by D. K. Hood
“Sure, and I have a sighting of a girl matching Felicity’s description heading toward the forest at approximately eight as well. I called Rogers’ wife, and she said the girl dashed across the road and she almost hit her with her car.” He raised both eyebrows. “So, we now know for sure she went to the forest alone. What we need to know is why.”
“Yeah, what would make a girl of her age change her mind and dash across the road and head into the forest?” Jenna stood and added the name “Mrs. Rogers” under the “Last people to see Felicity” list then returned to her seat. “You have a positive ID.”
“I’ll follow up and send Rowley to get her statement but she described her and what she was wearing and even mentioned Felicity was wearing earbuds. No one has seen Joanne Blunt. It is obvious she went to the rock pool for a swim but how long was she there before the killer spotted her?”
“After the media release, I would have thought someone would come forward with information.” Jenna chewed on the end of the pen. “Maybe just asking if anyone had seen the two girls in the vicinity of Stanton Forest was too vague.”
“I don’t think so.” Kane rubbed the back of his neck. “I wonder if Felicity had a call to meet someone in the forest, her boyfriend perhaps?”
“Or she was playing that stupid game?” Jenna let out a long sigh. “I wish we had her cellphone.”
“Hmm.” Kane stared at the whiteboard, trying to let the clues percolate through his mind. “Or the boyfriend is lying. We know he called her, and was only at Mrs. Bolton’s for five or so minutes. Although, the time Mrs. Rogers’ saw Felicity is sketchy at best. We can’t discount Rogers either. He was in the area and could have easily followed her.”
“That’s a possibility.” Jenna tapped the board. “Right now, we have four suspects we can place in the area at the right time for both murders.” She picked up the marker. “Derick Smith, the boyfriend, was delivering a car in the area and picking up the loaner; the teacher, Rogers; Lucky Briggs and Storm Crawley. Number five is the computer store guy, Lionel Provine, who can’t account for his whereabouts at the time of the murders.” She chewed on her lips as if trying to think. “The problem is we don’t have enough solid evidence to charge any of them.”
Kane’s phone signaled a message. “This might be info from one of the other sheriff’s departments.” He stared at the screen and an icy chill ran down his back. “This came from Helena: ‘Sending you information via email on eight similar cases recorded in the state of Montana. Same M.O. Victims are female, fifteen to seventeen, long hair. Murders escalated from months to one week apart. Local newspapers named him the Waterside Ripper. Nothing reported for six months, no suspects detained. Have checked state data bank. Please keep us informed of any suspects or arrests.’” A wave of doom washed over him. He lifted his gaze to Jenna and met her horrified stare. “It’s confirmed, we have a serial killer in town.”
Twenty-Seven
Kate Bright dabbed perfume behind her ears and grinned at her reflection in the mirror. She would leave the music channel on TV for the flashing lights, turn down the sound, and lock her bedroom door. From the hallway, the effect would be the same as if she had on her headphones and was playing games. No one would disturb her, not after helping all day and being the perfect daughter. Her parents were being way overprotective and would not tell her what had happened to Felicity. She had seen the news, the sheriff was asking for people who had seen Felicity and some other girl named Joanne Blunt near Stanton Forest. What could have happened to them? When she asked her mom, she had told her to stay home but she would say anything to prevent her from meeting Chad at night. Adults think teenagers can only have sex at night. How stupid is that?
She went downstairs into the kitchen and raided the refrigerator. Chad had a huge appetite and she would take him some energy bars and drinks. She stared at the stacked shelves for a few moments then grabbed a bottle of water. After the long hike to the campus, she would be thirsty. She heard her mother heading in her direction and darted toward the stairs. Once out of sight, she called out, “Mom? Do you mind if I play my game for an hour or so? I’ll wear my headphones so I don’t disturb you.”
“You spend far too much time on the computer. It’s not healthy. Watch TV with us and be sociable for a change. There’s a good movie on tonight.”
“I’ll spend tomorrow night with you, I promise. Please, Mom?”
