by D. K. Hood
Jenna peered at the slice of human tissue in the petri dish and nodded. “I see. Was it painful? I don’t recall anyone complaining of hearing screaming.”
“Yeah, it would have been extremely painful.” Wolfe pointed one gloved finger to Ely’s mouth. “See the marks on his cheek? The tips of fingers caused the bruising. He had a pair of socks stuffed into his mouth, and the killer pressed down with a great deal of force with the left hand then thrust the knitting needle or perhaps a meat skewer into his ear. I’m leaning toward the latter. I would say from the position of the marks, the killer was straddling him at the time. The killer was dressed as well. I found a few obscure filaments of denim stuck to the condom he was wearing at the time of death.”
She stared at the body and her mind went into overdrive. Her time spent in the vice squad in her other life had taught her many things, and one of them was that many people enjoyed unusual sexual fetishes. Whatever a person craved there was someone out there willing to accept payment to satisfy the most perverted needs. “I thought this case was connected to a pedophile ring but now I’m not so sure. This man looks as if he had a date for some rough sex, maybe with a dominatrix. From what I saw in the motel, the killer blindfolded him at some time and tied him up. If he paid for rough sex, he would not be alarmed when she covered his mouth.”
“Do you have reason to believe this killer is female?” Wolfe looked at her over his face mask. “I admit the fingertips are small, but a number of men have small fingertips as well.” He sighed. “Then there is the handprint on the cheek. I believe the killer slapped him, and as his body goes into rigor, the print has become more evident. Can you see it is a small hand? It could be female.”
Jenna walked around the body. “I think so. Going on the chocolates and wine, I’m leaning toward a hooker or a kinky sex date.”
“It points to that but I’m not convinced.” Wolfe met her gaze. “I think your instincts were right the first time. I think the killer is the same person who murdered Price. Both crime scenes stink of a predator. The gifts, for instance; the majority of predators arrested for luring kids to places with the intention of having sex have a bag of gifts with them.”
Jenna chewed on her bottom lip, staring at the body. If the men knew each other, her assumption of a vigilante killer was becoming a reality. She glanced up at Wolfe. “Did you remove the blindfold on scene?”
“No, it was on his forehead when I arrived.”
“Then I’m going with the vigilante theory, and the removal of the blindfold is crucial evidence. I figure she wanted to see his eyes as she killed him.” She stared at Wolfe. “Now all we have to do is figure out who she is.”
21
Kane moved through the crowd on the way to the park and headed for the magician working the street. The man was not wearing gloves and did not have a spider tattoo but he needed to ID him. He waited for an opportune moment and tapped him on the shoulder.
The man turned slowly and small black eyes moved over his face.
“Is there a problem?”
“I’d like your name.” Kane pulled out his notebook and pen. “Are you with Party Time?”
A relieved look passed over those black eyes and the magician nodded.
“I am, and I’m licensed. My name is Stu Macgregor.”
Kane stared at him in disbelief. He knew Macgregor was classed as a low-risk sex offender in Montana but was surprised the local council had issued him a license to be anywhere near kids. “Really, show it to me?”
“I’m rehabilitated, certified. I haven’t offended for seven years. I agreed to chemical castration so I could continue working in a restricted capacity. In any case, how could I do anything wrong with all these people around?” Macgregor glared at him then unzipped his costume, dug into a pocket, and thrust it at him.
Kane examined the documents. Macgregor’s license restricted him to public street performances. Attached to it was a notice giving his classification as a low-grade sex offender. He shook his head in disbelief; it seemed every state and town council had a different way of dealing with pedophiles. “Okay.” He thrust the paperwork back at him.
“I did my time and you are hassling me for no good reason.”
“I’ll do more than that if any kids go missing from my town.” Kane eyeballed him. “I’m watching you.” He turned and strolled toward his vehicle.
As he made his way to pick up Bradford, he wondered if there was a connection between Stewart James Macgregor and Pattie McCarthy. The age seemed to be right but getting information out of Miss McCarthy would be like getting blood out of stone.
