Promises in the Dark

by D. K. Hood

  She shook her head and the fear came back into her eyes. He’d been generous to her and made a hole in the tape covering her mouth to push a straw through so she could drink water. It thrilled him to see she hadn’t attempted to remove the tape. She could have, her hands were free. He walked toward her and ripped off the tape and stared into her eyes. “Sit down. I’ll give you something to eat and when you’re finished, put this on.” He opened his backpack, pulled out a dress he’d taken from the collection bin outside the shelter and tossed it on the bed. He handed her a takeout bag of sandwiches. “We’re going for another ride and then a hike.” He pulled his Glock out from the holster behind his back and pressed it hard against her temple. “One word, and you die. Understand?”

  “Okay.” Pamela’s fingers trembled as she pulled the dress over her head. “Why are you doing this to me?”

  He sat in a chair and studied her for a long while. All the time, he could see the terror building in her eyes. She didn’t take her gaze off him but her bottom lip had started to tremble. He didn’t care if they cried, Sophie had wailed, sobbed, and fought back but this one was different. Perhaps her grandpa had taught her cooperation was her best chance of survival with a man like him. He smiled and caught the shock in her eyes. “Maybe I wanted to spend some time with a pretty girl.”

  “You could’ve asked me. You didn’t have to hit me.” Pamela tossed the takeout bag of sandwiches from hand to hand. “Now you’ve had your fun, let me go. I won’t tell anyone.”

  “Uh-huh.” He rubbed his chin. “How did I know you’d say that? But I’m not done with you yet.” He stood, walked over to her, and cupped her chin lifting her head to face him. “Did your grandpa tell you to cooperate if a man grabbed you off the street?”

  When she nodded slowly, he smiled. “That was nice of him but he forgot to mention that trying to reason with a man like me is a waste of time. You see I don’t care about you. I’m only feeding you because if I don’t, you’ll probably faint and I don’t plan on carrying you through the forest. If you don’t cooperate, I’ll kill you. You see, to me you are just a means to an end, like the wrapper on a burger. It keeps my fingers clean but when I’ve eaten my fill, I toss the wrapper away.”

  “My grandpa will have people looking for me.” Pamela lifted her chin. “He’ll find me.”

  He snorted. “Really? You didn’t even make the news, sweetheart. Nobody is out looking for you and you’re in a different county. No one will look for you here.” He looked into her unblinking wide eyes. “Now eat, my time is valuable.”

  He gathered up her clothes, tossed them into the grate and set them on fire. He watched the flames dance and the smoke curl up the chimney. He added some kindling to make sure not one trace of material remained. He heard her move behind him, a little sob, and a clink of chains. Turning to look at her he narrowed his gaze. “What?”

  “Why did you burn my clothes?” Pamela stared into the blackened grate. “That was my favorite jacket.”

  “Because you no longer exist.” He unlocked the chain from the bed, picked up his backpack and waved her to the door. “Pick up the bucket. You can empty it outside. Move.”

  He ushered her through the door and locked it behind them. After waiting for her to empty the bucket, he pushed her toward the forest. “Don’t take the trail, we’re walking through the trees.”

  She said nothing and walked ahead of him, head held high. The dress was too big for her and fell off her shoulders. It looked almost comical. A cool breeze rustled through the forest and he urged her toward the old sedan he’d stolen from Black Rock Falls. People were so trusting considering it was supposed to be serial killer central. He’d had his choice of vehicles and found one in a barn with the keys in the ignition. He’d return it and maybe they wouldn’t even notice it had gone missing.

  “Come here. Lift your foot.” When she complied, he bent to remove the chain from her ankle, straightened to open the trunk, and placed it beside the spare wheel. He grabbed Pamela by the arm and squeezed hard. “Get inside.”

  “I’ll be good and won’t scream if you let me ride up front, I promise.” Pamela turned wide eyes on him. “Please don’t put me in there again. I’m frightened of the dark.”

  “Then you’re gonna love where I’m taking you.” He picked her up and tossed her into the trunk. She flopped inside like a rag doll and curled into a fetal position. He stared down at her for a long moment and then showed her his weapon again. “Not a sound.” He dropped the lid.

