by D. K. Hood
After waiting for her deputies to sit down, she went to the whiteboard and picked up the marker then split the board in two down the center. “We are dealing with two cases. They are intertwined but we need to take a separate approach to both of them.” She wrote Vigilante killer on one side of the board and Pedophile ring on the other then listed the victims and suspects.
She turned to face them. “I’m going to run the names of the vigilante killer’s victims through the Sexual and Violent Offender Registry. With any luck, if they have committed an offense anywhere in the state, the arresting officer will have a list of known associates.” She moved back to her desk and sat down then turned on her computer and waited for her emails to download. She located the file Wolfe had sent her and printed four copies. “Deputy Wolfe has emailed me a list of the names of the missing kids, dates, and the names of the journalists involved with the cases.” She lifted the copies from the printer and scanned them. “Okay, we have six kids. Rowley, you take the top three, and Webber, you take the last three. Feed the names into the state database and see if you get a hit. You will be looking for juvenile missing persons’ reports. Next, I want you to find a contact number for the reporter. You would be surprised how useful they can be if you speak to them off the record.” She pulled out her notebook and checked the list she had made overnight. “Kane, I want a list of all known associates of Lizzy Harper and Pattie McCarthy; maybe throw Angelique Booval into the pot as well. Find out if they are involved in any clubs or groups.”
Not one of the deputies made a sound, and apart from the strong scent of a variety of aftershaves, she would not have known they were there. She looked up from her notebook at their unblinking stares, handed the copies to the deputies then sighed. “What are you waiting for? Lives are at risk, get a move on.” Maybe I need to start cracking a whip.
29
Dread had hung over Chris Jenkins like a storm cloud the moment the image of Amos Price flashed onto his TV screen, and the feeling had gotten worse with the news of the cops finding Ely Dorsey’s dead body in a motel. His fingers had itched to call Bobby-Joe, but keeping to the code they’d devised to prevent any outsiders from discovering their friendship, he climbed into his SUV and headed up the mountain road to Bobby-Joe’s house.
After parking some way from the locked entrance to Bobby-Joe’s private road, he headed on foot to the old, dilapidated cabin. As he walked through the pine trees, he did a slow scan of the area to make sure Bobby-Joe was alone. Satisfied, he dashed across his front yard and entered the house by the back door. The kitchen was empty, dirty dishes overflowed the sink, and the place stunk of garbage and stale beer. “Bobby-Joe. Where are you, man?”
“Here in the bedroom. I’m talking to my honey.”
Chris wiped the sweat from his brow and strolled into Bobby-Joe’s bedroom. Bobby-Joe was seated at the computer and typing a response to someone in an online chat room. “We need to talk. Did you see the news?”
“Yeah, just a minute.” Bobby-Joe typed some more then spun around in his seat. “Man, I have this sweet thing on the hook and I’ve found the perfect place to take her. A cabin reasonably close to the road and no one goes near the place this time of the year. I could park on the fire road and walk there.” He grinned widely. “She is already willin’ to meet me. Would you believe she is coming on her bicycle?” He chuckled and winked at him. “If you’re looking for a nice place, we could maybe meet up there with both girls then bring them here. I have plenty of room in my cage for two lovelies.”
“Yeah, but unlock the damn gate so I can drive here. It’s one hell of a walk.”
“I’ll give you a key. Most people who see your SUV will think it’s me anyway. It’s the same make, same color but stop cleanin’ the damn thing if you plan to come here. A clean rig don’t look right.” Bobby-Joe chuckled.
“Sure.” Chris nodded, surprised Bobby-Joe was still making plans to kidnap another girl. Concerned by his friend’s laid-back attitude, he swallowed hard. His friend was unpredictable and acted as if Amos and Ely showing up dead meant nothing. “Are you thinking of taking another girl now, so soon after what’s happened?”
“Yeah, of course, and I know you want one of your own. Now that Amos’s girl is unavailable, I’m getting anxious.”
Chris stared at him, not able to understand why he was so calm. “The cops found the girl? Holy shit. I thought you went over there. Why didn’t you bring her here?”
