Bring Me Flowers_A gripping serial-killer thriller with a shocking twist

by D. K. Hood

  “Oh, doh, I’m not stupid. I have a can of mace in my pocket and I’ll use it if I have to.” Emily’s gaze bore into him. “Not even a mass murderer would risk killing me with twenty kids in his shop, and Aimee will be there too. I’m the best bet to find out if he is the killer. I’m doing it and that’s final.”

  Hackles rising, Kane glared down at her. “Not one hope in hell. You haven’t seen what this monster can do.”

  When she nodded slowly and met his gaze, his stomach did flip-flops. He shook his head in denial. “Nah, I don’t believe Wolfe would show you his files. It would be unprofessional.”

  “He didn’t show me anything. I examined the file this morning at the sheriff’s office. You really need better security on your filing system.” She tossed her fair head and her hair fell straight down her back like a silk scarf. “I looked because I’ve been studying forensic science for two years; not officially, but I have completed two online courses.” She glanced over one shoulder at her friends. “I have to go. Call my dad and tell him what’s going down.”

  He watched her move into her circle of friends and they headed into the computer store. Grabbing his cellphone, he relayed the information to Wolfe, who went ballistic as predicted but moments later broke through the crowd and joined him. He shrugged, feeling useless. “Sorry, she refused to listen to me.”

  “Yeah, I know. She has been a handful since she could speak. I think she has the fear gene missing, unlike me. Right now I want to march in there and slam the pervert into the next life.” Wolfe rubbed his blond whiskers and sighed. “We should get out of sight away from the computer store.” He led the way down an alley between the stores and leaned against the wall. “I did a sweep of the entire Rogers house and have reason to believe someone was struck on the head or had their throat cut in his family room. After spraying luminol, the amount of blood would indicate the victim would have little chance of survival. The carpet you mentioned was missing correlates with the evidence. I found drag marks consistent with a woven fabric, carpet fibers, and blood traces. The luminol highlighted a path leading from the family room to the backdoor through to the garage.”

  “So he killed someone, but from what Emily said it’s doubtful he murdered Felicity or Kate. Although, we can’t rule out that killing might be a cure for his impotence. We’ll need a court order to obtain medical records to prove the extent of his impotency but his lawyer might persuade him if we threaten to charge him with murdering both girls.” Kane looked at his strained expression and caught a flash of apprehension in his eyes. “We can’t locate his wife and we know they argued, plus I found her purse and cellphone in the house.”

  “That’s not good. In my opinion, Rogers murdered someone, wrapped them in the Chinese rug, and buried them in the woods.” Wolfe raised both eyebrows and his mouth thinned. “I have a team with cadaver dogs arriving at sunup to search Stanton Forest from where you saw his car parked, but right now my priority is keeping Emily safe.” He pulled out his cellphone, activated an app, and stared at the pulsing red dot on the screen. “I hope she knows what she is doing.”

  Forty-Two

  The cellphone made a noise like a siren, and with lightning speed, Wolfe’s long fingers moved over the buttons. He lifted a concerned gaze to Kane. “Here we go. It’s on speaker and I’m recording. They can’t hear us.”

  Kane rested his hand on his Glock; one move in the wrong direction and he would be inside the computer store before Lionel Provine took his next breath.

  A man’s voice came through loud and clear.

  “Oh, come now, don’t be so shy. Ask anyone, you can trust me.”

  “My daddy told me never to trust strangers, and I don’t know you, Mr. Provine. I think we should stay right here in the shop.” Emily was working like a pro, giving her location and the name of the person speaking to her.

  “Come upstairs and see my collection of figurines, I’ll give you some gift cards.”

  “I’ll kill the asshole.” Wolfe shook with anger. “The pervert is grooming her.”

  Oh, Jesus. Concerned, Kane gripped his shoulder. “If anything happens, I’ll take him out. Remember my motto: one shot, one kill. For now, she is okay. Just listen. If he touches her you can go in and tear him a new asshole.”

