by D. K. Hood
“It sounds like an ambush to me.” Deputy Rowley flashed her a look of concern.
“I can’t say for sure. I didn’t see a thing and only caught the flash of his headlights before he hit me.” Jenna chewed on her bottom lip. “It sure looks like an attempt on my life. The thing is I haven’t upset anyone in town enough to make them want to murder me.” She pushed her hair back and stared at Kane’s diagram. “Sure, I’ve ruffled a few feathers but there aren’t any crime syndicates operating in Black Rock Falls.”
“Okay, leave the investigation with me until you’re back on duty.” Kane’s mouth turned down and he glanced at Rowley. “You’d better get going.”
“I’ll send you the information you need as soon as possible, sir.” Rowley turned on his heel and strolled out the door.
“Is there anything you’re not telling me?” Kane raised both black brows. “Love affairs gone wrong, jealous wives?”
“In Black Rock Falls? The mayor wouldn’t allow any scandal in the sheriff’s department, not that I have time for more than the odd dinner date, and adultery isn’t my style.”
“Then I guess the reason will come out when we find the other vehicle. I’ll send the paint samples away for analysis. A match and my testimony will be enough to send the driver away for some jail time.” Kane leaned his wide shoulder against the damaged cruiser and cleared his throat. “I’d like to sit in on the interview with Miss Woodward. I’d be interested to see what information she has discovered about her grandmother’s disappearance. Would you mind if I dropped you home, changed into my uniform, then headed back to the office?”
Jenna smothered the smile threatening to burst across her face. She had not met anyone so keen to give up a weekend, let alone after a long journey and a late night. “Sure. I’ll send the mayor’s office an email to let them know you’ve started today, so you’ll get paid.” She waved a hand toward the cruiser. “Do you need anything else from the wreck? I’d like to get the insurance claim underway as soon as possible.”
“We’ve covered every angle.” Kane indicated toward the street with his square chin. “Which way to the station?”
“It’s at the other end of town.” She edged to the door. “We’ll need to drive but let’s make it a short stop. I have things to do at home and I’m on duty tonight after the game.”
“Okay, but I’ll want time to log the paint scrapings and send a sample away before we leave. I don’t want to give anyone the impression we’ve had time to tamper with the evidence.” He shrugged. “That’s why I took the precaution of collecting the samples in front of Rowley and getting him to sign across the seals of the baggies.”
Professional and slick. I’m starting to like this guy. “It’s normal procedure—well, it is for me. I’m glad we’re on the same page.”
“So am I.” Kane grinned and his blue eyes sparkled with amusement. “It will sure make life easier.”
Eight
Kane followed Jenna into the sheriff’s office and glanced around. A young woman and two men sat apart in the waiting area, which was little more than a narrow hallway. He strolled behind Jenna past the people and into one large room. Partitioned areas took up most of the main floor where deputies conducted interviews in cubicles. An impressive show of flat-screens embellished the work areas. A door to one side held a large copper plate with the name “Sheriff Alton” embossed in silver. At the other end of the room, another door hung open to display a passageway. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and bagels led his attention to a small kitchenette complete with coffee maker and stainless steel refrigerator. A whiteboard covered with some type of chart hung beside a notice showing the way to the bathrooms. He waited for Alton to introduce him to the officers on duty but before she had opened her mouth, an elderly deputy in his sixties offered his hand and gave him a warm smile.
“Welcome to Black Rock Falls, I’m Duke Walters and this is Pete Daniels.” Walters indicated to the tall man in his twenties beside him. “It’s about time we had another sheriff’s deputy. I’m getting too close to retirement to be taking over in an emergency.”
“Jake said you planned to drop by today.” Daniels shook his hand then looped his thumbs into the belt on his pants and leaned against a desk.
“Jake?” Kane met the condescending stare of Daniels and shrugged off the wave of insolence coming from the younger man. “I don’t believe I’ve met anyone by that name.”
