Promises in the Dark

by D. K. Hood

  “Ha.” Jenna shook her head. “He pushes her buttons too but she worked him out way before I did. I doubt it will happen again but if it does, I’m either going to ignore his sexist remarks or punch him on the nose.” She chuckled. “I’m all for equality, and if a guy made a sexist remark to you, you’d do the same, right?”

  Not sure if she was joking, Kane shrugged. “Maybe he thinks he’s being funny?”

  “Oh no, he knows exactly how to get under my skin.” Jenna stared out the window. “It just took me a while to understand his angle. I thought at first it was because he’d been off the grid for a couple of years, but I see right through him now. He doesn’t know how to act around women and how old is he? Thirty or something and he still acts like a kid.”

  Kane had his own ideas about Carter, if she’d listen. “More like he’s trying to cover up any lapses into PTSD episodes by trying to be funny. He was leading a team where kids were killed and it knocked him sideways for a time.” He scratched his cheek, thinking. “He is arrogant, but I think he means well.” He shot her a look. “As a Seal, he was a team player, and it won’t take him too long to fall back into the way of things. It’s a way of life for them and he’s been alone far too long.”

  “Maybe.” Jenna snorted. “You don’t need to make excuses for him, Dave.”

  “Then what can I do to help?” Kane headed down the main street of Louan. “I figure you’d like to keep some distance between you and Carter for the next couple of hours?”

  “Yeah, I sure would. Get him out of my hair for a while and go and hunt down the people who came out to look at the fire. See if they have any footage, and if they noticed anyone else hanging around that’s not on the sheriff’s list.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “I’ll take Jo and we’ll hunt down the victims’ friends and family. Although, I figure everyone in town knows about the explosion by now.” She checked her tablet. “I want to find out who had it in for the Wood family.”

  Kane glanced at her. “So where are you going first? The sheriff’s department?”

  “Yeah, I want to know why there’s no one out at the scene.” Jenna lifted her chin. “He’ll be surprised to see me. I’m sure he won’t be too happy the FBI chose us as consultants. You don’t have to wait. I’ll update the sheriff and we’ll meet up at the diner at one.” She glanced behind them. “Carter and Jo are right behind us, pull up here and I’ll bring them up to speed.”

  “Sure.” Kane pulled into a space outside the Louan Sheriff’s Department and Jenna slid from the seat. “Catch you later.”

  He took out his phone to access the files and pulled up the list of people who’d watched the fire. A tap came on his window and he looked up to see Carter and Zorro. He buzzed down the window. “It looks like we’re working together today.”

  “Yeah, that bit I know.” Carter removed his toothpick and tossed it into a trash can. “What’s on our list?” He settled Zorro beside Duke and climbed into the passenger seat.

  Kane explained and entered the first of the witnesses’ addresses into the GPS. “Going on the theory that if this is a firebug, it’s likely this isn’t his first dance, I figure we dig a little deeper into the witnesses before we speak to them. How fast is Bobby Kalo at hunting down jackets?”

  “Fast.” Carter smiled. “I’ll send him the file now.” He pulled out his phone and then chuckled. “Do you know your truck smells like honeysuckle?” He grinned. “Jenna leaves a little ray of sunshine wherever she goes, huh?”

  Kane backed out onto Main and headed out of town. He slowed as a group of townsfolk spilled onto the blacktop grappling a banner for an upcoming rodeo that was flapping in a sudden gust of wind, and turned to Carter. “Jenna had to fight for her position as sheriff. She’s a respected member of the community and doesn’t need you smart-mouthing her every time we meet.”

  “I was just joshing with her.” Carter tipped up his Stetson and whistled through his teeth. “Okay, who do we have first?” He peered at his phone, just as it buzzed with a message. “It’s Kalo. He’s updated the files already, man that guy is fast. Three of the witnesses to the fire have priors. Two had fines for lighting fires and one of the guys, John Cleaves, who called it in was also fined for stealing C-4 from his workplace. The others are clean but an Audrey Johnstone, has already posted the explosion on social media. She caught the footage on her dashcam driving by, same with John Cleaves, both have dashcam video.”

  Kane pulled up to the curb. “Does Kalo have a link?”

