by D. K. Hood
Excitement thrummed through her. “Okay, we have at least one person to talk to.” She leaned forward in her seat. “Who else would come through overnight?”
“Milk maybe?” Kane pushed his plate to one side and reached for his coffee. “I’m not sure what perishables are delivered daily. I do know when I dropped by for the soup and sandwiches earlier today the waitresses were worried about supplies getting through from Blackwater.”
Jenna took out her notepad and looked up at Kane. “FedEx deliveries would be easy to hunt down but there must be other deliveries or truck drivers who pass through town on a regular basis.”
“Most will have logbooks but all these places will be closed now.” Kane smothered a yawn. “It’s been a long day and I still have to tend the horses.”
After so long at home, Jenna did not feel the least bit tired. “Oh, I’ll help with the horses. I have more to tell you. We’ll chat on the way home.” She paid the bill by credit card, stood, dragged on her coat and headed for the door.
As they made their way home, snow built up on the windshield wipers and, once they turned off the main highway onto the road leading to her ranch, the way became treacherous. She had faith in Kane’s driving but was aware of how slowly he was moving along the ice-covered road. She cleared her throat. “The other thing I wanted to mention is not all the factories shut down for the entire holiday season. Some of them open one day a week to keep supply available to the local stores.”
“Now that’s interesting because I patrolled the area and found no sign of anyone being there for at least a week.” He leaned forward, peering ahead as the snow pelted his truck. “The junkyard gave me the impression the gate could have been opened since the first blizzard but that place wouldn’t need to supply local stores.”
The back wheels of the truck slid sideways and Jenna’s heart picked up a beat. She gripped the seat and looked at Kane. His face was a mask of concentration. He turned and smiled. “It’s okay; we hit a patch of ice. Worst case we’ll slide into the ditch and at this speed we’ll be able to drive right out.”
Jenna barked out a laugh. “Oh, you’re filling me with confidence.”
“Trust the beast and the new snow tires.” He chuckled. “Not far now.”
Jenna breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay, so we have a few things to hunt down tomorrow. I’ll get Rowley and Walters to start looking for people we can interview. I figure we should check out the factories I know are open during the shutdown and see if there’s anyone we can speak to.”
“Okay.” Kane maneuvered his vehicle through the gate and floodlights lit up the property.
A beep sounded as the remote in Kane’s vehicle connected with the alarm system and he slowed at the house. She turned to him. “Give me five to change. I’ll meet you at the stables.” She grabbed her things and slipped from the car.
“I’ll come inside and make sure it’s safe.” Kane opened his door and stepped outside.
Jenna waved him away. “I’ll be fine.” She pulled out her weapon. “The new security system would have alerted me if anyone had stepped foot inside my gate but I’ll check anyway.”
“Then I’ll wait here until you give me the all-clear.” Kane leaned against his truck and watched her climb the steps.
Jenna went inside, dropped her belongings on the hall table and did a sweep of the house, then went to the door and waved at Kane. “All clear.”
She headed for the bedroom. At least she had a few leads to hunt down. Agreed, it was not many, but it was a start and if the man with the ax existed in her town, she would find him and discover what had happened to Sky and Doug Paul and Olivia Palmer.
Thirty-Two
Thursday night
It was late when Levi Holt passed through Black Rock Falls on his way to spend his vacation with his folks in Blackwater. The road report on the radio told him the highway was clear and rather than risking another blizzard blowing in, which would mean being stuck in Black Rock Falls for days while the snowplows did their job, he decided to drive through the night if necessary to get home.
The dark road wound ahead of him like a frosty black snake, cutting through the snow-covered landscape. The world had turned gray and black the moment the sun set. Trees and the odd buildings became murky and foreboding. His mother had warned him about the dangers of traveling at night and he’d heard the reports of people going missing, so he took his time, searching ahead for any sudden changes in road conditions. The sky was patchy with clouds and once in a while the full moon popped its head out between the heavy clouds. He turned up the radio and sang along to the tunes, or munched on a bag of beef jerky he’d placed within easy reach on the seat beside him.
