Follow Me Home_An unputdownable crime thriller that will have you hooked

by D. K. Hood

  27

  A welcome cool breeze lifted Kane’s hair and brought with it the aroma of pine forests. He took a few steps away from the cottage to enjoy a lungful of clean air. He reluctantly strolled back to the front door and glanced over at Rowley. The young deputy’s hair was stuck to his face with sweat. It was way past two in the morning and Rowley had worked non-stop to clean up the cottage with him after Wolfe had gone home to be with his kids. They had spent most of the night scrubbing down walls and hosing away blood.

  Kane straightened his aching back and yawned. “That will do, I’m bushed. Thanks for your help, Jake.”

  “It smells okay out here now at least.” Rowley dropped a sponge into a bucket and peeled off rubber gloves. “Do you think Deputy Wolfe will be able to save the newspaper articles?”

  “Yeah, he’ll photograph them. He has software to bring out the print.” Kane removed his gloves. “I’m sure we’ll be able to get copies via the library archives, if all else fails.”

  “Great.” Jake pushed a hand through his brown wavy hair. “I’ll head on home now.”

  “And upset our sheriff?” Kane smiled at him. “She invited us to sleep over and trust me, the hot chocolate and cookies waiting for us will be worth it.” He winced. “I’d love to sleep in my own bed too but the cottage still has eau de death.” He indicated to Duke asleep in the bushes. “Even the dog won’t go inside.” He grinned. “So are you staying?”

  “Okay. Do you think she is in danger from this crazy?” Rowley rubbed his dimpled chin. “Although you look like the target at the moment.”

  Kane shrugged and stared at Jenna’s house. “Someone followed her into her house undetected, so they’re good, real good. It has to be the same person who called me. I think they are sending me a message to leave them to administer street justice.”

  “We are all investigating the murders. Why target you and not the sheriff?”

  “I guess because I’ve been interviewing women who suffered abuse as a child.” Kane collected the scrubbing brushes and dropped them into an empty bucket. “The killer believes I get a thrill out of hearing them speak about child abuse.”

  “And you’re a man.” Rowley stood with his fists balled on his narrow hips. “The sheriff told me about your early morning workouts so I gather she can handle herself pretty well.”

  “Jenna could take most people down single-handed but that’s not the problem. Whoever managed to get inside her house moves like a shadow and they are fit. They took off running at impressive speed after they sprayed my house with blood.” He glanced at Rowley. “Don’t worry. I doubt Jenna will let anyone get the better of her again.”

  “I haven’t seen her fight but she sure doesn’t mess around when she’s making arrests.” Rowley grinned. “She took on Rockford when she found him creeping around her house and he is a big guy.”

  “She isn’t weak but Rockford had lost the element of surprise. He woke her and she was able to grab her Glock and deal with the asshole.” Kane sucked in a deep breath then coughed out the chemical taste in his mouth. “It’s the ones you don’t hear that are the most dangerous. Surprise attacks kill more people than by other means. I’d say if an intruder had a knife and got the jump on any of us, they could inflict a lot of damage.” He sighed. “Just to be safe, I’d like to make sure her security system is fully functional and I’m too exhausted to deal with it now. Fixing the lights was easy.”

  “I’d say she’ll be asleep anyway.” Rowley glanced over to Jenna’s house. “I need to take a shower and get out of these stinking clothes, but it feels strange doing that at your boss’s house.”

  Kane chuckled. “I know what you mean. You’re welcome to use my spare room to shower and change if you don’t mind the smell?” Seeing Jenna’s shadow move in front of the window, he lifted his chin. “We’d better get a move on. She is awake and no doubt waiting for us.”

  “Okay, thanks, I appreciate it. I’ll grab the bag from my car.” Moments later, Rowley followed him inside and glanced around. “It’s bigger than it looks from the outside.”

