by D. K. Hood
After scanning the files and finding an entry Webber had made in the early hours of the morning, Jenna’s heart pounded. She read the report aloud and looked up at her deputies. “Webber is close to getting the proof we need. I agree with him: Lyons having the images is one thing, but if they don’t prove he or any of the others are involved in Chrissie’s rape, they’re useless. We can’t prove when they took the images, so it won’t hold up in court. It’s not a crime to have explicit images of women over the age of eighteen.” She turned to Kane. “Nice touch adding those files to Webber’s phone. It seems like he needed them. I don’t envy him. He is taking one hell of a risk.”
“I was just covering all the bases.” Kane rubbed his chin. “If Lyons is a killer, he won’t think twice about taking him out.” The nerve in his cheek twitched and his agitation was palpable. “As Lyons has Emily in his sights, it’s going to make life difficult if we have to watch out for her as well. Webber is going to be in trouble if Lyons expects him to procure girls for their party and participate.”
Jenna shook her head. “That is so not gonna happen.” She drummed her fingers on the desk. “We could raid the party for drugs. Surely Webber will give us a heads up if he discovers how Lyons is administering them.”
“We know how.” Kane frowned. “They slip something into their drinks. Pinning it on one person would be difficult, especially if they have a punch bowl, for instance.”
“Do people make punch anymore?” Rowley pulled a face. “Maybe ten years ago but not now.”
Jenna rubbed her temples. “Seems to me we have to be at the game on Saturday, and I suggest we have eyes on Emily as well. She runs each afternoon around four; we’ll make sure we have someone in the area just in case she has any problems with Lyons.”
Jenna’s cellphone chimed and she looked at the caller ID before answering the call. “Morning, Shane. How are you?”
She listened and then put the phone on speaker. “Okay, you’re on speaker, and Kane and Rowley are here.”
“A cleaner, Doris Beachwood, at Lyons’ house called the paramedics around eight thirty this morning. She found the body of a man, since identified as Dylan Court, in the cellar. Before you ask, the cellar is more of a man cave, big-screen TV with a theatre-type set up. It looks like they like their privacy—I noticed some porn DVDs beside the TV.” Wolfe paused a beat. “The paramedic who called said Court was DOA—possible drug overdose.”
A shiver of dread ran up Jenna’s back. Kane had drug-tested all the men living at the house and they’d all come up clean; and after the fiasco with Owen Jones, the coach had implemented random drug testing. “He wasn’t a user. Kane drug-tested them all the night we found Jacobs.”
“Yeah, well, a couple of things don’t look right about the scene either. You should come and take a look before I move the body. This man was sharing a room with Pete Devon.” Wolfe cleared his throat. “I’m not convinced this is an accidental overdose. Apart from the cleaner and the paramedics, no one else but me has been in the room. Seth Lyons is on his way, and I called in Webber to make everything appear normal. I’ll explain my concerns when you arrive; I could be overheard here.”
Jenna exchanged a worried look with Kane. “We’re on our way.” She disconnected and stood. “Rowley, find out what you can about Dylan Court. I’ll need his next of kin and if he had any prior drug problems.”
“What about Emily?” Rowley got to his feet. “It’s usual for Wolfe to call her in to assist at a scene, and I figure we’re just handing her to Lyons if she’s there.”
“No doubt. I’ll call him and make sure she doesn’t show.” Jenna waited a beat to think. She had so many things to juggle and so few deputies. “Ah, and if you have any trouble with the rodeo crowd in town, call Walters in to run the place while we’re all out on a call. I’ve asked the Blackwater sheriff to send over more deputies to handle the crowd at the showgrounds over the next few days, so they’ll have things under control while we’re busy with our caseload.” Jenna shrugged into her jacket and then headed for the door. “Okay, Kane, you’re with me.”
Thirty-Nine
Kane sidestepped a couple of kids on skateboards flying along the sidewalk and followed Jenna to his truck. People milled around town dressed in fringed shirts and cowboy hats; they seemed to go all-out when the rodeo came to town. He glanced up, catching sight of a red balloon trailing its string as it escaped above the trees on an updraft of wind. As he pulled open the door to his truck, the tempting aroma of hot dogs and onions drifted from one of the street vendors. At his feet, Duke lifted his nose in the air and whined. He lifted him into the back seat of his truck and strapped him in. “I’ll buy you one when we get back.”
