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

by D. K. Hood

  “At least six hours before you found her. Likely, he killed her within three hours of her abduction.” Wolfe pulled on latex gloves and rolled Lindy’s body onto its side. “See the apparent bruising on her buttocks, shoulder blades and forearms? That isn’t bruising. The cause is when a body lies in the same position for some hours and blood engorges the tissues. It starts quite slowly after about two hours but from the dark color of the hypostasis, Lindy was lying on her back for approximately six hours after death occurred.”

  “She was last seen around midnight Sunday and we found her at five thirty on Monday afternoon.” Jenna pulled out her cellphone and scanned the files. “What a sick SOB, playing a game with me when he’d already murdered her.” She glanced up at Wolfe. “Cause of death?”

  “Asphyxiation caused by strangulation. All the signs are there.” Wolfe met her gaze. “He strangled her from behind using the cord we found with the body. I found no indication of sexual assault.”

  “Didn’t you find any trace evidence at all?” Kane stared at Wolfe’s iPad. “That’s unusual in itself.”

  “No DNA but Lindy has a story to tell. The events leading to her death are reasonably clear.” Wolfe covered the body and indicated to small red patches on Lindy’s cheek. “There’s a handprint on her face and the insides of her nostrils are inflamed, as if she inhaled a substance. I’m waiting on the results of blood tests to confirm but I figure he used diethyl ether or chloroform to subdue her, maybe mixed with another substance, perhaps cocaine.” He placed his hand over the marks to demonstrate the position of the handprint. “I believe he was straddling her at the time and if you see here, where her teeth have pierced her bottom lip, I would say he used a considerable amount of force.”

  “Any other scratches or defense wounds?” Kane walked to the end of the gurney and examined Lindy’s feet. “Her feet are dirty. Why did she walk out the house without wearing slippers?”

  “This worries me as well. She has no scrapes or head injuries to indicate she ran away and was hunted down then subdued. No defense wounds, DNA under her nails, nothing. The dirt on her feet could have come from beneath the bench outside the old schoolhouse. I sent a swab for testing but I would imagine it will only give a local result.”

  The scene filled Jenna’s mind. She lifted her chin and stared at Wolfe. “If the killer was in her room, we’re looking at this all wrong. Somehow he gained access to the house, made it to her bedroom, pinned her on the bed and knocked her out with chloroform or similar then carried her out the house.”

  “How did he get inside?” Kane covered Lindy’s feet with the sheet. “Mr. Rosen set the alarm around six and if he snuck into the house and hid beforehand, he would have had to know the code to turn off the alarm when he left.”

  Jenna shook her head. “This happened to me, remember? Someone followed me inside once, hid in a cupboard and watched me use my code. I was alone, but the Rosens have their daughters running all over – it wouldn’t have been easy for him to slip into their house unnoticed.”

  “I figure they would need to know the layout of the house.” Webber moved to Jenna’s side. “They’d have to find a safe place to hide and wait until the family went to bed.”

  Jenna glanced up at Kane. “That would cut down the suspects to men who’ve had access to the house over the last few weeks.”

  “Maybe not.” Emily’s fingers moved swiftly over her computer’s keyboard. “The ranches on the new building project are all constructed by the same company. I noticed the blueprints displayed in the window of the real estate broker and they’re all available online too.” She pointed to the screen. “Look, they’re using homes already built in the area as examples and each has a floorplan.”

  Deflated, Jenna sighed. “Dammit, I thought we’d halved our list of possible suspects.” She moved her attention back to Wolfe. “Anything of use on her laptop or cellphone?”

  “No, just the usual.” Wolfe sighed. “Her diary held nothing of real interest. She had a crush on a boy at school and hoped he’d ask her to the Spring Festival dance, is all.”

  “Okay, send me your final report when possible.” Jenna removed her gloves and dropped them into the garbage. “We’ll head back to the office. Rowley is hunting down people to corroborate alibis. I’ll be interested to see what he’s discovered.” She cleared her throat. “The Rosens will want to know when you’re through with Lindy’s examination.”