  “Yeah, I gather it was built for the ranch manager some hundred years ago.” Kane led the way down the passage then pointed across the hall. “Everything you need is in there.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Kane sat at Jenna’s kitchen table sipping hot chocolate. His head throbbed and he had inhaled enough chemicals to drop an elephant. He raised sore eyes to her face. “I’ll be glad to hit the sack. It’s been a long day. I’m starting to look like my dog.” He rubbed the hound’s head.

  “I won’t be able to sleep.” Jenna nibbled on the cookie she had dipped in her hot chocolate. “My mind is in overdrive trying to figure out what the hell is going on.” She sipped the beverage and her gaze bore into him over the rim of the cup. “I’m used to killers doing the deed then getting the hell out of Dodge, not dropping by for a visit and making threatening calls.” She directed her attention toward Rowley. “I would really like to find out if the vigilante suspects know each other. The support group idea is something we need to explore.” She sighed. “I feel like we’re going round in circles. Did you find any associates of the murder victims?”

  “We’ve found a few people who knew the murdered men but none of them are friends. All say the same thing: They didn’t socialize.” Rowley’s dark gaze lifted from his cup. “There has to be a link.”

  “I think it’s obvious.” Kane shrugged. “We have three murder suspects, all victims of child abuse. All the women, including the young girl Zoe, mentioned the men wore masks. That is the link. The men are the same group of people and have been doing this for years.”

  “Why do you think all the suspects are involved?” Rowley placed his cup on the table and yawned. “You made mention in the murder books that all the suspects were in town on the same day.”

  “I did wonder if the women contacted each other but how would they know their names? The courts and media withhold the names of abuse victims.” She drummed her fingernails on the polished wooden tabletop. “Unless the vigilante followed the newspaper stories about missing kids. If they turned up alive, maybe they contacted them later in life?”

  “So, we could have a group of women killing the men who hurt them?” Rowley looked interested. “The motive is there. They would want to stop them before they hurt another kid.”

  “You could be right. Whoever called Kane and vandalized his house has given us a clear indication there is a group of men kidnapping, molesting, and murdering kids.” Jenna grimaced. “I want to find out who is in this pedophile ring; then we’ll be able to catch the killer before they strike again.”

  “Easier said than done.” Kane swallowed the bile creeping up his throat. “They could be operating right here in Black Rock Falls under our noses.”

  “Exactly. I hope Wolfe has a list of the missing kids from the newspapers by morning. From what I could see they are a spread from neighboring counties.”

  The idea of so many kids dying by the hands of child molesters sent a jolt of adrenaline flooding through Kane. The weariness subsided and his mind zoomed in on the facts of the case. “Yeah, and going way back, some ten years or so. It’s going to be one hell of a job tracking down cold cases and we’ll be up against jurisdiction problems.”

  “I don’t give a damn about jurisdiction.” Jenna shot him a cold glare. “I’ll contact the other sheriff’s departments personally and ask for their cooperation, which will be given. The local judges will offer up search warrants without a problem if we have probable cause.” She nibbled on a cookie. “We have to break this pedophile ring for two reasons: one to stop the vigilante, and two to prevent another kid from being kidnapped. I want a round-the-clock investigation. I have Walters taking the 911 calls on Sunday. I’ll hold a meeting on Monday morning to allocate the workload but we will need to go into the office in the morning and keep moving on the investigation. Sorry, guys, can you make it in before ten?”

  Kane nodded in agreement. “T
he new deputies seem very efficient and I’m sure they can hold the fort with Walters while the rest of us do the grunt work.”

  “Yeah, I agree.” Jenna reached for another cookie. “I want to be right in the middle of this investigation. I should have been with you when you interviewed the vigilante suspects but I didn’t want to lose the opportunity to speak to Zoe.”

  Kane shook his head. “With two cases on the go, you had little choice but to split the workload. We covered lot of ground and have Angelique Booval to interview on Monday. Maybe we can speak to the Blackwater social worker as well. They might be able to give us a list of support groups in the area.”

  “I can’t imagine a killer attending a support group.” Jenna pushed a lock of black hair behind one ear and sighed. “Then I have no idea what type of crazy we’re dealing with this time.”

