Promises in the Dark

by D. K. Hood

  “Don’t drag me into this.” Kane held up both hands.

  Concerned by the friction Carter’s attitude was causing, Jo moved between them to face Jenna. “This is why there was a delay in searching for Sophie Wood.” She met Jenna’s annoyed gaze. “There was the chance of a secondary explosive device and Wolfe refused entry until we arrived to clear the scene. It was hours after the explosion by the time we arrived. It wasn’t until we counted the bodies that I discovered Sophie was missing.”

  “But how do you know she’s missing?” Agitated, Kane rubbed the back of his neck. “She might have been trapped upstairs. Dammit, Carter, you sayin’ the fire chief sent out a finalized report without checking the entire building?” He stormed off toward the barn muttering under his breath.

  Thirteen

  During her time as a DEA agent, Jenna had often attended the aftermath of a meth lab explosion and taken the lead in investigations far more complex and dangerous than this one. Mistakes and miscommunication happened when cases moved between agencies but this one was becoming a nightmare. She looked at Jo’s apologetic expression and sighed. “I told you Sheriff Crenshaw was a jerk.” Jenna shook her head. “Although, Wolfe is usually on his game. I’ve no idea why he didn’t question the sheriff or the firefighters about clearing the second floor.” She tried to ignore the acrid smell that hung around a housefire and clung to anyone passing close by. She tucked her tablet under one arm and pulled out her phone. “I’ll call Wolfe and find out what the hell happened here. I’ll put it on speaker.” She made the call.

  “Dad is in the middle of an autopsy and he hasn’t gotten out to look at the car yet. He’s rushed off his feet, Jenna, is it urgent?” Emily Wolfe’s voice came through the speaker.

  Jenna bit back a sigh of frustration. “Yeah, it is. We’re out at the Louan fire scene and I need clarification. Can you disturb him. It won’t take long.”

  “Okay.”

  The familiar swish of the examination room doors opening at the morgue came through the speaker and then Wolfe’s voice.

  “Shane here. Is this sensitive? I have Emily and Colt with me”

  “No.” Jenna flicked a glance at Carter. “I’m at the Louan fire scene. Did anyone clear the upper floor for bodies? It’s not in the report from the fire chief.”

  “From what I understand, the firetruck was able to extend a ladder to the upper front window, and extinguished the blaze. Crenshaw informed me the upstairs was empty. So, one of the firefighters must have done a walk through.” Wolfe sighed. “I pulled everyone away from the building and called Jo and the fire chief in case there was a secondary explosive device on the ground floor, which there was and Carter cleared it. I didn’t go upstairs personally as the stairs were consumed by the fire but I will, once I’ve discovered the cause of death of the victims. The crime scene is being protected, isn’t it? I did leave instructions with Crenshaw to leave a deputy out there.”

  Jenna exchanged an exasperated look with Jo. “No deputies here and Kane is heading up a ladder to look inside now. I figure the youngest girl would’ve been in bed when the bomber arrived. He must have used inducement to make them come downstairs. Most kids would hide if they thought they were in danger.” She sighed. “We have no proof anyone went inside. What if the missing girl is still up there?”

  “I hope not.” Shane sucked air through his teeth in an agitated whistle. “I’m used to working with professionals. I don’t usually have to question anyone on their reports, especially the fire chief. He should’ve been on the ball.”

  “I guess it depends if he took the word of Sheriff Crenshaw and the local firefighters. In my opinion, as it was his responsibility to clear the building, he should have gone up there himself or at least make mention of not being able to inspect the second floor in his report.”

  “I agree and I’ll be talking to him about his report as soon as I’m through here. He needs to up his game if he wants to keep his job. Do you want me to come out and do another forensics sweep today?” Wolfe cleared his throat. “I’m almost done here. Thanks to the Blackwater dentist, I have positive IDs on Isaac, Connie, and Jody Wood. It was fortunate Bobby Kalo traced the family to Blackwater, the Louan dentist had zip. You can go ahead and notify next-of-kin. Something you should know, Mrs. Wood was raped and suffered head trauma before the fire. Her nose was broken and she had teeth missing. I’ll give you more details after the autopsy but this is the most staged and brutal explosion I’ve seen.”