“I guess so but I’ll hold you to that promise, young lady.”
“Thanks.” Kate bolted up the steps and back into her room.
She locked the door and stuffed a towel, drinks, and snacks into her backpack. Five minutes later, she slipped out the bedroom window and climbed down the terrace. The sun had dropped in the sky, casting long shadows, but she would get to the pool and back long before sunset. She doubted her parents would check on her before ten, and she should be home and tucked up in bed by then.
Not wanting anyone to recognize her, she pulled up the hood on her jacket, glad she had decided to cover her jeans and skimpy top. Although in Black Rock Falls the sun shone for over twelve hours a day, the temperature dropped in the evenings and her hair would be wet after skinny-dipping. She giggled at the thought of slipping into the heated pool naked. Sneaking out to meet Chad had become a naughty but exciting habit of late.
She rounded the last block of residential buildings and headed toward the wide road leading to the campus. Worried about someone driving by and seeing her trespassing, she kept to the shadows and walked along the tree-lined driveway to the entrance.
A jolt of apprehension tightened in her belly at the first sight of the buildings, empty with black windows and missing the usual welcoming illumination. Without the noise of students and vehicles, the campus resembled a ghost town. She moved on and the creepy sound the wind made rustling through the trees sent goosebumps running up her arms.
Back in the sunlight, her panic eased and she turned the last bend toward the main gate. She stopped and stared in disbelief at the massive gates blocking the entrance to traffic. With the number of cleaners and tradesmen coming and going during the summer break, they usually remained open. The only way inside would be through the wooded area. She hated the idea of running into a bear or a bobcat looking for its dinner, but she took a deep breath and plowed into the bushes.
The trees closed in around her, blocking the light, but she had taken this path before and hurried along. Nerves frazzled, she started at movements in the undergrowth and glanced in all directions. The woods seemed to be watching her with a thousand eyes. Branches snagged at her coat and tangled around her feet. Convinced roots would erupt from the earth and drag her down to hell, just like in the movies, she quickened her pace.
Gasping as waves of panic washed over her, she made her way back to the road, tripping over a sod of earth where someone had dragged wildflowers out by their roots. Dang, now I have mud on my boots. She could have avoided being scared to death if Chad had suggested meeting him closer to the main gate.
Loud rustling came from directly behind her as if something big had spotted her as their next meal. Fear grabbed her by the throat and she took off at a run. Moments later, she burst out of the woods on the other side of the gate and headed toward the gym. She checked the time on her cellphone. Shit, I’m almost fifteen minutes late. Chad should have been waiting for her but a peek through the gym window told her he had not arrived. Perhaps he’d walked to the pool to look for her. She messaged him but got no reply, and Chad usually answered in seconds. I bet his dad still has his cellphone.
Deciding to head for the pool to wait for him to arrive, she opened the cover of her cellphone and, engrossed in the game, wandered along the dark passageway. A few moments later, she reached the entrance. She heaved a sigh of relief seeing the gate slightly ajar. Chad must be waiting inside. She hurried along to the dressing room and disconnected from the game. The Olympic-sized pool stretched out in an expanse of blue, and the smell of chlorine drifted toward her. She cou
ld see Chad swimming way down the far end and grinned. She would surprise him and sneak into the pool.
After stripping in the changing room, she wrapped a towel around her chest and stepped outside, slightly embarrassed at the idea of being naked in front of Chad for the first time. She peered at the empty pool and swallowed hard. Where is he?
A low chuckle came from behind her and she turned around, pulling the towel tighter, expecting to see Chad. A man walked out of the shadows, shaking the water from his hair. As he moved closer, she recognized him and her cheeks burned. “How embarrassing, I thought you were Chad.”
“Chad couldn’t make it.”
Disappointment tinged with anger that Chad would do such a thing, she moved a step toward the dressing room. “If he is not coming, I’ll get dressed and be on my way home.”
