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

by D. K. Hood

  Jenna went inside the room. “Okay, Mr. Lancaster. I’ll take a look at your bank statement and when your mystery friend drops by to make a statement, you’ll be able to leave. Thank you for your time. I’ll arrange a ride back to work for you.”

  “Thank you.” Lancaster looked up at Jenna and anger flashed in his eyes. “So you have a human side after all.”

  Jenna ignored his sudden change of demeanor and went into the hallway. She pulled shut the door to the interview room and went to Kane’s side. “Give me something. We’ve three possible killers in custody and have to narrow it down.”

  “I’ll need to look over the interview tapes.” Kane rested his thumbs in his belt and stood feet apart, taking up almost the width of the passageway. “I’m not discounting the school janitor, McLeod, either; he’s the only one with a solid motive.”

  Jenna shook her head. “I don’t think it’s him but we’ll know for sure the moment the Shadow Man makes his next move. Go over what you have on the other three and see if you can narrow it down.”

  The tone of Jenna’s cellphone announced a message. She glanced up at Kane, not wanting to interrupt his line of thought. “I’d better take a look, it might be from Wolfe.”

  She opened the message file and stared in disbelief at the private number, then lifted her gaze to him. “It’s from the Shadow Man – and there’s an attachment.”

  Forty-Nine

  Heart thumping, Jenna opened the message and held the screen between them for Kane to read.

  You’re not so hot on playing games are you, Sheriff?

  Let me make it easy on you.

  Here’s the girl I’m going to kill next.

  Pretty isn’t she?

  You have one hour and then I’m coming for you.

  Won’t that be fun?

  Tick tock. Tick tock.

  Sick to the stomach, Jenna opened the attachment and stared at the girl in the photograph. She looked happy and excited, standing in front of a backdrop of pine trees. She turned to Kane. “I know the men in custody were searched before they entered the interview rooms and none of them have cellphones.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “Will you grab Rowley and strip-search them all? I’ll show this picture to Julie, she might know her.”

  “She looks familiar. I’m sure she’s one of the girls we spoke to at the drama club.” Kane stared at the image, his face grim. “He could already have her holed up somewhere.”

  Stomach cramping with worry, Jenna stared at the picture in dismay. “I made a list of the girls in the club. I’ll contact the parents and send the photo to all of them. Someone will recognize her.” She looked at Kane. “At last he’s made a mistake. We need to find that damn phone.”

  “I’m on it.” Kane hustled down the hallway and into the main office. “Rowley, with me.”

  Jenna ran to the front counter, dropped her files and notebook on the desk then held up her cellphone. “Hey, Julie. I could really use your help. Do you know this girl?”

  Wolfe’s daughter lifted her startled gaze to her and hurried to the counter.

  “She’s from school, I’m not sure of her name.” Julie frowned at the screen of Jenna’s cellphone. “Lucy would know. I can get her number for you.” She pulled her cellphone from her pocket and scrolled down the screen, then gave Jenna the details. “Has something happened to her?”

  In full panic mode, Jenna thumbed in the number. “Nothing yet, I hope.”

  She waited for what seemed like an eternity for Lucy to pick up. “Lucy, this is Sheriff Alton.”

  “Er… yes. Do you want to speak to my mom?”

  Trying to keep the concern from her voice, Jenna sucked in a breath. “I’ve an image of a girl from your school. I need to know her name and contact details. Can you help me please?”

  “Sure. Has she done something wrong?”

  “No. I just need to find her. I’ll send it through and call you back.” Jenna disconnected, sent the text, waited a long minute and then called her back. “Do you know her, Lucy?”

  “You didn’t need to hang up. I can receive texts and talk at the same time. I’ll show you how to do it if you like?”

  Jenna pushed down the rush of anxiety and tried to remain calm. She didn’t want to frighten Lucy. “That’s very kind of you but I need to know the name of the girl.”

  “It’s Sara Nelson. She lives out at 209 Stanton Road, Glacial Heights. I have her number if you want it?”

  Jenna balanced the cellphone under her chin and scribbled the details in her notebook. “Do you have her landline number as well?”