“Because I thought he would be coming back and I didn’t have the keys to unlock the damn cage.” Bobby-Joe stood and ambled into the kitchen. “I didn’t know he’d dropped dead. Heart attack, I expect, fat bastard.” He took a couple of beers from the refrigerator and handed him one. “Don’t worry, the kid won’t be able to identify us, and we made sure we left nothing there. It’s cool.” He sighed. “You down with my plan or what? We take two at the same time and bring them here. I have plenty of tranquilizers. We’ll work out the time. You meet your girl at the cabin first and half an hour later, I’ll get mine to arrive. They won’t be able to get away from both of us.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m in.”
A rustling noise came from outside the open window and Chris spun around. His heart pounded with fear. “Did you hear that? Maybe the cops are out there.”
“Man, you’re jumpy.” Bobby-Joe gave him an exasperated look and leaned out the kitchen window. “There’s no one out there apart from a few chickens scratchin’ around.” He pulled his head in then took a long gulp of his beer. “You need to grow some balls. No one comes here. It’s safe, so stop worryin’.”
Chris swallowed the fear strangling his voice and tried to lean casually against the counter. “I’m being cautious, is all.”
“Sure you are.”
“What do you think happened to Ely?” Chris opened the bottle and frowned. “Two of our friends dying in the same week. It doesn’t make sense. Do you think someone is hunting us down?”
“Nah, you really believe a young girl could kill either of them? Ely died on the job.” Bobby-Joe sniggered. “One of the paramedics who transported his body to the ME’s office spoke to me. He said he was naked and wearing a condom. I guess his new girl split; no one mentioned finding her at the motel.” He sighed. “He’s dead so it don’t matter if she saw his face.”
Chris pushed a hand through his hair. “What about Ely’s girl?”
“I sneaked down the mountain on foot and took a look at his cabin through the binoculars. The house has crime scene tape across the door.” Bobby-Joe sighed. “The cops have her as well.”
“Shit! She could identify us. I’m sure of it.” He took a long drink then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “The news never mentioned her.”
“They took her to the hospital.” Bobby-Joe sank into a chair at the kitchen table. “Ely didn’t feed her much and as she was chained up the cops will order all sorts of tests. I doubt she could identify us. Think about it: We’ve been careful and covered our faces since the little bitch escaped.” He shrugged. “We haven’t touched Ely’s girl in ages. We’re home free with her, no evidence. The cops will blame Ely and he’s dead.” He smiled. “We’re fine. Stop worryin’.”
Panic closed Chris’s throat and he gaped at his friend. “I know you went to his place recently and you work at the hospital. What if she recognizes you?”
“Nah, the chances of me running into her would be slim.” Bobby-Joe sipped his beer. “The doctors will keep her in the hospital for ages. The cops get to interview her after the psychiatrist clears her. I’ve seen the process before and it will be days before they release her.” He sighed. “I never went near her without the mask, it’s cool.”
“She’ll sure as hell recognize the tattoo on your hand, and your green eyes are distinctive. Once she tells the cops, they’ll be on you like flies on shit.”
“My eyes maybe.” Bobby-Joe sighed. “The tattoo, I always keep covered and have done since the girl escaped from here. The hospital beli
eves I have an old wrist injury and I need to wear a brace. So my hand is covered and usually I have surgical gloves on as well when I’m working.” He shrugged. “I don’t take chances.”
Why the hell was he taking it so calmly? Any minute the cops could break down the door and haul their asses off to jail. “It’s too much of a risk to bring any new girls here. We’ll have to find another place.”
“No way. The cops can’t come on my land without a warrant and they can’t connect us to Amos or Ely.”
“What happens if Ely’s bitch gives the cops your description? It will be all over the news. How many people do you know at the hospital? One of them will call the cops for sure. The cops will stick a clown mask on you and she will identify you. Shit, anyone who knows you could.”