  Jo stepped closer and her mouth turned down. “Jo here. Yes, this changes everything about his profile. The girl, Jody Wood, did he hurt her?”

  “From the toxicology tests I did on the gasses in her lungs, she died before the fire got to her and from the X-rays, I couldn’t find any major signs of trauma. She wasn’t raped. I believe the blast wave from the explosion rendered her unconscious, so that’s a small mercy.” Wolfe paused a beat. “I haven’t completed the examination of Mr. Wood but he has a skull fracture, consistent with blunt force trauma. We need to meet up and discuss my findings. This is one twisted SOB.”

  Jenna nodded and her gaze drifted to Carter climbing the ladder after Kane. “Okay, we’ll leave it until all the autopsies are complete. We have a ton of things to do here yet.”

  “Okay, I’ll call you when I’m through here and I’ve gone over the vehicle at the impound yard.” Wolfe disconnected.

  Jenna pushed her phone inside her pocket and stared up at the house. The sodden blackened mess before her had once been a family home, filled with happiness and laughter. From the lovingly tended garden and the ashes of a climbing rose bush hanging from what was left of a trellis, the occupants had enjoyed gardening. “I wouldn’t like to be in the fire chief’s shoes. I figure he’s never seen Wolfe angry before.” She glanced at Jo and caught the tiny twitch of a smile. “What?”

  “Matt Thompson is his name and he’s good-looking and uses his firefighter allure for all it’s worth.” Jo rolled her eyes. “He might as well have ‘Player’ tattooed on his forehead.”

  “Good to know.” Concerned for Kane and Carter’s safety, Jenna kept her attention on the second-floor window. When Kane stuck his head out and waved to her, she hurried forward. “Did you find her?”

  “Nah. It’s pretty much untouched up here.” Kane pulled down his facemask. “I found a smear of blood on the doorframe of the girls’ bedroom and along one wall in the hallway. I took a few swabs. The room has smoke damage but that’s all. All the rooms look undisturbed. No sign of a struggle but I’ve bagged the sheets from all the rooms, emptied the laundry basket in case we need the girl’s scent, and Carter’s taken photographs. I’ll throw the evidence bags down.”

  After Kane and Carter had finished, Jenna pulled up the files. She examined the diagrams of the crime scene from Carter’s comprehensive documentation. She had to admit it was faultless. He’d recorded the time of inspection, the approximate time of the explosion, weather conditions, odors, and structural damage along with his observations. There was so much more but she wanted to hear it from him. She waved a hand toward the house. “Carter, give us the tour.”

  “Okay.” Carter led the way and skirted a crater in what used to be the family room. “The method of bomb delivery was C-4, in a primary and secondary explosion set a few seconds apart. The blast effects as you can see are projected out and not toward the victims. In fact, they would have been protected to some degree by being in the kitchen. The crater and burn pattern suggest the bomber used an accelerant. The thermal effects, the bend in the metal furniture frames, and melting of the kitchen utensils show the fire reached a higher temperature than I’d have thought normal for a housefire.” He looked at Jenna. “I’ve sent a report to all the appropriate agencies to hunt down any other cases or incident reports.” He walked through a gap in the wall and into the kitchen. “The can of gas was found in here and Wolfe took samples as did the fire chief but from the smell it was gasoline. The victims were placed around the kitchen table,
all secured to chairs. The chairs were knocked over due to the blast wave but the victim closest to the open doorway would have taken the force of the blaze. As you can see from the burn pattern over the ceiling and stairs there was a flashover, the fire went over the victims like a wave and down the walls.”

  Dismayed at the complete destruction before her, Jenna allowed her gaze to settle on the distinct outline of a small figure on the charred wooden floor. An overwhelming sadness engulfed her. The person who did this had taken the older girl and she could only imagine what horrific torture he could inflict on her. After no sightings of Sophie Wood, the chances of her surviving a monster like this killer were minimal. She looked at Jo. “We need to move faster on this case, someone like this is going to strike again, isn’t he?”

