by D. K. Hood
“Thanks.” Kane cleared his throat.
“Okay, what’s wrong? Spit it out, I know you have something on your mind.” Alton moved around to face him, her eyes flashing. “Tell me.”
“The radio. Anyone on the frequency can listen in.” Kane gestured toward the device on her belt. “Every time you use that thing, you’re giving out your position. It would be better to use your cellphone. It’s more secure. Have you considered speaking to the mayor about earbuds and power packs? I have a friend in DC who can do me a great deal.” When she lifted her chin in defiance, he shrugged. “At least use your cellphone until we catch the person who tried to kill you.”
“I think the person who caused the accident was a coward who gets his kicks preying on women alone at night.” Alton’s head turned toward a noisy group of people leaving the hotel. When they walked down the main street and headed in the direction of the motel, she turned her attention back to him. “He wouldn’t be brave enough to try anything with you here.”
I can’t stop a bullet from a sniper. “Okay.” Kane conceded defeat and rubbed his cold hands together. “So what’s the usual procedure? I can’t imagine the management appreciates the sheriff’s department interfering with their business.”
“We usually hang around the foyer.” Alton headed nimbly up the steps toward the entrance to the Cattleman’s Hotel. “They employ two security guards but they patrol the bar area.” She opened the door and strolled inside. “At least it’s warmer in here.” She unzipped her jacket then removed her gloves and rubbed her small hands together.
Kane followed and scanned the area for potential threats and noticed Alton mirroring his moves. She stood with her back to the wall. The position gave her a clear view of the parking lot and foyer. He took a spot on the opposite wall and moved his attention to the reception area. Placed behind a set of glass doors, the long service desk sat in front of an impressive mural of a Wild West cattle stampede. Bulls with flaring nostrils charged across a prairie in a cloud of dust while cowboys riding hell for leather galloped behind with six shooters raised. He had an appreciation of art. In fact, he had left an impressive collection of pictures and bronzes in storage after his wife’s death. Pushing down the urge to open the doors and move closer to inspect the exquisite artwork, he shifted his gaze to the patrons moving around inside the building.
Two receptionists served a line of guests. An attractive young woman and an older man with graying hair wearing tailored black jackets stood behind the polished oak counter displaying practiced smiles of tolerance. Hmm, high class for such a small town. The place spelled Money with a capital M. Polished wooden floors shone throughout, and for a small town the Cattleman’s Hotel surprised him with its opulence. Signs directed customers to the bar and restaurant on opposite sides of the foyer. He dragged his gaze away.
“This place is a surprise. High class and not what I would expect in a small town.”
“Yeah, it’s owned by a very wealthy family.” Alton leaned against the wall and yawned. “They have a private gaming club in the back and the place is popular.” She shrugged. “They stick to the rules and are rarely a problem.”
“So there are some wealthy ranchers in the area?”
“Yeah, some big cattle ranchers, and then there are the professionals, teachers, and of course the medical profession. They all avoid town and live opposite Stanton Forest.” Alton’s lips twitched up into a smile. “We have a hospital and the college campus on the other side of town.”
“I had no idea Black Rock Falls is spread over such a large area.”
“Yes, well it is a county, and with four deputies and me to watch over the entire place you’ll find the job is harder than you think.” Alton’s stare moved over him.
He straightened and rested his hand on his holster. After ten years in the secret service, he would have to get used to wearing a weapon on his hip rather than a service pistol nestled in a shoulder holster. Alton’s words percolated through his brain. If Black Rock Falls had a huge number of rich people ripe for fleecing, and as the gaming world was a nest for corruption, it would make sense for underworld criminal syndicates to negotiate a deal with a local authority figure. Refusal could lead to “accidents”. He cleared his throat. “Have you had any dealings with the proprietors of late?” He leveled his gaze on her, gauging her reaction. Man, the way she instantly blanked her expression, she would survive waterboarding without giving up information.