  Thirty

  It was a little after nine by the time Jenna’s team had devoured the ton of takeout Kane had ordered from Aunt Betty’s Café. His excuse that they might be held up all through their break at the Sophie Wood autopsy made her smile but Jenna had little appetite and picked at her food. She’d had a restless night filled with bad dreams about her cat, Pumpkin, drowning in the lake. She’d headed into the kitchen to find Jo at the table sipping hot chocolate, another victim of bad dreams. She had no idea why the Woods’ case had made such an impression on her. She’d investigated far more gruesome murders in the past.

  “You okay, Jenna?” Kane sat beside her scanning his files.

  Jenna snapped back to the present. “Yeah, but I’m starting to believe this case is getting to me. I had nightmares last night and that’s unusual.”

  “Have you ever suffered PTSD?” Carter looked at her from across the desk. “I’m not prying into your private life, Jenna, but I have some experience with the disorder.”

  Jenna nodded. “Yeah, two guys I thought were friends kidnapped, drugged, and tried to kill me. It messed up my head some is all.”

  “Well, I stopped having the flashbacks about a year ago and boy they were nasty. The night terrors then were a reenactment too. Sometimes I didn’t know if I was asleep or awake.” Carter removed his hat and ran a hand through his hair. Troubled green eyes met hers. “After, odd things happened that gave me nightmares but the dreams were unrelated to my situation.” He popped a toothpick into his mouth. “The girl being kidnapped and obviously restrained kicked off the nightmare. Don’t worry about it. I figure it beats the hell out of a flashback.”

  Jenna nodded, what he said made sense. “Thanks. I guess we’d better get back to work. The autopsy is at ten and Wolfe doesn’t like us to be late.”

  “Before you start. Did you follow up with Joe Ranger, the rancher who called in about a blue Ford sedan near the Woods’ ranch?” Kane scrolled through his notes. “I only have his statement here, taken by Sheriff Crenshaw.”

  “Yeah we spoke to him.” Jenna turned in her seat to look at him. “He gave a verbatim account as in his statement. I asked him if he was one hundred percent sure the vehicle he saw was blue and he replied in the affirmative.” She scrolled through her notes. “He didn’t take down the plate number because he had no reason to suspect the driver was doing anything wrong but the vehicle was parked alongside the road just before nightfall and then drove into the Woods’ driveway around eight.” She looked up at Kane. “Ranger headed into town soon after and didn’t see the fire.” She added a note to her to do list. “Okay this is what we need to cover today if possible. Carter, I want you to contact Bobby Kalo and ask him to hunt down if Suffolk has experience with explosives. I also want him to run a facial recognition scan on the footage taken at the lake. When you’ve done that, I need you to find out what you can about the car wreck that killed Suffolk’s wife.”

  “Bobby can handle that as well.” Carter made notes. “He’s been complaining he has nothing to do.”

  Jenna pushed her hair from her eyes. “Sure, if you figure he can handle it?”

  “He can handle it with his eyes shut. What else is on the list?” Jo peered at the board. “We could split the grunt work. I’ll go with Carter and speak to the old lady, Dotty Grace, about her car. She lives near the Triple Z Bar and we could stop by and ask about Suffolk. Like Kane said, he’s a big guy and easily noticed. We’ve had dealings with the barkeeper before,
he might cooperate.”

  “Okay, that sounds like a plan.” Jenna made a few notes. “Kane and I will stop by Miller’s Garage and Aunt Betty’s and see if they recall him being there on Tuesday night.”

  “I noticed on the file Rowley has added a note about Harvey Haralson—the guy I charged for being in possession of a stolen vehicle—he’s out on bail.” Kane leaned back in his chair. “I’d like to find out where he was on Tuesday night, and if he comes up clean, we’ll need hair and saliva samples for Wolfe to eliminate from the samples he takes from the vehicle. Carter, can you collect the same from Dotty Grace? There’s everything you need in the forensics kit in Jenna’s vehicle.” He looked at Jenna. “It sure looks like the bomber used the blue Ford to kidnap Sophie Wood.”

  “Damn right.” Jenna nodded. “Well, that’s settled. I hope Wolfe will find time to do a forensic sweep of the vehicle today. If it is involved, it’s one more piece of the puzzle.” She glanced at the clock. “Okay, when you’ve made the calls, Carter, we’ll head over to the ME’s office.” She stood. “I’m going to touch base with Rowley before we leave.”