“You’ll buy me what?” Jenna climbed in and clicked in her seatbelt.
Kane slid behind the wheel and started the engine. “A hot dog for Duke. I figure he’s becoming addicted to them.”
“They can’t be good for him.” Jenna frowned and glanced over at the dog. “You spoil him.”
Kane backed out and turned his truck toward Stanton Road. “Nah, he’s good. I only give him the sausage to eat.”
“Well, I figure it’s just another excuse for you to eat.” Jenna chuckled. “You’re a bottomless pit.”
Kane smiled at her. “I’ve never been called that before. Annie used to say I was like a teddy bear.” Memories of his dead wife flooded over him. “With my stomach growling and all.”
“She’s still with you, isn’t she?” Jenna stared straight ahead. “My folks sure are. I think about them all the time.”
Annie’s smiling face drifted into his mind but the scent of her had vanished, and her soft laughter no longer tormented his dreams. He closed his fingers around Jenna’s hand and squeezed gently. “She’ll always be a part of me, Jenna, and I’m trying to move on but it’s difficult.”
When a slight tremor went through her, he glanced at her, meeting her gaze and seeing a dampness in her eyes. He had to force his concentration back to the road and dropped her hand to grip the wheel. She’d been very patient with him and never demanded any type of commitment. Yet he figured she wanted more and was allowing him time to grieve his wife. Hell, she was his best friend and he cared for her. “Jenna, I guess I shouldn’t talk so much about Annie.”
“No, don’t ever think that, Dave.” Jenna cleared her throat. “It’s good you trust me with your past.” She turned in her seat to peer at him. “You play your cards very close to your vest.”
Unsure of what to say, he smiled. “After my injury, you told me we’d take it one day at a time. I know you don’t want to get burned, Jenna.”
“You don’t know too much about fire, do you?” Jenna snorted a laugh. “A slow burn can turn into a wildfire without warning.”
“It sure can.” He smiled and turned onto the driveway. He ignored the no-entry sign and took the direct way to the front door. “And as much as I’d like to discuss this topic further, I figure we’d better put our game faces on.”
“Yeah, but with people getting murdered around us all the time, we need to step away for a few minutes and think about something nice or we’d lose it.” Jenna sighed. “Then we’d have to quit and join the rest of the crazies off the grid.”
“Yeah, but I figure I could handle complete isolation. Fishing, hunting, and sleeping rough.” Kane nodded in agreement and parked beside Wolfe’s van.
“Maybe not the sleeping rough bit… You can sleep rough if you like but I want a nice log cabin in the woods, with power and internet.” Jenna giggled. “I’d post no-trespassing signs and people would leave me alone.”
“Uh-huh.” Kane turned to look at her and smiled. “Or maybe we should stay here with all our friends and take another vacation—Hawaii next time?”
When Wolfe appeared on the porch and waved them inside, Kane took in his serious expression and all thoughts of another vacation with Jenna evaporated. He turned to Jenna and frowned. “He doesn’t look too happy.”
; “Let’s hope this isn’t a homicide.” Jenna slid from the truck and headed toward the house.
Kane hurried up the steps with Duke at his heels. Inside, a middle-aged woman sat on the sofa in the family room drinking a glass of water. Seth Lyons and Colt Webber stood talking to Wolfe, who was making notes. Jenna stood beside Wolfe, notebook in hand. Kane walked to her side and listened to the conversation.
“When was the last time you saw Dylan alive?” Wolfe stared at Lyons with a strange intensity.
“I’m not sure, last night sometime, maybe around eight, I’m not sure.” Lyons turned to Webber. “I was talking to Colt for most of the evening, well until late, and I headed to bed around one thirty, I guess.”
“Webber will be assisting me with the autopsy. You do know he’s one of my interns?” Wolfe moved his attention away from Lyons and looked at Webber. “Unless, of course, you’re one of Dylan’s friends?”
