by D. K. Hood
“I do.” Kane’s mouth turned down. “He’s not finished killing yet.”
Fifty-Six
Stymied, Jenna spent the next couple of hours with Kane going through the murder books, checking and rechecking every angle in each case. She called the mothers of Lindy and Amanda and asked them to recheck their daughters’ belongings to make sure nothing was missing. She sent Rowley out to visit each of the homes of the other girls from the drama club to check on the homes’ security and offer their parents a warning to be aware the killer was still on the loose.
Jenna glanced up from the files. “Anything?”
“Nope.” Kane lifted his gaze from the murder book. “None of them had anything illegal on their computers either. We have zip.” He sighed. “Maybe we should—”
The door opened and Wolfe barreled inside, his eyes wild. “I can’t find Julie.”
“I gave her a ride back here around two.” Kane pushed to his feet and went to Wolfe’s side. “Have you asked Maggie?”
“Yeah, I called about an hour ago and she said Julie’s been going down to the stalls outside the town hall around two each day to buy candy. She hasn’t returned yet.” Wolfe’s large hands clenched and unclenched. “I closed my office and I’ve been searching with Emily and Webber – we can’t find her and her cell has dropped out.” His face drained of color. “I can’t get an accurate fix on her. Her last location is here. If someone’s using a GPS jammer to block the signal, her tracker won’t work either. Dammit! No one outside our team knows about the trackers.”
“I figure she hasn’t been able to activate it yet.” Jenna picked up the phone. “Maggie, get a BOLO out on Julie and contact the media. I want her found. Do you remember what she was wearing?”
“Oh, my Lord, yes, I remember.” The line went dead.
Heart racing with terror for Julie, Jenna took a beat then moved around her desk. “Kane, coordinate a grid search of town. Is there anywhere she might go? The library?”
“I looked there but she knows the rules – she wouldn’t just wander off without telling someone first. Maggie told me she’s usually gone about fifteen minutes.” Wolfe turned to Kane, his face distraught. “We’re wasting our time searching for her in town. I figure the Shadow Man’s taken her and we need to know which one of the creeps you dragged in for questioning has taken her.”
“Then we’ll split up and find the suspects.” Jenna walked past the deputies and leaned out the door. “Rowley, grab Walters and head out to the school and see if you can get eyes on Lancaster. He could be in the janitor’s office.”
“Yes, ma’am, but you’ve cleared him.” Rowley hustled to the office door. “What’s happened?”
Jenna lowered her voice. “Julie’s gone missing and he could be involved. Get going now.”
She turned back into her office to find Wolfe and Kane on their cellphones getting information on the whereabouts of Anderson and Packer. She grabbed her phone to call the Green Thumb Landscaping Service office and soon had Kittredge’s location. “Kittredge is at Glacial Heights.”
“So is Anderson.” Kane looked at her. “Get your vest on, we’ll hunt down both of them at the same time.”
“Packer is working in the same area too.” Wolfe stared into the distance as if thinking. “I just had a thought. One of Julie’s paintings is in an exhibition at the town hall. They’re holding an art competition and announcing the winner tomorrow. She might have gone inside to take a look at the display.” He dashed a hand through his hair. “There’s plenty of places inside for someone to grab her and it has a basement.”
Fingers shaking from seeing the men’s deep concern, Jenna fumbled into her vest, and then pulled her coat over the top. “Then we start there. Use the com packs, we’ll need to keep in touch.” She headed for the door.
The next moment, Emily and Webber dashed through the front door. Jenna pulled them to one side. “Has anyone seen her?”
“Not since she purchased candy and a drink from a stall outside the town hall.” Webber rubbed the back of his neck. “The woman working on the stall said she didn’t notice where she went afterward.”
“Webber, with me.” Wolfe headed toward the door. “Emily, stay here. Don’t set a foot outside until I return. Call home and tell Mrs. Mills to make sure your sister remains inside the house.” He hurried out the door with Webber on his heels.
Jenna caught the door and ran down the steps. As they climbed into his truck, she glanced up at Kane. “Drive round back of the town hall. If anyone took her from there, they would’ve gotten her out of one of the fire exits.”
