by D. K. Hood
“So what?” Lyons barked out a laugh. “So I keep the panties of the girls I sleep with—big deal. There’s no crime in that. I didn’t steal them; they gave them to me for my collection.”
“You ready to come clean about Chrissie Lowe being here the night she died?” Kane moved to Jenna’s side.
“You hard at hearing or something? I already told you, she didn’t show on Saturday night.” Lyons waved a hand around the table. “Ask the guys or read my lips. She. Wasn’t. Here.”
“Well, Mr. Lyons.” Wolfe leaned on the table and eyeballed him. “Our sniffer dog sure found her scent, and if I find her DNA on any of these items, we’ll know you’re lying.”
Jenna wanted to grin but smothered it with a cough, then Lyons threw out a curveball.
“Ah, Sheriff.” Lyons’ face split into a wide grin. “I didn’t say I’d never had sex with her or that she hadn’t been here before. I said she wasn’t here the night she died.”
Twenty-Seven
It was dark by the time Colt Webber drove his truck along the winding driveway to Lyons’ house. His headlights picked up a sign saying “Visitors’ parking” and he pulled up on the gravel. His heart pounded with misgivings at the idea of walking into the lions’ den—or should it be Lyons’ den? He carried no weapon, and if Jenna’s suspicions proved true, he might become the next victim from the football team the moment Lyons discovered he’d been a cop. A prickling sensation walked over his flesh as he looked around at the dense woodland setting. It was a perfect place for an ambush.
He gathered his courage and stared through the trees. In the distance, he could clearly pick out the house. Light shone from every window and he could see people moving around inside. The winding cement walkway to the front porch appeared to be new, but the lighting in the parking area and along the path to the house was zero. Trees formed a canopy and no moonlight was visible to offer a modicum of illumination. A shiver slid down his spine and he couldn’t imagine anyone would enjoy walking through the spooky darkness alone. After gathering his iPad, he slipped from his truck and made his way down the dark walkway using the light on his cellphone to find his way.
A cool breeze rustled the trees and sent a swirl of golden leaves dancing at his feet. The smell of damp earth and pine enclosed him as if creeping out of the darkness to smother him. He missed the comfort of his weapon at his side. It had been a familiar friend and confidence booster in many unpleasant situations, and he’d hated leaving it in the compartment under his seat. As he walked, he glanced around at the foreboding trees cloaked in shadows and his imagination took flight. So many people had died in Black Rock Falls taking pathways just like this one and falling into the hands of a psychopathic killer. Deep inside he wanted to turn around and get the hell out of Dodge but remembered his mission and kept walking, his rubber-soled boots making little sound on the pathway.
An owl hooted close by followed by another some ways off, sending a warning that a stranger had entered their domain. A loud crack as if someone had trodden on a dry twig came from his right and, heart thundering, he turned his light to scan the trees. Red eyes, low to the ground, blinked and then something furry scampered in the opposite direction. A sudden burst of uncertainty gripped him and he quickened his pace, glad when the porch came into full view.
He ran up the steps and hammered on the door. It opened some moments later and a guy looked him up and down. Colt nodded to him. Dylan Court. He’d memorized every name on the football team. “Hi Dylan, I’m here to see Seth.”
“He’s in his room.” Court’s expression was none too friendly but he stood to one side. “Top of the stairs, last room at the end of the hallway.” He waved him through the family room. “He said you planned to drop by. Nice moves today.”
Colt nodded. “Thanks.”
It was as if the temperature in the room had dropped. The sudden silence and cold, suspicious stares of the men sitting on the sofas unnerved him. One, maybe two he could handle, but four would be a problem. Ignoring the icy reception, he picked his way through the beer cans and takeout wrappers littering the floor and then ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time.
The house smelled like it needed a good clean, and he wondered how six or so grown men could live in filth. He reached the room. The door was open. The room was a stark contrast to the rest of the house and as neat as a pin. Seeing Lyons working at a desk, he paused and knocked. “Hey, are you busy?”