  “I won’t be releasing the body today. I’ll call them and explain.” Wolfe nodded at Webber, who wheeled the gurney away, then turned back to Jenna. “This is an unusual case. Why did he kill her? I can’t figure out a motive. In most kidnap cases the motive is money, rape and murder or to keep a sex slave. Lindy died by strangulation but her killer follows no pattern I’ve seen before. It’s too clean for a first kill and a novice would leave trace evidence behind. In my opinion this man has killed before and often.”

  “Oh, yeah.” Kane’s gaze followed the gurney. “This killer is well organized, he’s planning every move and for some crazy reason is involving Jenna in his madness. It’s as if he’s playing a game with her, as if he wants to be caught.”

  Jenna pushed both hands through her hair. Why did killers focus on her? This hadn’t been the first time a killer had targeted her. “Why me? If he wants to be caught why not give himself up and confess?”

  “You represent the law and giving himself up would be an anticlimax – he craves the limelight.” Kane met her gaze. “I’m with Wolfe on this. We could be dealing with a killer who’s murdered before and gotten away with it so many times he’s bored. He wants to crow about his kills and be famous as the sadistic Shadow Man, so he’s using you to gain notoriety. If this is the profile of our killer, Lindy was collateral damage, to get our attention. Taking us out with a bomb makes him a hero in jail. He knows his killing spree won’t last forever and wants to go out in a blaze of glory.”

  Twenty-Four

  Jenna lifted her face to the cool breeze and inhaled the fresh pine and wood-smoke fragrance coming on the breeze. It was good to be outside in the fresh air and she leaned on Kane’s truck and absorbed the beauty of the green forest and snowcapped mountains to clear the gruesome images of Lindy Rosen from her mind. Who had lured her to her death and how the hell was she going to find her killer? She’d been coming up against brick walls, with a few suspicious men on her list but not suspicious enough to pull them in for questioning, let alone make an arrest.

  Her cellphone vibrated in her pocket and a wave of dread caught her unawares. She stared at the caller ID. Relieved to see Maggie’s name displayed, she sighed. “Morning, Maggie, what’s up?”

  “We’ve another girl gone missin’. Amanda Braxton, fifteen, lives not one mile away from the Rosens’ ranch.”

  Jenna’s heart sank. “Send me the address and details; we’ll head out there now. Tell Rowley to contact search and rescue, I want them on standby.” She disconnected and looked at Kane. “We haven’t hunted down a viable suspect for Lindy’s killer yet and it looks like the Shadow Man’s hit again.”

  “Another kidnapping?” Kane climbed into his vehicle and leaned over the back seat to pat Duke on the head. “Where this time?” He started the engine.

  Jenna’s phone chimed a message and she entered the coordinates into the GPS. “About a mile away. Amanda Braxton, fifteen, lives with her mother and older brother. Last seen around ten last night. Her mom figured she’d slept in and sent her brother to check on her around nine this morning and her room was empty.”

  “If this is the Shadow Man, he’s escalating faster than I expected.” Kane glanced at the GPS screen, then swung the car around and headed for Stanton Road. “We’ve a major problem with him because he’s playing a game with us in his mind. From the autopsy results, we know Lindy Rosen was dead before he sent you the video of her in the cellar. We never had a chance of finding her alive; the entire thing was a stunt.”

  Jenna grimaced. “So what’s his angle?”


  “I’m not sure. Maybe he gets off on watching us trying to save a life when he knows his victim is already dead.” Kane shrugged. “Or he’s giving himself plenty of time to stage the final scene.”

  Allowing his conclusions to sink in, Jenna stared at him. Light streamed through the forest in bands, hitting Kane and making him look like a flickering old movie, his movements broken and disjointed. The image looked surreal and Jenna blinked a few times to keep her mind on track. “Uh-huh, so what significance do the murders have to him? This guy doesn’t display the brutality we usually see in a psychopath’s MO. There’s no rape and Lindy was killed by a nice neat strangulation.” She glanced into the forest. Thousands of green pines flashed by, mixed with small splashes of color from the abundant wildflowers. She turned back to him. “If Amanda is his second victim and he tries the same stunt again, I have my own theory about him.”

  “Okay.” Kane’s mouth twitched down at the corners. “Why don’t I like where this is heading?”

