by D. K. Hood
“Good idea. We’ll be in touch as soon as we know anything.” Jenna watched her climb the stairs then turned as Wolfe came down the hallway with Webber close behind. “Find anything?”
“No.” Wolfe held up a few evidence bags. “I’ve collected fibers, and have her laptop and cellphone. I’ll need time to do some tests and scan her media files.”
“We found a partial footprint and hairs and fibers.” Jenna waved a hand toward the front door. “Atohi put them in your van.”
“Okay.” Wolfe indicated with his chin to Webber. “I have Emily to assist me if you need Webber. With Rowley running the command post, it only leaves you and Kane to chase down clues.”
Jenna nodded. “Yeah, thanks, Webber would be a great help.”
“There’re signs of a struggle.” Kane moved closer and lowered his voice. “We’ve taken photos of the scene.”
“Good, get them to me ASAP.” Wolfe rubbed his chin and his fingers rasped against the blond stubble. “I’ve collected DNA samples from the family and I figure I’ve solved the mystery of the reset alarm.” He headed for the front door. “See here.” He pointed to the control panel beside the front door. “The CCTV and lights are on a different circuit and are turned off manually. Normally the lights would come on when someone approaches the house but the alarm doesn’t activate until two minutes after someone opens the doors or windows. It gives the owners time to come inside and put in the correct code. The same applies to when they leave but the delay is five minutes. Amanda had her own key and it’s not in the house, so we have to assume she deactivated the floodlights and CCTV cameras because she didn’t want anyone to know she’d sneaked out, then reset the alarm when she left because she planned to return to the house.”
Jenna nodded. “So it looks like she knew her kidnapper?”
“Yeah.” Wolfe’s mouth formed a thin line. “It sure does.”
“I hope this is the end of this stupid game now.” Jenna balled her hands on her hips and grimaced. “I’m over getting sick to my stomach every time a message sounds on my cellphone.”
Twenty-Six
It never ceased to amaze Kane how fast the local media got wind of a story. As he turned his truck into Main Street, he couldn’t miss the live news TV satellite truck parked opposite the sheriff’s office or the crowd of people milling around on the sidewalk like vultures hungry for a tidbit of information. He pulled in at the curb outside Aunt Betty’s Café and turned to Jenna. “Do you want a few minutes before you face the media?”
“What did you say?” Jenna looked at him, as if oblivious to the crowd and the commotion. She’d spent the entire trip on her cellphone, organizing the team for the next stage of the investigation.
Kane indicated with his chin to the other end of town. “It’s a media frenzy down there. I suggest we slip into Aunt Betty’s to write a statement – unless you want to do one on the fly?”
“No, I’ll need to be careful what I say or they’ll twist my words. I’ll need to freshen up a bit as well. I wonder if Susie has a comb I could use?” She glanced out the window. “No one around, let’s go.” She slipped from the vehicle and jogged into the café.
Kane followed behind. Duke snored on the back seat. He would be fine inside the truck until they returned. He made his way to the counter, glad to see Susie Hartwig serving a customer. “The sheriff’s usual and I’ll have turkey on rye.” He smiled at her. “The sheriff needs to speak to the press and we’ve been searching the woods for a missing girl. Do you have a comb she could borrow?”
“Don’t you worry now. I’ll have her fixed up in no time.” Susie turned and called out the order, then came around the counter. “I’ll go speak to her. The food will be along directly.” She bustled off in Jenna’s direction.
Before he reached the table, Jenna and Susie had disappeared into the ladies’ restroom. The food arrived and Kane stared at the passageway. He’d finished his sandwich and was halfway through his second cup of coffee by the time Jenna returned to the table. He cast an appreciative gaze over her. She had beautiful skin and rarely wore more than a hint of makeup; when he took her to dinner, she usually added a fine line around her eyes and a dab of perfume. Susie had covered the bruises on her face and although the scrapes were still evident, he doubted anyone would notice them. Her hair shone like a raven’s wing and her eyes had transformed into hypnotic pools of dark blue – She. Looked. Spectacular. His jaw dropped and he forced himself to look away and act natural.