  When Wolfe pulled his weapon and moved closer to the edge of the building, a wave of foreboding hit Kane. He needed to contain the situation. Wolfe was not like him, cold and in control in a life-threatening situation, especially when his daughter was the target. “Stand down. That’s an order. Listen, Emily is more sensible than you believe.”

  “Come on now.” Provine’s voice had dropped to a coaxing tone. “I don’t bite.”

  “I don’t think so.” Emily’s voice quivered a little and Kane noticed Wolfe’s muscles tense under his shirt. “I’ll agree to go to the door of the storeroom but I’m not going anywhere else with you.”

  “Okay, but remember not to tell anyone. It’s my secret club. Only a few people are involved, but as you are new in town and a friend of Aimee’s, you can join too. Here, this is for you.”

  “What do I need that for?” Emily sounded confused. “Is it a thumb drive?”

  “Not exactly. Just insert this toggle into the back of your laptop and we can communicate secretly online, which means outside of the games room. I can place bonus cards directly into your gift box so you’ll be able to jump levels and beat the boys.”

  “That all sounds interesting, Mr. Provine, but nothing is free. What do you want from me or any of the girls you have in your club?” Emily’s voice came through loud and clear. “I mean, if you’re looking for a BJ or sex, I’m out of here.”

  “Say it and I’ll punch your teeth down your throat.” Wolfe’s threat came out in a growl.

  “No, nothing at all like that, heaven forbid.” Provine chuckled. “No, just ask your parents to buy the latest devices from me. I’ll help you and you’ll help me.”

  “Okay, I’ll do it.” Emily cleared her throat. “I have to go. My daddy is waiting for me.”

  “Our little secret then? I don’t think your father would understand.”

  “Sure.”

  “I’ll give him ‘our little secret,’ the asshole.” Wolfe’s face paled and his eyes flashed with rage. “I’ll insert his damn toggle where he’ll never find it again.”

  Trying to control his own anger, Kane grabbed his arm. “Cool it. What’s the bet the toggle is a remote access device? I guess you have the know-how to discover just how often he is interacting with the girls online?”

  “Oh, yeah. I’ll go deep and find out all his dirty little secrets, he won’t be able to hide anything from me. I’ll conduct the search via Kate’s or Felicity’s laptops, then we won’t need a court order. I already have written permission and what I discover will be admissible in court.” A shudder went through Wolfe and he clenched and unclenched his big hands. “It might take some time but I’ll be able to monitor him.”

  “So, remote access means he can control their computers?” A wave of disgust washed over Kane. “What about their webcams?”

  “I’m not sure yet but if he has, just leave me alone with him for two minutes.” Wolfe shot him a glance of cold fury. “Filthy little pervert. We’ll need to keep a check on him. When I get back to the office, I’ll set up a tracker and attach it to his car because we don’t have the manpower to put someone on surveillance.”

  Emily’s voice interrupted their discussion.

  “Daddy? I’m safe and walking toward Aunt Betty’s Café. Did you get all that?”

  Kane slapped him on the back. “Go, I’ve got this. I’ll see you back at the office.”

  * * *

  After Wolfe took off at a run, Kane strolled back onto the street and walked into the store. He moved close to Lionel Provine and spoke softly but in a tone that demanded his immediate compliance. “I need to speak to you—alone.”

  “Yes, of course.” As if Kane had just asked him about the latest tech
nology, Provine led the way into a storeroom off the main shop floor. He waved at a screen displaying the entire store. “Can’t be too careful.”

  Seeing a way to track Provine’s movements, he acted dumb. “So, do you keep the disks and check them each day in case something is stolen, or are they automatically written over every few hours?”

  “I have the latest technology, so unless something is missing, I re-write the hard drive weekly.” Provine gave him a haughty stare, then, as if seeing him as a potential customer, smiled. “I see you’ve been shopping—is there anything I can help you with today?”

  Kane slid the plastic sack up his arm, took out his notepad and pen, then inclined his head. “Can you account for your movements between the hours of six and nine thirty yesterday evening?”

