Don’t Tell A Soul: A gripping crime thriller that will have you hooked

by D. K. Hood

  “One thing. There is a pink scrunchie missing. She had two in her hair last time she came into the office and it’s not on the list of personal belongings you found at the scene.” Rowley dusted the items and collected fingerprints. “I think other things are missing, don’t you?” He glanced up at her. “There’s no hairbrush or makeup. Women usually have tissues, lip gloss, and women’s items in their purses.” He shrugged. “She was out for the day. Wouldn’t she take more than this with her?”

  A cold chill slithered down Jenna’s spine and the years of profiling criminals came to the front of her mind. “The killer has taken something personal as a trophy. Something to remind him of the event.” She stared at the small array of belongings. “I need to see if anything is missing from the clothing left at the scene. When I went over the list of items from her motel room, I noticed she owned matching sets of underwear. Taking a victim’s panties or other personal items is usual. The forensic report arrived earlier. We’ll need to check if anything is missing. We could be looking at a serial killer. Some twisted lunatic who enjoys reliving the thrill.”

  She waited for Rowley to pack up the evidence then locked the room. “Scan those fingerprints into the database then come to my office.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Rowley stood back to allow her to mount the stairs. “Do you want the other deputies to attend the briefing?”

  “Not this time.”

  Too much information made its way out of her office and she needed to nip it in the bud. She trusted her men but now assumed all the leaks came from Pete Daniels. He had likely kept his brothers up to date with the latest cases. He should have realized his brothers would gossip. Nothing I can do about it now but as sure as hell, it won’t happen again on my watch.

  Forty-Eight

  Jenna wandered into the main office and went straight to the kitchenette. After grabbing three mugs of coffee, she strolled to Kane’s desk. “We need to talk in private and I’m ready to go over the forensic reports.”

  “I’m done here.” Kane stood and rolled his wide shoulders. “One of those for me?”

  “Yeah.” She handed him a steaming beverage. “Did you get anything out of Josh Rockford?”

  “If their alibis check out, I won’t have anything concrete on Rockford or Billy Watts for Sarah’s murder but Rockford is so smooth, he could pay people to cover for him.” Kane picked up his notebook and his brow wrinkled into a frown. “Apart from knowing Stan Clough’s whereabouts at the time of the incidents, the jury is out on the attempts on your life—any one of our suspects could be guilty.” His blue gaze settled on her face. “You can take James Stone out of the equation; he was at a conference and I don’t think he will bother you again.” His lips twitched into a small smile.

  Feeling as if a great weight had lifted from her shoulders, Jenna smiled. “Thanks, I appreciate your help.” She did a scan of the room and lowered her voice. “I have information on Stan Clough, but it will wait until we are in my office. What else did you discover?”

  “Rockford and Watts didn’t appear to know about Sarah’s murder, and when I questioned them about their whereabouts they appeared annoyed rather than guilty.” Kane stood and leaned one narrow hip against his desk. “I need to rule out any connection between Josh and the hit-and-run. I want to inspect both pickups. I gather Mayor Rockford and John Davis live on the same side of town?”

  Jenna sipped the scalding coffee. “Yeah, we’ll drop over soon as we’ve read the reports. Maggie can lock up and we can head home once we’re finished.”

  “The only person I haven’t interviewed is Dan Beal but Billy Watts mentioned he met him at the gym at eight on Monday morning. If he is telling the truth, he wouldn’t have had time to murder Sarah or trash the motel then be at the gym by that time. We can also rule him out of the hit-and-run because he was locked in the cells on Thursday night.” Kane let out a long sigh. “I still have a feeling in my gut the murders are the work of two killers. From the injuries I witnessed, it looks like the same person or persons murdered Sarah and John Helms. The scene was too neat. In my opinion, one person wouldn’t have the time or energy to clean it so thoroughly in limited time.” He cleared his throat. “Let’s see what the autopsy revealed.”

  Jenna glanced at Deputy Rowley’s booth. “Have you finished uploading those files?”