  Deep in her own thoughts, Jenna frowned at his worried expression. “I’m pretty sure you’ve come to the same conclusion, Kane, it’s written all over your face.” She cleared her throat and kept her expression bland, but deep inside, the notion that she’d become the target of a deranged lunatic again scared the hell out of her. “He’s only killing to get my attention, to draw me into his perverted game. His trigger is women in authority and he needs power over them. Once he has them following his orders, he plans to kill them in a gruesome way – that’s why he set the IED, he wanted to create carnage and would’ve likely been somewhere close filming the aftermath.”

  “Let’s hope not.” Kane slowed to take a left, then after a few yards drove through wrought-iron gates and into a long driveway.

  Glacial Heights sure lived up to its reputation for being one of the most beautiful suburbs in Black Rock Falls. Building the new hospital wing and the extension of the college campus had brought an influx of prosperity to the small town. Highly skilled professionals had arrived and built spectacular houses north of town, and in the south where the land was plentiful and cheap, industrial plants producing everything from heavy machinery to barbed wire had blossomed.

  She admired the layout of the ranch. The owners had left half in its natural state. Tall pines lined a substantial driveway winding through a wooded area and opening up to a landscaped mirage surrounding the ranch house. Seasonal flowers spilled over flowerbeds in a kaleidoscope of color and a yellow spring rose climbed a trellis beside the front porch. The Braxtons had spared no expense to make their dream home.

  She glanced back at Kane. “Right now, I feel like I have a target on my back.”

  “Then I’ll make sure you’re never alone, Jenna, until we catch this guy. You’ll need to wear your vest when we’re on patrol.” Kane gave her a long look. “Although, I can’t see what motive he has to specifically target you. There’s plenty of other female authority figures in town. I’ve seen people go to extreme lengths to get revenge but with every case you’ve solved in Black Rock Falls, the perpetrators are either dead or in jail.” He shrugged. “Unless he’s gotten himself a problem with all women in authority – and if so why kill a teenage girl to lure you? He would’ve had the opportunity to shoot you a thousand times in the last few weeks, on the ranch or walking down Main Street.” He shook his head. “This one is a mystery on so many fronts. For instance, how did he lure Lindy from the house?”

  “I wish I knew.” Jenna folded her arms across her chest. This time she was going by her gut instinct and nothing he could say would change her slant on things. “Think about it, Kane. If he just shot me, it wouldn’t be a game, would it? I mean, for someone who lives for the thrill of dominating women in authority, killing me like that would be too clean. He wants to see me cut up bad. He wants to make a statement to show the world he’s a tough guy or something.” She shrugged. “I guess if Amanda’s case fits the same MO, you’ll agree with my take on the Shadow Man?”

  “Don’t for one minute believe I’m dismissing your conclusions, Jenna, ’cause I’m not.” Kane flicked her a concerned glance. “I figured we’re discussing theories is all.”

  Relieved, Jenna nodded. “Okay, sure. It’s good to discuss different angles on cases, or we’d never solve any at all.”

  “Yeah, sometimes we need to step outside the box. Crimes are like people, some appear similar but really they’re different.” He sighed and pulled to a halt outside the house. “One thing’s for sure, the Rosen case killer doesn’t follow any particular pattern of behavior. There’re way too many variables to fit Shadow Man into any known category. We need more evidence.”

  “True, but I don’t want to find out he’s strangled more girls just to prove a point.” Jenna reached for the door handle. “Let’s hope this is a simple runaway.”

  A woman ran out the door and down the steps to meet them. Dark hair tied back and wearing a sweater and blue jeans, she was in her late thirties. Jenna climbed out the SUV and went to meet her. “Mrs. Braxton?”

  “Oh, dear Lord, my Mandy has gone missing.” Tears streamed down her cheeks. “I’ve called everyone I know and no one has seen her. Her cellphone is on her nightstand and none of her clothes are gone; it’s as if she up and walked out the door wearing her PJs, dressing gown and slippers.”

  Jenna exchanged a look with Kane. Without issuing an order, he slid into action, walked some distance away and pulled out his cellphone to call Wolfe. Soon the ME, Webber and hopefully Atohi Blackhawk would be on scene. She touched Mrs. Braxton’s arm. “Can we go inside?”