  “Yes, I was here as usual but I was online. Playing a new game called Thunder Clap. My online user name is Geek Twenty-Four. The kids meet me in the online games room and we often play against each other or on the same team.” His small eyes narrowed behind his glasses and he held out his hand for Kane’s notepad. “I can write down the games room’s URL. It’s easy to check the logs. In fact, I’m sure your new deputy will be able to find it okay.”

  “Just tell me the address, I’m not computer illiterate.” Kane took down the URL then frowned. “I also know anyone can log on and not play or have some type of remote player. You’ll need a better alibi than that, I’m afraid.”

  “Let me see, I went into Aunt Betty’s Café around nine thirty to buy some snacks. Tilly the older waitress served me.” Provine gave him a concerned stare. “Two of the rodeo cowboys were there as well and one of them was Lucky Briggs. He could have seen me but he was in deep conversation with the other waitress, the young one who does the late shift… ah, Sally, I think.”

  “Nine thirty, huh? Must have been hungry work playing that new game.”

  “With the store filled with kids during the school breaks I don’t get time for lunch most days, let alone shopping for groceries. I’m lucky to have a group of the older girls who’ll run errands for me.”

  “Why don’t you make your lunch and bring it downstairs with you?” Kane looked down his nose at the man and noticed sweat forming on his top lip. He had rattled him. Good.

  “I do sometimes, it depends on the weather.” Provine wiped a hand over his mouth, the nails bitten down to the quick. “I wouldn’t expect them to run around for me in the rain or snow.”

  “I see, and what do the girls get from you for running these ‘errands’?”

  “I receive piles of merchandising, game cards, free downloads for promoting the products, and I hand them out like candy.” Provine made an exaggerated head bob toward the flat screen. “I really should get back to the kids.” He wet his thin lips. “I’m sure you can check my alibi.”

  Alibi is a word used by a guilty man. “Aimee Fox mentioned you closed the store for over an hour on Monday afternoon. Did you have to go somewhere?” Did you just happen to murder Joanne Blunt while you were out?

  “I had to update my server and the computers were down. I closed the shop to get some peace and quiet.”

  Kane made a note then turned to go. “Okay, thank you for your cooperation.” Not good enough, Provine.

  He headed toward the garage with the intention of speaking to Derick Smith again but wanted to relay the afternoon’s information to Jenna in person. He had spent far too much time already and wanted to interview Steve Rogers at three. The interview was crucial for him to profile the man in a controlled situation. At this point, the charges they had against him did not hold water and he would be out on the street again. Rogers had killed someone, without doubt. He flicked through his notes, found the number of Smith’s mother, and called her. Discovering Derick had been home playing pool with three of his friends yesterday evening, he took him off his list and headed back to the office. He wondered how Jenna would take the news; he doubted if the man locked in her jail had killed the girls, which meant their killer was still on the loose.

  Forty-Three

  Jenna glanced at the clock in her office; in less than fifteen minutes Steve Rogers’ lawyer would be walking into her office and demanding an interview. Kane was MIA and Wolfe had flashed past her door ushering Emily before him, face in a permanent frown and looking like a Viking berserker. What the hell is happening now? She closed the open file on her computer then pushed to her feet. The smell of coffee brewing was driving her crazy and if she snuck out to the kitchenette now, she had time to grab a cup of Joe before the interview. In the hallway, she could hear the rumble of Wolfe’s deep voice; not loud but if her father had spoken to her in such a way, she would have shriveled up and died on the spot. Feeling a little sorry for Emily, she reached for the freshly brewed pot of coffee.

  “Pour one for me, will you?”

  As usual, Kane had walked up behind her without making a sound. She turned her head a little to watch him drop a large box of donuts on the counter then turn away and stash something in his desk drawer. “Been on a shopping spree? You do remember Rogers’ lawyer is due in about ten minutes?”

  “Yeah and I haven’t been shopping.” He raised one dark eyebrow and piled his coffee with sugar and cream. “I was undercover, so to speak, keeping an eye on Emily. The baker had the strange idea I was staring so long in his window because I couldn’t afford to purchase a cake. He came out, thrust the donuts into my hands, and gave me the best ‘get lost’ look I’ve seen in ages. I guess having me hanging around outside his shop was bad for business.” He grinned. “The cookies I stashed are mine. A guy my size needs a lot of cookies, especially chocolate chip ones made by his boss.”