The idea of seeing his friends again made him smile. The selfies they had posted on Facebook, wearing Santa hats and urging him to come straight away after his final shift at Tire and Mechanical, had made up his mind to drive all night.
He slowed to round a sweeping bend sparkling with small patches of ice, and noticed ahead a vehicle with its hood up and flashers blinking orange in the dark. Dammit, I guess I’ll have to stop.
After coming alongside the pickup, he buzzed down his window. “Hey. Need any help?”
“Yeah, engine just stopped. It’s got plenty of gas.” A man slid out from behind the wheel. “I’ve been hopin’ a truck driver would come on by and radio a tow truck for me. I can’t get no bars out here to call anyone.”
Levi frowned. “Can’t help you call anyone but I know engines. I’ll take a look,” He closed the window, found his flashlight and slid out into the bitter cold, leaving his engine running.
“Thank you kindly.” The man walked to the front of the vehicle. “I have a wrench if that’s any help?” He waved the tool.
“I have tools in my truck.” Levi turned on the flashlight and approached the front of the pickup.
It was fortunate at that moment that the moon slipped out from behind a cloud or he wouldn’t have seen the shadow of the man’s arm raised above his head. Levi ducked to one side as the wrench chimed against the radiator. Fear gripped him by the throat. He spun around, striking out with his torch and catching the man hard across his right arm. When the stranger gasped in pain and staggered backward, Levi didn’t wait for an explanation, he slipped and slid in the snow at the edge of the blacktop. “What the hell?”
The man came fast, swinging wildly at him and missing by inches. All Levi had was his flashlight. He shone it into the man’s eyes, hoping the high-powered halogen beam had blinded him for a second, then took off at a run and slid across the road. He dived back into his truck, his hands trembling as he locked the doors. He reached for the shifter just as the maniac came at him again. The wrench shattered the side window, showering him with glass. He slammed his foot on the accelerator, spinning the wheels on ice and fishtailing down the highway.
Heart racing so fast he could hear it thumping in his ears, he stared out the broken window at the man running after him. “That must be the guy the news said has been kidnappin’ people.”
Terrified, he slammed down on the gas. The powerful engine roared but the back wheels lost traction. He fought for control but slid across the highway, coming to rest in the deep-packed snow beside the blacktop. Without warning, the engine spluttered and died. Every muscle trembling, he gaped into the side mirror at the dark shadow of the stranger hurrying purposefully toward him. Sheer panic gripped him. “Oh, Jesus.”
He sucked in a freezing breath and turned the key. The engine turned—nothing. He tried again. “Come on, come on.”
Grasping desperately at his knowledge of engines, he pushed down hard on the gas and turned the key again with trembling fingers. He let out a sob as the perfectly tuned motor burst into life, but the crazy man had gained on him and was little more than twenty yards away. He squeezed the gas pedal down gently and his truck moved forward. “That’s it, nice and slow, you can do it, girl. Get me the hell out of here.”
At last the tires’ ch
ains dug into the ice, giving him traction, and he aimed the truck back onto the highway. As he drove away the man vanished into the darkness behind him, but he kept one eye on his mirror, not sure what to do if the maniac followed him. The icy wind buffeted him through the broken window but he dared not stop to cover it. A half-hour later, he entered Blackwater. Five more minutes and he would be home. Once safe inside, he would call 911.
Thirty-Three
Friday morning
The heating in the office was failing miserably and Jenna stuffed a few tissues into the gap at the bottom of the rattling window. The weather had been acting strange of late. Blizzards blanketed the town with snowdrifts so high, people had to dig out their vehicles, and the next moment a howling wind came through town as if the devil himself was chasing it. This had to be the coldest winter she had spent in Black Rock Falls. When Rowley knocked on her door with a somber expression she had some idea the news about the furnace was not good. “What did Mr. Jeffries say?”