  “Yeah, he sent the files to you already.” Carter peered at his phone. “I need to see this on a bigger screen.”

  “Sure.” Kane went to the mobile digital terminal “I’ll feed it through the MDT.”

  They stared as the screen lit up with a huge red mushroom. Against the dark sky it blossomed red, then seconds later another explosion shook the camera and the red cloud shot up again falling in a canopy of destruction. Flames leapt into the air in a rush of bright orange and blue, illuminating the ranch house and all around in a yellow glow. Smoke billowed like an afterthought and as the flames cut electricity wires, sparks danced through the black mass like lightning through storm clouds. Kane reversed and replayed the explosion over and over, going from one recording and then the other. “Two blasts as we thought, seconds apart and then the whoosh as the gas caught fire.”

  “Yeah, you got it.” Carter leaned into the screen. “He aimed the main force away from the family as I figured but why if he wanted them dead?”

  With his focus on the two vehicles in the video, Kane thought for a beat. “I guess he wanted them to suffer. Revenge maybe.” He pointed to the screen. “I believe that’s the blue Ford I pulled over for speeding and the license plate of the truck is caught in the headlights of the driver with the dashcam. He’s some ways off but Wolfe has a way of enhancing the film.”

  “Nah, he’s busy doing forensics and we have Kalo twiddling his thumbs.” Carter called Bobby Kalo. “Great work on the background checks and video. Can you enhance the other vehicles? We need a positive on the license plate of the truck and who was driving the Ford sedan leaving the scene.” He smiled at Kane and nodded. “As soon as you’re able, we’ll be speaking to witnesses so message me with the details. Thanks man.” He disconnected.

  Kane pulled back onto Main and followed the directions on the GPS and pulled into the curb ten yards from a neat redbrick with a garden overflowing with flowers. “Okay this is the home of John Cleaves, forty-eight, shift worker with a mine supply plant. He’s the guy with the first dashcam video. He called in the explosion. Let’s hope he’s home.” He climbed out the truck and opened the door for the dogs to stretch their legs.

  When Carter joined him, and they walked toward the house, Kane looked at him. “Will Zorro pick up if this guy has been using C-4 lately?”

  “That would depend on how fastidious the man is about his personal hygiene.” Carter shrugged. “I’ll give him the command and we’ll see.” He turned to Kane. “If we have any indication from Zorro, we should obtain a search warrant for the girl as well. Do you have the girl’s garment you took from the laundry basket at the fire scene?”

  “Sure have.” Kane tapped his pocket. “I took out everything in the basket and bagged it. I don’t think it has been damaged by the smell of the fire. Duke may still be able to track the scent.” He smiled at Carter. “How fast can you obtain a search warrant?” He opened the white iron gate and their boots crunched on the gravel walkway winding its way between fragrant flower gardens to the house.

  “A man with priors in explosives and a positive reaction from Zorro? I’d say as long as it takes to fill out the form.” Carter tossed a toothpick into his mouth.

  Kane frowned. “Are you trying to give up smoking?”

  “Me, nah.” Carter chuckled. “Gum. I was eating so much I was getting an ulcer.” He banged on the front door of the house.

  “Can I help you?” An elderly woman peered around the door.

  “Mornin
’, ma’am. I’m Special Agent Carter and this is Dave Kane, we are looking for John, is he home?”

  “He’s asleep. He worked last night.” The woman frowned. “What is this about?”

  Kane smiled to calm the old woman. “He posted a video clip of an explosion on social media. We’d like to know what time the explosion happened and if he saw anyone leaving the area.” He met her watery blue eyes. “A young girl went missing after the explosion and we need as much information as possible to find her.”

  “Oh, I see.” She stared at Kane for a beat as if trying to make up her mind what to do. “He gets a mite angry when I wake him but I guess he’ll understand. You being the FBI and all.” She shut the door in their faces and through the side window Kane could see her shuffling away.

  “Is that his mom?” Carter raised his eyebrows. “She looks way into her nineties.”

  Kane shrugged. “Grandma maybe.” He flicked through the files Kalo had updated. “He’s not married and lives with his grandma.”