  Jenna grinned at him. “I’ll bake some more this weekend.” She waved her cup toward the control room. “Wolfe is in there with Emily, and from his face, she is in trouble with a capital T. What happened and why did you have to watch her? I thought she was at the Foxes’ place.” She reached for a sugar donut.

  “You have no idea.” Kane cocked one dark eyebrow. “Let’s say the situation was more than tense. You had two deputies ready to throw law out the window and throttle the little weasel.”

  Amazed Wolfe had agreed to Emily’s plan to discover Lionel Provine’s secret dealings, she gaped at him as he explained. Her mind went into freefall at the revelation Steve Rogers’ doctor could prove he was innocent of the girls’ murders. She stared at Kane, trying to process the fact Rogers could have killed his wife. She shook her head slowly, realizing the magnitude of the problem she faced. “Oh my God. The arrest warrant for Rogers was specific to the girls’ murders and is useless. We can’t hold him on suspicion of murdering his wife; as far as we know, she isn’t missing.” She leaned back on the counter and sipped her coffee. “We are in deep shit.” She glanced at him. “I hope you can help me figure a way out of this mess?”

  “I’ll do my best.” Kane’s blue eyes moved toward the front door. “I’ll need to think quickly, here is the lawyer now.”

  “Dammit.” She flicked a look at the door. “Rogers is going to walk, and if we’ve made a mistake, he’ll kill again.”

  “Someone will kill again. The clock is ticking.” Kane rolled his wide shoulders. “All we can do is stretch our resources and watch these suspects.”

  Jenna sighed. “Take Mr. Jenkins down to the interview room then get Rogers. I’ll ask Wolfe to place trackers on our suspects’ vehicles. I doubt we’ll be able to use any evidence gathered in court but between you and me, I wouldn’t mind knowing if either of our suspects leaves home tonight.”

  “Neither would I.”

  She strolled toward the lawyer and fixed a smile on her face. “Right on time. If you will go with Deputy Kane, we’ll have your client in the interview room in a few minutes.”

  “Interview room?” Jenkins adjusted his tie, his buffed, manicured nails glistening as he moved his soft hands. “Why was I forced to speak to Mr. Rogers in his cell last time?”

  “Because we didn’t have a
room available and now we do. Deputy Kane will be conducting the interview and he will bring your client.”

  After speaking to Wolfe, she strolled across the main floor, down the passageway, and through the door to the steps leading down to the cells. To her delight, Wolfe had made a few changes in the days since his arrival. He had changed a storage area into an interview room. It had an electronic lock complete with card entry, turning it into a secure area. She flashed her ID card over the scanner and held the door open.

  She glanced at the lawyer seated at the large wooden table and sat opposite. “Before we begin, how open do you believe Mr. Rogers would be to waive the doctor–patient privilege?”

  “It is not something we have discussed but from my dealings with Mr. Rogers, I can assure you he is of sound mind.” Jenkins’ thin lips turned down as he fussed with his leather briefcase. “This trumped-up charge is just that—pure fabrication and indication of more harassment from your deputy.”

  The door opened and Kane’s blue gaze rested on Jenna for a few seconds before he ushered the handcuffed Rogers into the room.

  She took in the prisoner’s disheveled appearance and the smell of unwashed sweat filled her nostrils. Her attention moved to the lawyer. “I would like to make it very clear, it is a prisoner’s choice to use the facilities or not. Mr. Rogers was offered a shower this morning but he refused.”

  “After four days, we usually hose them down.” Kane dropped his huge frame into the chair beside her and his mouth quirked into a slight grin. “Health reasons, you understand?” He placed a folder on the table.

  Jenna glared at him then cleared her throat. “I am switching on the recorder now; the interview will be sound- and video-taped. The time is five past three. In the room is Sheriff Jenna Alton, Deputy David Kane, attorney for the prisoner, Mr. Samuel Jenkins, and the prisoner, Mr. Steve Rogers. Deputy Kane will start proceedings.”