by D. K. Hood
“Oh, twenty years or so, I guess.” Rowley grinned. “Maybe you should give her a call?”
“Give who a call?” Jenna strolled into the kitchen, then coughed and turned back in to the hallway. Sometime later, she re-emerged, her face flushed and eyes running.
Kane piled three plates with eggs and placed them on the table, then pulled the hotcakes from the oven. “The doctor.” He slid the hotcakes onto a plate and Rowley stood to take them from him. “I’ll make an appointment for her to come here so you don’t have to go out.” He reached for the coffee pot.
“You never give up, do you?” Jenna glared at him.
“Nope.” He set the coffee on the table and slid into a chair. ‘I’m calling her as soon as I’ve eaten—and there’s something else we need to discuss.”
‘Go on.” Jenna eyed him suspiciously.
“We can’t expect Jake to drive out before five every morning, do a day’s work, return to tend the horses, and then drive home in this weather.” Kane glanced at Rowley’s blank expression. “He hasn’t complained, but it was different when he had your help.”
“Yeah, I agree, it is too much as he’s handling the office as well.” Jenna looked at Rowley, who was staring at his plate. “Can you move into Kane’s cottage until I shake this cold? Only for a couple of days.” She sighed. “I’d ask you to move in here but Kane has my other spare room filled with his equipment.”
“Sure, ma’am, anything to help and it would save time.” Rowley smiled. “Not that caring for three horses is hard work.”
Kane gaped at her. Oh, boy, she’s moving Rowley into my cottage.
“Great! His spare room is all made up.” She glanced at Kane. “Knowing Kane as I do there will be enough food in there to feed an army.” She chuckled. “If you want to cook, that is, or you can join us for meals.”
“Breakfast would be a help, ma’am—I’m used to tending for myself.” Rowley smiled. “I usually eat at Aunt Betty’s for breakfast and have done for years now, but with the snow and all, I’m not sure I’d have time.”
Kane wondered what would happen with the living arrangements when he recovered. He also had a number of questionable items in his possession left from his past life and would have to make it over to his cottage to lock two of his bedrooms. As much as he trusted and respected Rowley, some things about his life remained need to know.
“Well then, that’s settled.” Jenna picked at her food then rubbed her temple. “Kane is well enough to work from here on case files and if necessary you can call in Wolfe or Deputy Webber. Don’t forget Wolfe might be our ME but he is still my deputy.”
“Sure thing, ma’am.” Rowley finished his coffee and stood. “I’ll be heading off now. I can hear the snowplow. I’ll follow him back into town.”
“Leave Deputy Walters to close up at noon, and we won’t be opening on Sunday. Pin a notice on the front door. If anyone needs help they can call 911.” Jenna reached for her coffee. “Drive safe.”
Kane refilled their cups and waited for Rowley to leave, then turned to her. “I have things in my cottage I don’t want Rowley to find.” He leaned back in his chair. “Enough to blow my cover.”
“You can’t walk over to the cottage in the snow. If you fall you’ll be back to square one.” Jenna squeezed his hand. “Dave, I know your injuries are killing you, and you’re way behind in your knee rehab because of the head injury. The doctor told you it would take time to recover.”
He gaped at her. “You’re missing the point, Jenna. I have to get into my cottage before Rowley moves in. I’ll walk over there if necessary. I hardly use the cane anymore.”
“Do you honestly believe Rowley would be able to crack your safe or break into your computer?” Jenna smiled at him. “He wouldn’t even try.”
“How do you know about my safe?”
“Well, I’m capable and I would try.” She giggled. “Oh Lord, you should see your face.” She let out an explosive sneeze into a ball of tissues. “I went over to collect your clothes and stuff, remember. The safe is a bit hard to miss.”
Kane heaved a sigh of relief. “That’s the gun safe. I have two.” He gave her a long considering stare. “I guess I can trust you with the contents of the other one now.”
“I have two safes as well and you’re welcome to share.” She gave him a warm smile and pushed to her feet. “Bundle up. I’ll drive you to the cottage and help you collect your stuff.” She gave him one of her no-nonsense stares. “I won’t die of pneumonia driving a hundred yards.”