“We need a new furnace, he don’t figure they make parts for ours anymore.” Rowley had abandoned his regulation Stetson and opted for the same thick woolen hat Kane preferred and had it pulled down over his ears. “Problem is, if you want to buy a new one, getting it here at this time of the year will be difficult.” He handed her an invoice from the plumber. “He said he could do something to keep it running but it might only last a day or two. At the bottom of the invoice is a quote for a replacement.”
Jenna glanced at the paperwork and nodded. “I’d normally have to get the mayor to approve an expense that big but we have enough in the budget. Thank him for me and tell him to go ahead with the repairs. I’ll see if we can find a furnace. Wolfe seems to have connections everywhere. Maggie will pay the plumber what he is owed for today.” She inhaled the smell of cinnamon and hot chocolate. “If that’s Kane with the food for our meeting, grab Walters and come back as soon as possible.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Rowley headed out the door.
A few moments later Kane walked through the door, his cheeks reddened by the wind and carrying bags of takeout from Aunt Betty’s Café. “Ah, just in time.” Jenna took a bag from him and peered inside. “I thought I smelled cinnamon buns.”
“Yeah, and I had the Thermoses filled with hot chocolate as well.” He smiled at her. “There’s enough cake and cookies to keep us going until lunch.” He turned back to the door. “I’ll shuck my coat and grab some cups.”
When she had her deputies settled, she pulled down the whiteboard covered with names she had gathered of people of interest. She turned to her deputies. “I called our contact at the FBI and his response to our current spate of missing people was that we’re pretty much on our own with this case. We’ve no solid evidence to suggest a man kidnapped the missing people apart from Ella Tate’s statement. Normally she’d be a person of interest but we can’t jump to conclusions. Although we did find her at the scene of two or more people’s disappearance, we believe her to be an unreliable witness, due to the influence of drugs or mental capacity. We’re still waiting for the toxicology report from Wolfe about the involvement of date rape drugs. If this is the case, she will slowly regain her memory and we’ll interview her again.” She pointed to a list of names. “In the meantime, we have two people missing and likely a third. We haven’t been able to contact any of Rose Palmer’s relatives but we do know she arrived at the airport at nine to pick up Olivia Palmer. Rowley is hunting down Olivia’s friends via social media in the hope they may be of assistance.” She turned to Rowley. “Have you found anyone?”
“Yeah.” Rowley stared down at his iPad. “I’ve added them to the file.”
“Good.” She smiled at Walters. “I’ll leave that part of the investigation in your capable hands. Call me if you find any leads.”
“Sure thing, ma’am.” Walters looked happy to be remaining inside today. “I’ll see if I can put a firecracker under the plumber fixin’ the furnace too.”
“That would help.” She met Kane’s gaze. “What have you got for me, Kane?”
“I’ve been scanning the database for any similar incidents to add to what Rowley discovered yesterday and found more unsubstantiated reports about people vanishing without a trace throughout the state. They’re all aged between eighteen and twenty-five, all but one was traveling alone and their vehicles have never been located.” He poured a cup of hot chocolate from the Thermos, then leaned back in his chair, cup in hand. “One thing that joined the dots for me was that they all traveled though Black Rock Falls. I figure they’re connected.”
The hairs on the back of Jenna’s neck prickled. It was obvious they had another killer in town. “So if the kidnapper, let’s call him Axman, has been doing this for some time, how do you figure he’s disposing of the vehicles and bodies?” She glanced at her deputies.
“We’re only assuming Axman killed these people. The slave trade we discussed is always an option.” Kane’s eyebrows knitted together in a frown. “Has Wolfe given a cause of death for Mrs. Palmer?”
“Not yet.” Jenna leaned on the desk, palms flat, and stared at Kane. “Sure, we might find bodies of people who died of natural causes after the melt but Ella Tate’s statement and the amount of blood we found gives me cause to believe at least Sky suffered considerable injury by an ax-wielding man.” She straightened. “So yes, until one of these people walks into my office, alive and well, we’re looking for bodies.” She went back to the whiteboard. “Rowley, what would be the best place to dispose of a vehicle in the immediate area of the kidnapping?”
