by D. K. Hood
Wolfe looked from one to the other. “Until I determine the cause of death, this discussion is a waste of time.” He nodded toward Rio. “Are you coming to the autopsy as well?”
“Sure, if I’m not needed elsewhere.” Rio glanced at Jenna. “Would you like me to relieve Rowley?”
“You’ll need to familiarize yourself with the running of the office before I let you do that.” Jenna cleared her throat. “The locals will be suspicious of you at first. With Rowley, when he gives them advice, they take it.”
“Good to know.” Rio moved away to speak to Emily, who was bagging the victim’s hands.
Wolfe stood back and waited for Emily to finish and then turned to Jenna. “I’m done here. We’ll bag her up and get her into the morgue. Autopsy is at two but I need the DNA sample from Mrs. Turner yesterday.”
“I’m on it.” Jenna nodded and looked at Rio. “Head back to the office and get the images and footage uploaded, Rowley will give you the passwords and make sure Wolfe has all the data first. We’ll be back soon.” At his nod, she turned to Kane. “Let’s go hunt down Mrs. Turner.”
Wolfe stared after her. Jenna was wearing her detached facade again. It was just as well; informing a mother her daughter might have been murdered was gut-wrenching but worst of all was having to insist they refrain from viewing the body. Some would always insist and then the image of their mutilated child remained with them forever.
Twelve
Pushing down the emotion of seeing a brutally murdered young woman dumped like garbage, Jenna walked away, took a few deep breaths to clear her mind, and removed her facemask and gloves. She balled them up and shoved them into a paper bag Kane was holding out for her. As he rolled up the top of the bag and stowed it on the floor of the back seat of his truck, she looked at him closely. His eyelashes covered his expression but she knew that his brain was working overtime. During her time at Quantico, she’d become close friends with a writer and often he’d go quiet and stare into the distance or just sit and do nothing. Kane did the same and she often wondered what was going through his mind. Her friend told her it was a writer’s trance, the time when the magic would happen and a story would drop into a creative mind but with Kane maybe he was weighing up the evidence. As he gave Duke a rub around the ears, she heard him whisper something to the dog that made him bark. The loud noise inside the cab of Kane’s truck startled her. “What’s wrong with him?”
“He’s fine.” Kane smiled at her. “I just told him we’d be heading to Aunt Betty’s Café soon and as it’s Monday, Susie will have some leftovers from the Sunday special for him. She always puts something by for Duke.”
Jenna waited for him to slip behind the wheel. “Susie is always so nice to everyone. I wonder why she isn’t married? You’d think she’d meet everyone eligible in town working at Aunt Betty’s. They do say a way to a man’s heart and all that.”
“Hmm.” Kane rubbed his chin and thought for a beat and then gave her a wink. “Nah. Nice as she is, I wouldn’t trade her bacon and eggs for your toast.” He grinned. “I think it’s cute the way you try to cover up the burned bits with extra butter.”
Jenna chuckled. It was good to break the horror of the morning with a little light teasing. “Aw shucks, Dave, now I’m blushing.” She fluttered her eyelashes and pressed one hand to her heart.
“That doesn’t mean I expect you to cook me breakfast.” Kane’s smile flashed white. “I’m happy to take my turn. You know that, right?”
“Yeah, Dave, I do.” Jenna sighed. “I hate to break this mood but we have a job to do and a very unpleasant one. This will be the second time I’ve had to give bad news to someone in the beauty parlor, they’ll be refusing me entry soon.”
“I know what you mean. This part of the job stinks.” Kane turned the Beast around and they headed for the highway. “I’m hoping this is a one-off but if this guy hits again, I figure we need to search for a killing ground. A barn or perhaps a garage.”
Jenna stared at a vista of wheatgrass. As the wind moved over it, creating ripples, the lowlands turned into a golden ocean, and she wished she was far away on a beach somewhere. She had to drag her mind away from the idea of splashing through waves and feeling sand between her bare toes and listen to him. She nodded. “Yeah, the screwdriver was a strange weapon of choice. With so many people carrying hunting knifes, it seems strange to bring a screwdriver out here.” She blinked at Kane as an image flashed across her mind. “I’ve often seen carpenters or handymen carrying screwdrivers in back pockets or hanging from a utility belt.” She thought back. “In fact, I’m sure I saw the handle of one poking out of the top pocket of Cory Hughes’ work shirt.”