  “Ah, yeah, but if you need to talk to her parents they won’t be home for ages yet, like after six. They work at the hospital. Her mom’s a nurse and her dad’s a surgeon.”

  If the Shadow Man had already abducted Sara, the girl had no one to report her missing.

  “Okay, thank you, Lucy.” Jenna disconnected, and then took in Julie’s sheet-white face. It was as if she’d read her mind. She forced her mouth into a smile. “Thanks for your help, Julie, I’ll see if I can contact her.”

  After picking up her paperwork, Jenna walked as casually as possible back to her office, and then thumbed in Sara’s number. The call went to voicemail and she left a message asking Sara to contact her. Next, she tried the home phone and got the machine. She called the hospital and, after waiting what seemed like an eternity, finally reached Sara’s father. She explained the situation. “I need you to call her friends, in case she’s with one of them. If you find her, call me – and if you don’t, call me. This may be a copycat, or a hoax, but we need to make sure she’s okay.”

  “I’ll go get my wife, we’ll call everyone we know then get back to you.” Dr. Nelson sounded strained. “Please keep me informed. I’ll give you my cell number.” He rattled off the number.

  Jenna took down the details then disconnected. She heard footsteps in the hallway and stared at the open door. If her deputies found a cellphone, missed in the pat down, they’d have their killer. The next moment, Kane and Rowley came into the room. She looked at their stone-faced expressions and knew they’d found nothing. “So you’re telling me the killer is still out there somewhere?”

  “It sure looks that way.” Kane balled his fists on his hips.

  Stymied, Jenna leaned heavily against her desk. Tired, sore and exhausted. She sat down slowly in her chair. “He needed a cellphone to send the message.”

  “Not necessarily.” Wolfe walked into the room with Webber close behind. “Some cellphones have text scheduling. He could’ve set it then made sure he’d gotten an alibi for that time.” He gave Kane a knowing look, then handed him a new Kevlar jacket and a helmet. “Or it could be a copycat.”

  Jenna heaved a sigh seeing him and the new super-vest he’d managed to obtain for her with amazing speed. “The killer didn’t know we’d planned to haul him in for questioning, did he? And we’ve not informed the media about the messages.”

  “No but I’d bet he had a neat alibi set up for this afternoon.” Wolfe leaned one shoulder against the wall. “The first question you ask a suspect is their whereabouts at the time of the incident.”

  “Yeah, problem is all of the potential suspects we’re found so far were at work with a ton load of witnesses.” Jenna pushed a hand through her hair in frustration. “But if he’s kidnapped Sara and stashed her somewhere, he can’t kill her if he’s one of our suspects.”

  “Unless he’s rigged up a way to kill her using a timer, and with explosives that’s not difficult.” Kane’s eyes flashed with anger. “If we split up, we could search their homes now. One of them could have her holed up in his cellar.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Their keys are in the property room and we’ve gotten their written permission to do a search.” He leaned on the table and looked at her. “We can’t risk you going out alone, Jenna, not until we’ve solid evidence against this maniac, so leave the searching to us, okay?”

  “Sure. I’d be useless trying to do a search right no
w.” She glanced at her watch. Ten precious minutes had already passed. “Go get the keys. Rowley, make sure everyone has the correct addresses.” She waved everyone out her office.

  “I’ll call Blackhawk.” Wolfe turned back and frowned down at her. “He’s in town with one of his friends. You’ll be able to deputize them if everything goes to hell.”

  “Yeah, thanks.” Jenna removed her Glock from the desk drawer and slid it into the holster. “The Blackwater deputies aren’t due until six but I still have Walters.”

  “Yeah, but I’m with Kane on this, maybe we have the suspect locked up and maybe we don’t. If the Shadow Man is as smart as we figure, he’ll be out there watching us and know you’re alone. With his track record, he could be capable of anything. You’ll need backup.” Wolfe pulled out his cell. “I’ll call Blackhawk now.” He headed out the office.

  Jenna’s ringtone chimed and she stared at the caller ID, relieved it was Dr. Miller. “Sheriff Alton. Have you had any luck tracking down Sara?”