“He’s referring to Jake Rowley.” Sheriff Alton smiled at him in a flash of white. “Daniels here is our latest acquisition, straight from college. I’m sure he’ll benefit from your knowledge and experience.”
I hope so. He turned to Walters. “I have paint samples from Sheriff Alton’s accident to log into the evidence locker.” He pulled the baggies from his pocket and turned to Daniels. “You come too. I want two officers’ signatures on the evidence book.”
“The room requires two keys to unlock the cage.” Alton pulled a ring of keys from her pocket. “I have one and Walters has the other, as he was the senior officer before you arrived.” She gave the older man a long, considering stare. “I guess that honor goes to Kane now.”
Kane looked at the older man. “I’ll value Deputy Walters’ expertise to settle in.” He took the bunch of keys.
“I’ll look forward to cutting back my hours now we have some help.” Walters smiled warmly.
Kane opened his mouth to reply but swallowed the retort as a large and very attractive woman with dark chocolate skin flowed into the office. She shook the snow from a colorful knitted hat, hung it on a peg by the door, removed her coat, then turned toward him and flashed a brilliant smile.
“You must be the Deputy Kane everyone is talking about. I see everyone arrived early to meet you.” She moved toward him, generous hips swaying. “I’m Magnolia Brewster but you can call me Maggie.”
“Maggie is our receptionist.” Alton’s face broke into a warm smile. “Dial nine-one-one and you’ll get Maggie during office hours. Other times, emergency calls go straight to the officer on duty.”
“You handle all emergencies? Fires, paramedics?” Kane stared at her in disbelief.
“Yes, and we’ve requested a twenty-four-hour call-out service but the small volume of calls we receive isn’t worth the cost involved.” Alton drummed her neat fingernails on the desk. “Get the evidence logged, and if you’re sitting in on Sarah Woodward’s interview, get Walters to start the DMV check. When he has a list, compare it to everyone I arrested within the last six months, in case they own a similar vehicle.”
“Roger that. Anything else I should know?”
“Rowley will fill you in on the details. He’s on the ball.” She smiled. “Maggie will arrange for the paint samples to go to forensics. Walters is more than capable of overseeing that task.”
When Kane opened his mouth to ask another question, she glared at him.
“You’ll have plenty of time to talk shop with my deputies, after you take me home.”
* * *
Back at the station one hour later and dressed in his crisp new uniform, Kane supervised the release of Billy Watts. Rowley had found no evidence to prove the man had stolen money. The deputy had also inspected blue pickups owned by people he knew but had found none with any recent damage. Kane put him to work interviewing Sarah Woodward and moved his attention to the younger deputy, Pete Daniels. Confident Daniels could handle the paperwork, Kane turned away to evaluate the young woman Rowley was interviewing in his cubicle.
Sarah Woodward reminded him of his sister at the same age, and his protective instinct surged to the surface. At approximately eighteen, she was far too young to be conducting her grandmother’s investigation alone. Her porcelain skin and blonde hair would be like putting up a “come get me” flare to the crowd of young men arriving for the hockey game. Out for a good time, they would flock to an innocent, naive girl like bees to honey.
Kane pulled a chair into Rowley’s booth to listen in on the interview with her
. He introduced himself and sat down. “Are you traveling alone?”
She blinked cornflower-blue eyes at him as if he had just materialized in front of her.
“Ah… yes, I am.” Her lips trembled into a smile. “I intend to find my grandmother, so I won’t be alone for long.” She twisted small fingers in a blue knitted scarf. “I have a few leads.”
Kane leaned back in his chair making it creak like an old man’s bones. “What new evidence have you discovered?”