“We’ll check it out after the autopsy.” Kane shrugged. “Wolfe might have found prints or trace evidence.”
“I hope so, but Hughes doesn’t drive a Chrysler sedan. So, I guess he’s off the list.” Jenna leaned back trying to compose the words in her mind she needed to say to Laurie’s mother.
It took tact and a calm demeanor to deliver devastating news. She thought it through and satisfied, she glanced at Kane. “First impressions on Rio?”
“Smart and up to date.” Kane turned onto Stanton and headed toward town. “He’s somewhere between Rowley and Ty Carter, I figure. Ty has experience and can take in the whole picture at a crime scene as if he’s reliving it in his head. That comes from working across many crimes. Rowley is still a little green. He’s good but needs direction—but he doesn’t need to prove anything to me, he is solid.”
Jenna took out her notebook and flicked through the pages. “It will be interesting to see if Rio’s memory is as good as he says. I’ve read about people like him and instant recall is amazing. He does seem on the ball and I liked his take on the crime scene. He is right, this attack on Laurie Turner seemed very personal. It has to be someone she knows.”
“Yeah it seems so.” Kane pulled up outside the beauty parlor and stared at her. “You gonna be okay? You’ve gone sheet-white.”
Jenna unclipped her seatbelt and moistened her lips. “Yeah, I’ll be fine but come in with me. You have a calming influence in most situations and you can catch her if she faints.”
“There goes my reputation again.” Kane removed his Stetson and ran a hand through his hair before replacing it. “Now all the guys in town will think I have a stylist cut my hair. I’ll never live it down.”
Knowing Kane was trying to make light of an awful job, she squeezed his arm and then slid out the truck. She found Mrs. Turner in the break room sipping coffee. A slim woman, with red lips and fingernails, and her long hair tied up in an elaborate weave, lifted her head from a magazine to stare at her as if she’d grown two heads. “We’re here about your daughter, Laurie.”
“Did you locate her?” Mrs. Turner stubbed out a cigarette in an ashtray on the table and looked at Jenna.
Jenna shook her head. “We’re not sure. We found the body of a female earlier today. It could be Laurie. She hasn’t been identified.”
“A body? What happened to her?” Mrs. Turner’s voice rose to a panicked shriek. “Take me to her. I want to see her.”
“We haven’t determined the cause of death.” Kane moved into the room and closed the door behind him. “She is with the medical examiner. I’m afraid you won’t be able to view the body.”
“Then how will you know if it’s my Laurie?” Mrs. Turner’s eyes filled with tears that spilled down her cheeks. “This can’t be happening.”
Jenna sat beside her. “I need a DNA sample from you. A swab from inside your cheek is all. I’ll know in less than an hour.”
“Okay.” Mrs. Turner dragged in a shuddering breath. “It’s his fault. Her father refused to allow her to move in with me. He said if I made a fuss, he’d have me declared as an unfit mother. He tells people I’m dead, you know.” She shook her head. “He’s violent. I couldn’t live with him a moment longer. I tried to take Laurie and run with her but he obtained a court order and dragged her back. I’
ve had no visitation rights. I’ve had to sneak time with her.” She opened her mouth for Jenna to take the swab.
Jenna placed the sample inside the tube and sealed the bag. She stood. “You did the right thing leaving an abusive relationship. His position as a school counselor would have made him believable to the courts, I’m afraid. Not so much now. We support victims of spousal abuse in Black Rock Falls. If this had happened now, you could have come to me for help.”
“Thank you and yes, I’ve seen the flyers.” Mrs. Turner stood and collected her purse from a bench. “I can’t stay here doing nothing, I’m going to the ME’s office. I’ll wait there for the result.”
“Do you have someone we can call to go with you?” Kane had removed his Stetson and was rolling the edge with his fingers. “A minister? Close friend?”