  “No, she met her friend in town earlier and she waited with her until she caught the bus home. I’m at home now and she’s not here.” Dr. Miller’s voice broke. “Dear God, someone has abducted our baby girl.”

  Fifty

  The wind had picked up and the branches of the tree outside Jenna’s office window scratched against the pane. The back of her neck prickled as unease crawled over her. If they’d made a mistake, the Shadow Man could be outside watching her and be aiming his rifle at her head right this moment. She swallowed hard and rolled her office chair to one side of the desk, then stood and pressed her aching back against the wall. Taking small steps, she eased her way to the side of the window.

  A dark shape appeared in the doorway and she instinctively pulled her weapon and aimed at it, holding the pistol in both hands.

  “Hey, it’s only me, Jenna.” Atohi Blackhawk lifted both hands and froze on the spot. “Shane called me, said you might need some company. He said to bring Joe along. He’s talking to Maggie.” He tipped his head to one side and regarded her with interest. “Something spook you?”

  Relieved to see a friendly face, Jenna holstered her weapon and took a few breaths to slow her racing heart. “Yeah, I heard a noise outside the window and was taking a look when you suddenly appeared at the door.”

  “I’ll close the blinds.” He walked to the window and pulled the cord and the metal blinds shut tight. “Maybe you should have closed these earlier with a lunatic in town taking shots at you.” He turned to face her. “I bet it hurts like hell. No wonder a noise spooked you.”

  In an effort to appear unruffled and in complete control of her sanity, Jenna sat down in her chair. “It does hurt but I’m coping just fine. Thanks for caring.” She looked at him. “Don’t worry about me; we’ve a missing girl to locate.”

  “Wolfe asked me to remind you to take pain meds.” Blackhawk frowned. “You’re as white as a ghost – maybe you need some now.”

  Slightly annoyed, she stared at her daybook. “No need for concern. Emily’s been by and rubbed a pain reliever into my back. I’ll be as good as new in the morning.”

  Her cellphone buzzed a message and she stared at it, unable to prevent the rush of anxiety. I’m acting like an idiot and letting the Shadow Man win. It could be any number of people texting me. She snatched up the cellphone and stared at the message ID, then dropped it on the desk. Oh dear God it’s him again.

  “Jenna, what’s wrong?” Blackhawk had crossed the floor in seconds. “Is it the Shadow Man again?”

  Suspicion crawled through her bones, twisting her gut. She stared at him and one hand crept to the handle of her weapon. “How do you know about the messages?”

  “Shane’s kept me in the loop.” Blackhawk frowned. “He figured it was best if you needed to deputize me.” He gave her a quizzical stare. “You can trust me, Jenna. You know that, right?”

  Although she doubted Wolfe would keep anyone but the members of their team “in the loop” she examined his expression, trying to find a tell or something to give her a clue to his intent, and found nothing. “No offense but I’m not sure who to trust anymore.” Jenna swallowed the bile creeping up the back of her throat. “It’s been a crazy few days and I’m exhausted.”

  “None taken. You should be suspicious of everyone.” Blackhawk backed away, looking concerned. “I know Shane and Dave both did background checks on me the first day we met.” He barked a laugh. “Your deputies are very protective of your inner circle.”

  “Yeah, that’s because we had a leak in the office a couple of years ago and it cost lives.” Jenna stared back at the cellphone but was reluctant to open the message in front of him.

  “Jenna, I’m here as your backup. If you’ve gotten a message from the Shadow Man, you need to deal with it. As you said before, a girl’s life is at stake. I’m calling Kane to put your mind at ease. I’ll put the phone on speaker.” He made the call. “Hey, man, I never figured Jenna would draw down on me but she had her Glock aimed at my head when I arrived. She’s listening in. Can you tell her I’m cleared for the Shadow Man case?”

  Kane’s voice came through loud and clear.

  “Sure, yeah, Wolfe filled him in. He’s good people, Jenna.”

  Fearful that a man who could appear as a ghost in a girl’s bedroom then vanish without a trace might be able to fake a simple phone call, Jenna considered her options as she chewed on her bottom lip. She needed to ask Kane a question and one which only they’d know the answer. “Do you mind confirming ID? You once told me the name of the love of your life. Who was that?”

