by D. K. Hood
Noticing Jenna staring at the congealed puddles of blood and body parts surrounding the woman, Wolfe moved closer. “It seems this killer had some insight to Stone’s torturing techniques.” He indicated to the blood. “The amount of blood tells us that her killer kept her alive until she bled to death.”
“Yeah.” Jenna looked at the woman’s face. “That has to be Patti Howard. I recognize her from her driver’s license. Her face is untouched, so we do have an anomaly. Stone chose every victim. To him they were me. He hated me and took it out on innocent women, but this isn’t revenge or a crime of passion. This man enjoyed his work.”
Thirty-Three
Overcoming the fight or flight response when confronted with a brutal murder scene was something Jenna had fought to control. Now, after so many brutal killings, she would have thought her mind would have gotten used to seeing carnage, but no. Right now she wanted to hightail it back to the Beast and hide under Duke’s blanket. She turned to look at the dog, sitting patiently at the edge of the crime scene, his head on his paws and his eyes following Kane’s every move. Her attention went to her deputies. Rowley and Rio were walking shoulder to shoulder back and forth across the clearing, collecting anything of interest and placing markers. Blackhawk arrived carrying the backpacks and she went to him. “Did you document where these were found?”
“Yeah, I’ll forward the images to you and Wolfe.” He handed her the backpacks. “This man knows the forest and moves like a spirit, he left only a whisper of a touch as he passed. There was no blood trail leading from the scene, and the killer left through the trees, dropping the backpacks before taking an obscure path from the crime scene. I’ve recorded and marked the path he took but it melts into the forest.” He glanced at the blood-soaked ground and back at her. “He killed and then took the time to clean up.” He pointed to a disturbed patch of grass. “He stood here, removed his clothes, and washed. The ground is still damp.” He turned slowly and stared into the forest. “He’d have planned this well and stowed his change of clothes close by. The ground where I found the backpacks is disturbed. He dressed there, took his soiled clothes, and left.”
Jenna nodded. “Thanks.”
The IDs inside verified that the victims were indeed Emmett and Patti Howard out of Sleepy Creek. She waved to get Kane’s attention. “The phones are missing but whoever did this didn’t steal anything from them apart from their lives. What is the motive for killing them?”
“It looks like a thrill kill.” Kane waved a hand toward the two victims. “Wolfe found a back injury, a stab wound. He disabled the man, just like Stone’s MO. From the male victim’s position, the killer likely made him watch while he tortured the female and then he used him for target practice. This time he left the bolts in situ and only used a crossbow.” He gave Jenna a long look. “Stone used a rifle and crossbow. It’s very close to Stone’s murder spree, but there are differences. This is different from the Adams crime scene. What are the odds on two people deciding to murder a couple with a crossbow in the same week?”
“Astronomical.” Jenna’s attention slid to the staring eyes of the victims. “This has to be Adams, there’s no other explanation.”
“Aw, come on, Jenna.” Kane’s eyebrows rose. “In this county, trust me, anything is possible. We’ve had more than one killer in town before. How do we know there aren’t two killers? It’s possible. Anything is possible.”
Unconvinced, Jenna shook her head. “This has Stone’s MO all over it; he’s getting his message out somehow. I’m calling Jo. I want her input on this killer. I’m finding it hard to believe this is the work of more than one man.”
Jenna pulled out her phone and picked her way back to the trail and headed downwind. Glad of the respite the cool mountain air offered, she leaned against a tall pine nestled in a clump of snowberry bushes and made the call. She had to wait a few moments for Jo to pick up. “Hi, Jo, do you have time for a chat?”
“I sure do. It’s been quiet here for days. Have you caught the person who invaded your home?”
“Yeah… well maybe.” Jenna explained and gave details of both crime scenes. “So, we have three victims and one missing person.”
“Do you mind if Carter listens in?”
Jenna could hear a chair scraping and Carter’s voice in the background. “Sure. How are you, Ty?”
“Bored, so what’s happening in Black Rock Falls?”