“This can wait.” Lyons pushed away from the desk and stood. “The plays can’t.” He gave him a long stare and frowned as if evaluating him. “You’re smart. I’ve been digging into your files. I hope you don’t mind?” He dropped onto the foot of his bed. “You see, Colt, I can’t figure out why a nerd like you wants to play on the team. You don’t seem the type to want a career in football.”
Colt smiled. “I don’t.” He leaned against the doorframe and met Lyons’ perturbed gaze. “My future is in forensic science and one day I hope to become an ME.”
“So why try out for the team?” Lyons clasped his hands together. “There’s not much money in forensic science, and with your skills you could make millions if you made the draft.”
“I won’t make the NFL because I’m too old, but I need to keep fit and figured the team needed me.” Colt shrugged. “Forensic science is a career that’s going to take me into old age. I’d be washed up in football in two years.”
“I guess that makes sense if you’ve no family money to fall back on. You don’t seem the type to hang out with us jocks.” Lyons stared at him for a long time. “If you do, we have a little initiation to prove you’re one of the guys and that I can trust you.”
Unease crawled over Colt but he grinned. “Oh, I’ve been through a few initiations in my time. What do you need?”
“Someone sweet and innocent.” Lyons rolled his shoulders. “Like that blonde I’ve seen you talking to.” A slow smile spread over his lips. “We like to share things here. Booze, women, you know the deal.” His gaze never left Colt’s face. “I need to know where you stand; are you in or out?”
Emily. He forced his mouth to remain fixed in a grin. “Oh, I’m in.”
“Good, you’ll have to prove it, but for now I’ll give you a day pass.” Lyons rolled over and grabbed a book from his bedside table. “This belonged to Alex. He had an accident at the gym and broke his neck.” He stared at the book for a long moment. “We’d known each other for some time and now he’s gone. How do you deal with working with dead bodies?”
It was obvious Lyons didn’t trust him and he’d have to change his mind. What Wolfe had told him the first time he’d entered the morgue drifted into his mind. “I don’t see a corpse. I see a person with a story to tell. I want to discover what happened to them.”
“I’d see a corpse.” Lyons shuddered. “So, you get to hang out with the sheriff as well?”
Colt barked a laugh. “Hang out? I don’t think so. She’s far too busy at crime scenes and barely looks my way. I keep out of her way.”
“Let’s get back to the sexy blonde I noticed sitting with you in the cafeteria.” Lyons wet his lips as if savoring a memory. “How come she’s hanging out with you?”
Of all the girls on campus, Lyons had picked out Emily Wolfe for his friends to rape. “Emily is interning at the morgue so our paths cross, is all.”
“Emily, huh? Will she come to a party here if you invite her?” Lyons chuckled. “The boys need a distraction.”
Searching for any excuse, Colt shook his head. “Not a chance. She’s a little young for me and only sits with me at lunch to read over my notes from last semester.” He cleared his throat. “I’m sure I’ll be able to find you someone else if it’s part of an initiation.”
“But I have a hankering for her. I like them sweet and innocent.” Lyons gave him a slow smile. “Introduce me and I’ll make a move on her, but to prove you’re one of us, you’ll have to be involved.” He sniggered. “Don’t worry, they never complain.”
<
br /> You won’t have one chance in hell with Emily. Colt swallowed the bad taste in his mouth. “I can’t wait.” He held his hand out for the book. “It’s getting late, are you ready to go over the plays?”
“Sure.” Lyons stood. “Come downstairs, we’ll talk in the kitchen.”
Two hours later, Colt stood and picked up his iPad and Alex’s playbook. “I’ve got to go. My aunt bawls me out if I get home late and disturb her.”
“That must make dating a bitch.” Lyons frowned. “Maybe you should move?”
Colt shook his head. “I barely break even now. I share the food and utilities with my aunt.”
“Ah, yeah, you’re on a scholarship, I forgot.” Lyons pushed to his feet. “Okay, I’ll see you at practice in the morning.” He led the way to the front door.
Colt followed and gave the guys in the family room a wave but none of them moved their eyes from the big-screen TV. He turned to Lyons. “Night.”