  “This year, I’ve seen different types of killers.” Rowley glanced at Kane. “From what you say, this type of lunatic comes in many varieties.”

  Kane yawned and covered his mouth. “Yeah, there are many different classes of killer.”

  “Knowing what type they are makes a difference.” Jenna glanced at Rowley, placed her cup on the table, and stretched. “They are all crazy, and the vigilante is another rung up the ladder to what we’ve been used to of late.”

  “Would you class a man who kills in a rage, say when he finds his wife cheating on him, the same type of killer as the man who murdered the schoolgirls last summer?” Rowley ran a hand through his hair, making it stand up in all directions. “You said he was a psychopath, so what is the difference?”

  Kane wanted to sleep but he owed Rowley an explanation. “In very simple terms: In a crime of passion, like your first example, the men are blinded by fury so really didn’t know what they are doing. If it is a wife or lover who has hurt them they usually attack the face. They usually show remorse or are shocked they have killed someone. A psychopath may or may not plan a murder but they have no feelings toward their victim. The killing satisfies a selfish need in them, and most of the time in their minds they don’t see murdering as wrong. Some of them truly believe it’s normal to kill people.”

  “That’s terrifying.” Rowley sipped his drink. “From what you said about the vigilante, they know what they are doing. I would say they are well-planned revenge murders.” His face went blank as if deep in thought. “So, this is someone who doesn’t fit neatly into either category?”

  Kane leaned forward. “Most psychopaths are driven by a trigger. Something bad that happened to them as a child. My guess is our killer is female and suffered abuse as a child. She may have heard or seen something that triggered the killing spree. Taunting me is another trait because they believe they have superior intelligence and can outwit us. They can’t. Eventually they make mistakes. The first one was contacting me and the second was coming here tonight.”

  Jenna’s eyes flashed. “And the third was underestimating me.”

  28

  Sunday

  Jenna had woken at eight and strolled out of her room the following morning dressed in her workout gear. She went to the kitchen following the delicious aroma of fresh coffee. She found Kane looking as fresh as a daisy, nursing a steaming cup of joe. “Good morning. Thanks for making the coffee.”

  “My pleasure. I’ve repaired your alarm as well but you might want to ask Wolfe to give it an upgrade.” He smiled. “I thought you’d want to work out, so I went home, fed Duke, and changed. Oh, and Rowley headed home. He will meet us at the office at ten. He had to feed his dog too.”

  “Where is he? Duke, I mean.”

  “Asleep in his basket. I think we kept him up too late last night.” He chuckled deep in his chest. “Do you know he snores? Truly, and he runs in his sleep.”

  Jenna poured a cup of coffee and added the fixings. “He looks good now. I can’t believe he is the same dog, and not a vicious bone in his body. After being mistreated I thought he would be different.”

  “He is a hound dog; they’re not known for having a bad temperament. He is gentle and very clean. Whoever gave him to the shelter must have been nuts.” Kane smiled warmly. “I haven’t had a dog since I was a kid. He’s great company.”

  Jenna smiled at him, liking the glimpse into his secret past. “He is lucky to have you.”

  “Thanks.” Kane leaned his wide frame back in the chair, making it creak in protest. “If we go into the office early, maybe we can be done in time to look at those horses?”

  Jenna finished her coffee and stood. She needed a good solid workout to clear her head. “Maybe. Are you ready for me to kick your ass?”

  “Lead the way.” Kane’s blue eyes sparkled in amusement. “I guess you can try.”

  Before she left home, Jenna called Wolfe and discovered he had wasted no time in collecting the information from the newspaper articles. “That’s great news. You must have worked all night.”

  “Yeah, I worked last night but if you’re going into the office this morning I’ll email it to you, unless you need me to report for duty, ma’am.”

  “Just send the list and we can discuss anything else on Monday.” Jenna frowned. She did not intend to steal his entire Sunday with his kids. “I think you’ve done more than enough this weekend. Thank you, I appreciated you putting in the overtime.”