  “Sure, the 911 operator said I wasn’t to touch anything in her room but I already searched her cupboard and pulled open her drawers to see if she’d taken any of her clothes.” Mrs. Braxton led the way inside the house. “You see, we had an argument last night. Mandy wanted to go to the Spring Festival dance with a boy who works in town but he’s nineteen and I grounded her for insisting on seeing him.” She led the way into the family room and stood in front of the open fire, wringing her hands. “I figured she’d run off with him.”

  “No, Ma, I told you, Matt’s not like that, he’s a decent guy.” A young man walked into the room. Tall and good-looking with dark hair and eyes. Jenna put him around seventeen. “He’s a couple of years older than me but we’re friends and she wouldn’t have been alone with him. You’re overreacting as usual.”

  Jenna glared at him. “And you are?”

  “I’m Amanda’s brother, Luke.” Luke lifted his chin toward his mom. “Mom still thinks she’s a baby and calls her Mandy.”

  “What’s Matt’s last name?” Jenna took out her notebook and pen. “Have you contacted him to see if Amanda is with him?”

  “As if.” Luke snorted. “His name is Matthew Miller, he’s a mechanic at Miller’s Garage in town; his old man owns the gas station.” He shrugged. “Matt only agreed to double-date with me as a favor. My girl’s Amanda’s best friend and they insisted on going to the dance together. Mom’s making out like it’s a big deal. It’s one lousy dance and I’d be with her all night. Matt wasn’t even planning on giving her a ride home.”

  Jenna made a note of Matthew Miller’s name and looked from one to the other in dismay. “I’ll need your girlfriend’s name. Have you contacted her about Amanda?”

  “Sure, her name is Lucy Mackintosh, I called her first and she hasn’t seen her since they met at Aunt Betty’s yesterday.” Matt scratched his cheek. “She said they chatted on the phone last night and my sister wasn’t planning to run away or nothing. She told Lucy she was going to sleep.”

  “But she’s gone.” Mrs. Braxton burst into tears and grasped Jenna’s arm tight. “You gotta find her.”

  Trying not to wince at the nails digging through her jacket, Jenna led her to a sofa. “We’ll have search parties out looking for her directly.” She sat beside the distraught woman. “Deputy Kane has already set things in motion and we’ll have help out here very soon.”

  “Ma’a
m.” Kane walked into the room. “The team are on their way, ETA fifteen minutes. I told Walters to drop the McLeod case for now and come straight here. He’s bringing the recording equipment.”

  Jenna looked up at him. “Roger that. Will you go take a look at Amanda’s room? I’m sure Luke will show you the way.” She glanced over at Luke. The young man snapped to attention and ushered Kane into the hallway.

  Jenna cleared her throat. She hated this part of the job, interviewing the family of a missing child and having to ask delicate questions seemed an intrusion into their grief. She drew a deep breath, the questions sat on a list in her memory. The First 24 Hours list, she’d memorized so long ago it had become almost a mantra and she’d hoped to never use it twice in one week. It was the critical time span required to find a missing person, particularly a child, alive. In fact, only twenty-five percent of abducted children survived the first three hours and seventy-five percent of those who’d survived died by the hands of their abductor within the 24-hour timespan. After that period, the chances of finding a child alive diminished considerably and after seventy-two hours, the chances became negligible. If Amanda had been under twelve years old, an FBI team would be on their way by now but as teenagers were prone to run away after an argument, the FBI deemed her disappearance a local matter.

  “When did you last see Amanda?”

  “About nine last night.” Mrs. Braxton dabbed at her eyes with a balled-up tissue. “I told her to get off her cellphone and go to sleep.”

  A chill ran down Jenna’s spine. Amanda had been missing for twelve hours. She could already be dead. She made a note of the time. “We’d like to examine her cellphone to check who she’s been calling, if that’s okay?”

  “Yes, I have it here. It’s not locked.” Mrs. Braxton pulled a pink-covered smartphone out her pocket and handed it to her. “She never goes anywhere without it. Why did she leave it behind?”

  “At this stage, I’m not sure.” Jenna scrolled down the list of messages then the log of incoming and outgoing calls. No one had contacted Amanda after the call from her friend Lucy and she didn’t find a single message or call from Matthew Miller. She pocketed the cellphone and turned her attention back to Mrs. Braxton. “When did you notice her missing?”