  “That’s very likely, if he’s acting out a vendetta.” Jo shook her head. “It’s well planned. From what I’m seeing here, we have a serial killer on our hands.”

  Jenna dragged her gaze away from the floor, scanned the room, and then walked out to the destroyed stairs. It was tragic and oppressive being inside so much destruction, she could almost feel the hate from the man who’d caused it. Ahead, the way to the backdoor was clear. “They would have been able to exit by the backdoor if they hadn’t been restrained.”

  “The explosion would’ve knocked them unconscious.” Kane moved to her side. “Do you remember how far we were thrown during the explosion at the old school house?”

  Remembering only too clearly how it felt to be picked up and thrown across the ground, she nodded. “But they were behind the blast. It wouldn’t have been as bad as what we went through and we survived.”

  “These people were on top of it, Jenna.” Kane turned her around to face him. “It would’ve been quick. Unconscious and then they probably died from inhaling the fumes before the fire engulfed the room.”

  Jenna nodded and straightened. “Okay, I’ve seen enough. We’ll stop by the search command center and chase down the witnesses while the incident is fresh in their minds.” She looked at Carter. “Anyone here, watching the show when you arrived?”

  “Nope.” Carter peered at her over his facemask. “The sheriff had cleared the spectators but he gave me a list of everyone who came by.” He pointed to her tablet. “It’s all in the case files.”

  “Thanks. We’ll head into town now and find out if anyone took videos of the fire, it might show people or vehicles in the area at the time.” Jenna turned to Carter and walked with him out of earshot of the others. “I owe you an apology. The recording and observations of the scene are some of the best I’ve read.”

  “Well thank you, ma’am.” Carter smiled at her and then his expression changed to serious. “I’m real sorry for riling you before, it wasn’t intentional. I respect women but admit I’m a little rusty being alone for so long but I promise not to step out of line again. I just want us to get along, Jenna. Can we be friends?”

  Astonished by his sincerity, Jenna blinked. “So, no more smartass remarks and sexist comments?”

  “Cross my heart.” Carter’s green gaze searched her face.

  Jenna smiled. “I’d like that, thank you.”

  “Good. Now I can get my mind back on the job.” Carter gave her a salute and headed out the backdoor.

  Fourteen

  The Whispering Caves

  Gasping for breath, Sophie flattened herself against the wall of the cave. She could hear the man coming, his steady footsteps crunching through the never-ending gravel under her feet. She couldn’t tell if he’d entered her tunnel or was walking close by. Sound became distorted inside the caves. A tumbling rock was amplified into a rockfall and the sound of her heavy breathing seemed to bounce back at her as if mocking her attempts to escape him. Blackness hung over her, obscuring everything, so she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face. Terrified of taking another step into oblivion, she slid her fingers along the damp rock walls and gripped the blanket covering her shoulders.

  “Come out, come out wherever you are.” His voice echoed toward her in a rush of sound.

  She wanted to scream and run away but the gloom held her prisoner in her fear of the unknown. She edged forward, step by step. Something touched her face, and the unmistakable tickle of a spider’s web clung to her. Critters brushed past her in a rush to get away and underfoot, the hard cave floor had become smoother and angled downward. A sticky substance squelched through her toes and she slipped and slid, losing her blanket. With no time to stop to find it she pushed on, but each forward movement brought with it another horror. The air moved, sending another blast of coolness over her sweat-soaked brow. She could hear him now, and a beam of light lit the rock above her head, sending bats flying in all directions. The panicked beasts caught in her hair and she screamed in terror, swiping them away with her hands.

  “I can hear you.” The man’s voice rumbled up the tunnel. “I won’t be leaving a lantern for you next time, Sophie. It will be you and the rats and I get to watch them eat you alive in night vision. How sweet is that?” He chuckled deep in his chest. “Maybe if you come to me on hands and knees and beg a little, I’ll go easy on you.”