  She hurried to her office door. It was open and Rowley was pounding away at the keyboard. She knocked on the door and smiled when he looked up. “Just touching base, anything interesting happening in town today?”

  “Another stolen car, strange, it’s almost the same as the last one. This one is another sedan, taken from a barn out on Stanton.” Rowley frowned. “Apart from that, not much is happening. We’ve had a few complaints about dogs barking and I’ve been writing up a report about the body in the river.”

  Jenna nodded. “Keep me informed about the stolen vehicle and the body of Sophie Wood. We’ve sent the footage you took on scene to an FBI agent to do a facial recognition scan and see who was there. We’re hoping we might find a clue to the bomber.”

  “I’m glad I was of some help.” Rowley leaned on the desk and looked at her. “I’m happy to assist in any way I can.”

  “You could tell me what exactly Matt Thompson said about me? You didn’t give me any details in your note.” Jenna frowned. “Did he make a complaint in writing?”

  “Nope, he was just mouthing off about you saying he wasn’t doing his job is all.” Rowley’s mouth twitched into a smile. “He’s one of those guys who believe all men have a beef about women. I figure he had his nose out of joint about you being thorough.” He grinned. “He didn’t get too far with me, Sheriff.”

  Jenna sighed. “That’s good to know. Thank you.”

  “One thing.” Rowley looked expectant. “I know you don’t want me interfering in the FBI case and all, but Atohi called and suggested we head up to the Whispering Caves and see if anyone has been there. He figures the girl’s body could have fallen from there.”

  Jenna didn’t want Rowley or Blackhawk risking their lives in the catacombs. “It’s closed for a reason. People go inside and are never seen again. I’m not sure it’s safe to go there alone.”

  “Atohi has a friend willing to come with us and his grandfather who knows the caves. We’ll be making chalk marks on the walls as well.” Rowley frowned. “What if the guy who kidnapped the girl is using the caves to hole up in? He’d know no one would go near the place.”

  Jenna nodded. “Okay but have a regular check in with Maggie, say every half-hour. Take a Sat Sleeve for your phone and some communication packs with you.” She tapped her chin thinking. “And the helmets. Make sure everyone is suited up.”

  “Sure, we’ll be fine. Don’t worry.” Rowley pushed to his feet. “Thanks.”

  “Stay safe.” Jenna heard voices in the hallway. “I have to go. We’re attending the Sophie Wood autopsy at ten.” She headed for the door and then turned to smile at him. “That desk suits you.”

  Thirty-One

  The sun warmed Jenna’s face as she followed Kane to his truck. It was a beautiful day, the sky stretched out for miles, blue and cloudless. She took in the view, inhaling the exquisite perfume of summer in Black Rock Falls. The hint of pine and the wealth of wildflowers came on every breeze. After witnessing horrors no person should ever experience, nature was a soothing balm, and a constant beauty in her life. She climbed inside the truck. “I’m glad to be working alongside you today.”

  “Missed me, did you?” Kane chuckled. “I missed you too, especially our breakfast together. Working out with Carter is okay but all business, whereas we have fun. I’m not sure I could work with him all the time, and living with him makes my brain ache.” He shook his head. “He doesn’t have an off button. When we’re on a case together, we have our quiet times but Carter never stops talking.”

  Jenna laughed. “I’ve noticed, although he seems to have stopped teasing me at last.”

  “Yeah, well you know that selfie you took of us outside the ski lodge?” Kane backed out the parking space and headed down Main toward Wolfe’s office.

  She nodded. “Yeah, what’s that got to do with Carter?”

  “I enlarged it and it’s in a frame over the fireplace in the cottage.” Kane winked at her. “He looked at it and said to me, ‘Nice pic.’ He was quiet for a while as if processing the fact we’d gone there together for a vacation, I think. Although, I’m sure we mentioned it during the case last winter. Maybe now he’ll leave you alone.”

  Jenna laughed. “He thinks we’re a couple? Well if that makes him pull his head in, it’s fine by me.”