  “Yes, ma’am, but there’s something you need to see.” Rowley spun around in his chair. “I didn’t find anything interesting on the suspects’ Facebook pages but I did find this photo on Sarah’s account.”

  “Well, I’ll be…” Kane bent to stare at the screen.

  The image depicted Mrs. Woodward leaning on the tailgate of an old blue pickup. Jenna leaned closer and noticed a torn sticker on the back. She glanced at Kane. “You have to be joking. That’s not the vehicle that ran me off the road, is it?”

  “Unless one of the others in town has the same torn sticker, I think it’s the same vehicle.” Kane rubbed his chin. “Why would Mrs. Woodward try to kill you?”

  Jenna gaped at the image of the smiling old woman in disbelief. “I haven’t met her, so no reason at all.”

  “Something stinks.” Kane straightened and moved his gaze toward Daniels sauntering in their direction, then back to her. His voice lowered to just above a whisper. “I don’t want this information getting out and compromising our investigation. I have no idea who his brothers have spoken to, and if it includes our killer, he will be one step ahead of us all the time.”

  Jenna nodded in agreement. “Okay, my office.” She turned and smiled at Daniels. “I’ve filed the GPS and phone records for Rockford and Watts. Check the dates against the withdrawals from John Helms’ and Mrs. Woodward’s bank accounts. See if either of them visited the other counties at the same time.”

  “I’m on it.” Daniels headed for his booth.

  Jenna followed Kane and Rowley into her office. Seated at her desk, she looked at her two deputies and relayed the information on Stan Clough she received from Davis. “This puts him in the right place at the right time. He is local to the area. So far, the only man who fits the profile of a sadistic killer, plus three people went missing then nothing. He gets out of jail and people go missing again. Too much of a coincidence, if you ask me.”

  “We’ll need to pay him a visit and have probable cause to get a warrant to search his property.” Kane’s blue eyes narrowed. “Can you get the warrant today?”

  Jenna nodded. “Yeah, but first we need to see what is in Sarah’s autopsy report.” She read the note attached and swallowed hard. “The hood we sent into forensics had pig’s blood on it, hence the smell, plus my saliva.”

  “That’s not good.” Kane gave her a worried stare. “Clough owns a piggery.”

  She pulled up the details of Sarah’s suffering and forced her expression into one of bland interest. Viewing the crime scene had been horrific but knowing the intricate details, no matter how clinically described, cramped her stomach. She had known this girl and wanted to help her find her grandmother. The image of Sarah’s battered body rushed through her mind, and she blinked away the sting at the backs of her eyes. “Okay. I’ll read the report.”

  “Do you want me to handle it?” Kane leaned forward in his chair; his face held an expression of deep concern.

  “No, I’m fine.” She grasped the mouse and scrolled down the page.

  “Maybe start with the ME’s opinion and we can go through the details if necessary.” Kane rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t need to see the images.”

  “Okay.” Jenna scanned the document. “The ME attributed death to multiple injuries, including a deep incised wound of the neck and multiple stab wounds of the stomach. The upper torso injuries are consistent with the use of a steel-tipped whip.” She sighed. “I’ll read the report.” She drew in a deep breath. “The sharp force injury to the neck led to the transection of the left and right carotid arteries, and incision of the right internal jugular vein causing fatal exsanguinating hemor
rhage. Investigation reveals an inconsistency between the sharp force injuries. The sharp force injuries to the neck would be consistent to a serrated-edge knife, or hunting knife. The wounds to the torso measure one-half inch in diameter with a curved tip, consistent with a kitchen knife. Contusions on forearms could be defensive wounds. The blunt force injury to the back of the scalp is superficial and non-fatal.

  “The victim exhibited signs of recent forced sexual activity. Swabs revealed no DNA evidence, but a match was found for the lubricated condoms with the trade name of Trojan Bareskin.” She glanced up at Kane. “I’ll see what forensics found.” She took a long drink of her coffee then went back to look at the reports. “Here we go. They found one black hair on the clothing left at the scene, and from the list, Sarah’s panties are missing.” She read and re-read the next sentence. “You are correct on the number of people involved. They found two sets of footprints in the blood. One sized ten and one eleven. Leather soles.” She turned her screen around. “Look.”