“Introduce me to the blonde tomorrow.” Lyons grinned.
Over my dead body. “Sure.” He headed down the steps and pulled out his phone, accessed the light, and hurried along the dark pathway. The temperature had dropped considerably in the last few hours and the breeze had an icy chill straight from the mountains. Even in August, the night temperatures reminded everyone that winter was on the way. As he made the first turn, he heard a crunch behind him and stopped. Moving his light in an arc, he searched the path behind him and found nothing. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled as the feeling someone was watching him crept over him. He kept moving then the sound came again, like footsteps on the pathway behind him and the scrape of a shoe on the rough cement. He wondered briefly if Lyons had set up a prank to scare him. Lyons wouldn’t be aware he studied martial arts and could take care of himself to some degree, but the narrow, tree-lined pathway didn’t offer him much room to maneuver. Added to the fact he had an iPad in one hand and a phone in the other, and anyone could be waiting around the next bend, it would be easy to get the jump on him.
His light made a tunnel before him, and as he walked, he slid the iPad under one arm, shifted the phone to his left hand, and then pulled his car keys from his jeans pocket. He hustled along, scanning the pathway in all directions and listening, but all he could hear was the sound of his deep breathing and the pounding of his heart in his ears. As the snaking pathway opened up to the parking lot, he heaved a sigh of relief then a slight buzzing broke the silence. He glanced up and caught a glimpse of the biggest insect he’d ever seen in his life. He stared into the darkness but whatever it was had vanished into the night.
Colt hit his fob key and climbed into his truck, locking the doors behind him. The walk had unsettled him more than he’d like to admit. He leaned back in his seat, glad when the engine turned over and music played on the radio. Feeling foolish for allowing his imagination to get the better of him, he stared into the darkness. Had the wind played tricks on his mind or had someone been lurking in the shadows?
Twenty-Eight
It had taken Kane some time to convince Jenna to take an hour or so to join him for dinner at the Cattleman’s Hotel in town. They’d been too exhausted to cook by the time they’d returned to her ranch. He enjoyed her company and hated to dine alone.
Wednesday evenings weren’t usually busy but with a festival in town, Kane had been lucky to secure a table later in the evening, not a prime position but not next to the kitchen either. After ordering, he took in the woman seated before him. She’d added a small amount of makeup, and the thin lines around her eyes made them appear huge in a face framed in glossy black hair. When she opened her mouth to speak, he shook his head. “No shop talk.” He smiled and handed her the menu. “We deserve one hour away from murder and mayhem.”
“My head is filled with theories and possible suspects. It’s so much easier for Wolfe when people are shot or stabbed to death. So far, we have one possible suicide and two possible murders. It’s hard to concentrate on anything else.” Jenna moved her gaze slowly over him. “But I have to admit you’re distracting dressed in a suit with your hair all slicked down.” Her eyes twinkled with amusement. “I keep thinking any minute you’re going to pull out your FBI creds.”
It was so good to see Jenna’s humorous side again. Kane chuckled. “I was going for the suave, sophisticated look.” He paused as the waiter offered him a sample of red wine. He sipped, and then nodded his approval. His gaze went back to Jenna. “Didn’t work, huh?”
“Trust me, you look just fine in blue jeans and a cowboy hat.” Jenna sipped her wine and moaned. “Oh, this is good.”
Kane lifted the bottle and showed her the label. “It’s from Central Otago, New Zealand. It’s a small area in the South Island. In my opinion, they produce some of the best Pinot Noir in the world.” He met her gaze. “It goes real well with a nice thick steak and all the trimmings.”
“I’m sure it will but you’ll only have one glass, won’t you?” Jenna shot him a mischievous grin. “Which means the rest of the bottle is mine.”
Kane wagged a finger at her. “And you a sheriff and all.”
They’d just finished their main course and had been waiting for dessert when Kane’s phone pealed. He frowned and glanced at his watch. “I only wanted an hour’s peace.”
“Anyone we know?” Jenna leaned back in her seat as the waiter placed a slice of Black Forest cake before her.
Kane nodded. “Yeah, it’s Webber.” He answered the call. “Problem?”