A glint of metal drew her gaze to the knife glistening in his hand and she took a step backward. Panic closed her throat and she glanced around, looking for a place to run. The gate to the pool was not far and she could make it. She pivoted and sprinted between the dressing rooms and headed toward the gate. The black iron railings loomed up in front of her and she gaped in disbelief at the chain circling them.
Someone had locked the gate.
Gasping for breath, she grabbed the padlock but her trembling fingers refused to roll the combination. She stared behind her to see the man walking casually toward her swinging a red sock filled with something in one hand as if he had all the time in the world. Valuable seconds ticked by. She must concentrate before this lunatic changed his mind and ran at her. Turning back to the padlock, she spun the dial, locking in the combination.
One, click.
Two, click.
Three, click.
Four—nothing.
Frantic, she glanced over one shoulder. He was a few yards away and grinning like the Cheshire Cat. She spun the dial again and tried to lock in number four.
Nothing.
The evil, low, rumbling chuckle behind her made every hair on her body stand up.
“One, two, three, four ain’t the combination no more.”
I have to escape. If she took off now, she could run up the bleachers on the far side of the pool and jump the fence. Muscles bunched, she turned to run. Blinding pain smashed into her temple and her vision blurred. The ground appeared to rush up and hit her with incredible force. Air rushed from her lungs in a painful burst and, gasping, she tried to crawl away from the hideous laughter.
A shadow of the man passed over her and water dripped on her face from his wet hair.
“Going somewhere?”
Twenty-Eight
Jenna and her deputies had been working tirelessly to follow their leads, but by dinnertime on Wednesday, they had gotten nowhere. After eating dinner with Kane at Aunt Betty’s Café, Jenna decided to have an early night. She slipped into her slippers and strolled into the kitchen. The moment she added cream to her mug of coffee, her cellphone sounded the nine-one-one ringtone. She groaned and stared at the constant vibrating interference in her life then swiped the screen to accept the call. “Sheriff Alton, what is your emergency?”
“Oh my God, oh my God. You gotta send someone. I don’t know what to do.”
Jenna snatched up the pad beside the landline and grabbed a pen from the bunch in the empty pickle jar on the kitchen counter. “Take a deep breath and give me your name and location.”
“Chad Johnson and I’m outside the gates of the pool at the campus.” He let out a mournful moan like an animal in distress. “Something has happened to my girlfriend Kate, Kate Bright. I can see her lying on the diving board and her guts are hanging out. Send someone to help her.”
Jenna sucked in a breath to steady the rush of terror and forced her voice to remain calm. She moved swiftly to the landline and dialed Kane’s number.
“I can’t get to her. She is inside the aquatic center and someone has locked the gate. I called out to her but she isn’t moving.”
“Is anyone else there? Have you seen anyone in the area?”
“No, please hurry.”
“Okay, stay on the line. I’m going to speak to my deputy, he’ll call the paramedics and we’ll be heading in your direction immediately.” She muted the cellphone and heard Kane pick up. “Kane, it’s Jenna, I have Chad Johnson on my cellphone. It sounds like we have another murder. Send the paramedics to the campus aquatic center but make them aware of the potential danger. Instruct them not to enter the area if the victim is deceased—he mentioned her guts are hanging out, so I think we have another murder. It’s the same M.O. as Felicity.”
“I’m on it. Do you want me to drive you?”
“Yeah, give me five to get dressed.” She hung up the phone and went back to the cellphone. “You still there, Chad?” She poured her coffee into a takeout cup, filled another for Kane, then marched into her bedroom.
“Yeah, but I think I’m gonna puke.”
She wriggled out of her nightgown and dressed quickly. “That’s okay. Is there a garden bed or something close by you can use?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, vomit if you must but don’t hang up. I need to know you’re okay.”
Trying to ignore the sounds of retching, she pushed her feet into boots and took her weapon from the bedside table. She slid her cellphone inside her pocket and attached the earpiece then went via the kitchen to collect the coffee. She set the house alarm and stepped onto the porch as Kane arrived at her front door.