“I called my mom but she couldn’t recall any specific places Grandma had visited but she had some of her letters. You must understand my mom hasn’t been the same since my pa died. The medication affects her memory so I thought the best thing to do was to ask her to send me Grandma’s letters.” Sarah gave him a sunny smile, all dimples and white teeth. “The letters came by special delivery yesterday afternoon. I haven’t read all of them yet but the third one I opened mentioned speaking to the local real estate broker. Grandma wanted to purchase a small ranch in the area. A place we could all live far away from the city.” She lifted her chin. “I thought I’d go and speak to the real estate broker and ask if Grandma made enquiries.”
“You should leave the investigating to the police.” Kane flicked a glance at Rowley. “Give the real estate office a call and find out what the broker remembers about Mrs. Woodward.” He smiled at Sarah. “Can I get you a drink while we wait? A soda or coffee?”
“Yes thanks, a soda would be nice.” Her cheeks pinked and she unzipped a bright yellow windbreaker. “It’s quite warm in here.”
As Rowley moved away to make the call, Kane noticed Deputy Daniels in his periphery. The rookie waved Billy Watts toward the door then loitered outside Rowley’s booth. Kane turned to Daniels. “If you’re not busy, could you grab a soda for Miss Woodward and I’ll have a coffee, strong, sweet, with cream.”
“Okay, boss.” Daniels sauntered toward the kitchenette.
Kane cleared his throat to get Sarah’s attention. “You must be close to your grandmother to travel so far to find her.”
“I’m very close to her.” Sarah took a deep breath. “My mom is not well and I need to find her.”
“I may have a lead.” Rowley raised his brown eyebrows, closed his cellphone, and sat down. “I spoke to the owner of the real estate office, John Davis, and he recalls a woman making enquiries some time ago. He offered to show her properties for sale in the area but recalled her asking for a list so she could do a drive-by. Mrs. Woodward said she’d return if something caught her interest and make an appointment for a viewing but she was a no-show.”
“Did you ask him for a copy of the list of the properties he gave Mrs. Woodward?” Kane rubbed his chin. “It might be worthwhile retracing her steps and checking with the owners.”
“Yeah, I asked but he said he’d need time to go through the listings for the last three months. He’ll send a list as soon as possible, probably Monday as he is closing at noon to take a couple to look at some properties in town.”
Kane waited for Daniels to deliver the drinks then offered Sarah a smile. “The moment I receive the list of properties, I’ll go and speak to the owners. Someone must have spoken to your grandmother. If you could read the rest of the letters and let me know if you find any clues, you can reach me on this number.” He reached for his wallet, took out a card, and handed it to her. “Where are you staying?”
“The Black Rock Falls Motel.” She grimaced. “It’s pretty noisy since the hockey crowd came to town. It was party central there last night.”
“They are a rough crowd out for a good time, and if they bother you, call nine-one-one or me. The Black Rock Falls County Sheriff’s Department has an officer on call twenty-four-seven.” Kane stood and escorted her to the door.
“Thank you.” Sarah gave him a small smile and straightened, then, throwing the strap of a bright pink purse over one shoulder, headed toward an old blue sedan parked at the curb.
“If she needs someone to follow her home,” Daniels moved to his side and stared after her with a silly grin, “I’d be happy to volunteer.”
He turned and glared at the young man. “Does the term ‘serve and protect’ ring a bell with you? Keep away from her. That’s an order.”
“Aw, come on.” Daniels grinned like a baboon. “Didn’t you see the way she looked at me? Girls like her love men in uniform.”
Oh, great, now we have a predator in the making.
Nine
She stared in dismay out the kitchen window at her vehicle disappearing in the distance. “Where are you taking my pickup?”
“I sent it away to be repaired.” The insolent man in cowboy boots gave her a slow smile. “You won’t be needing it.”
The strange, cold look in his eyes sent shivers up her spine and she stepped away until her back hit the edge of the kitchen sink. “I didn’t give you permission to touch my pickup.”
“I don’t need your permission.”