“Roger that.” Kane hit the gas, reversing out of the parking space, horn blaring. “She’s probably in the town hall and lost track of time. If someone attacked her, she’d have hit her tracker. She’s smart and I don’t figure she’d walk into danger.”
Jenna swallowed hard, trying to release the fear clutching at her throat. “What if the Shadow Man carries a GPS jammer?”
“Let’s hope not.” Kane had slowed and was rolling his truck slowly into the parking lot behind the town hall. He buzzed down his window and looked outside, then hit the mic on his com pack. “Wolfe, I’m out back. You need to see this.” He pulled the truck to a halt.
Jenna turned in her seat. “What is it?”
“Evidence. I’ll need to take a closer look.” Kane slid out the vehicle, then walked some distance away and crouched down.
Jenna leapt from the seat and ran around the hood to see what Kane had found. Moments later Wolfe came thundering through one of the exits with Webber close behind. She arrived beside Kane and stared down at a spilled bag of candy. “Oh, Jesus, that’s her favorite candy.”
“Don’t touch anything.” Wolfe was beside him, pulling on gloves. “Look over there.” He pointed to an empty paper cup rolling back and forward in the wind. “The contents spilled in an arc, as if she was surprised from behind and swung around, dropping the candy and cup.” He collected the bag and cup and dropped them into an evidence bag, then turned his furious gaze on Jenna. “We need to find this SOB now.” He glanced at his watch. “She’s been missing for almost two hours and it will be dark in less than three.”
Jenna forced her voice not to tremble but she had to follow protocol. “Go home and wait for me to call you. You can’t be involved in the investigation, Shane.”
“Oh no, Jenna. I’m so gonna be involved. That’s my baby out there all alone with a maniac. Not you or Kane can stop me searching for her and if that SOB has hurt her, I’m gonna tear him apart with my bare hands.” He turned to Kane. “You’ll have to shoot me before I’ll stand down.” He swung around to Jenna. “We’re wasting time. I’m gonna find Packer. It has to be him.” He headed back into the town hall.
Jenna turned and stared at Kane. “Let’s go.”
“You drive.” Kane started back to his truck. “I have the suspects’ cellphone numbers and I’ll try and get a fix on them. If he’s using a jammer, we won’t be able to track his cell.”
“That’s illegal.” Jenna climbed behind the wheel, started the engine and headed the beast out of the parking lot.
“So is kidnapping.”
Fifty-Seven
Jenna took the entrance to the ranch where Kittredge was working and pulled up beside a Green Thumb Landscaping truck. “That might be his truck. I’ve no idea how many of the men working here have one.”
“The GPS on his cellphone is blocked.” Kane glanced up at her. “Anderson and Packer are in Glacial Heights. I guess after we hauled him in for questioning, Kittredge might have disabled the feature on his phone. Big Brother is watching and all that.”
As she opened the door, Jenna’s cellphone chimed in her pocket. “It’s Rowley.”
“Lancaster isn’t here. I’ve spoken to the guys replacing some of the seats in the football field stands. They said he gave them orders then left.”
“Dammit.” Jenna looked at Kane and shook her head. “Okay, go check his residence. If
he isn’t there, head back to the office and wait for orders. If anything comes in on the BOLO, call me.”
“Roger that.”
“Can I help you, Sheriff?” A woman, late twenties, with a mass of curly brown hair, wearing jeans and a leather jacket, walked out of the trees and headed toward her.
Jenna turned and smiled at her. “Yes, I noticed you’ve the Green Thumb Landscaping Service here today. Would you happen to know if Paul Kittredge’s team is here?”
“Paul, yeah, he’s working on the other side of these trees.” She waved a hand behind her. “I’m having the clearing made into a secret garden for my girls.”
Stomach tightening at the thought of Kittredge working near kids, she forced a smile. “Has he been here all day?”
“All day?” The woman frowned. “Yeah, apart from leaving around two to pick up some turf.”