“Yeah, Father Derry.” Mrs. Turner pulled a bunch of tissues from a box and wiped her eyes. “He’s been very helpful through all my troubles with Bob.”
Jenna pulled out a card and handed it to her. “I’ll call him. Here are my details if you need to contact me.” She looked at Mrs. Turner and the poor woman’s grief surrounded her like a heavy weight. “Wait a while before you go, it will take a couple of hours before the ME has the results. Do you want me to ask Father Derry to meet you here? I don’t think you should be driving.”
“Okay.” Mrs. Turner sniffed. “Have you informed Bob?”
Jenna shook her head. “Not yet. We’ll speak to him as soon as we have the results of the test.”
“Why can’t I see my little girl?” Mrs. Turner sat down heavily and peered at her through tears. “What happened to her?”
“I’m not able to give you any information, I’m truly sorry. At this stage we don’t know for sure it’s Laurie.” Jenna squeezed the woman’s arm. “Dr. Wolfe, the medical examiner, will explain everything once he has the results of the test.”
“Okay.” Mrs. Turner pulled a pack of cigarettes from her pocket and lit up using a silver lighter. She blew out smoke in a stream. “I’ll wait here for Father Derry.”
“Sure.” Jenna stood and headed out the door, pausing at the front counter. “Mrs. Turner has had some bad news. Father Derry will be by soon, can you show him to the break room?”
“Okay.” The girl behind the counter nodded like a bobblehead.
As they headed for the truck, Jenna looked at Kane. “She’s in a bad way.”
“Yeah, breathing in fumes all day from the salon and smoking as well, it’s a wonder she can breathe at all.” He climbed into his truck and started the engine. “Wolfe’s and then Aunt Betty’s for lunch?”
“Yeah.” Jenna pulled out her phone to call Father Derry. “If the DNA results are back by then, we’ll go and inform Bob Turner about Laurie. I guess then it will be time for the autopsy. Can this day get any worse?”
Thirteen
In the school hallway, she paced up and down chewing her fingernails. She’d taken too many sneers and smart remarks from the cheerleading squad to last her a lifetime. Yeah, they’d dropped her to the B team but not for her performance. They’d cut her for one of their friends, a daughter of the local bank manager. She understood the truth now. How the girls on the team manipulated people, using the money or position of their parents to move up in the world. The flirting with her boyfriend and his response had made her mad. He’d been flattered and wouldn’t stop talking about how this one or that one had hit on him. Her fingers trembled at the thought of any of them as much as looking at him. She’d won his heart but since they’d cut her from the squad, she’d noticed his eyes wandering to some of the other girls. She had to put a stop to it and lied to him. Turning the tables on the way the guys thought about cheerleaders hadn’t been difficult. His ego was his downfall and making him believe they had devised a plan to steal him from her then publicly humiliate him had been easy. Her plan had worked.
He was incredibly vain and so good looking the girls at school idolized him. He walked with a swagger but she controlled him now. The idea of stealing the player’s soiled briefs from the locker room when the team were busy in the showers had been pure genius but convincing him to take them had been difficult. As he walked toward her at morning break, she dragged him into a quiet corner and kissed him. “Did you get them?”
“Yeah.” His brow furrowed into a frown. “You know if they catch me doing this, they’re going to think I’m kinky or something. Why do we need sweaty shorts and how long do you figure we can get away with this before someone starts complaining their clothes are missing?”
She took the plastic bag he handed her and thrust it into her backpack. “You didn’t touch them, did you? You picked them up with the bag?”
“Yeah, I did like the last time.” He brushed the hair away from her face and kissed her again. “Tell me, why you need another pair, it goes way past people thinking Laurie was a slut, doesn’t it?”
“It’s the same reason we wrapped her in plastic and wore gloves.” She ran her hand through his hair. “DNA. This way the cops will believe someone else killed her.”
“That doesn’t seem fair, blaming someone else.” He looked worried.