He double-parked outside Aunt Betty’s Café, much to the annoyance of the cars behind him, and Bradford jumped into the passenger seat, coffees in hand. He took the cardboard carry container from her and deposited the cups in his console. “Thanks.”
“I asked Susie Hartwig if she remembers seeing Miss McCarthy in town but she can’t be sure with the hundreds of people she has served during the festival. She does remember seeing her on Saturday evening around six; she stopped by for a meal.”
Kane scratched his cheek. “So Pattie McCarthy was lying about staying home.”
“Looks like it. Now what?” Bradford glanced at him.
“Next on my list is Lizzy Harper.”
“I know about her. She stabbed her father to death and served jail time.” Bradford’s gaze moved over Kane’s face. “Why would you suspect her?”
“She was in a juvenile detention center for three years and had her son in there.” Kane reached for his coffee and took a sip, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. “I have a gut feeling there were more men involved in her case than she told the court. She claimed to have stabbed her father because he was constantly abusing her. Problem is, the boy she claimed was fathered by him belongs to someone else. As she was fourteen at the time and her mother helps her raise the kid, I wonder if Lizzy finally told her about the other men. They could be taking out the pedophiles one at a time.”
“And if they’re not the killers, then you figure they might know the names of the men involved in the pedophile ring.”
Kane nodded. “Exactly.” He turned the SUV around and headed toward a cluster of small landholdings on the outskirts of town. “They are working on two houses this afternoon. Let’s see what we can find out.”
He drove to the first address on the list but as their work vehicle was not out front, he started to back out of the driveway, stopping when the front door opened.
“Someone is home after all.” Bradford’s mouth curled into a smile. “It looks like the mother. Maybe she’ll be easier to talk to.”
Kane slid from the seat. The woman standing at the door wearing a thin cotton dress, apron, and a pair of kitchen gloves eyed him with suspicion. He strolled toward her with Bradford close behind. “I’m Deputy Kane and this is Deputy Bradford. We’re looking for Mrs. Harper and her daughter Lizzy.”
“I’m Rosemarie Harper. Lizzy had an appointment in town but she should be back soon. What do you want? I’ve already told you more than I should have.”
“I appreciate your help, ma’am, but I have a few more questions.” Kane pulled out his notebook and pen. “I believe you and your daughter cleaned the property at 3 Maple Lane?”
“Yes, but that was a week ago last Friday afternoon.”
“So I’ve been told.” He observed how nervous she appeared and stepped back. “So where were you this week?”
“We’ve been cleaning all of Rockford’s houses for the real estate office, so we’ve been all over the last couple of weeks.” She gave a nervous shrug. “They would have a list.”
“Okay, what about Friday night? Did you or Lizzy go out for any reason?”
“Lizzy is always in and out, she hates being cooped up in the house.” Mrs. Harper sighed. “She went into town for a couple of hours. She wanted to have a look around at the stalls and pick up some takeout. I remember she was gone for quite some time. She said she had a long w
ait at Aunt Betty’s due to the festival. Why?”
Kane made a few notes in his book. “We found a kidnapped child in a cabin in the mountains. The man involved is Amos Price. Have you heard the name? Could he have been involved in the incident involving Lizzy and her father some years back? Did Lizzy ever mention anyone else?”
“No. There wasn’t anyone else involved the day Pete died. Lizzy waited for him to come home that night and killed him.” She glared at him. “Don’t look at me like that. She never said a word. Yes, I should have known, should have seen something, but it happened on their weekends away. My husband used to take her fishing with him.” She bit her bottom lip. “Lizzy hated fishing but he insisted she do outdoor activities and would spank her if she refused to go with him.”
“Has she ever said why she didn’t tell you something was wrong?” Bradford flicked Kane a glance as if asking his permission.
“Not in so many words but the truth came out in the trial.” Mrs. Harper’s eyes hardened. “A bit too late for me to do anything to help her after she stabbed him to death.” She wet her lips. “My husband threatened her. If she mentioned one word of their secret, he would kill me.”