“Nah, just touching base.” Webber sounded a little anxious. “I made the team and took up an invite to go over the plays with Seth Lyons at the house on Pine. Apart from the guys treating me as if I had the plague, I didn’t receive any threats. I told him the truth about interning with Wolfe, so he won’t be suspicious if someone remembers seeing me with him. He did ask if I knew Jenna. One thing: on the walk there and back along the pathway, I had the strangest feeling someone was watching me.”
Kane frowned and remembered the alternative entrance they’d discovered. “Next time you head out that way, go down the no-entry road; it leads straight to the front of the house.” He glanced at Jenna. “The pathway through the trees has a silent alarm as well. They obviously don’t like unexpected visitors. Did you get any vibes from Lyons at all?”
“He plays his cards close to the vest but he did invite me to a party on Thursday night, a wake, I figure, for Jacobs and Devon.” Webber cleared his throat. “I’m angling for an invitation to move in. They’ve two spare rooms at the moment but it will be at a price.”
Kane leaned back in his chair and sighed. There always had to be a price. “How so?”
“They want me to become involved in one of their parties. Lyons made it very clear they use procuring a suitable woman for group sex as an initiation. He was careful not to mention he planned to rape her.” Webber cursed under his breath. “I sure wish I’d been wearing a wire.”
“Maybe we can find a local female cop willing to go undercover.” Jenna glanced at Kane. “How long have we got?”
“No time at all. Lyons has his mind set on one woman. I know it’s a mind game to see if I’ll defile a friend to make it into his inner circle.”
Kane blinked, his stomach clenching at the implications. “He’s not got his sights set on Jenna, has he?”
“No. Lyons wants me to introduce him to Emily.”
Twenty-Nine
Thursday
The thought of speaking to Wolfe weighed heavy on Jenna’s shoulders as she made her way into the morgue for Pete Devon’s autopsy. After Kane had explained Webber’s phone call the previous evening, the last thing she wanted to do was inform Wolfe one of his daughters could be in danger. Since moving to Black Rock Falls, both Emily and Julie Wolfe had come close to becoming victims. Although Wolfe was a consummate professional on her team, she expected a less than warm reception of her news, so seeing Webber and Emily waiting inside the morgue surprised her. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here today.
”
“When there’s an autopsy, we come to observe.” Emily smiled at Jenna. “I hear you saved Owen Jones from the rapids.”
Jenna shot a look at Kane as he stepped into the room behind her. “Did you have to tell everyone?”
“I never said a word, Jenna, but it’s in my report.” Kane looked abashed. “A good deal of college kids were there; I’m sure they couldn’t wait to spread the news.”
“It wasn’t Kane.” Emily frowned. “Everyone is talking about it, calling you Aquawoman and how you plunged in boots and all.”
Jenna cast a glance at Kane. “Kane was there too, and if we hadn’t gotten to Jones in time, he’d be here waiting for an autopsy.” She frowned. “Can I have a word in private?”
“Sure.” Wolfe led the way into the hallway and pulled down his mask. “What’s up?”
Jenna explained the interest Seth Lyons had shown in Emily and the potential of her becoming his next rape victim, and then she waited with bated breath for his reaction.
“I’ll talk to her.” Wolfe’s gray eyes held a flicker of worry and then it vanished and he smiled at her. “Thanks for letting me know, and don’t worry—it’s highly unlikely Emily would place herself in that position. She’s aware of the Lowe case and this piece of information will keep her well away from anyone on the football team.”
“And she has Webber in some of her classes to keep an eye on her.” Jenna looked up at him. “Although, being undercover, I wouldn’t encourage her to hang out with him anymore.”
“I told her to keep her distance.” Wolfe grimaced. “Anyway, she’s more interested in college seniors at the moment.” He shook his head in dismay. “She turns nineteen soon, it’s a worry.”
Jenna squeezed his arm. “I wouldn’t worry too much. When any potential boyfriends lay eyes on you, they’ll behave themselves.” She waved a hand toward the door. “I guess we’d better get back to it.” She led the way inside.