“Dang, do I look that bad?” Jenna’s cheeks colored. “I told her to go easy on the makeup. The light in the bathroom is so dim, I couldn’t see properly, I hoped I’d look okay.”
Kane pushed the bagel and cream cheese toward her. “You look amazing. I can’t see any of the bruises. Eat and we’ll work on a statement.” He pulled out his notebook and pen.
She didn’t reply but when he lifted his gaze away from his notes, she gave him a warm smile. After their distressing morning and previous horrendous days, it took him by surprise. “Okay, what do you want to say to the press?”
“That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.” Jenna’s attention never left his face. “So you do have a soft side, hidden under all that macho.”
Kane chuckled. It was good to see he’d amused her. “I’m a pussycat but don’t tell Duke, he’d disown me.” He reached for his coffee.
“Sure, it will be our little secret.” Jenna took a bite of her bagel and sighed. “Okay, back to work. We’ll keep the media statement short and refuse to take questions. How about I just mention we’re searching for a missing girl, give them her description and photograph, then ask people to call in if they’ve seen her?”
Kane made a few notes. “Yeah, but we know she’s been kidnapped and searching for her is probably a waste of time if this is the same man and he has her holed up somewhere. If you leave it as ‘missing’, we’ll have search parties combing the area. I’m worried they might stumble into another booby trap.” He tapped the pen on the table. “Maybe you should rephrase the statement by saying you’d like residents to be on the lookout for Amanda, who may be traveling with a male companion in or around Black Rock Falls. Maybe ask for volunteers to man the crime hotline like before?”
“Yeah, I’ll set up a command station at the office and Maggie will pull in as many people as she can to take calls. I’ll leave Rowley in charge and that will leave us free to chase down the suspects. First on the list is Mathew Miller.” She pushed the last piece of bagel into her mouth and washed it down with coffee. “Let’s do it.”
* * *
As they arrived at the sheriff’s office a swarm of people surrounded Kane’s truck. He gave his siren a couple of blasts and the majority jumped back, startled. He pulled into his parking space and glanced at Jenna. “Wait here. I’ll come around to your side and keep these idiots away from you.”
“I’m sure they’ll leave me be.” Jenna went to push open the door and the crowd of reporters stepped forward as one. She glanced back at him. “Okay, do your stuff.”
Kane rounded the hood, glaring at the excited faces, and waited for Jenna to step from the truck. He raised his voice and gave them his best “back the hell off” stare. “If you want a statement, stand back or Sheriff Alton is going inside.”
The crowd fell quiet and an attractive blonde wearing a tailored suit, stilettoes and makeup applied with a trowel appeared at the front, followed by a man carrying a camera on one shoulder.
“Joanne Daly, Live Now News.” She offered Jenna a smile. “Sheriff Alton, do we have another killer in Black Rock Falls?”
“I have already issued a statement regarding Lindy Rosen. I’m here to speak to you about Amanda Braxton.” Jenna spoke loudly and clearly. “Amanda left her home sometime after midnight last night and was last seen in the company of an unknown male. If anyone has seen Amanda—” Jenna held up the girl’s photograph “—please call the crime hotline number. I’ll issue a further statement when more informat
ion comes to hand.”
A barrage of questions followed and reporters surged forward sticking recording devices in their faces, but Jenna’s face had turned to stone.
“I don’t have any answers for you at this time.” She glanced up at Kane. “I’m done here.”
Kane nodded. “I’ll grab Duke.” He opened the back door, unclipped the dog’s restraint and moved close to Jenna. He waved a hand at the persistent reporters. “Back off or I’ll arrest you for obstruction.”
The people opened up a path and they hustled into the sheriff’s office.
“My, oh, my.” Maggie gave them a huge grin from behind the front counter. “Seems like we have a couple of celebrities in our midst. Does this mean I get a pay rise?”
“I figure we should all get one since the population of Black Rock Falls has doubled since I took over as sheriff.” Jenna ran her hand along the counter. “Anything come in on the BOLO?”
“Not a thing and search and rescue found zip, but I have somethin’ that may be pertinent to the Lindy Rosen case.” Maggie turned to Julie Wolfe, who sat beside her. “Julie will explain what’s been going on at school.”