  Frantic, Sophie scrambled on, feeling her way along the cave walls into the void. The air coming toward her had gone from a slight breeze to pushing the hair from her face. Under her fingers the unforgiving rock walls had turned to ice. In the distance she could make out a rushing sound. Could it be the wind that made the tunnels whisper or was it the rush of water? Images of ghouls and monsters ran in chaos through her mind but she’d rather face them than spend one more second with her tormentor. Swallowing her fear, she kept moving. Behind her the man’s footsteps grew louder. The way ahead bent to the right and underfoot became slippery and she tumbled, falling with a splash into ice-cold water. Teeth chattering, she grabbed at the slippery walls and pushed to her feet. The rumbling sound had gotten louder. She recognized the sound of a waterfall and almost whooped with joy. She’d visited Black Rock Falls with her family and heard stories about the catacombs. The tunnel must lead out to somewhere near the falls. Determined to find a way out she hastened her step and waded on blindly. Without warning, the ground dropped away and fast flowing water picked her up and dragged her along like a cork. She bounced off the walls as it headed downward in a rush into the murky darkness.

  “Sophie… Sophie, I’m right behind you.” The man’s voice seemed closer now and the beam of his flashlight was bouncing off the water.

  In blind terror she struck out swimming with the current. The thundering noise was getting louder by the second and an unforgiving sheet of water pounded her from above. She couldn’t stop now, and kicked her legs hard. She had to keep her head above the water. Suddenly a current swirled her around and tugged her under, spinning her like a top. Trapped in the inky water, she couldn’t breathe. Her heart pounded in her ears and her lungs screamed for one precious mouthful of air. Blindly, she fought to the surface and sucked in a breath as the fast-flowing torrent swept her along.

  The ice-cold stream surrounded her, numbing her legs but she kicked her leaden feet and fought to find the rock wall. Hands flailing, she found nothing but air. Sophie cried out in horror as the torrent increased speed. Pain shuddered through aching bones as it hurled her without mercy against the walls on its way through the weaving passage. Water filled her nose and mouth, cutting off any chance to breathe. Dizzy from colliding with the rocks, she gathered her last ounce of strength and fighting for a single breath, she tumbled onward like a stick in the rapids. All around her, the deafening roar of water filled the cave.

  In the distance a beam of light peeked through long strands of green undergrowth. Daylight bounced off droplets of water in rainbows and the noise was so loud, it filled her head. She had to slow down or the water would carry her over the edge of the falls. Gasping for air, she grabbed at outcrops of rock, anything to slow her progress but the mossy rocks slid against her palms. Sheer terror gripped her as she burst into the blinding
sunlight and caught one glimpse of a cloudless blue sky before the waterfall claimed her for its own.

  Fifteen

  Getting involved in other people’s arguments was a recipe for disaster but Kane had to say something. They needed to work as a team and the friction between Jenna and Carter was getting out of hand. “Do you mind if I say something?” Kane turned the Beast onto the highway and headed into the town of Louan.

  It was a glorious day, sunshine, blue skies and away from the smell of fire, the air was sweet. Jenna loved days like these and her hostility disturbed him. He’d rarely seen Jenna in a mood. Determined maybe, but when she was on the job, she was professional all the time. After flicking her a glance, he waited for her to close her tablet and look at him.

  “Since when do you need my permission, Dave?” Jenna’s brow furrowed. “What’s up?”

  “These arguments with Carter.” Kane cleared his throat. “He likes you. I figure he riles you up to get attention. I’ve seen it before; you know the love-hate relationship.”

  “Oh, Lord, Kane.” Jenna grinned at him. “Don’t you think I know when a guy is hitting on me, however subtly? Trust me, he’s not. Carter isn’t the relationship kind. Being an arrogant ass is all part of his game. He likes to see how far he can push me.” She looked away to give the air-con controls her full attention. “He’s not interested in me, or anyone else. In any case, we have a truce. I praised his work and we’re cool. Don’t worry.” She tossed her bangs out of her eyes. “I shouldn’t have risen to the bait in the first place. I’ve noticed how Jo just ignores his stupid comments completely and it seems to work.”

  “Does she?” Kane kept his eye on the road. “Maybe he doesn’t act like an ass with her because she’s his superior?”