Sick to his stomach, Kane pushed on. “Are the names Ely Dorsey or Stewart Macgregor familiar to you? Could they have been friends of your husband?”
“Why?”
Kane observed her face and the way her eyes blinked. “Just answer the question.”
“I know all about Stu Macgregor. My husband loved magic tricks and he made friends with a magician by the name of Stu. It was sometime after he died I discovered Stu is the man who went to jail for kidnapping the Booval girl over in Blackwater.” Mrs. Harper placed one hand over her mouth. “Oh my God, was he involved with my Lizzy as well? There had to be another man but Lizzy refuses to speak about it.” She glanced up as the sound of a car engine came down the road. “There she is now but don’t expect her to open up to you. She will only get angry.”
Kane rubbed his chin. “Angry, huh?”
The van pulled up beside Kane’s SUV and a young woman stared at him open-mouthed. She slid out of the door, collected a number of takeout boxes, and walked toward her mother. Kane moved closer to Bradford and dropped his voice to just above a whisper. “If she is hostile toward men, you might have to question her instead.”
“Okay.”
“Is something wrong? What are you doing here, Deputy Kane?” Lizzy Harper’s eyes flashed with anger. “Mom, what’s going on?”
“Nothing to worry about. I’m sure Deputy Kane will explain.” Mrs. Harper’s agitated demeanor spoke volumes.
“Well?” Lizzy stood, hands balled on her hips, and glared at him.
Kane kept his distance but met her gaze head on. “May I speak to you in private, or would you prefer to speak to Deputy Bradford?”
“Okay. I know you will use any excuse to make me break my parole. I’m not stupid. I’ll talk to you over by your car.” Lizzy thrust the takeout into her mother’s hands then strode away, back straight and head high.
He followed and waited for her to turn around. “Miss Harper, this is not about your parole. We are trying to discover the names of a group of men who kidnapped and abused a twelve-year-old girl.”
“How the hell should I know anything about a group of pedophiles? In case you missed the news, I killed my father.”
Kane cleared his throat. “I don’t think you are telling me the whole story, Miss Harper. I believe our latest victim’s situation was much like yours. We know your father took you to his fishing cabin to abuse you.”
“That’s not a secret.” Lizzy glanced toward her mother and grimaced. “I’m sure she knew but she is weak and every time I tried to tell her she’d shut me down.” She glared at him. “Don’t come over all social worker on me and ask me why I didn’t tell a teacher or someone: I was ashamed, that’s why. He made me feel like shit, like I was nothing, dirty. No one would listen to me so I had to deal with him myself.”
Kane leaned against the car, taking a casual pose in an effort to put her at ease. “Was it just him or did he have a few friends visit while you were there?”
“Why?” Her eyes flashed dangerously and if she had been a rattlesnake, he would be dead.
“The girl we found told us she was held in the mountains and men would visit at the weekends.” He noticed the color drain from her face, and her agitation. “We need to stop these animals before they grab another kid off the street.”
She shrugged and looked away.
“Miss Harper, I know this is hard for you but did your father place you in the same situation?” He took out his notepad and flipped through the pages. “We found Amos Price murdered then Ely Dorsey both had kidnapped girls at their homes. I know these men are involved in a pedophile ring. Do these names mean anything to you?”
“No. Oh shit, I know what this is about; I take it my mother told you my son isn’t my father’s child. So now you want all the dirty little details. You men are all the same.” Lizzy pushed both hands through her silky hair and lifted her chin. “I don’t have to tell you anything. Yeah, I killed my pervert of a father and did my time. Now unless you want to charge me, I have work to do.”
“Fine.” Kane rubbed his chin. “But the longer we have to look for the rest of these men, the more chance there is of them snatching another child.” He inclined his head. “As a matter of interest, as your son had a DNA test, I can obtain a court order to check it against our victims. If we get a match, you do realize I could arrest you on suspicion of murder?”