“Okay, Julie, come into my office. Kane, grab Rowley – he’ll want to be in on this.” Jenna strode into her office.
Kane turned to look at Julie. “Did something happen to you at school?”
“Not me.” Julie blushed scarlet. “It’s something I heard.” She gave him a small smile and followed Jenna.
“Ooookay.” Kane stared after them, then whistled to get Rowley’s attention and pointed to Jenna’s office.
“What’s happened?” Rowley came swiftly to his side.
Kane shrugged. “I don’t have the details; it’s something Julie heard at school. Do you need help setting up the command center for the Braxton case?”
“Nah, I’ve organized the Blackwater deputies to take over in shifts at the house and all the hotline calls will come through to here. Maggie’s organized a team and they’ll be here shortly.”
Kane listened with interest as Julie told Jenna about the number of girls at school having nightmares about men in their rooms. When Julie left the office, he leaned back in his chair. “What do you figure that’s all about?”
“I’m not sure.” Jenna mimicked his stance. “Mass hysteria, maybe?”
Kane rubbed the back of his neck. “Possible, especially as in all the cases Julie mentioned, the parents searched the girls’ bedroom and found no trace of anyone but they weren’t kidnapped.”
“Until you get to Lindy Rosen.” Rowley’s expression was serious. “She saw someone in her room, and then someone abducted and murdered her.”
“I’d be more concerned if Amanda had said she’d seen a man in her room as well.” Jenna sighed. “Seeing her grandma after she died isn’t at all unusual. I used to see my folks everywhere, in the street, lining up in stores. I figured it was part of the grieving process.”
“I’ve never seen any of my dead relatives at the foot of my bed.” Rowley looked horrified. “Don’t want to either.”
Kane cleared his throat. “Mass hysteria or, in Amanda’s case, maybe wishful thinking – but the victims seeing two different apparitions doesn’t link the cases together. What does is the fact they both opened the door to a stranger and walked out into a cold night, for no apparent reason.”
“There has to be another link. We’ll need to speak to everyone in her group of friends, and the boy Luke mentioned. If he’s been stalking her he might have seen someone else hanging around her.” Jenna picked up the phone. “Maggie, could you send Julie back in please?” She waited for the girl to arrive. “The group of girls you mentioned, you said Lindy was one of them – are you friends with them as well?”
“Yeah, sort of, but they’re always hanging around the jocks and never stop talking about Mason. I prefer to go to the library than chase after sweaty gardeners.” Julie wrinkled her nose. “They all seem to have a thing about the men who work around the school – not the old ones.” She giggled. “The ones around twenty or maybe thirty, I guess.”
“Amanda as well?” Jenna smiled at her. “Did she like Mason Lancaster?”
“Him and anything male on two legs.” Julie blushed crimson. “Oh, please don’t tell my dad I told you, he’ll make me find new friends and it’s taken forever to fit into this school.”
Kane turned to her. “We don’t have to tell him the information came from you but maybe you should tell him what you know. Coming forward with this information is a good thing and if this group of girls are heading for trouble, perhaps finding new friends would be a mature thing to do.” He smiled at her. “I was an army brat too and I know what you’re going through but you’ve been here for some time now and it will be easier to expand your circle of friends.”
“Well, Sara is in the group too and she’s more like me. She likes art too and we both attend classes in the community hall.” Julie smiled. “Other girls from school go there as well. I’ll try to get to know them better.”
“That sounds like a plan.” Jenna nodded. “If you’d give Maggie a list of all the girls who hang around the workers at school and underline any who’ve had nightmares of men in their rooms, it would be a big help. We’d like to find out if there’s a person stalking these girls and we need a place to start.”
“Sure.” Julie headed for the door, and then looked back at Jenna. “I’ll make a list now.”
“Great.” Jenna nodded. “And ask Maggie to hunt down their addresses ASAP and send them to me.”
Kane waited for her to shut the door. “Now we have two girls who chased after Mason Lancaster. I figure we need another talk with him.”