Fifteen
Jenna observed Kane’s movements from the moment he entered the hotel. He is making a list of suspects. Like a dog after a bone. “Yeah.” She heard a car engine and glanced outside. “Here comes the cavalry. Rowley and Daniels will take one of the cruisers and park at the rear entrance. There’s a walkway to the parking lot from there, so they can keep an eye on anyone trying to sneak out.”
“Good idea.” Kane’s dark head moved toward the two men huddled in conversation beside the elevators. Every so often, they would glance at him. He tipped his chin toward them and raised one eyebrow in question. “The two men you had in the lock-up Thursday night are acting suspicious. What do you think Josh Rockford and Dan Beal are planning?”
“I’d say Rockford is trying to get to his car without being caught.” She frowned. “His team won tonight, so he’ll be strutting for the next few days.”
“Maybe I’ll find a reason to impound his car.” Kane narrowed his gaze and appeared to grow taller. “I’ve seen too many young guys like him killed in wrecks. They think they’re invincible.”
“No need to impound his car.” She headed through the glass doors into the hotel. “I usually put him in a cab. He likes to be the center of attention, so ignoring him is the best put down.”
Kane followed her to the two men and took a position beside Jenna. When Josh Rockford gave her a brilliant and expensive white smile, Kane straightened to his full six five and glared down at him. Rockford was either too drunk or stupid to recognize the threat Kane posed and dismissed him with a wave of his hand.
“Do you have a room here tonight or is the mayor giving you a ride home?” Alton addressed Rockford in a tone of authority then turned to Dan Beal. “And what about you, Mr. Beal?”
“We’re not staying but we do have to get on home.” Dan Beal gave Alton a salacious wink. “Josh here thought you might like to give us a ride in your cruiser?”
“Yeah.” Josh Rockford bent to whisper in Alton’s ear but his gaze remained fixed on Kane. “But leave the gorilla behind.”
When Alton said nothing, Kane took a step forward, placing his body between Rockford and her. “You’ve had too much to drink. Hand over your car keys. You’ll be taking a cab home tonight.” He held out his hand. “Now! Unless you would like to spend another night in the lock-up? I’m giving you a warning. Next time I find you drunk and disorderly in public, you will be my guest in the lock-up.”
“You need to control that jealous streak, man. Moving into Jenna’s cabin doesn’t make you her keeper.” Rockford grinned at him. “The sheriff likes me fine, don’t you, darlin’?”
Kane pushed down the desire to throttle the idiot and shrugged. “I don’t see her jumping into your arms. Maybe she prefers someone a little more mature.”
“My father owns you.” Rockford sniggered. “He’ll have your badge if you charge me.”
“Do I look like I care?” Kane dropped his voice to just above a whisper. “Trust me, you don’t want to be locked up overnight on my watch. Now hand over your car keys or I’ll tip you upside down and shake them loose.”
The look of pure hatred Rockford gave him made the hairs on the back of Kane’s neck stand to attention. The spoiled brat had moved to the top of his list of suspects. He collected the keys and escorted the men to one of the waiting cabs. How they had managed to become intoxicated in a relatively short time intrigued him. Binge drinkers did not usually captain winning teams, although add Josh’s daddy’s influence into the equation and anything was possible. He wa
tched the taillights of the cab disappear into the darkness then returned to the hotel, weaving between the patrons heading home. Some sang the team song, couples held hands. Overall, the people of Black Rock Falls behaved better than expected.
He found Alton in her spot inside the foyer. “You shouldn’t have to put up with idiots like those two.”
“I can handle Rockford.” Alton smiled at him. “Although, I have to admit it was nice having someone on my side for a change.”
“I’m just concerned for your welfare.” Kane sighed. He needed to make his point. “Someone tried to kill you and if you’re not being threatened then something else is going on.” He shrugged. “Two people are missing without a trace and my instinct tells me there’s a connection. Indulge me by running through your movements over the last couple of weeks.”