  “This isn’t proof we have two psychopaths loose in Black Rock Falls. These people have an allure; we could have one killer and one he convinced to go along for the ride.” Kane gripped his coffee mug and stared at her with an expression of annoyance. He turned to Rowley. “Not a damn word leaves this room. Understand?”

  “I understand.” Rowley scrubbed both hands over his face. “I can’t believe the animals raped her as well.”

  “And John Helms. Did they find anything else?” Kane gulped down his coffee and eyed her over the rim. “Don’t tell me he was raped as well?”

  “I’ll open the other file.” Jenna scrolled through the documents. “Not raped but brutalized. The bugs and seeds they found on him are local to this area. Both murders happened here in Black Rock Falls.”

  “It is obvious they live close by to know the area. A stranger wouldn’t have a clue about the root cellar at the Old Mitcham Ranch.” Rowley leaned forward in his chair. “I’m surprised two men are involved and kept it a secret.” He glanced at Kane. “Are you sure you only noticed one person in the pickup?”

  “I didn’t see the driver at all.” Kane emptied his cup and placed it on the desk. “Why?”

  “Well, it would take a big guy to lift a dead body and force it into a barrel. Maybe one man could do it okay. Getting the barrel onto a truck with the fluid and off again at the landfill would take some doing. I think you can rule out old Mrs. Woodward.”

  “Most ranchers would have machinery to lift heavy objects and add the liquid once the barrel was on the pickup.” Kane leaned back in his chair. “It could have been rolled off the back of a pickup or flatbed truck. The problem is forensics have proved we have two people involved in Sarah’s murder and I have two men using each other for alibis. Billy Watts and Dan Beal both said they went to the Larks gym on Monday morning. I’ll give the Larks coach a call as soon as we are finished because if he remembers them, and the other people he mentioned check out, we are back to square one.”

  Jenna drummed her fingernails on the desk. “Okay, so I gather you still believe the same people are involved in the murders and the incidents involving me, right?”

  “I have from the start. Coincidences are rare, and unless someone has poisoned the Black Rock Falls water supply and we are all slowly going crazy, the chances of two homicidal lunatics in one town at the same time with different agendas would be a million to one.” Kane pushed to his feet and went to the whiteboard. “In my opinion, the Ford pickup I saw belonged to Mrs. Woodward. I’m more than happy to go and check the other vehicles but the chance of finding another with the same torn sticker would be remote.” He made notes on the board. “Mrs. Woodward loved her granddaughter and went missing well before she arrived. I’ve checked her rap sheet and she has no priors.” He turned to face her, and shrugged. “My guess is Mrs. Woodward is another victim and the killers used her pickup to move John Helms’s body, and in an attempt to kill you or send you a warning.”

  “So you believe her body is lying around somewhere?” Rowley scraped a hand through his hair. “Maybe we should search all the barrels at the landfill.”

  “Brinks has opened every barrel in the place and found nothing, but many are buried under tons of garbage.” Jenna finished her coffee. “If that is their usual method of disposal, why leave Sarah in the root cellar?”

  “Maybe they didn’t want to risk the landfill again.” Rowley cleared his throat. “They would know any barrel dumped there would be checked.”

  “I agree, and the three incidents involving the sheriff are warnings.” Kane moved back toward the desk and sank his huge frame into a chair then looked at her. “I know you have no recollection of anything unusual occurring in the last few months but I’d bet my last dollar you’ve witnessed something.” He raised a dark eyebrow. “Unless you agree to be hypnotized, we won’t find out, and I guess that’s not going to happen anytime soon.”

  The hairs on the back of Jenna’s neck stood to attention. Someone had tried to kill her, but unless someone in her past had found her, she had no idea why. She chewed on her bottom lip, meeting his intense gaze. “Honestly, there is no need to be so dramatic. I’ve told you everything I can remember. Trust me. I haven’t seen anything unusual in Black Rock Falls.”