“We’ll speak to Miller first, then Peter English. They’re in town. If Kittredge is working on one of the Glacial Heights ranches, we’ll check his whereabouts last night then we’ll head out to the school and tackle Lancaster. I want to cover as much ground as possible this afternoon.” Jenna’s phone rang. “Yeah, put him through.” She placed the phone on speaker. “Mr. Wilts, Sheriff Alton. What exactly did you see?”
“I live near Glacial Heights some ways from the Braxton ranch, I’m on the same road and my house is on the bend before Stanton Road. I was out walking my dog ’bout one last night and a big pickup came out of the dark then turned on the headlights and near blinded me as it went around the corner. It took off as if the devil himself was after it.”
“Did you get a plate?” Jenna lifted her pen and pulled her notebook toward her.
“Can’t say that I did.” Mr. Wilts sighed. “The lights gave me red spots in my eyes, I couldn’t see a darn thing but I know it was a pickup, maybe a Chevy Silverado or similar. Hard to tell the color in the dark but it did have something written on the door.”
“Okay, thank you for your help, Mr. Wilts. If you think of anything else or see the vehicle again, give me a call.” She disconnected and met Kane’s gaze. “Now we have to match the suspects with the vehicle.” She pushed to her feet. “Do you have everything under control here, Rowley?”
“Sure do, ma’am.” Rowley stood. “I’ll call you the moment anything useful comes in.” He left the room.
Kane pushed to his feet. “You know what’s eating at me?”
“What?” Jenna slipped into her Kevlar vest, and then shrugged on a jacket.
“I’m sure this is the same perp but he hasn’t contacted you with another countdown. Why has he suddenly changed the game?” Kane scratched his cheek. “It’s not logical for this stage of his behavior.”
“Huh?” Jenna stared at him with an astonished look on her face. “Since when do we consider anything a psychopath does logical?”
Kane zipped up his jacket and shrugged. “We don’t but he does. In his mind, everything he does is perfectly logical. He’d have a game plan, so why change it when it worked well the first time? He came close to killing us, Jenna.”
“Yeah, but he doesn’t know who he’s dealing with, does he? This means he’s pl
aying by my rules now. And I plan to win.” Jenna led the way to the door.
Twenty-Seven
It was so cold Amanda’s bones ached. Disorientated and teeth chattering, she woke enclosed in darkness. Under her stiff muscles, cold seeped through her clothes from the unrelenting floor. Her cheek pressed against a rough wooden board and her head pounded. A jolt of fear shuddered through her as the memory of a man attacking her slammed into her. Too afraid to move, or brush away the grit digging into her flesh, she opened her eyes wide and scanned the blackness. Where am I?
A musty smell with the awful odor of rats surrounded her but pinpricks of light pierced the darkness. Outside it must be daylight; she’d been asleep or unconscious for hours. The stale air reminded her of her uncle’s log cabin in Stanton Forest before her mother opened all the windows. She’d often spent weekends there to go fishing with her family and recalled the way the moonlight peeped through the cracks in the shutters – but this was different. The light came through tiny holes in the walls. She listened but no sound of the man or anything else broke the silence. I’m alone.
Relieved the man hadn’t tied her up she rolled onto her knees and, running her palms over the rough floor in all directions, inched forward. Heart pounding, she shuffled across the filthy floor. A scuttling noise came from close by and a creature ran up her arm and over her back. Rats! She screamed, jumped to her feet and ran blindly, crashing into a wall and falling hard on her backside. Choking back a sob, she staggered to her feet then, arms outstretched, touched the wall.
Under her fingers ancient paint flaked away from horizontal logs. Underfoot the old floor creaked and moved with each step. Sheer panic had her by the throat as she edged her way along the wall. She found the familiar shape of a window but something had obscured the glass and, after feeling all around, she found no catch to open it. She moved on, step by step, deeper into darkness. The next moment, cobwebs tangled around her face and, gasping, she clawed them away. Convinced a spider had crawled into her hair, she shook her head, smacking at her hair and sobbing. I have to find a door. She reached out again but something big and scratchy ran over her hand. She gasped, pulling it away, too terrified to move another step.