“Okay.” Kane lifted his cellphone from the table. “As soon as I’ve called the doctor.”
“You always have to have the last word, don’t you?” Jenna collected the plates. “A long time ago, the people next door to me had this dog named Oscar. It would bark like crazy and the neighbor would call out for it to stop. It would stop then let out a little bark. No matter how many times the neighbor told it to stop, it always did the same thing.”
Confused, Kane frowned at her. “You saying I’m a dog?”
“Nope.” Jenna rinsed the plates and stacked the dishwasher. “But you remind me of that dog, always having the last word.”
Kane chuckled. “Really?”
“Yeah really.” Jenna glared at him.
He gave her his biggest smile. “Woof.”
Two
The night had been horrendous for Ella. After hearing a long cut-off scream then silence, the blizzard hit with force and the stranger had not returned. Torn between staying safe in the tree or braving the blizzard to look for Sky, she had peered at the sheet of snow falling around the trees and sobbed. The chances of making it back to her alive would have been zero. Wedged in the branches, she’d heard the distant sound of traffic overnight but was too scared to move.
When the watery sun finally peered through the snow clouds and birds hopped around her, she decided to chance it. The snow-covered fir had offered her shelter and the fact she’d filled her bags she’d packed for the visit had probably saved her life. Not wanting to leave her clothes behind for her stay at Sky’s house for the next few weeks, she’d added many more layers than usual and two pairs of thick socks covered her feet in the sheepskin-lined boots.
Her muscles ached and her hands refused to work properly but by the time she made it halfway down the tree, the feeling was coming back into her limbs. The scenery had changed dramatically overnight. The highway had all but vanished into a sea of brilliant white. She shuddered. Close by, hidden in the snow, Sky could be lying brutally murdered.
With cautious steps, she moved from the cover of trees staring into the white wilderness for any sign of the killer. Bile rushed up the back of her throat at the thought of finding her friend battered to death. Searching the snowscape in all directions, she could not see anything resembling Sky’s yellow car. The snowdrifts came up to her knees and every step was like quicksand on her way back to the highway.
The road was empty but she could see tire tracks in the fresh snow. A truck had come by recently, so the highway must be open to traffic. The roar of a motor echoed in the distance and she dived into the bushes trembling with fear then stared out to see an eighteen-wheeler bearing down on her. She had the choice: freeze to death or risk climbing into the cab with a stranger. The risk was non-negotiable and she needed to get help for Sky. Steeling herself against the rising panic, she moved to the side of the road and waved her arms. The big red truck screeched and billowed steam like an old locomotive as it slowed to a halt some ways past her. The window buzzed down. A man in his forties with rosy cheeks and wearing a fur trapper hat stuck his head out. She ran to his door, slipping and sliding on the ice-covered blacktop, and banged frantically on his door. “Help me. A man murdered my friend. Call 911.”
“Murder, you say?” The man looked both ways and then back at her. “What are you doin’ way out here alone? Where did you come from?”
Ella gaped at him and banged on his door with both fists. “Call 911!”
“There’s no cellphone signal out this way. I’ll contact the sheriff on the two-way.” The man’s expression turned to worry. “I figure you’d better get inside out the cold.” The man’s window buzzed back up, hiding him behind the tinted glass.
A sudden wave of fear grabbed her. Pushing her leaden frozen limbs forward and making the choice of getting into a truck with a stranger or freezing to death in the middle of nowhere with an ax-wielding killer on the loose, she staggered around the hood and climbed up into the cab. Heat surrounded her and the man appeared more concerned than a threat. “Please hurry.”
“Okay, okay. Here, take this.” The driver dragged a blanket from behind him and offered it to her then spoke into his radio. “Ten-four good buddy, over.” He turned to her. “He wants to know what’s happened.”
She stumbled through her horrific ordeal then gaped at him; whatever coded language he was speaking, it scared the hell out of her.