“That’s why I needed another pair. I need to kill another one.” She smiled at him. “I watched your face when I strangled Laurie. You loved it and I’ve picked out the next one. We’ll stuff the briefs in her mouth to throw off the cops. Two different sets of DNA found with the bodies will confuse them.” She looked at him and giggled. “I’ll take out a few of the squad and they’ll be begging me to come back.” She touched his cheek. “Now go and be nice to Becky. Not too nice now. It’s the parade tomorrow and everyone will be occupied. We’ll need a plan to get her somewhere secluded. There’s an empty house in town, I was walking by and saw the last owner leave the key above the front door. We’ll go there. All the blinds are down, it will be dark inside, and I can hide real easy. Take her upstairs and I’ll be inside waiting. I’ll leave the backdoor open and have everything ready. Becky deserves this, I’ve heard her talking and she really wants to make you look like a jerk, so she’ll be putty in your hands.”
“What do you want me to say to her?”
“Hmm, let me see.” She twirled her hair around her fingers and thought for a beat. “Say you’re trying to avoid me, that I follow you, something like that. We’ll need a nice quiet place to get her into your vehicle.” She tapped her lip. “I know. Ask her to meet you in the library. It’s open on Tuesdays until ten. If she shows, make her believe I’m there, stalking you and then sneak out to the parking lot. Say you’ll give her a ride someplace you can make out with her, without me knowing.”
“What you gonna do to her?” He trembled with excitement against her. “Last time, you kinda changed like in a good way. Watching you made my heart race and after when we made out, with her dead eyes watching us, it was incredible.”
“It will be a surprise.” She kissed him hard. After she’d killed two or three more cheerleaders, he’d never dream of leaving her. She smiled, enjoying the power she had over him, and this was just the start.
Fourteen
As Jenna and Kane headed back to the office, Wolfe called with the results of the DNA sample. The dead girl was Laurie Turner. Jenna called off the search at once and headed to Dr. Bob Turner’s residence. They parked outside and then walked to the door. Her knocking was answered after a few minutes and Dr. Turner glared at her. Jenna met his gaze. “We have some news about Laurie.”
“She’s dead, isn’t she? My wife called me and told me you’d found a body.” Turner’s eyes flashed with anger.
Jenna glanced at Kane. “I’m afraid she is, yes.”
“I gathered as much as you went to my ex-wife to obtain a DNA sample. It would have been more professional to have contacted me first.” Dr. Turner’s voice became like granite. “It’s amazing how fast you found Laurie’s mother, I’ve been looking for Jeanette for years. She’ll blame me for Laurie’s death but then she blames me for everything. That woma
n was always a bad influence on Laurie.” He cleared his throat. “Now can you leave, Sheriff? I don’t want your condolences; I have funeral arrangements to make.” He slammed the door in her face.
Jenna exchanged an amazed look with Kane. “Is that the same Dr. Turner who called 911. Wow! That’s some change around in behavior.”
“People react differently to bad news.” Kane raised an eyebrow. “It’s not your fault.”
Jenna chewed on her fingers. “I guess we should’ve told him we’d found a body at least.”
“We couldn’t ask either parent to physically identify the victim.” Kane shrugged. “We identified the victim through DNA to prevent the parents being distressed. We didn’t know for sure it was Laurie Turner.”
Jenna sighed. “It’s done now.” She climbed inside the truck. “I sure could do with a strong cup of coffee.”
“Sure.” Kane headed back to town.
Inside Aunt Betty’s Café, the wonderful aroma of fresh pie and coffee closed around Jenna like a warm hug. There was something special about the café, the name said it all really. The décor and homely atmosphere brought back memories of her childhood sitting on her grandma’s lap and eating cookies fresh from the oven. Kane was right to bring her here after a grueling morning. Yeah, they could’ve collected takeout and eaten in her office but she needed a timeout to get her head right before another stressful afternoon. After finishing her meal, she sipped her coffee and allowed her mind to wander.
Dr. Turner had taken the news without blinking an eye and talked about arrangements for Laurie’s funeral, which was a little strange considering how he’d acted the first time they’d met. It had been like speaking to two different people. If he suffered mood swings, he would be the last person she’d consider capable of advising troubled kids. As soon as Kane had placed his empty cup on the table, Jenna pushed to her feet. “Let’s go. I need to drop by the office.”