The hairs on the back of Jenna’s neck prickled. “When did he get back?”
“Just before the men unloaded the turf into wheelbarrows and took it down the path.”
“Ah, good.” Jenna fixed the smile to her face. “Do you mind if we have a word with him?”
“Go right ahead.” The woman walked past them and hurried up the front steps to her house.
“Hold up, Jenna.” Kane indicated to Kittredge’s truck with his thumb. “Windows are open. I’ll take a look inside.” He pulled on gloves and raised one eyebrow. “If this is a problem, just look away. I won’t take long.”
Unease filled Jenna as she stared down the pathway in the direction the woman had come. Kittredge could be the Shadow Man. Her earbud crackled. It was Wolfe and she pressed her mic. “Rowley is chasing down Lancaster. He was a no-show at work. Have you found Packer?”
“Packer’s not our man, he’s been working here since seven this morning, and he hasn’t left the premises. He brings his lunch pail from home.”
She brought him up to date with Kittredge. “He’s a possible but there’s a ton load of places between here and town he could’ve stashed Julie.”
“I want someone watching Kittredge.” Wolfe’s voice had dropped to a growl. “He’ll have to go back to her. Has he sent any messages?”
“Not yet.” Jenna heard the gravel crunch behind her as Kane moved to her side. “I’ll get Rowley to sit down the road in his pickup, he’ll follow him.”
“Too risky. Can you get near his vehicle?”
Jenna could see Kane was listening through his earbud. “Yeah, and we can get inside, the window’s open.”
“Kane, activate your tracker and hide it inside the cab. Do it now and I’ll see if he’s using a GPS jammer in his vehicle.”
“Roger that.” Kane jogged back to the vehicle.
Jenna watched as he unclipped his tracker button and pushed it under the driver’s seat of Kittredge’s vehicle, then closed the door without a sound and gave her a nod. She pressed her mic. “It’s done.”
“It’s working fine.” Wolfe sounded stressed to the max. “We’re going to do a drive-by of Anderson’s house. I’ll ask the neighbors if he’s been home anytime today. I doubt Kittredge would risk taking Julie to his room at the Triple Z.”
“Roger that.” Jenna looked at Kane. “Let’s go. You drive.” She turned to the truck when she heard a familiar voice.
“I’m gonna have to get me one of those orders of protection against you, Sheriff.” Kittredge stood, hands on hips, eyeing her with disgust. “It’s not been more than a few hours and here you are in my face again.” He waved his cellphone at her. “I figure I’ll give Sam Cross a call.”
Jenna spun around to glare at him. “Go crawl back into your hole, Kittredge. I wouldn’t waste a second of my time on you.” She climbed into Kane’s truck and looked at his astonished expression. “Drive.”
“Where to?” Kane headed down the long tree-lined driveway.
“The Rosens’. Anderson is back there working today, installing panic buttons.” She gave Kane a sideways glance. “I’m not sure I’d be happy having Anderson back after what happened to Lindy.”
“He wasn’t charged, so he’s innocent until proven guilty. I figured it was Kittredge until Lancaster went missing. We might be wasting our time here.” Kane accelerated along the winding road, made a left then drove the two hundred yards to the Rosens’ ornate gate. “That’s new.”
As they slowed to pass a group of men using a post-hole digger, Jenna looked back at Kane. “I figure that’s an electric fence going up. No doubt they’ll have a camera fitted on the gate later.”
Jenna’s cellphone rang. It was Rowley. “Did you locate Lancaster?”
“Nope. I asked the neighbors, they haven’t seen him. It looks like he’s left.”
Jenna bit her bottom lip. “Okay, check at the car detailers and Aunt Betty’s, see if anyone’s seen him.”
“Roger that.” Rowley disconnected.
She looked at Kane. “I hope we didn’t let the killer go free.”
“So do I.” Kane grimaced.
When they reached the Rosens’ home, Anderson’s truck was nowhere in sight. “This doesn’t look good.” She slipped out of the passenger seat and hurried up the front steps.
Jenna knocked on the front door. Mrs. Rosen, looking pale and shattered, opened the door and stared at them blankly.