“I’ve called Wolfe, he’ll meet us there.” Kane raised one dark eyebrow, waited for her to place the coffee in the console, then hit the gas. “What have we got?”
She buckled her seatbelt then glanced at Kane’s profile as he engaged the new siren and lights he recently fitted to his personal vehicle. “I have Chad on the line but at the moment he is throwing up.” She covered the microphone hanging midway on the earpiece from her cellphone. “He said little, only that we need to send someone because he found Kate Bright on the diving board at the campus with her guts hanging out.”
“Jesus.” A nerve in Kane’s cheek ticked. “It’s only been two days since we found Felicity and Joanne. If this is the same guy, he is escalating fast.”
The powerful vehicle roared along the highway, and green fields flashed by as it ate up the miles. They sped through town, lights flashing and siren blaring. Kane expertly maneuvered the vehicle through traffic, breaking then accelerating so hard, the G-force threw her back in her seat. Her deputy owned more than an SUV: Since the recent modifications, he had a bulletproof rocket on wheels. Reaching Stanton Road in record time, the SUV screamed along the edge of the forest and made it around the corner onto College Road seconds before the paramedics came over the rise from the other direction. She glanced at Kane. “Nice driving.”
He flicked her a dark blue glance but dropped his lashes as if to hide his feelings. “Thanks.”
She uncovered the microphone. “Chad, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I can hear the sirens. Do you want me to wait here or walk back to the front of the building?”
“Stay there. We are at the main gate now but it’s locked. How did you get inside?” She turned as Kane leaped from the car and, in one smooth movement, pulled his weapon, took aim at the padlock on the front gate, and fired. The chain burst apart in a shower of sparks and hung like a dead snake trailing on the road. “Ah, never mind, we’ve found a way.”
Muscles bunching under his cotton shirt, Kane ripped away the chain and dragged open one of the massive gates in an impressive show of strength. Jenna gaped open-mouthed at him but he shrugged then climbed back behind the wheel.
“Wolfe just arrived. Any idea where the aquatic center is in this place?”
Jenna shut her mouth with a click and pointed ahead. “Yeah, this one I know. I came to watch an event here last fall. It’s out back of the sports center.”
She gave him directions, and moments later they pulled up outside the gym. “The pool is down that passa
geway. Can you see the water glistening?” She uncovered the mic. “Chad, we’re here.”
“I’m out front of the pool gate but it’s locked too,” Chad’s voice came in her ear.
“Okay, you can hang up now, we are heading toward your position.” She disconnected the call then slid from the car and walked over to meet Wolfe and the paramedics. “This is probably a murder scene. Wait here until we check it out and be aware there may be a threat in the immediate area.”
“Did you see anyone on the street on the way here?” Wolfe’s cold gaze moved over the paramedic’s faces.
“Yeah, a white-haired old lady walking a poodle,” one of the paramedics responded. “No one else. We didn’t see any other cars except yours.”
Jenna allowed Kane to take the lead and followed him along the darkened passageways then out into the clear night. A young man was sitting hunched on the ground, his back to the gates to the Olympic-sized swimming pool. Her stomach clenched at the sight of the girl stretched out, feet and arms dangling down each side of the diving board at the side of the pool. From the complete evisceration of the body, she knew it was too late to save Kate. She moved toward the young man. “Chad?”
He lifted a tear-stained face to her. “Yeah. Kate is in there.” He indicated with his chin toward the pool but kept his eyes fixed on her face. “She hasn’t moved and I’ve been calling her name. I know she’s dead.”
“Okay, come with me and we’ll go and speak to the paramedics.” Jenna led him away, taking a mental note of his pristine appearance. Apart from dust on his jeans from sitting on the ground, his clothes appeared clean. She turned to Kane. “I’ll get him off the scene.”
After leading Chad back toward the gym, she raised both eyebrows and shook her head at the paramedics. “Will you take Chad to the ambulance? I don’t want him going into shock.”
“Yes, ma’am. I assume the patient is deceased?”