She brought him up to speed. “I’m on scene and the DA has charged a suspect. There are subtle differences to the James Stone murders. I figure someone leaked crime scene information and this is a copycat. If not, he’s somehow communicating with an accomplice on the outside.”
“From what you’re telling me, we’re dealing with an organized killer.” Jo cleared her throat. “Of course, I can’t make a conclusion until I’ve analyzed the crime scenes for comparison. You say this scene is messy and the female is posed. This would indicate an organized killer. From the images I’ve seen of the Stone murders and the planning behind each kill, Stone was an organized killer as well.”
Intrigued, Jenna straightened and headed back to the crime scene. The suffocating smell of the bodies greeted her and seeped through the mentholated salve spread under her nose. “So what characteristics are we looking for in a man who kills this way?”
“Well, if we take Stone as an example, you can see if Adams fits the same profile.” Jo sounded enthusiastic. “Stone lived and worked in Black Rock Falls for a long time. He hunted and disposed of his victims within the local area. He used the caves as a special place to hide some of his victims and revisited the crime scenes and corpses.”
The file Jenna had on Adams filled her mind, and the profile fit. “Yeah, Adams is the same, but remember, Stone didn’t act alone and at some point was receiving instructions on how to kill his victims.”
“Which takes an organized, highly intelligent mind.” Jo tapped away on her keyboard. “I’m opening Stone’s files now. Uh-huh, yes, very organized and yet his kills were spaced out a little more and he was triggered by a disagreement with you. The question is, Jenna: Is Stone capable of manipulating people to act for him? We have no proof that anyone has been communicating with him, but things happen in jail. Not every prison guard is honest. I figure we go and speak to him and see what pearls of wisdom he can offer us. Some psychopaths can’t wait to tell their tales, especially if it’s for research into the criminal mind. The entire beginnings of profiling came about because of the FBI’s interviews with psychopaths.”
Jenna swallowed hard. Acid formed in her stomach at the thought of speaking to James Stone again. The confrontation on the mountain, the weeks and months afterward hoping Kane was alive, had been a nightmare. Could she face Stone again? “I’m not sure. Going in to see him might give the wrong impression.”
“The wrong impression to Stone?” Jo chuckled. “Seeing you will more than likely unlock his defenses, it’s the last thing he’d expect. Facing a victim he failed to kill and one who put him behind bars might make him drop his guard.”
The confrontation with Stone played in her head like the rerun of a soap opera. She’d been outside the interview room watching when he’d blamed her for his killing spree. Her refusing to date him had triggered a psychotic episode resulting in people dying. Could she dare risk it? “What if seeing me unlocks the rage in him again? What if he decides to kill the inmates?”
“Unless Black Rock County jail decides to place him in the general population, I don’t think so.” Jo sucked in a breath. “I could go with Carter and talk to him but I think the shock value of seeing you will loosen his tongue. It all depends on if you’re able to cope with seeing him again, after what’s happened.”
Torn between her private hell and Jo’s intentions, she needed to know more. “What do you expect to gain from seeing Stone? He’s not going to tell you anything. He’s smart and if he’s playing a game with us, we’re doing just what he wants.”
“Exactly, but we’ll be
prepared, and he won’t be.” Jo sounded confident. “I’ll make arrangements to speak to him. I’ve interviewed some of the vilest human beings on the planet; he won’t be able to manipulate me.”
Jenna turned and looked at the horror of the crime scene. “Maybe not you, because you haven’t been threatened by him and you’re not standing ankle deep in blood, like I am at the moment. I might let you down. He’ll play to my weaknesses.”
“Will he?” Jo sighed “The last experience he had with you is you taking him down. You outwitted him and he knows it. You’ll have the upper hand. Don’t worry, we’ll discuss everything beforehand and if it makes you more comfortable, we’ll have Dave and Carter in the room with us.”
Jenna considered the options. “No, if we’re doing this, I don’t want him believing I need backup. He’ll see you as a doctor and no threat. Having the guys in there with us will demonstrate my apprehension at seeing him again. I’d never give him the satisfaction.”
“Then it’s a go?”