“A deputy from Black Rock Falls is on his way.” He turned back in the seat and the truck engine roared and moved forward. “We’ll meet him on the highway. I’d stop here and wait for him but I’m late and I’ve given him the coordinates where I found you.” He indicated to a thermos. “Help yourself to coffee.”
The stress seeped out of her and she leaned back in the seat. The warm air from the heater permeated through her clothes making her sleepy. With the gentle rocking of the cab, her eyes drifted closed for a second then she sat bolt upright. What if he drugged my coffee? She had to stay alert and bit down hard on the inside of her cheek. Chancing a glance at him, she cleared her throat. “I really appreciate the drink and ride.”
“I can’t figure why you would risk driving to Black Rock Falls in the middle of the night.” He kept his eyes on the road. “Are you aware of how many murders occurred in this county in the last couple of years? I know the area covers many thousands of square miles but it’s all over the news.”
“And from what happened last night, I guess there is another killer on the loose.” Ella bit back the rush of panic threatening to take over.
“I wouldn’t live here.” The man waved a hand toward the road. Blue lights flashed in the distance. “There he is now.” He eased the truck to a halt. “You take care now, hear?”
Three
Deputy Jake Rowley took down the truck driver’s details, then turned his attention to the blood-spattered young woman beside him. She had a few scratches on her cheeks, but not enough damage to account for the copious amount of blood on her face and jacket. Concerned she might be involved in her friend’s murder, he opened the back door of his cruiser. “Okay, Ella, get inside in the warm.”
“Don’t you want to know what happened?” Ella gripped his arm. “My friend Sky is lying on this road somewhere.” She pointed back down the road. “Back that way. We have to find her.”
Rowley eased her arm free and urged her into the car. “The truck driver didn’t see a car or any sign of anyone but you on the road, but we’ll take a look.” He climbed behind the wheel and pushed the coordinates into his GPS, then spun his cruiser to face the other direction.
“Hey, I recognize that clump of trees in the distance.” Ella squirmed in her seat, teeth chattering. “His vehicle was here, lights flashing like he was in trouble.”
“Stay here.” Rowley slid from the seat. “I’ll go see what I can find.”
The icy wind cut into his cheeks and buffeted him with each step up and down the stretch of road. He searched for any sign of blood on the frozen blacktop, but the snow covered everything in a deceptive white powder. With regret, he walked back to his car and climbed into the warm. He shook his head at Ella. “I can’t find any trace of your friend, I’m sorry.”
“You have to do something.” Ella’s eyes filled with tears. “She has to be out here somewhere.”
Rowley’s heart went out to the shocked young woman. “Search and rescue will be out here in no time. We’ll have a snowplow to clear the highway and men looking for her before we get back to town. Don’t worry—if she is out there, we’ll find her. I have the details of her vehicle and the coordinates. We’ll conduct a search of the entire area.” He tried to use a calming tone. “You need to be checked out by the paramedics.”
With so much blood on the young woman and no apparent injuries, he needed to run the incident report past Sheriff Alton before taking Ella to the hospital, but he was reluctant to disturb her when the doctor was due to visit. She would expect him to use his initiative and call Deputy Wolfe. The ex-marine widower with three daughters had joined the department the previous year but spent most of his time working as the Black Rock Falls ME. If Ella had witnessed a homicide, as she claimed, he would want to examine her for evidence.
He reached for the satellite phone, slipped out the cruiser and walked a few yards away to call him. “Hey, it’s Rowley. I’m out midway between Blackwater and town. I have a female, nineteen years old, Ella Tate. Claims a man attacked and killed her friend last night. The truck driver who found her didn’t see her friend’s yellow vehicle or a body on the side of the road. I checked the location as well and found zip. I haven’t gotten a statement from her but she is covered in blood and likely suffering from exposure.”
“Her blood?” Wolfe sounded interested. “Any serious injuries?”
Rowley kicked at a clump of graying ice and looked at Ella. “Not from what I can see. She has a few scrapes, is all. It looks suspicious. I guess the scratches down her cheeks could be from her friend’s nails.”