  “That was Annie. You sure you’re okay, Jenna?” Kane sounded confused. “Why don’t you open the text now and read it to me. We might have time to save Sara.”

  “Sure, give me a second.” Heart pounding, she picked up her cellphone and opened the message. What’s your next move, Shadow Man?

  As if trapped in a void of disbelief, she stared at the words. It was as if he’d been watching her.

  I know it hasn’t been an hour since my last message but I never stick to the rules and now seemed like a perfect time to call.

  Sara’s alive but won’t be for long.

  How fast can you move, Sheriff, now you’ve taken a couple of rounds in the back?

  Are you afraid? I’m getting closer, Sheriff – or should I call you Jenna?

  You won’t be quick enough to stop me.

  I’m so going to enjoy this one.

  Tick tock, tick tock.

  “Jenna, what does the message say?”

  Kane’s voice jolted her back to reality and, holding the cellphone in trembling fingers, she relayed the message.

  “He’s not given you a clue, there has to be more. He’s a gamer, he has to give a clue or it’s no longer a game, it’s just a threat.” Kane cleared his throat. “Is there another message?”

  As if on cue, her cellphone buzzed again and a video file arrived. “There’s a file attached. I’m opening it now.”

  Blackhawk moved around the desk to stand beside her as the video file played. Knowing Kane would want exact details Jenna wanted desperately to drop into her professional persona and tried to slow her heartrate. It wasn’t about her, or some lunatic chasing her, it was about saving Sara Nelson. On the screen, Sara sat on a boulder in the forest, a rope around her neck tied like a hangman’s noose. Her mouth was covered and her head hung down. As she breathed, the hair falling over her face moved.

  Jenna relayed the information to Kane. “I’ll send you a copy.”

  “I know that place.” Blackhawk took the cellphone from her and replayed the file repeatedly. “It’s close to the swimming hole in Stanton Forest, the one near Stanton Road.”

  Jenna stared at him. “That’s a narrow trail. We’ll need horses if we plan to get there in a hurry.”

  “Our dirt bikes are right outside.” Blackhawk picked up his cellphone. “Kane, we’re heading out now.”

  Jenna got slowly to her feet. “Not wi
thout me, you’re not.” She lifted the new Kevlar vest and shrugged into it, then pulled on the helmet. “Kane, what’s your status?”

  “I found nothing in Anderson’s truck. I’m in his house now. There’s no cellar. The place looks clean. I’ll grab his laptop and head in your direction. I’m not far from that location.”

  Jenna could hear Kane’s boots clattering over a wooden floor. “Bring everyone up to date. I’m leaving now.”

  “Roger that. Stay safe, Jenna.” He disconnected.

  After giving Maggie a rushed update, she moved swiftly out the door and down the steps to meet Blackhawk and Joe astride their dirt bikes. She eyed Blackhawk’s blue and white machine with concern, then bit down hard on her cheek to take her mind off the pain in her back and swung her leg over the seat. She settled in snug behind him, found the footrests and hung on tight. The motorcycles roared and they headed down Main Street.

  The suspension on the bike was surprisingly good but the vibration was like a baseball bat to the spine. Jenna rested her head on Blackhawk’s wide back, inhaling the scent of his leather jacket as the houses flashed by. As the men pushed the speed to the bikes’ limit, the forest became a band of green. Then all at once they slowed and Blackhawk turned off the highway and followed Joe down a narrow trail deep into the forest.

  Bushes and low branches seemed to reach out to grab her at every hairpin bend and switchback. As they traveled deeper into the tall pines, the temperature dropped and frigid air buffeted her cheeks. The dirt bike stopped and she could hear Blackhawk’s voice over the engine. “We’ve found her.”

  Jenna peered over Blackhawk’s shoulder to see Sara in a clearing a short distance away. The girl appeared to be alive. She slipped from the bike. “She looks okay, thank God, we’re in time.”

  Ahead, Joe leapt from his bike and ran toward Sara.

  “Stop, wait for us, you idiot.” Blackhawk turned off his engine, slid from his seat and cupped his mouth. “Joe. Stop! It could be a trap.”