“I’ve seen him at practice but, no, I’m not one of his friends. I’ll be there, sir.” Webber’s gaze slid to Kane then back to Wolfe. “I noticed him last night. He was heading down to what I now know is the cellar. I’m not sure of the time. He was with another man but I didn’t get a look at his face. He had a hoodie pulled up over a baseball cap and I only saw him in profile. He was about my height. Broad shoulders. That’s about all I noticed. He could’ve been any one of the guys on the team.”
“I’ll want a list of everyone at the party.” Jenna handed her notebook and pen to Lyons. “Did you invite anyone new?”
“Nope, only Colt, and he was with me most of the evening.” Lyons narrowed his gaze. “Why?”
“I want a list while it’s fresh in your mind, just in case we need to speak to them later.” Jenna frowned. “Was Dylan a habitual drug taker?”
“Heck no!” Lyons shook his head. “We’re tested regularly and he’d never do anything so stupid. He’s not that kind of guy.”
Kane moved his attention from one man to the other and acted as if Webber was a complete stranger. “So, this guy you claimed you saw could’ve been a dealer? Maybe after losing his roommate, Dylan needed something to get him over the shock. Losing two friends in a week can push people over the edge.”
“I don’t know anyone dealing drugs, sir.” Webber raised one eyebrow then turned to Lyons. “Do you?”
“If I did, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to rat them out to the cops.” Lyons snorted. “Getting my legs broken or worse wouldn’t be a good career move.”
“Why didn’t you check the cellar when Dylan went missing?” Kane stared at Lyons.
“I didn’t know he’d gone missing until Mr. Wolfe called me. Look, man, things happen, people die. It’s life. No good getting all tied up in knots about it.” Lyons shrugged as if he was used to losing his friends. “We’re adults. We don’t have to check in and out or be home for dinner.”
“What else have you got for me, Wolfe?” Jenna looked up at him.
“I’ve taken a statement from the cleaner; she found the body. She has a key to the cellar and said it’s usually locked but she found it unlocked this morning. I’ll email you a copy.” Wolfe tapped away on the device in his hand. “I figure she’s in shock. Her husband is coming to collect her soon.”
“Okay.” Jenna’s cellphone signaled a message. “Show me the body.” She turned to Lyons. “Stay here and work on that list. I may have questions for you later.”
“Webber, come with me. I’ll explain the procedure for this type of situation.” Wolfe led the way down the hallway to the open door to the cellar.
Kane followed and, once inside, turned and locked the door behind them. He needed to speak to Webber without Lyons walking in on their conversation. Beside him, Duke let out a mournful howl that made the hairs on Kane’s arms prickle, and as he moved down the steps, the unmistakable smell of decomposition wafted toward him. At the bottom of the stairs, he instructed Duke to sit then pulled out his scanner, attached the earbuds, and swept the room for cameras or a listening device. He made a grid in his mind, taking in every possible aspect. “It’s clean.”
He glanced around the room. A vacuum cleaner lay on the edge of the rug, no doubt discarded when Doris Beachwood spotted the discolored face and empty, staring eyes of the corpse. Taking in the scene, he noticed a picture hanging on the wall was askew. He pulled on latex gloves and looked behind it to find an empty safe with an unlocked door. For a bunch of messy guys, this room was out of place, much like Lyons’ bedroom, which made him suspicious. He looked closer but found no signs of a struggle. It was tidy and the rugs hadn’t been disturbed. He moved to Jenna’s side and pointed to the safe. “We might have a motive.”
“Yeah, I spotted that too. It was wide open when I came down. I took some photos and then pushed it shut to get past. It’s been cleaned out.” Wolfe walked to his side. “So, we could assume Court brought someone down here to show him something in the safe. The person waited for him to shoot up, took the contents, and left. If he was a dealer, and decided to rob him, maybe he killed him to hide his identity.”
“Killed him?” Jenna moved closer to the body and shrugged. “What makes you think this is a homicide?”