The contemptuous way he looked at her, the curled lip, and self-assured posture made her skin crawl. Something was mentally wrong with him, as if he had two people inside him. This persona was not the nice man who encouraged her to move in and get a feel for the area but the other brutal, savage personality who she could not reason with. Drink made him worse and the bottle and glass on the kitchen table set off alarm bells. “I’m leaving in a couple of days. How do you expect me to move out of here without a vehicle?”
“Maybe I want you to stay?” Cowboy Boots moved a few steps closer; his dark eyes raked over her, dead eyes without a shred of compassion. “The house is nice and clean and I like a home-cooked meal.”
Frightened but determined to stand her ground, she folded her arms over her pounding chest to hide shaking hands. “I said I would stay for one month to get a feel for the area. I can’t stay forever.”
“You will, if I say so.” He placed one muscular arm either side of her, resting his large hands on the counter. “Problem is, I need money to pay for the repairs to your car. If you want it back, it’s gonna cost you five hundred dollars cash. If you give me your card I’ll go into town and withdraw it for you.”
His bourbon-smelling breath burned her nostrils, and, disgusted, she turned her face away. “Why don’t you drive me into town when the repairs are finished and I’ll pay the garage?”
Agony blinded her for a moment. She had not seen his fist coming. Eyes watering, she stared at him in shock. The next blow sent a metallic taste over her tongue. She held up both hands to shield her face. “Stop it. Why are you doing this to me?”
“I said, give me your card and I’ll get the money from town.” He grasped her neck in his grubby hand and squeezed. “Or are you deaf?”
Trembling with fear, she nodded in agreement. What other choice did she have? She was miles from town without a car, and at his mercy. Perhaps when he left she could use the phone and call for help. “I’ll get it for you.”
He followed her to her room and waited at the door as she sat trembling on the bed. Her head throbbed and she could not think straight. She took her purse from the bedside table, took out a card, and gave it to him. She was unable to remember the PINs to her cards; she had them listed in her address book.
“The PIN?” He glared at her and stepped closer. “Give me the number.” He took a notepad out of his pocket.
When she fumbled the address book, he scooped it up and laughed. “You keep the number in here?” His cowboy hat dipped as he looked through the pages. “How many cards do you have?” He grabbed at her purse and emptied the contents on the bed. “Three?”
Ears ringing, she looked up at him. She could not believe he had hit her. No one had ever struck her before. The room swam in and out of focus and she gripped the side of the bed, willing herself not to vomit.
When he struck her again, she clutched her throbbing head. “Yes, I have three. Take them.”
“I will.” He headed for the kitchen.
Moments later, she heard his boots
on the floor outside her bedroom. She glanced up through swollen lids to see him holding the telephone.
“You can try to run but you won’t get far in this weather.” He waved the phone at her. “This is coming with me. Have dinner ready when I return or I’ll beat you senseless then lock you in the root cellar. It’s cold down there and the rats will eat you alive. Your choice.”
She heard him whistling and his footsteps echoing down the passageway followed by the roar of an engine as he started his vehicle. Hopelessness engulfed her. She had to survive and would do whatever he wanted but he had to sleep sometime. Maybe she could steal his car and make her escape. Who was she kidding? He was as cunning as a fox. I’m trapped and he’ll never let me go. She lay down on the bed and pulled the blankets over her. Memories of her family drifted into her head and a comforting darkness surrounded her.
Ten
Kane glared at Daniels and forced his mind to concentrate on the job at hand. “The other missing person, John Helms. Have you run a check on his credit or debit card transactions and his cellphone?”
“Not yet, the man wasn’t reported missing until Friday. I guess we can wait until Monday and see if he shows up?”
“No need to wait.” Kane rubbed his chin. “Sheriff Alton informed me Helms went missing some time ago and his cellphone is not responding. Check to see why and if he failed to make payments. Start organizing the necessary papers to obtain a warrant. I want a list of the calls he made in the last two weeks, then do the same to get his bank transactions.”