by D. K. Hood
“Wow!” Jenna stared at the door as Kane walked in. “Can you get a rush on it?”
“I’ll pull in a few favors and hope for the best.” Wolfe cleared his throat. “Has Dave cooled down some yet?”
Jenna laughed. “I’ll let you know later.”
“Okay, copy that.” Wolfe disconnected.
Jenna updated Kane and stretched. “There’s nothing more we can do tonight. I think I’ll grab some takeaway from Aunt Betty’s and head on home.”
“I’ll come home and tend the horses but then I’m going for a steak at Antlers with Carter. He’s booked a table for seven.” Kane smiled. “It seems he doesn’t like eating out alone and figured as Jo is away, we could have a guys’ night out. Play cards, talk about fishing, and relax for a time.” He looked at her. “I could do with some downtime. Do you mind?”
Shaking her head, Jenna smiled at him. “That’s a great idea. I’ll drive my cruiser home. I don’t want to be stuck out at the ranch without transport. It’s like tempting fate.”
“Uh-huh, leaving you out there alone is tempting fate.” Kane regarded her with one eyebrow raised. “It’s likely I won’t be back until morning. I’ll bunk with Carter. He has two bedrooms in his suite at The Cattleman’s Hotel.” He shook his head. “Apparently the hotel upgraded him when they discovered he was FBI.” He grinned. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
Jenna sipped her coffee. “I managed just fine for the two years or so before you arrived.”
“So, you’ll call me if anything happens?” Kane’s expression turned serious.
Jenna shook her head. “No, I’ll call Rio or Rowley, they’ll be home tonight. Don’t worry, both men are more than capable of backing me up if needs be. Ty will be going home soon. Spend some time with him while you have the chance to do guy stuff. We spend all our downtime together and you need some male bonding.” She laughed. “I’ll set the alarm when you leave and keep my weapon handy, plus I’ll have Duke and Pumpkin to keep me company.”
“Great.” Kane smiled. “Are you ready to go? Maggie will be here until Walters arrives to take over.”
“Yeah, I’ll just grab my keys.” She stood and collected her things. Happy she’d made Kane smile again she hummed some tunes all the way to her cruiser.
Forty-One
Thursday
The sun streaming through a crack in the drapes woke Jenna and she jumped out of bed, checking the clock. She gasped and pulled on clothes. It was six-thirty and she usually woke at five. She rubbed Pumpkin’s ears. “I’ll have to start setting the alarm.”
Forgoing her morning coffee, she dashed out the front door and ran to the stables. Duke bounded up to her and then ran alongside, long ears flapping in the wind. She stared at the empty garage outside Kane’s cottage and frowned. She’d expected him home by now but never mind, she could handle the horses just fine. After moving them to the corral, she mucked out and emptied the wheelbarrow before heading back to the house for a shower. One thing was for sure, she didn’t need a workout.
Dressed and ready for work, she pushed bread into the toaster and poured coffee. The perimeter alarm sounded and she headed for the front door in time to see Kane emerging from the trees. She opened the front door and gave him a wave. The truck stopped in front of her porch and Kane slid out. She smiled at him. “Morning.”
“Sorry I’m late. I was waylaid.” Kane stopped at the bottom of the steps. “I’ll go and do my chores and get ready for work.”
Jenna walked down the steps as Duke rushed past her and did his happy dance at seeing Kane. “No need. I’ve tended the horses and I’m just making breakfast.”
“I already ate but I’ll need to clean up.” He rubbed his bristled chin and stared into the distance as if he didn’t want to meet her gaze.
Stifling the amusement at seeing him lost for words, she chewed on her bottom lip. He must have had an entertaining evening out with Carter. It was hard to miss the bright red lipstick kiss on one unshaven cheek or smell the stale perfume wafting from him. “Oh, yes, so I see.” She turned and walked back up the steps. “You’ll need to feed Duke. I’m all out of his food.”
“I’ll drop some by before we leave.” Kane removed his Stetson and ran his fingers through his hair. “I’ll see you later.” He hoisted Duke into the truck and followed him.