“Yeah, maybe, but she wouldn’t have given a statement yet. Like I said, the doctors have to clear her before they allow the sheriff to talk to her. My guess is the sheriff will show up sometime tomorrow.” Bobby-Joe leaned back in his chair with a thoughtful expression on his face. “The cops always make sure people of interest are on the seventh floor, and they only have a deputy on duty during the day. At night, they lock down the wards but I have access to all areas. I can fix our problem easy enough.”
Terrified, Chris stared at him. “What are you going to do?”
“I know the movements of the night shift at the hospital. By midnight there is only one nurse on each ward. I can easily put her out of action. I’ll get there just before the nurses on that floor are due to take a break and slip something into the coffee pot and the hot water urn just to be sure.” He sniggered. “The CCTV cameras are on the main entrance. I’ll go in via the back door—I have a swipe card.”
“Which the cops will be able to trace.”
“Nope.” Bobby-Joe chuckled. “You remember the old cleaner who had a heart attack about three months ago? I have his card. I took it from him when he collapsed.”
Chris eyed his friend’s relaxed demeanor. “Yeah, then what?”
His mouth curled into a sadistic grin. “I’m gonna pay the stinking bitch a visit and kill her.”
30
Curled in the damp soil under a bush growing beneath Bobby-Joe’s kitchen window, she flicked away a spider determined to crawl into her mouth. By the tremble in Chris’s voice, he recognized a threat was on the loose and he was in the line of fire. They should be frightened of me. Very frightened.
If the sheriff had found two girls and taken them to the hospital, she needed to discover which one Bobby-Joe planned to murder. She heard voices again and very carefully eased out from under the bush. Straightening, she pressed her back against the wall beside the open window. The wooden slatted shutters on each side of the window would hide her from view.
The voices drifted out to her and she listened, too nervous to breathe.
“I can’t remember the name of Ely’s girl. He used to call her ‘bitch’ every time I went to visit.” Chris cleared his throat. “How are you going to find her?”
“I know her name.” Bobby-Joe sniggered. “I heard Ely call her Jane the last time I went to see him. I don’t know how much she remembers about her old life; she must be seventeen or so by now.”
“Yeah, I remember she called him ‘Daddy’.” Chris swore under his breath. “He was a sick son of a bitch. With us it was different.”
“Yeah, that’s right, you ‘love’ kids, don’t you?” Bobby-Joe’s sudden harsh voice made her skin crawl.
Yes, I bet you do. With her pulse thumping in her ears, she crept away from the house. Rage welled inside her. Dammit, if she had thought to bring her gun she could have stormed into the cottage and shot both of them. No, a quick death would be too good for them. She must stick to the plan. I’ll make them pay.
Once well away from Bobby-Joe’s cabin, she jogged up the footpath, heading toward the falls. At the top of the mountain, she clambered over a pile of rocks to the small parking lot cut out of the mountainside the tourists used before the rock fall blocked the road. She hesitated and scanned the area but the place was deserted. She rested for some time, mulling over what the men had said then made her way back over the mass of fallen boulders to a cleared area half a mile down the mountain where she had parked her car.
Sitting in her car, she sipped from a bottle of water and gazed out at the expanse of blue sky. To her right, the falls crashed down the mountainside, creating a dozen rainbows. A soft breeze moved the tops of the pine trees, and the masses of wildflowers sat in patches of brilliance against the boulders. The scene was a photographer’s dream. She turned her head to look at the mountain’s many peaks. In all directions, pine trees marched up the sides of the rock face in green splendor. How she wished her memories of Black Rock Falls could be different. What secrets this forest held. She slipped from the car and went to run her palm over the rough bark of a massive pine. The trees at the edge of the road stood in a row like sentries guarding the way to the falls.
It was a shame monsters roamed the forest.
31
After spending the morning searching through the Sexual and Violent Offender Registry for all known offenders in Montana, Jenna then checked the statewide database of fugitives to see if the victims’ names came up. Stu Macgregor was the only name that did. When Kane knocked on her door, his arms laden with takeout, she glanced at the clock. “Oh, I didn’t realize it was so late.” She stifled a yawn. “Ask Rowley and Webber to come into the office and we’ll discuss our findings over lunch.”