  Raised voices and footsteps came from inside and the door flew open. A tall rugged man, his dark hair tussled and eyes bleary from sleep, glared at them. “What do you want?” He took a holster carrying a pistol from a hook by the door and strapped it on. “I know my rights. You can’t just walk into a man’s yard and demand to see him.”

  “The FBI has many rights and one of them is walking onto an unposted property to speak to the occupier.” Carter held up his cred pack. “Are you impeding an investigation, Mr. Cleaves?”

  “I guess not.” Cleaves’ eyes flashed with simmering anger.

  Kane was keeping one eye on the man’s hands. He straightened. “Remove your weapon, sir. We wouldn’t like any misunderstandings, now would we?”

  “Give up my weapon?” Cleaves shook his head. “No way.” His fingers twitched.

  Kane drew fast and aimed at Cleaves. “You see how easily things get out of hand? Now remove the weapon from the holster and hand it to me grip first.”

  When the man complied, Kane smiled and holstered his weapon. “See that wasn’t so bad, was it?” He removed the clip and pocketed the weapon.

  “Ask them to come inside.” The old woman was standing in the hallway. “You’ll have the neighbors’ tongues wagging again with all this arguing.”

  “They have dogs with them, Gran.” Cleaves looked belligerently at Kane. “They can stay outside.”

  “No, they’re coming in too.” Carter moved his toothpick over his lips. “They are FBI, same as us. Where we go, they go. Don’t worry they won’t mess on your floor.” He pushed past the man and followed the old lady into the family room.

  Kane followed, keeping the man between them but when Zorro stopped and sat down at the door to what resembled a broom closet, he hung back. The Doberman had given a positive sign for explosives. He waited for everyone to move inside the room and then pulled the plastic evidence bag from his pocket and waved the contents under Duke’s nose. He dropped his voice to a whisper. “Seek.”

  Duke would alert him if he found anything. Kane walked into the room and stood with his back to the fireplace. The house had a strange odor, like boiled soup bones and lavender. As Cleaves sat down beside his grandmother, he waved Carter into an overstuffed chair. The fact both dogs had suddenly gone missing hadn’t been noticed by Cleaves. When Carter pulled out his notepad, it was obvious he’d decided to take the lead in the questioning. Kane had some questions of his own. He’d noticed a pair of muddy boots outside the front door, which seemed unusual when the gardens were pristine, but he recalled seeing recently turned soil in a garden bed adjacent to the backdoor of the Woods’ house. He’d made a note of it in the case file but as the firefighters had washed away any evidence of footprints, until now it hadn’t been relevant.

  “We noticed your video of the recent explosion out at Aspen Grove last Tuesday. You called it in and we need to know all the details you can remember.” Carter looked at Cleaves expectantly. “First oblige me with a timeline. Where were you coming from at nine-forty at night?”

  “From home.” Cleaves frowned. “I was heading to work in Black Rock Falls when the explosion happened slap bang in front of me. I called 911 and then called my boss and explained why I’d be late, helping the sheriff and all. They told me to take the night off, so after waiting for the sheriff and his boys to arrive, I came home and uploaded the video to my page. I called the local news channel but they didn’t want my footage, they’d already taken another from some woman.” He snorted. “I missed out on some fast cash.”

  “In the footage we noticed an older model blue Ford sedan.” Carter looked at him. “Did you notice where it came from or where it went?”

  “That wasn’t a blue Ford, it was gray and belongs to Simon Dexter. He lives here in town.” Cleaves stared into space. “Yeah, he went by and then stopped to watch the fire. He walked down to speak to me.”

  “How was he acting? Ah… just a second.” Carter glanced at Kane. “Is Dexter on our list of witnesses?”

  Kane recalled Dexter was also a firebug. He nodded. “Yeah, and he’s on Kalo’s list as well.”

  “How was he acting?” Cleaves frowned. “Excited, I guess. He couldn’t stand still and once he’d given his name to the sheriff, he headed out toward Black Rock Falls.” He thought for a beat. “He asked me for a copy of the footage. I emailed him one when I’d gotten home.”

  “Did you see anyone else in his vehicle?” Carter made a few notes.