As Kane was not a one-night stand type of guy, the lipstick and perfume didn’t worry her at all. Although, he’d changed in many ways in the last six months; after finally laying the ghost of his dead wife to rest, they’d become inseparable. She sighed. Ty Carter was a man’s man, a confirmed bachelor, who was enjoying life to the full, so it wouldn’t surprise her in the least to imagine women had taken some part in his idea of a guys’ night out.
Before she had time to finish her toast, the phone chimed. It was the 911 line. “Sheriff Alton, what is your emergency?”
“Ma’am, there’s a body sitting up against a dumpster, outside the home supplies depot on Main.”
Jenna grabbed a pen and notepad from the counter. “I’ll need your details. Don’t touch the body and keep people away.”
“I drive a garbage truck, ma’am. Ian Morrison. I’ve blocked the alleyway and I’ll wait in my truck until you arrive.”
Abandoning her toast and coffee, Jenna headed for the front door. There was no time to wait for Kane and he wouldn’t hear his phone in the shower. After setting the alarm, she dashed to her cruiser. “I’m on my way.” She disconnected.
Turning on lights and sirens, she used the Bluetooth phone connection in her vehicle to contact Rowley and after he’d assured her Sandy was fine, she’d called Wolfe, giving them the same information. They would likely arrive before her and secure the crime scene. She accelerated onto the highway and a rush of excitement tingled through her as she harnessed the speed of her vehicle. Being a passenger for so long, she’d missed the thrill of dashing to a crime scene and into the unknown alone. The highway into town carried the normal flow of traffic but in town people had arrived early to set up for another day of the festival, which would culminate on Saturday with the crowning of the fall queen and the usual dance at the showgrounds.
With the wide blue sky and sunshine, it should have been a beautiful day but someone had spoiled it with murder. As she crawled down Main, she couldn’t miss the garbage truck and parked behind it. Across the road, Rowley’s SUV was sliding into the curb and Wolfe’s white van had parked on the sidewalk. She made her way around the van and looked at Wolfe. “What have we got?”
“I’m not really sure.” Wolfe moved to one side. “Take a look.”
Jenna stared at the woman, recognizing her at once. She swallowed hard. Had she stepped into a nightmare? The dead eyes staring at her belonged to Laurie Turner’s mother. She was sitting against the dumpster, naked, with a pompom in one hand.
Forty-Two
Kane had heard Jenna’s cruiser tear out the front gate. He checked his phone and shrugged. No missed calls and no messages. He looked at Duke. “What’s stuck in her craw?”
The dog whined and crawled into his basket. Kane smiled at him. “It looks like it’s just you and me today.”
He made his way into the bathroom, dumped his clothes in the laundry basket, and sighed. He’d avoided getting too close to Jenna for good reason—he smelled like a perfume store. Last evening, Carter had decided to entertain every eligible woman in town and they’d spent a good deal of their time at Antlers listening to the band. Not to be unsociable, he’d danced with the friend of the woman Carter had taken a shine to, but had drawn the line at extending the party overnight. He’d spent the night in the spare bedroom in Carter’s suite but after breakfast, he’d had been obliged to give Carter’s friend a ride home as Jo had taken the rental car.
Carter being Carter had slapped him on the back, collected his fishing gear, and left him with the woman before climbing into Atohi Blackhawk’s truck for a day on the river. Kane took out his shaver and stared into the bathroom mirror
. He touched the bright red kiss on his cheek and cringed. Carter’s friend had leaned over and pecked him on the cheek when he’d given her a ride home. “Darn, Jenna must have thought I was doing the walk of shame coming home like this.”
Ten minutes later, he set out for the office. When he hit Main, he slowed at the sight of Jenna and Rowley’s cruisers and pulled to the curb. Crime scene tape stretched across the alleyway and Rowley was standing to one side, while Jenna observed Wolfe and his team work on the body of a woman. He went to Rowley’s side. “Did you call this in?”
“Nope.” Rowley gave him a puzzled stare. “The sheriff called me. She received a 911 call and called me and Wolfe.” He shuffled his feet. “How come she didn’t call you?”
