Rock Falls was no different. Kids of all ages on vacation from school swarmed all over town waving cotton candy or licking ice creams purchased from the street vendors. Mixing with them as they dashed from one store to the other or stopped to buy something from one of the many stalls lining the sidewalk made him feel like a kid in a candy store. So many to choose from, and all so vulnerable. He usually liked to pick out one and follow them, perhaps get close enough to smell their hair and listen to their mindless chatter. Not today, though. Today he had something more important to do.
He stepped inside Aunt Betty’s Café and, rather than order something to go then hurry back to work, he took a seat by the window and glanced at his watch. He had half an hour before anyone would miss him and sneaking around without anyone seeing him was one of his talents. He ordered his meal and leaned back in the wooden chair to admire a group of teenage girls walking past giggling and bumping into each other, taking selfies and acting the fool. He lifted the menu to cover his smile. There was the chosen one. Her long pale neck would be perfect to strangle. He bit back a moan, imagining the marks he’d leave behind.
He found something satisfying in the way they looked at him when he choked them. He enjoyed their terrified expressions so much, and he’d never killed them the first time but tightened the cord enough to make them black out. When they woke, alone and scared in the dark, they would be almost grateful to see him again. He would admire the deep red lines on their pristine flesh left from where he had tied them – but best of all, their voices would’ve gotten all husky. He would wait patiently for them to stop wailing and start to bargain with him.
In the end, he would kill them just to shut them up.
Fifteen
Deputy Jake Rowley leaned against his cruiser to wait for old Duke Walters to finish up at Aunt Betty’s Café. He’d have left at once but Walters refused to go without grabbing a bite of lunch. He went through his notes one last time as he waited for Walters to join him. He had a great deal of respect for the semi-retired deputy and when the sheriff placed him in a more senior position, it seemed surreal. Walters had been a deputy in Black Rock Falls for a long time and seen at least four sheriffs come and go.
A cool wind filled his open jacket, flapping it about like eagle’s wings. He glanced up at the sky, expecting to see rain or perhaps snow clouds drifting toward town, but the sky was blue from town over the green tips of the pines in Stanton Forest to the snowcapped mountain peaks beyond. He zipped his jacket and pulled his woolen cap down over his ears. Spring might be here but the cold weather would hang around for some time yet.
Walters gave him a friendly wave and pushed his Stetson down over his gray hair before weaving his way through the people on the sidewalk on the way to the cruiser. Rowley opened his door and slipped behind the wheel. He had pride in his new cruiser and winced when Walters filled the console with bags of food alongside his two go cups of coffee. “I’m sure we’ll have time to stop again if you’re hungry.”
“I’d say from the amount of food the sheriff provided, she expects us to keep going, but I’m too old for that now.” Walters fastened his seatbelt. “This type of killer don’t stop at one. I’ve seen his kind before; he ain’t looking for no ransom – he enjoys what he does.”
“Kane has the same opinion.” Rowley started the engine and backed out onto the road. “We’ll head straight to the custodian’s office at the high school and see if he knows exactly where McLeod and Lancaster are working today.”
“The janitor won’t be working all day.” Walters shrugged. “Most times it’s early morning and late afternoon but maybe it’s different when the kids are on vacation.”
Rowley moved slowly through the traffic and numerous jaywalkers then drove out of the main street and onto Stanton Road. The high school and college sat within a mile of each other opposite Stanton Forest. In less than ten minutes, he drove through the high school gates. He slid into a space in a practically empty parking lot reserved for the teachers. The moment he opened the door a cold alpine breeze smacked him in the face. The crisp clean air had the scent of pine and melting snow with the hint of wood-burning fires. He inhaled. One thing he loved about Black Rock Falls was the scenery. No matter where he stood, all around him magnificent vistas spread out in every direction. He waited for Walters and led the way to the custodian’s office. “It hasn’t changed since I went here.”
“That wasn’t that long ago.” Walters grinned at him. “For me it was a lifetime and I went to school on the other side of town – they demolished it some ten years ago and built the firehouse.”
It was strange, how the smell of a place evoked memories. The school had its own distinctive smell, a mixture of cleaning materials and dirty socks. Rowley made his way to the custodian’s office and knocked on the door. A deep voice instructed him to enter and he turned the doorknob and peered around the door. A man in his fifties got to his feet, an expression of alarm on his face.
“Is there a problem, Deputy?”
Rowley held up a hand in a calming gesture. “No, everything is fine. We’re chasing down a few leads in a case. Do you know if Mason Lancaster and Noah McLeod are working today?”
“Yeah, they’re here and should be back from lunch by now.” The man shuffled papers on his desk. “Have they done something wrong?”
Rowley too
k in the man’s agitated demeanor and smiled. No doubt, the custodian was up to something but he didn’t have time to find out what. “Nope, it’s just routine questions. Nothing for you to worry about.” He turned to the map of the school hanging on the wall. “Can you point out where we can find them?”
“Of course.” The custodian sat down at his desk and tapped the keys on his computer. “McLeod is waxing the floor of the basketball court and Lancaster is out with his men laying turf on the football field.” He pushed to his feet. “Do you want me to take you to them?”
“I know my way around.” Rowley waved at the map. “It’s much the same as when I was here. Thank you for your time.” He headed out the door with Walters close behind.
They found McLeod busy using a polishing machine in the basketball court. He worked alone with the earbuds jammed into his ears, swinging the noisy machine from side to side. Rowley walked in front of him and waved his hands to get his attention. All color drained from McLeod’s face and he gaped at him wide-eyed and pulled out the earbuds.
“Noah McLeod?”
“Yeah.” He stopped the machine and looked from one deputy to another. “Dang, she called the cops on me, didn’t she?”
Interesting. Rowley shot Walters a knowing glance. “Why don’t you explain what happened?”
“She’s been giving me the eye for weeks, you know, hanging around after school to speak to me.” McLeod’s cheeks flamed. “She invited me to a party last Saturday night, we kissed, is all, and she changed her mind. I backed right off. I wouldn’t hurt her, I love her.”
“Love her, huh?” Rowley took out his notebook and flipped through the pages. “How do you spell her last name? I didn’t get her to spell it out for me.”