Determined, Jenna straightened and lifted her chin. “Yeah, it’s a go.”
Keeping the conversation with Jo to herself, Jenna worked the scene with the team. She had to walk away numerous times to gather herself. She might have investigated more murders than most sheriffs, but she never at any time forgot the victims were people. Her imagination ran riot with the ordeal the victims had endured, and it tore at her heart. All she could think of when she looked at the perfect features of Patti Howard and the once handsome Emmett was that killing them had been such a waste. Two intelligent young people in the prime of their lives, struck down on the whim of a madman. She had to find out who was responsible. If not Adams, then she’d keep investigating until she found the killer.
The exhausting trek back up the mountain, loaded up with bodies and evidence, gave her time to think over her conversation with Jo. Her body ached as she climbed into the truck. As they drove down the mountain road, she turned to Kane. “As you know, I called Jo and she had a few ideas on the case.”
“We already have someone in custody and I’m sure we can figure out this case on our own.” Kane cut her a glance. “We managed to solve cases before they arrived on the scene.”
“Yeah, but this one is different. I know we have Adams in custody but nothing will convince me that Stone isn’t involved in some way. Not after seeing that crime scene.” Jenna poured them coffee from the Thermos. “Jo wants to interview Stone and find out if he’s involved. She has so many techniques she can use to pry information out of him and I need to find out if he knows anything about the attack on me.”
“Do you honestly think he’d tell you if he did?” Kane snorted in obvious disgust. “The man is less than an animal. Depraved, brutal, and crazy doesn’t come close. I can’t believe you want to be in the same room as him, let alone speak to him.”
“Well, I don’t have to. We have one of the top behavioral analysts in the country at our disposal.” Jenna recalled the long talks they’d had about the FBI behavioral analysts’ convention, and why Kane had wanted to attend. “I remember you telling me how the FBI started analyzing psychopaths. How most of their information came from interviews? The agents learned a way to approach them to make them talk and get insights into their behavior.” She yawned explosively. “Oh, sorry. Anyway, as we have copycat murders and an ongoing threat to me, interviewing Stone might give us the edge we need. Stone is so arrogant he might slip up and admit to influencing the killer. It’s worth the chance. Don’t you think Jo would be able to handle Stone?”
“I’m sure she has had experience with interviewing psychopaths worse than him.” Kane turned onto Stanton Road and accelerated, making the forest flash by in a swirl of green. “Why would you give Stone the satisfaction of knowing you went to him for help? You know he believes you’re in love with him and that you’ll go back to him one day.” A nerve ticked in his cheek. “You’d be playing into his fantasy.”
The vivid memory of Stone shooting Kane and then gunning for her flashed across her mind. How could she ever forget? It had taken every ounce of willpower not to put a bullet into Stone’s head. She’d known Kane would disapprove, and on the way back from the murder scene had thought long and hard about how to convince him. “I’m not planning on going in and straight-out asking him about this murder or my intruder.” Jenna finished her coffee. “Jo will interview him on the pretense of writing a paper or whatever and ask him if he’d like to be involved in the research.”
“He’ll know from the newspapers about the first body in the forest.” Kane slowed as they hit town. “By tomorrow, Rio would have the media release out. Stone will know the details.”
“No, I’ve decided to restrict the media release to the search for June Harris.” Jenna placed the empty cup in the console. “It will be generic and nothing will be mentioned about her husband or the other murders. Rio is an expert at saying nothing in media releases.” She looked at him. “We can’t stop Stone receiving newspapers; it would make him even more suspicious.”
“An interview with Stone wouldn’t be too easy to set up.” Kane shrugged. “But Jo can cut through red tape. I hope you’re not planning on going into an interview room with him alone, are you? You’ll need Carter and me with you. Even in chains I don’t trust Stone.”
Jenna shook her head. “I don’t either, but it will be just me and Jo. You’ll be right outside watching through the two-way mirror.” She shrugged. “Nothing can possibly happen, Dave. You and Carter and the guards will be a second away. We’ll be safe.”