“I don’t think our search yielded much information, I’m afraid.” Kane placed the bags on her desk then headed to the door. “Bring your food with you, and your notes. We’ll eat with the sheriff.”
Once everyone had settled, Jenna glanced at her deputies. “I found zip on our victims and a bit of info on Stu Macgregor. Price and Dorsey haven’t had as much as a parking ticket. What have you found?”
“Not much, only what we know already. Amos Price, Ely Dorsey, and Stu Macgregor all worked for Party Time; they often went to the same gig. I spoke to the owner of the establishment and he has never received a complaint against them. He informed me as far as he recalls not one of the men working for him has a spider tattoo on his hand. He said he would likely refuse to hire someone with something that might disturb the kids.” Kane took a sip of his coffee and sighed appreciatively. “I looked into our murder suspects as well. Apart from the molestation as kids, I can’t find a link between them at all. They all went to different schools and have different occupations. I checked social media to see if they have any friends in common and came up empty. In fact, they had hardly any friends at all, and Lizzy Harper hasn’t got an account. She is a real loner. I guess we’ll have to wait until Monday to speak to a social worker about possible support groups. That is the only other link I can think of right now.”
“Rowley, what did you find?” Jenna munched on a turkey sandwich. She had not realized how long it had been since breakfast.
“All the missing girls on my list are still listed as missing. I had to check all over the state but most of these are from the three surrounding counties. I left messages for the journalists to contact me if they had an update on the stories but the missing persons’ files would be up to date.” His dark eyes moved over her face. “I contacted two of the girls’ parents in Blackwater. The cases were all seven to ten years ago. I checked their alibis for the time of death of our victims to rule them out. I asked what they remembered about the days or weeks prior to their kids going missing. All had taken their daughters to a party in the week before their disappearance.”
Jenna nodded. “That’s very interesting, so the Party Time link is definite. Have you narrowed it down?”
“Yeah.” Kane’s gaze rested on her. “They employed four clowns and two magicians in the last ten years: The two we know are involved, and the Booval brothers. The other magician died last year.” He raised one eyebrow. “The manager mentioned the FBI was all over them this week as well, so
I gather they are working statewide on the pedophile ring or they would have notified you.” He shrugged. “So it seems none of their employees are part of the pedophile ring.”
Damn. The leads were running through her fingers like water. She glanced at Webber. “Anything to report?”
“Nothing on my list of missing girls.” Webber cleared his throat. “I found an arrest report on Lizzy Harper but nothing we don’t know about already. The other missing girls on my list are still missing. I didn’t have any luck contacting the journalists at all.” He sighed. “There is a mention in the Blackwater files about the Angelique Booval case and the conviction of Stu Macgregor but her file is sealed as well.”
Jenna let out a long, disappointed sigh. “Dammit, I hoped we would find something. Thanks for coming in today. Go home and get some rest. Walters is on call today and I’ll only contact you in an emergency.”
She noticed the way Kane remained seated. She flicked him a gaze. “Is there anything else?”
“Yeah, now we’re finished for the day, are you ready to leave?”
Collecting the food containers and stuffing them in the garbage, she nodded. “Yeah, a break will do me good but keep it short, okay? I want to re-check everything before we head out to Blackwater tomorrow.” She collected her notepad and cellphone. “Do you mind going over a few things on the ride out to the ranch?’
“No, ma’am.” Kane stood and stretched. “Do you want to go home first and change?”
Exhausted and with the case weighing heavy on her mind, she met his gaze. “We don’t have time to go home and change. Going for a ride is out of the question.” She glanced down at Duke, lounging at Kane’s feet. “Sorry, Duke, maybe next time, okay?”
“Are you feeling okay, Jenna?”
“Yeah, it’s just my head is reeling from all that’s happened.” She shrugged. “I’m not sure what help I’ll be—I don’t know a thing about buying horses. I’ll be useless at offering an opinion.”