“Yes? Have you found the animal who murdered Lindy?”
“No, I’m sorry, not yet.” Jenna swallowed hard. She could see the woman’s pain. “Do you mind if I ask you a question?”
“More questions? You had me going through Lindy’s things again and now you want more information? Why aren’t you out searching for her killer?”
“We’re doing everything possible but we still need your help.” Jenna looked into the woman’s red-rimmed eyes. “This is why we’re here. Can you tell me if any of the technicians from Silent Alarms have been by today?”
“They have. A couple of them stopped by and Charlie has been here since around midday, I guess. He’s been back and forth all afternoon.”
Jenna exchanged a long look with Kane. “Can you be more specific?”
“He went into town to buy lunch and pick up some parts. Came back around three and then left about a half-hour ago.” Mrs. Rosen blinked as if trying to understand. “Why? He isn’t a suspect, is he?”
Jenna shook her head. She hated lying to the woman but if Anderson was involved, she might be placing her in danger. “We don’t have any suspects but we’re keeping track of people who knew Lindy.”
“I’ve nothing else to tell you.” Mrs. Rosen shut the door in Jenna’s face.
“Poor woman.” Kane turned to leave and indicated to the driveway. “Well, I’ll be darned.”
Jenna spun around as Charlie Anderson’s pickup pulled up beside Kane’s truck. She lowered her voice to just above a whisper. “Now what? Can you sneak my tracker into his pickup?” She pulled it from her buttonhole and passed it to him.
“That’s the plan.” Kane smiled at her. “Distract him, and I’ll drop it somewhere. Leave your mic on so I’ll hear what he’s saying.” He headed back to his truck.
“Done.” Jenna lingered at the bottom of the steps, pretending to look at her notes.
“Well, fancy seeing you here, Sheriff.” Anderson climbed out his pickup, carrying a cardboard carton. “Checking up on me?”
The challenging way he looked at her sent a shiver down her back. “No, Mr. Anderson that would be police harassment. I came by to speak to Mrs. Rosen.” She noticed Kane emerging from around his truck and offered Anderson a smile. “I see you’re beefing up the security around here.”
“Can’t get too much security. Maybe you should call out Silent Alarms to secure your ranch. Out there in the middle of nowhere, you’d need a reliable alarm system.” Anderson’s gaze moved over her face. “We don’t want you going missing in the middle of the night, now, do we?”
A cold sweat beaded on her flesh as she took in his satisfied smile. It was as if he was taunting her. “I’ll be su
re to look into it.” She noticed Kane edging toward Anderson’s truck and pressed on. “How long does it take to install a complete system?”
“It depends what level of security you need.” Anderson inclined his head. “Are you all alone out there?”
Jenna frowned, waiting a beat as if considering his question to delay him a little longer. “Yeah, I live alone so I guess I’ll need the works.”
“No dogs?” Anderson lowered his voice. “I figured you and Deputy Kane lived together. I see you heading off home with him most nights.”
Most nights? Has he been watching me? “No dogs and Kane has his own place.” She could see Kane in her periphery, sliding behind the wheel of his own truck. “I’ll give Silent Alarms a call on Monday and get a quote.”
“Mention my name. It’s good for a discount. Look, I’ve gotta go.” He winked at her. “Mrs. Rosen expects me to have this installed before I leave for the day.” He headed up the front steps and knocked on the door.
Shaken, Jenna headed to Kane’s truck and climbed into the passenger seat. “Is he using a GPS jammer?”
“Nope.” Kane was staring at an app on his cellphone.
Jenna moved her attention away from the screen and back to the house. “He’s been watching us.”
“Yeah, I heard.” Kane’s mouth turned down and he shook his head. “Creepy guy but that doesn’t make him a killer.”
Unease crept over her as she glanced back at the house. “I guess not but I’m suspicious of everyone right now.”
“Why Anderson? He didn’t threaten you.” Kane frowned at her. “I figured that was the salesman in him. Maybe he tried to make you uneasy so you’d buy something.”