“Jenna.” Kane ran a hand down his face and sighed with a hint of desperation. “A man like Stone can kill in a second.” He let out a long sigh that made Duke whine and looked at her. “There’s no changing your mind about this, is there?”
Jenna turned in her seat and gave Kane a determined stare. “Absolutely not.”
Thirty-Four
It was like the lull before the storm. The only sound in Jenna’s office came from Duke snoring in his basket under her desk. The media release had gone out, asking if anyone had seen either of the murder victims but not indicating that they’d been slaughtered in the forest. She had to admire the way Rio injected urgency into the notice by asking people to contact the sheriff’s department without delay if they’d even seen a glimpse of the couple in town. The midday news bulletin had come and gone, and although the information would be repeated on the hour, she’d expected at least someone to have noticed them. She glanced up as a shadow fell over her doorway. “Do you have anything for me, Dave?”
“A timeline of the murder.” Kane sat down in the chair before her desk and slid over his iPad. “Going on the way the camping gear was tossed around, I figure the couple had just entered the clearing when they were set upon.” He leaned forward in the chair and scrolled through the images. “Emmett Howard was disabled first and dragged to where we found him. There is dirt on the back of the heels of his boots. Wolfe will confirm but from his initial findings, a puncture wound in the spine paralyzed him. There didn’t appear to be any defensive wounds but we’ll know more from the autopsy.” He pointed to an image of the fire circle. “See here, there is a half-moon print of a small boot. It matches Patti Howard’s hiking boots, which tells me the killer surprised her, she spun around and tripped over the fire circle. She didn’t have time to react and was attacked. It looks like the killer carried her to the tree and secured her arms.” He pulled his tablet back toward him and frowned. “In a few seconds, this person had overpowered both of them. They were at his mercy.”
The sightless eyes of the victims filled Jenna’s memory and she shuddered. “The gas was poured on both of them but the woman’s clothes were still soaked. Is that possible? The rate of evaporation might give us a better idea of the time this happened.”
“From what I could see, Emmett was doused in gas first. His clothes have the smell but appeared dry apart from the dew.” A nerve in Kane’s jaw ticked and his mouth flattened into a thin line. “Patt
i was soaked in blood. That alone might have some relation to the time the gas took to evaporate. There’d be many factors: the weather, temperature, and then there’s the humidity… which, that close to the falls, is never less than ninety percent.”
Jenna chewed on the end of a pen and thought for a beat. “I think she had tape residue on her face. The killer wanted her quiet, but why cover her husband in gas before her?”
“Maybe it was a threat.” Kane shrugged. “He could’ve pulled out a Zippo and waved it around, threatening to light Emmett up if Patti didn’t cooperate. Love is a powerful thing and she might have tried to protect him.”
The phone on the desk buzzed and Jenna lifted the receiver. It was Maggie on the front counter. “Send him up.” She disconnected and looked at Kane. “Someone met our couple in town.” She heard footsteps on the stairs and pushed to her feet. “Mr. Long. Come in and take a seat. This is Deputy Kane.”
“Ma’am.” Long removed his cowboy hat and sat in the chair Kane had just vacated.
Jenna took out a notepad and took in the man. He was mid to late thirties, strong build, and had a pleasant face. “First up, can I have your details for the record?”
“Sure. Tyson Long, raised and now living out of Summit Heights.” He glanced up at Kane as if assessing him.
Jenna cleared her throat to get his attention. “Okay, tell me how you came to meet Patti and Emmett Howard.”
“I met them on Monday.” Long’s expression was earnest. “I was in the Wild Outdoors store and they spoke to me. They were arguing about satellite phones. Patti wanted to see the falls and Emmett wanted to have some time alone with his wife in the mountains.” He opened his hands wide. “They just up and asked me if I could take them into the forest. They offered to pay me but I refused.”
The story sounded too darn familiar, and the sudden feeling of being trapped in a recurring dream spilled over Jenna. It was too much of a coincidence not to be taken seriously. It was as if the man before her were Adams. She’d play along and see what else he knew. “So, I’m guessing you took them into the forest, left them all alone, and came back to town?”