“This.” Wolfe carefully turned the victim’s head to show her his cheek. “That could be the mark from a gun muzzle.” He laid Court’s head down respectfully and looked at her. “It’s possible someone held a weapon to his head and made him shoot up.”
“Or it’s a mark from his helmet after a hard tackle.” Kane scratched his cheek. “I wonder what was in the safe.” He dropped his kit on the carpet. “I guess I’d better dust for prints.”
“Don’t bother.” Wolfe pointed to a slight mark on Court’s thumb. “See that? Looks like a pressure mark; it’s got a slight ridge to it, like the stitching on a leather glove.”
“I figure we can place the time of death between around ten and twelve last night.” Webber peered at the body. “That’s when I saw him head this way with the guy I mentioned before; problem is I didn’t see him leave. I was too interested in what Lyons was saying and showing me.” His expression darkened. “He is one sick puppy.”
“I thought he was the organizer all along.” Jenna shook her head. “We’ll need that phone.” She frowned. “Did he leave you at any time during the evening?”
“Yeah, when he went to the bathroom.” Webber cleared his throat. “I went to the bathroom as well during my time here, so I wasn’t watching him the entire time.”
“How long was he gone?” Jenna lifted her chin. “Long enough to kill Court?”
“Yeah, I guess.” Webber shrugged. “I couldn’t swear in court how long. I figured he had his boys surround me to keep me in line. I had concerns they might cause trouble.”
“Okay, I want details of what was said between you.” Jenna narrowed her gaze. “Don’t leave anything out.”
Disgust and anger dropped over Kane as Webber gave them a rundown of the conversation he’d had with Lyons the previous night. “If you couldn’t make out anyone else with her in the pictures, he’s smart enough to crop the images he shares. For sure, he won’t be carrying the burner on him.”
“I don’t figure he cropped the images I saw of Chrissie Lowe.” Webber rubbed his chin. “They were erotic poses, possibly after the rape, but I could see her eyes. She had dilated pupils even though the room was bright. I figure she was heavily sedated.”
“Can you think of anything else he said?” Jenna looked at him with interest. “Anything else about the images?”
“Yeah, I can.” Webber flicked a glance to the open safe. “He mentioned they had a ton of uncut images and video files locked away.”
Kane exchanged a knowing look with Wolfe. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Yeah.” Wolfe frowned. “This takes the supposed accidents to a whole different level.”
“How so?” Jenna looked from one to the other.
The pieces of the puzzle seemed to drop into place. Kane met her gaze. “Blackmail. Just
as we figured.” He waved a hand toward the safe. “Lyons uses the files to prevent the girls he rapes from informing the cops. He has images and videos, and I’d bet that computer over there”—he indicated to a desk set against the wall—“has editing software. He threatens his victims to make sure they’ll keep quiet. As sure as hell, he makes them look as if they’re willing.”
“I’ll take a look.” Wolfe went to the computer and in seconds had bypassed the password. He scanned the screen and his mouth turned down. “Yeah, he has all the necessary software but no image files. He must delete them after copying them.” He turned off the computer and stood.
“So, do you believe it could be one of the rape victims, seeking revenge?” Webber nodded. “Possible, I guess, but I didn’t see any women at the party.”
“No. We know it was a guy who came down here with Court, and Lyons went missing for long enough.” Jenna frowned.
“He seems too obvious a suspect. Say Lyons invites other men to his lurid parties to blackmail them. He’s already invited Webber, and I find that suspicious as they’ve only just met.” Wolfe straightened from examining Court’s body. “If we assume all the accidents are murders, then the killer had to know the safe contained some of the uncut video versions. He might’ve cut a deal with Court to get his file. While he was here, he grabbed the evidence and then killed him.” He glanced at Jenna. “If this is vengeance, it makes sense for him to take out everyone involved in blackmailing him.”
“Yeah.” Jenna nodded in agreement. “Revenge would be a solid motive and would account for the almost clean way of killing. Hate kills—where a person has been physically abused, for instance, or humiliated—are usually overkill.”
“That idea has credence.” Webber rubbed his chin. “The killer likely worked his way down the list until he found someone who would deal with him. Those who didn’t, he killed.”