  Kane watched the man’s eyes flick from side to side and his posture stiffened. What could he be hiding? He caught sight of Duke peering through the door and patted his leg. No sign of the girl in the house but Zorro hadn’t moved from his position outside the closet door.

  “I didn’t see anyone in the vehicle. He went by so fast.” Cleaves looked at Duke and then up at Kane. “Where’s the other one?”

  Kane noticed a bead of sweat trickle down the man’s forehead. “Just outside the door.”

  “Okay, did you notice any of your neighbors watching the blaze or anyone coming through the fields?” Carter lifted his chin. “Anything at all you can remember will help. Did you see a girl?”

  “No, I don’t remember seeing a girl. There were other vehicles pulling up to look but it was dark.” Cleaves scrubbed both hands down his face and lifted his gaze to Carter. “Is that all?”

  “Just a few more questions.” Carter stood and waved a hand to the hallway. “Do you have explosives in the house?”

  “Explosives?” Cleaves shot to his feet. “No!”

  “Then why is my dog sitting outside your hall closet?” Carter folded his notebook and pushed the pen into his pocket. “He’s trained to sniff out explosives and he’s never wrong. How about you open that closet door and give me a look see? It will save us getting a search warrant and as a man with priors concerning C-4, we’d get one within the hour, maybe less.”

  “Okay, okay.” Cleaves walked into the hallway and stopped dead when Zorro lifted his lips to expose his canines. “That dog’s dangerous.”

  “He sure is.” Carter flicked his fingers and Zorro dropped to his haunches. “What do you have inside?”

  “A little C-4.” Cleaves looked chagrined. “It was left behind when the sheriff raided the place and charged me with stealing. That was five years ago.”

  “If you open the door, I’ll take a look.” Carter stood back and waited for Cleaves to open the closet door and flick on a light. “I’ll send Zorro in to check it out.”

  When the dog barked, Carter went inside. Kane turned to Cleaves. “Where have you been to get mud on your boots?”

  “I… um, I think that was at the fire.” Cleaves frowned as if stalling. “I went to take a pee in the bushes. It was muddy there if I recall.”

  Kane nodded. “Mind if I take a sample?”

  “I guess.” Cleaves flicked his gaze to the closet and shuffled his feet.

  Kane pulled out his notebook and made a note of Cleaves’ agreement to the
sample and search of his closet. “Print and then sign your name and add the date, just for the record.” He handed him the notebook and pen.

  “Then will you leave?” Cleaves signed his name and thrust the articles back at him.

  Kane smiled. “Sure thing, Mr. Cleaves; we’ll be out of here before you know it.” He waited a beat wondering if he was looking at the man who’d murdered Annie. The notes said he’d lived in Louan for a time but as it was his grandmother’s house, maybe he’d moved around some during a vacation. “We’re almost through now, Mr. Cleaves, just a few more questions. When were you in DC last?”

  “DC?” Cleaves looked taken aback. “My old girlfriend worked there for a few years and I visited her. Why?”

  The hair on the back of Kane’s neck prickled but he kept his expression passive. “It came up in a report is all. Can you be more specific?”

  “She moved back last year, so from about five years ago I visited her during my vacations in June most times and any time I could get there. We’ve broken up now so all that traveling was a waste of time.” Cleaves rubbed the back of his neck and stared at the floor. “I’m not sure why all this has to do with the video I took of an explosion.”

  Kane gripped his pen so tight he could feel it crunch under his fingers. “I’m tying up loose ends is all.”

  He forced himself into a state of calm but Annie’s face danced across his mind. His instinct to shake the truth out of the man slid away as he took control over his emotions. Nothing would be gained by aggression and might only trigger another episode of killing in an already unstable man. He dragged in a deep breath of the rancid-smelling air and let it out slowly through his nose. “Oh, and another thing. How well did you know the Wood family?”

  “He was okay but his wife liked to cause trouble.” Cleaves eyes flashed with anger.

  Kane kept his face neutral. “How so?”

  “Aw, I was just being friendly.” Cleaves snorted. “I was chatting to their daughter, Sophie, in the local store and her ma became riled up, saying her daughter wasn’t available to anyone in our church.”