“She left in a hurry just after I arrived home.” Kane shrugged. “I had a night out with Carter and slept over at The Cattleman’s Hotel.” He gave Rowley a direct stare. “Jenna figured I needed a night out to do some male bonding, that I’ve been spending too much time with her.”
“Uh-huh.” Rowley grinned. “As a woman surrounded by menfolk at work, it should’ve been the other way around but then she does spend time with Sandy and Emily, I guess.”
Kane laughed. “Don’t forget Maggie, although she’s not a girls’ night out kind.”
“Girls’ night out?” Jenna looked at Kane curiously. “There’s a woman lying murdered over there and you’re chatting about having a girls’ night out.”
“Me?” Kane shook his head. “No, ma’am. The complete opposite.”
“Okay.” Jenna stared at her notebook. “Kane, I want you to check the apartment over the store, and Rowley talk to the bystanders and canvas the immediate area. Find out if anyone saw or heard anything last night between seven and midnight. I’ll call Rio to come and assist. I want someone here until Wolfe has removed the body, so delegate. Contact Walters if you need an extra hand. When you’re done here, I’ll go with Kane to see Dr. Turner and inform him about his wife.” She looked at Kane. “Did you remember to leave the dog food before you left this morning?”
Kane narrowed his gaze. “Yeah, of course I did. I left a bag on your porch.”
“Fine. I’ll see you back at the office.” She walked away pulling out her phone.
“Jenna.” Kane hurried after her and met her stride for stride. People had started to gather around the alleyway to see what was happening. He waved them away. “Nothing to see here folks, move along now.”
“Didn’t you understand your orders?” Jenna pulled open the door of her cruiser and slipped behind the wheel and stared at him.
“I understand them just fine but would like to know why you’re acting so hostile this morning?” Kane removed his hat and scratched his head. His hair was still damp from the shower. “Why didn’t you call me about the murder? I am the deputy sheriff.”
“Dave, you’d just gotten home.” Jenna wrinkled her nose. “You kinda stunk pretty bad and had lipstick on your cheek, so I figured you’d need time to get cleaned up. I’m not being hostile, I did the chores and left without as much as one sip of coffee. I’m not needed on scene at the moment, so I’m delegating responsibility. Now, I’m going to have breakfast at Aunt Betty’s.” She shut the door and buzzed down her window. “You know darn well, if I don’t get my coffee in the mornings, I’m like a bear with a sore head. Go with the flow, Dave. I’m not the fairy princess every day—some days I’m the wicked witch and if we’re going to make this thing between us work, you’re gonna have to live with it.”
He caught the annoyance in her eyes and swallowed the laugh bubbling up his throat. “Sure, I’m down with that.”
“Good.” Jenna eased out into the traffic.
Kane stared after her. He liked the way she spoke her mind to him. It had become almost a tradition between them. No lies, just honesty even if it stung a bit. He understood the mood swings. Jenna had a soft side, but on the job, she rarely let down her guard. With a male team to command, she had no other choice. No matter how close they became, she would remain aloof at work. That was Jenna and he respected her for it. He turned and headed back to the crime scene.
Observation was a massive part of detective work, comparing and mentally logging pieces of information, some so remote they don’t seem to matter at the time. He avoided the body and scanned the area, moving along the alleyway keeping as close to the wall as possible. He noticed a distinct drag mark and bent to examine the turned-up dirt. The murder hadn’t occurred here, the body had been dragged from somewhere else. He moved forward using his Maglite to peer into dark recesses and turned the corner into the small courtyard that led to the foot of a flight of stairs. Pulling on gloves, he moved up the steps, checking each one for evidence. The old wooden stairs creaked and groaned like most behind the old stores in town. The apartments above the stores were usually rented for extra income, the stores’ owners preferring a larger home. He reached the top and found the door ajar and knocked. “Sheriff’s department.”