“Really?” Lizzy lifted her dimpled chin and smiled at him in an unhinged way. “It sounds like he deserved to die. The problem with you, Deputy Kane, is you are no different from any other man who has questioned me. You want me to tell you all the disgusting things they did to me so you can fantasize about it later.” She held up a hand to prevent his reply. “Arrest me or leave me the hell alone.” She turned and stomped back toward her mother.
The disgusting things “they” did to her. Her Freudian slip gave him all the information he needed.
22
That evening Jenna stared at Dave Kane over the table at the Cattleman’s Hotel restaurant. Filled to capacity, she had had to squeeze past people to get to her seat. She could not help but notice the admiring glances Kane received from just about every woman who walked by, and the way he ignored them. She had to admit, he did look suave in a dark blue suit with his hair neatly combed rather than plastered to his head from his cowboy hat. He smelled good too.
“Do I have food in my teeth?” He raised one black eyebrow then smiled. “Or does that look mean something else?”
They had become close friends in the last year and it was good to relax off duty with him and not be the sheriff for a short while. She chuckled at his bemused expression. “Maybe.” She sighed. “I like this, what we have. I’ve never had a close friend quite like you before.”
“I’m glad we can be normal after hours as well.” Kane winced. “I have to admit, at first, not running things was difficult but I adapt pretty well.”
She chuckled. “You certainly do. I haven’t had to take you out back of the barn and teach you a lesson once.”
“Uh-huh.” Kane flashed a white smile at her. “Even my dad wasn’t game enough to try that means of punishment with me.” He cleared his throat. “I was fully grown at fourteen.”
She dropped her voice. “Do you miss them, your parents and family since you moved way out here?”
Kane’s face took on a thoughtful look.
“More than you could imagine but I guess I’m preaching to the converted.”
At once, she regretted intruding on his privacy and nodded. “I miss friends but I lost my parents before I signed up for my last gig.” She sighed. “There’s no going back, is there?”
“I would without a second thought if I could do something useful.” He narrowed his gaze at her. “I’m sure you understand my reasoning?”
Sh
e understood his carefully disguised conversation only too well and cleared the lump in her throat. It didn’t take a genius to know Kane would vanish from existence if offered the chance to take down the people who murdered his wife. “Yeah, I do, and if you plan on going to a reunion, I’m going with you.”
“As my date?” Kane gave her a long, considering stare. “Maybe.”
Picking up her glass of wine, she sipped, allowing the rich-bodied flavor to spill over her tongue. She needed to change the conversation before the evening was a total failure. “I know you are dying to talk about the case. Since you arrived on my doorstep this evening, you’ve had a smug smile on your face.”
“Really? Hmm, I must be losing my edge.” He sipped his soda and his blue gaze slid over her face. “Bradford rode shotgun with me today to question a few suspects. She did very well for a rookie.”
“That’s good.” Jenna smiled. “So, let’s cut to the chase. What did you discover?”
“Not much.” Kane shrugged. “Truth is I wanted to discuss the interview with Lizzy Harper with you.”
“Then discuss it before you blow a gasket.”
“First of all, her mother mentioned she was out for some time on Friday evening, apparently getting takeout. We’ll need to check with Davis at the real estate office and find out where the pair of them were working this week.”
“Okay, so what did Lizzy Harper say?”
“She didn’t say much at all, mainly put all men down as pigs, but she did let it slip that more men were involved.” Kane’s lips curled into a satisfied smile. “I didn’t push for more information but now she has given us a motive to obtain a court order for her son’s DNA results. We’ll be able to discover if one of our victims is his biological father.”
Jenna leaned forward. “Really?”
“Yeah, and her mother identified Stewart Macgregor as a friend of her husband as well, so likely he was involved.”
“Great, I’ll get the paperwork underway for the court orders. I hope that’s all because my brain needs a rest.” She sighed. “Dinner with you tonight is a luxury; I hardly get time to eat lately.”