  As they took the backroads to Wolfe’s office, Jenna admired the riot of color in the front gardens of the houses lining the sidewalk. With her window down, she caught the fragrant mixture of blooms blowing into the cab. Above the forest the sky framed the dark mountain peaks in the distance. The beauty of Black Rock Falls with its diversity and ever-changing landscapes made her heart twist. She had fallen in love with the town and its people. Her work as sheriff gave her life purpose and her friends had become the family she thought she’d never have again. It was hard to fathom how much her life had changed since leaving DC. Murders aside, moving to Black Rock Falls had been the best thing in her life.

  Suddenly she realized Kane had parked outside the ME’s office and was staring at her. She cleared her throat. “Sorry, did you say something? I was miles away.” She buzzed up her window and collected her things.

  “Nope, I was enjoying the quiet.” Kane slid out the door and waited for her on the sidewalk. He indicated toward the road. “Here they come. Wanna wait for them?”

  Jenna tipped her face up to catch the sun and sighed. “They can’t get in the door without us. I’d say Emily and Webber are assisting Wolfe. There’s no one at the front desk.”

  “They could ring the bell.” Kane raised an eyebrow. “But then, I guess we’d still have to wait for them to suit up.”

  A few minutes later, Jo and Carter joined them. They moved inside the morgue, suited up and headed for the examination room with the red light glowing outside. Jenna breathed in the menthol salve she’d placed under her nose and stepped inside the cold room. She nodded to Emily and Webber. “Morning.”

  In front of her, three gurneys covered bulky twisted shapes that had once been people and to one side, white feet stuck out from under a sheet. The normally sterile, antiseptic air was heavy with the acrid smell of burned flesh. The odor seeped through the menthol barrier and crept up her nostrils. Jenna had to push down an awful need to run out the room. She shuffled her feet and caught Kane looking at her over his facemask. By the compassion in his gaze, he could just about read her mind. She straightened and gave him a nod. The next moment Wolfe walked out from a side door and glanced around the room. Stepping forward, Jenna met his gaze. “What’s first on the list today?”

  “I’ll walk you through my findings on the burn victims and then we’ll start on Sophie Wood.” Wolfe flicked on a screen and images of inside the Woods’ house lit up the room. “This is where we found the victims. As you can see the shockwave from the explosion toppled both Mr. Wood and his daughter’s chairs over but Mrs. Wood remain
ed in an upright position.” He went to the X-rays. “Jody has a slight contusion on the right side of her skull, consistent with hitting the floor during the blast. From the toxicology, I’ve tested for carbon monoxide and from the amount inhaled, she died before the fire took hold. She wasn’t injured or sexually abused.” He waived toward the smallest body. “She was secured by zip-ties and was wearing PJs.” He glanced up at Jenna. “Questions?”

  Glad that Wolfe had left the tiny body covered, Jenna shook her head. “Not at this time.”

  “You can put Jody back, Em.” Wolfe removed the sheet from the next unrecognizable victim. The charred remains curled up in a fetal position. “This is Mr. Wood.” He clicked a remote and an X-ray came onto the screen. “He was found on his left side but has blunt force trauma to the back of his skull. I’ve made a comparison with various implements and have concluded he was hit with a weapon in a downward motion.” He formed his hand into a pistol and struck downward. “From the position of the injury, the victim must have been sitting in the chair at the time of impact. The hematoma to the brain, would suggest he survived for at least five to ten minutes after the injury. From the fibers I found embedded in his flesh, he was dressed in casual clothes and secured with zip-ties. His cause of death is complicated by the degree of carbonization.” He pointed to the position of the body on the image. “Seated close to the doorway, he took the full force of the shockwave and the gas can was close by. He would have been unconscious due to the head trauma but the fire killed him.” He looked at Jenna.

  She stared at the charred figure no longer resembling anything human and swallowed hard. “And Mrs. Wood?”

  “She was brutalized.” As Emily slid Mr. Wood back into the mortuary drawer, Wolfe went to the next victim. He clicked up images on the screen. “Her nose and jaw are broken. She has a cracked eye socket. I conclude this woman suffered a severe beating. Her body isn’t as fire damaged as the others and rape is evident. She was alive and burned to death. I found traces of smoke inhalation in her lungs. She was dressed but her underwear was missing.” He tossed the sheet back over the body. “All victims had eaten at least one hour prior to their deaths.” He looked over his mask at Jenna. “I’m ruling all three deaths as homicide.”