“The area he seems to be stalking is mainly industrial.” Rowley filled his cup and his brow wrinkled in concentration. “There are masses of old shafts left from goldmines. They could be dumping grounds for both bodies and vehicles. Some shafts go down miles.” He took a cinnamon bun from the bag. “We already checked out the local junkyard. It was deserted.”
“It was on that day.” Kane gave Jenna a direct stare. “I’m convinced someone’s opened the gate since the night Sky disappeared. We can’t rule out the chance the Axman had an accomplice to dispose of her vehicle.”
Jenna made notes on the whiteboard. “That is a possibility but it’s easy enough to tow a car without a driver. The Axman would only need access to the yard and the knowledge to use the necessary machinery. Did you see a crusher at the recycling yard?”
“Yeah and a shredder, but he would need more than the key to the gate, we’re talking heavy-duty machinery here.” Kane reached into the bag for a cookie. “He would need keys and the skills to move the vehicle into the compactor using the electromagnet crane.” He shrugged. “Placing a body in the trunk of a car and crushing it is not new. It used to be quite popular body disposal back in the day.”
Jenna’s stomach clenched at the thought of using a crusher to dispose of a body. “Well, there’s no way he towed Sky’s truck out to a goldmine in a blizzard without leaving a trace. The snow was four foot deep in places. The recycling yard is a logical option and one of them is in the location of the kidnappings.”
After scanning the board, Jenna sat down. Now convinced they had a lunatic in the backcountry, she needed to step up the investigation before he struck again, but without evidence, she might as well be chasing her tail. She needed one simple clue to get the ball rolling. “Okay. I have a list of factories in the area on file. Rowley, chase down the owners and get me their numbers. Get me the names of anyone who might work during the shutdown.” She wrote on the board. “We’ll start with the junkyard. I’ll organize a search warrant, notify the owner to meet us on site and head out with Kane.” She moved her attention to Kane. “Call Wolfe. I want him along to search for trace evidence just in case the Axman crushed the bodies as well. We’ll use your truck, Kane; it’s safer in the snow. Can you get our gear together?”
“Sure.” Kane went to rise.
“Just a minute.” She chewed on her pen, thinking, for a few seconds. “If we assume the Axman is kidnapping and killing
these people and then crushing them in their vehicles, what type of crazy are we up against?”
“Without a body and cause of death, I can’t give you an accurate profile.” Kane shrugged. “I mean, there are the opportunistic killers. They murder because they like the adrenaline rush but the majority of them walk away from the kill site. A dead person is no more use to them than a soda can. Most of them don’t fully comprehend they’re doing anything wrong. In fact, in a few interviews I’ve listened to the murderers figured everyone kills—that it’s normal.” He leaned back and looked at her. “If this man is hiding his kills and their belongings, he plans the murders and chooses the victims for a reason. He is likely a sociopath, fully aware of what he’s doing and the consequences, but likely believes he’s so smart we’ll never catch him.”
Thirty-Four
The next time Doug opened his eyes and stared at the stark white ceiling, he realized with a jolt his situation was not a terrible dream. He swiped his tongue over dry, cracked lips and wiggled his toes. Although the burning sensation of a red-hot poker stabbed into his side, the heavy feeling in his limbs had eased. He lifted his arms, pushing the covers to one side, and attempted to rise. Agony seared through him on the right side as if a spear had gone through his body and was still sticking out his back. He looked down his bare chest and gingerly ran his fingers over the thick wad of dressing. What happened to me?
In a rush, his mind filled with the image of the hopeless expression of the young woman in the next bed. The doctor must have given her the same stupefying drug as they had given him. He would never forget how terrified Jim had made her. He punched the mattress in a fit of anger. No wonder her face was familiar! She was the one in the wreck. He had cradled her head in his lap in the back of Jim’s pickup. Jim had called the girl “Olivia” yet hadn’t mentioned knowing her at the time.