“Have you notified the sheriff?”
Rowley blinked away snowflakes from his lashes. “Nope, she was waiting for the doctor to arrive and I didn’t want to disturb her. With her and Kane out sick, you’re the senior officer.”
“Okay, I’ll call her. She’ll organize search and rescue but if the injured friend has been out on the side of the road all night, they’ll be searching for a body. Take Tate into custody. Not at the sheriff’s office. Take her to the hospital and get her up to the secure ward. Don’t allow anyone near her. We’ll have to treat her as a suspect for now. I’ll meet you there.” Wolfe cleared his throat. “How’s the sheriff this morning?”
Rowley headed back to the cruiser. “She’d be better if she took the time to rest but she hates being holed up in the house and wants to get back to work.”
“If this is a murder, she’ll want to be involved and so will Kane. I doubt illness will slow her down.”
Rowley opened the car door and slid behind the wheel. “I hope so. We sure need them back at work.” He started the engine. “I hope you can spare Webber. We’ll need to send him out with Walters to coordinate the search.”
“Nothing’s happening here.” Wolfe sounded bored. “I’ll send him into the office and meet you at the hospital. Let’s hope we haven’t gotten ourselves another maniac loose in Black Rock Falls.” The line went dead.
Four
Jenna waited for Kane to slide a heavy locked metal box inside her floor safe, then pressed her thumb on the scanner. She entered a few more digits into the panel and glanced up at him. “Scan your thumb. The locking device accepts two fingerprints to open, so either of us will have access. Is that okay?”
“Yeah, the info is secure in my box. If someone forces the lock, it catches fire.” He smiled at her. “Between you and me, it’s the usual: IDs, cash, passports and burner phones.”
Jenna raised one eyebrow. “Codebook?”
“If I told you that I’d have to kill you.” He snorted in amusement. “You know the drill.”
Jenna’s cellphone pealed and she growled in frustration, then looked at the caller ID. “It’s Wolfe.” She accepted the call and placed it on speaker. “Is anything wrong?”
After listening to Wolfe’s explanation about Ella Tate and the apparent murder of Sky Paul, adrenaline started to pump through Jenna’s veins. She exchanged a glance with Kane. “Of course we want to be involved, I only have a cold. I’ll head the investigation from here. I�
��ll call search and rescue and send Walters and Webber to meet the chopper and the snowmobile volunteers and coordinate the search.” She sighed. “What are the chances of finding Sky Paul alive?”
“It’s unlikely anyone could survive injured and lying on the side of the highway in a blizzard.” Wolfe’s voice sounded strained. “The temperature has been dropping all day and another blizzard is on the way. We might not find her until the melt. If another four hours goes by with no sign of her, it will be a body retrieval.”
Jenna frowned. “Yet the other young woman lived to tell the tale. How so?”
“Right now, I don’t have much more information for you. Rowley is about twenty minutes out of town with Ella Tate. I’ll head out to the hospital to meet him and collect evidence from the alleged victim shortly.”
Impressed by Rowley’s quick action, she nodded. “It sounds like you have everything under control. I’ll call in Walters and Webber and get them out to ground zero.”
“No need. Webber and Walters are making their way to the last known coordinates with a snowplow to cut a path alongside the road where Miss Tate said the incident occurred. Rowley mentioned Walters has experience in search and rescue.”
“Okay.” Jenna frowned. She needed to be in the midst of the action, not stuck at home, but to venture outside with a chest infection and a fever just to find a corpse was begging for pneumonia. It wouldn’t be worth the risk. She had skilled deputies and issuing orders from home was no different to being in the office, but right now, no one was available at the sheriff’s department apart from Magnolia the receptionist—Maggie to her friends. “Okay, if you take down Miss Tate’s statement it will free up Rowley to run the office. I’ll call in some help from Blackwater. Right now, we have to consider Miss Tate as either in danger or a murder suspect. We’ll need around the clock surveillance at the hospital. Has anyone contacted the parents of the missing girl? She may be safe at home for all we know.”