He called out several times before pushing the door wide, calling out again and stepping inside with caution. The door led to an open plan kitchen and family room. Signs of a struggle were evident, chairs tipped over, pots and pans strewn around the room as if someone had tried to use them as weapons. He pulled his Glock and checked the bedroom and bathroom. The place was empty but long strands of hair blew across the floor from the breeze coming through the door. The bed was in disarray, sheets trailed toward the door, and clothes lay scattered and torn on the threadbare rug. He holstered his weapon and went back to the family room and stared at the photographs on the mantel over the fireplace. He recognized Laurie Turner and the woman with her was the corpse in the alleyway. It didn’t take him long to find Mrs. Turner’s purse on a kitchen counter. The ID in the name of Jeanette Turner confirmed his suspicions.
He moved back down the stairs and went to Wolfe. “She lived upstairs. The door is open and there are signs of a struggle in the bedroom. I found drag marks in the alleyway.”
“I’m assuming she was strangled.” Wolfe was directing Emily and Webber to bag the woman’s hands and get her into a body bag. “The contusions and scrapes appear to be post-mortem, it’s different to the cheerleaders’ murders but suspiciously the same, as if someone had inside information. I’ll know more later. You’ll need to contact her husband to come by to ID the body. I don’t want to wait too long before I do the post on this one.” He turned to Emily. “The apartment upstairs is the likely murder scene. We’ll get her into the van and then do a sweep upstairs. Kane has been inside but I want you in coveralls and booties. I’m not planning on missing any evidence.” He turned back to Kane. “I’ll send Webber back with the body but I’ll need two hours at least to process the scene here and upstairs. Have Mr. Turner show around noon.” He sighed. “Autopsy at two as usual.” He moved closer. “I’ll check the dressings on your backs so arrive a little early.”
Kane nodded. “Sure.” He noticed Rio had arrived. “I’ll go speak to the neighbors and see if anyone heard anything. Stan Williams lives right next door over the general store. Funny that, huh?”
“Maybe your hunch about him is right.” Wolfe bent to heave one end of the body bag onto the gurney. “I’ll see you at two.” He headed for his van.
Kane walked up to Rio. “Rowley is around somewhere talking to the locals. Come with me and we’ll see if Stan Williams is home.”
“Not at this time of day.” Rio glanced at his watch. “He’ll be driving the school bus. I’d say he’ll be back after ten.”
Kane turned at the sound of footsteps to see Jake Rowley hurrying toward them.
“I have something.” Rowley came to his side. “One of the onlookers, Dan Staple, said he was walking back to his vehicle from Aunt Betty’s Café when he heard an argument last night around eight-thirty. He didn’t think much of it until he saw the ME’s van this morning. I asked him if he noticed any vehicles parked close by and he recalled seeing an old-style red Ford pickup. It caught his eye b
ecause it was so unusual. I showed him a photo of Laurie Turner’s pickup and he identified it as the same color and model.” He waved his statement book. “I have his statement and details. I’ve also spoken to store owners but most had closed for the night. The people aren’t at home from the apartments over the stores each side. So, apart from the vehicle we’ve got nothing.”
“Interesting. The Ford could be vital evidence.” Kane rubbed his chin. “There wouldn’t be any other 1950 red Ford pickups in town fitting that description. It has to be Laurie Turner’s and we find her mom dead close by. I’ll go check it out. The sheriff will want a media statement released as soon as possible. Zac, that’s your department. You know the drill, no specifics, just asking for anyone in the vicinity between the hours of seven and ten. Jake, I’ll leave you to open a case file.” He looked from one to the other. “Have you eaten?”
When they both nodded, he ordered them back to the office. “I’ll go and speak to Jenna. She’s stopped by Aunt Betty’s for breakfast.”
He walked back to his truck, his mind running possible scenarios on the case. Was Dr. Bob Turner involved? It seemed too obvious for a man of intelligence to go to murder his wife driving a distinctive vehicle. Or was he trying a move to psyche them out? He smiled to himself. If this was his plan, he had no idea who he was dealing with.
Forty-Three
Over breakfast, Jenna perused her files. The tie in with the cheerleaders’ murders was obvious but why would teenagers, the most probable killers, turn on a woman in her forties? Where was the motive and how did they lure her into the alleyway? She glanced up when the chair scraped beside her. Without saying a word, Kane placed a pot of coffee and a cup on the table and then sat down. She closed her files and looked at him. “It’s busy in here. If you’re hungry, I suggest grabbing a slice of pie.”