  “It’s all part of the job, ma’am. I’ll see you on Monday unless the killer strikes again.”

  Smothering a yawn, Jenna dragged a hand through her hair, not sure if she had brushed it, and sighed. “I hope not. See you on Monday.”

  She disconnected and gulped down her third cup of coffee in an effort to drive away the exhaustion. The cases had gnawed at her and she had tossed and turned before falling asleep. The workout with Kane had been brutal, and now she had fallen into the slump from the adrenaline rush. She filled her takeout cups with coffee and headed for the door, glad to see Kane waiting in his black rig for her. His offer to drive her into the office had been most welcome and she would enjoy the company.

  She opened the door and noticed Duke’s head hanging over the back seat. She looked at Kane and raised one eyebrow in question. “Is he a new recruit?” She slid into the seat and deposited the travel cups in the console.

  “Do you mind?” Kane looked chagrined. “I did promise to take him for a walk in the forest. You do know he can track a person by their clothing.”

  She gazed at Duke’s bloodshot eyes. “He doesn’t look as if he has the energy to keep his eyes open let alone track anyone.”

  “He is fitter than you think.” Kane’s mouth twitched up at the corners as he started the car.

  She fastened her seatbelt. “If we can process all the information we’ve collected for both cases for Monday morning before lunch, I’ll come with you to look at the horses, but I want boots on the ground until we solve these cases.”

  “Sure, I’ll be glad of the company.” Kane smiled at her. “I’ll be interested to see what info Wolfe got from the old newspapers.”

  Jenna stared out the window at the green fields flying by, not really listening. All she could think about was finding Zoe locked in the cage. She understood the fear of being at the mercy of brutal men. Her flashbacks were a constant reminder. When Kane cleared his throat in an unnatural way, she glanced over at him. “Sorry, did you say something?”

  He repeated the question.

  “Yeah, we’ll have names of missing girls and where they lived at least.” She sighed. “They seemed to have vanished into thin air.”

  Kane flicked her a glance then returned his attention to the road. “The earlier cases— opportunistic I’d say, maybe by snatching kids walking home alone. We know pedophiles frequent online chat rooms to procure kids. They often like to share experiences as well but these men are being extra careful.”

  “As we’ve drawn a blank on the murder victims’ associates and the FBI have come up with zip, we can’t move forward on the murder cases until we interview Angelique Booval and the Blackwater soci
al worker. I figure we should start by following up on the missing kids’ cases from the newspaper cuttings left in front of your cottage. Now we have access to statewide databases, we can check each name.” Jenna pushed her hair behind one ear. “If any of them are alive, they might have information we could use.”

  “What about Jane?”

  “I’m still waiting for the all-clear to visit her again. Now she has had time to get over the shock, she might be able to give us some more information.”

  “I hope so. I think finding the journalists who wrote the stories would be beneficial. Writing an article on a missing kid would be hard to forget.” Kane turned onto the highway and they followed a slow-moving tractor. “They often have theories they can’t print about suspects. It would be worth following up on them just in case we get a lead on the pedophile ring.”

  Jenna picked up her coffee cup and sipped, allowing the rich brew to run over her tongue. “Good idea, but as those missing girls came from all over the state, I’m going to run Price and Dorsey through the Montana Sexual and Violent Offender Registry and see if they have been active in other towns. They often list known associates as well.” She glanced at him. “We know about Stewart James Macgregor, the magician, and I’m sure I received an email when he was released from jail. I didn’t red-flag him because he was classed as reformed and a minimal threat.”

  “They can’t be reformed.” Kane snorted in derision. “It is a sexual preference they’ll never change.” He pulled up outside the sheriff’s department and lifted the other cup of coffee from the console. “Rowley has already arrived and it looks like Webber has volunteered as well.”

  Jenna heaved a sigh of relief. “Great, we need all the help we can get.” She slid from the car and headed for the door.

  She walked to her office, passing Rowley chatting to Webber. “In my office, deputies.”