  “Okay, allow me to give you my take on the situation.” Kane leaned back in the chair, making it squeak in protest. “I am convinced you are tied up with these murders, however unwillingly. Some time since Mrs. Woodward arrived in Black Rock Falls, you have interacted with persons unknown and witnessed a crime, or seen something someone wants kept secret. If you didn’t see anything other than animal brutality at Clough’s farm, it must have occurred during your investigation into Mrs. Woodward’s disappearance as that was the only time you did a door-to-door.”

  “I can’t believe you think something I supposedly ignored caused two horrific murders.” Jenna shook her head. “I didn’t investigate alone and I’ve retraced my steps. Nothing happened. I’m not some rookie. I’d have noticed anything out of the ordinary.”

  “I’m not saying you’re at fault but law enforcers have turned a blind eye many times for locals they like, especially in small towns. People here are like family. Then seemingly out of the blue, you started to crack down on the local louts.” Kane’s blue gaze settled on her. “Next thing you know, someone is running you off the road and shooting at you.” He opened his hands. “The moment you take one step alone, you get a warning to keep your mouth shut.”

  “What has that got to do with murder of John Helms and Sarah?”

  “Ah, when we found John Helms, they panicked. The shooting was another warning but when I started pulling people in for questioning, they grabbed you at the Cattleman’s Hotel. I guess they thought eventually you’d crumble and inform me.” Kane gave her a long meaningful stare. “You thought you heard two sets of footsteps, didn’t you?”

  “Yes, but I don’t know anything. I would tell you if I did, you know that, right?”

  “Oh, I believe you.” Kane pushed a hand through his thick hair. “I doubt Mrs. Woodward was their first victim as we have three other missing persons. Up to her murder, they had covered their tracks, then you became sheriff. I guess when I arrived they thought you’d brought in reinforcements, but you ignored their threats, and Sarah’s murder was a stern warning as in, ‘Look what I can do if you tell Kane what you know.’” He leaned forward in his chair. “We’ll go through your daily activity log for the last six months or so, then visit all the ranches again, starting with Stan Clough’s old place, and see if anything triggers a memory, no matter how insignificant.”

  Anger welled and Jenna shot to her feet. “We’ll do no such thing. I haven’t seen a damn thing or I would have told you however insignificant as you so eloquently suggested.” She pointed to the door. “Go and check out Watts’ and Beal’s alibis then drive out and inspect the blue Ford pickups so we can eliminate the owners from our list of suspects.” She pushed back her chair. “Do
n’t bother picking me up on the way back. I’ll find my own way home.”

  “Jenna—”

  “That’s Sheriff Alton to you.” Jenna glared at him. “Shut the door on your way out.”

  Kane stood and shook his dark head slowly. “I meant no disrespect, ma’am.” He straightened and headed for the door.

  She glanced at Deputy Rowley. His face resembled a crushed flower. She realized Kane was his idol, the epitome of the perfect officer. Too bad, he would have to learn the hard way, if he dared to doubt her word. “Listen to me, I know for a fact Pete Daniels is repeating everything that happens here to his brothers. They in turn no doubt spread the gossip around town and by doing this they forewarn the criminals of our every move. You must not discuss any of our cases with him or Walters. Keep the conversation to traffic violations and minor infringements. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Rowley’s face had turned a deep shade of red. “I do think Deputy Kane has a point. What he said makes sense.” He hugged the coffee she had made him like a life preserver.

  “Investigations take time.” Jenna sucked in a deep breath. She liked Rowley and he had a good sense of the job. “I’ll get the paperwork filed for the search warrant for the Clough ranch and we’ll check him out. The forensics team will come up with the brand of footwear used by the killers and find any DNA evidence. Everything will be resolved. Killers make mistakes and we’ll nail who did this but it might take a little more time. Don’t jump to unsubstantiated conclusions like Kane; be patient and work through the clues.” She moved around the desk and patted him on the back. “Solid police work is all we need. Now, go and ask Daniels if he’s matched up the movements of Josh Rockford and Watts with the bank withdrawals from Helms’s and Woodward’s bank statements.”