Jenna gaped at him and tried to remember pertinent details of the last two weeks. What did her accident have to do with a missing grandmother? Enquiries on the other man, John Helms, had been superficial at best, and her deputies would be working on his case the following week. Worried there might be a link to the disappearances, she chewed on her bottom lip in an effort to make sense of Kane’s reasoning. A flood of customers drifted out of the restaurant and she spotted Mayor Rockford and his wife coming toward the foyer. She nodded at the couple and the mayor paused to speak to her.
“I gather Duke Walters is keeping the peace over at the dance again this evening?” Mayor Rockford smiled indulgently.
Jenna returned his smile. “Yes, he is. I prefer to keep him out of the cold if possible.”
“Yes, yes, he is forever singing your praises for being considerate.” Rockford pulled his wife’s hand into the crook of his arm and patted her fingers. “Well, I better get my lady out of the cold too. Goodnight, Sheriff.”
“Goodnight.”
Jenna waited for them to leave then pushed away from the wall to move closer to Kane to avoid anyone overhearing her. “I’ve told you everything that happened but I’ll indulge you again. Sarah Woodward came by and made a missing persons’ report about her grandmother. I sent the deputies out to the local guesthouses, banks, and post office to make general enquiries. When we couldn’t locate her, we took her photo around to some of the ranches in the immediate area as well, just in case she’d decided to use an alias.”
“I gather you didn’t all investigate together?” Kane flicked a glance over her shoulder at the parking lot, then moved his attention back to her. “Which ranches did you visit?”
“The ones on my side of town. We did a door-to-door and covered all of them. Many of the ranchers I know personally, including Parker Lom, the Daniels, and old Zack Smith. His place is way out in the hills and he hasn’t had anyone dropping by his place for years.” She had the odd feeling he was interrogating her, and her guard went up. “I had a coffee with Parker, and Zack took me out to show me the new bull he purchased. Everyone I met was friendly and I wasn’t threatened.”
“Daniels as in Pete Daniels’ family? The two guys you mentioned at Aunt Betty’s?”
“That’s right, Pete’s brothers. They own the ranch.” She shrugged. “Pete isn’t into raising cattle or horses and has a place in town but spends the odd weekends helping out at the ranch.”
“So why go out there? Deputy Daniels would have recognized Mrs. Woodward if she’d been working for him.”
“Pete was with me and we dropped by to ask his brothers if Mrs. Woodward had come by looking for work. Like I said, Pete lives in town, he could have easily missed seeing her.” Trying to keep her voice steady, she took a casual stance. “I didn’t see anything unusual when I visited and they acted as laid-back as usual.”
“Okay, Rowley mentioned Rockford caused a problem at the station before you released him. Tell me what happened. Right from the arrest.”
“Rowley got a call around nine from the manager about a fight in the card room. I met Rowley here and we dealt with the problem. Three men under the influence and causing trouble. Those three spend more time in the lock-up than most of the troublemakers in town. I separated them and kept them in custody overnight after Josh Rockford accused Billy Watts of stealing. Rockford tried to throw his weight around, threatened to call his father and have me fired. He does the same song and dance every time I arrest him. He might be a loudmouth but I don’t believe he is a threat. I doubt he has the guts to throw a punch and is more likely to run to daddy to complain.” She sucked in a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. “I’ve run every scenario through my mind and come up blank. I honestly believe I have dealt with everyone fairly; this attempted murder theory you have makes no sense at all.”
“I don’t agree. From what I saw, and the facts from the accident scene, it was a deliberate attempt on your life. I intend to find the culprit and discover the motive.” Kane lifted his square chin toward a group of men heading out of the bar. “Heads up.”
The patrons of the Cattleman’s Bar gave them little trouble. The five or so intoxicated men strolled by, climbed into the cabs, and vanished into the night. They waited for everyone to leave the building or take the elevators upstairs to their rooms before heading out into the crisp, dark night.
Alton turned to Kane. “I’m going inside to use the bathroom then I’ll head out the back door and come back around the front to check for any stragglers.”
“Rowley and Daniels should be covering that area.” Kane’s lips formed a thin line.
She patted him on the arm. “Stop being so overprotective. I’m a big girl and I can pee on my own.”
Sixteen
After using the restroom, she moved through the deserted foyer and headed out the back door. She shivered at the icy chill and followed the gravel pathway winding through ornamental shrubbery, heavy under a blanket of snow. Turning a corner into shadows, she glanced up but the area was so dark she had difficulty making out the posts for the lights usually illuminating the area. She made a mental note to report the problem to the manager and reached for the flashlight on her belt. Finding the space empty, she cursed under her breath. She must have lost the damn thing from her belt in the accident and failed to notice it missing. Never mind. Ahead, the snow-dusted pathway showed which direction to head, and the well-lit carpark would be a few minutes away.
She turned another corner and heard the crunch, crunch, crunch of footsteps behind her. Moving to one side of the path, she waited for the person to emerge from the shadows. “Rowley, is that you?”
The footsteps stopped and no reply came out of the night.
Heart thundering in her chest, she lifted her jacket and rested one hand on the butt of her Glock. Snow fell, hitting her face like butterflies’ wings, but apart from voices in the distance, not a sound came from the pathway. Drawing a deep breath, she edged her way along the path in the direction of the parking lot, and the only noise she heard was her pulse throbbing in her ears. Her footsteps sounded loud in the still night and maybe she had been mistaken. The accident has shaken me up more than I realized.
Keeping her hand firmly on her weapon, she turned and moved along the path. The garden appeared sinister at night and snow-piled bushes stood out dark and menacing like gargoyles waiting to pounce. Darkness greeted her around each bend and the winding trail seemed endless. Fear had her by the throat and the sheer stupidity of being scared of the dark alarmed her.
Convinced she had allowed her imagination to get the best of her, she turned the next corner and marched toward the parking lot. The end of the pathway could not be much further away and both Daniels and Rowley would be close.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
Terrified, she spun around to face the danger but heard nothing. She turned again and edged her way further along the trail.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
Sliding the Glock from the holster, she peered into the darkness but only shadows moved in the small breeze. “Is somebody there? This is Sheriff Alton. Come out and show yourself. I’m armed.”
P
anting out huge puffs of steam, she strained her ears then heard a sound coming from behind her.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
Oh God, he is behind me. A sinister chuckle came from the dark void somewhere to her left. She lifted her weapon but a sharp blow to her wrist knocked the pistol from her hand and it flew into the bushes. A dark, smelly bag dropped over her head. Blind and weaponless, she staggered forward, and before she had time to react to the attack, a large hand covered her mouth, pressing the foul fabric against her lips with such force her teeth hurt.
Someone locked a muscular arm around her chest, pinning her arms to her sides. A thick, strong leg slid between her thighs, lifting her onto her toes. Immobilized, she could not move or scream. None of her expert training could get her out of his grip. A deep, whispering voice came close to her ear, sending ice-cold fear marching up her spine.
“I have a knife. A very sharp knife and I would be happy to see you bleed. Scream or call for help, and I’ll cut your throat, bitch.” His grip tightened around her chest, making it hard to breathe. “Nod your head once if you want to be a good little sheriff.”
Bile rushed up the back of her throat and she nodded her head in agreement. The hood moved and the cold tip of a sharp blade pressed against her throat.
“See how easily I could kill you? But that would be no fun, would it?” The man’s voice, raspy and obviously disguised, vibrated against her cheek. He laughed again. “Call off the big dog and I might allow you to live a little longer.”
She pushed back into his chest, trying to gauge his size, and inhaled but the foul-smelling hood masked the man’s smell. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Things were going nice and smooth and you had to bring in a big-city cop.” The knife pricked her throat, and rather than stiffen to make the cutting easier, she relaxed against him. “Keep your mouth shut and your dog on a leash or I’ll show you exactly what I’m capable of doing.”