“That sounds like fun. What were they doing?”
“Well, my sister tied his hands and feet to the bed with stockings then she blindfolded him.” She giggled again at his moan of pleasure. “Then she climbed on top of him. It looked like fun.”
“Yeah, yeah, I can do that.” His voice trembled as he shed his clothes then dragged the items out of the bag. He ripped open a condom packet and smiled at her. “Why don’t you get undressed then come here and tie me up.”
Sickened by his lustful gaze, she shook her head. “Blindfold first. I’m shy. We can play your game next time, okay?”
“Sure, I have lots of games we can play.” He pulled the blindfold in place and laid back on the bed. “This is going to be so much fun.”
“I can’t wait.” She bent, retrieved his balled-up smelly socks, and dropped them on the bed then turned on the radio nice and loud. “I don’t want anyone listening.”
“Good idea.”
She moved swiftly, tying his ankles then straddling his fat belly to secure his wrists to the slats in the headboard. His heavy breathing and moans of encouragement made her skin crawl. She slid the metal skewer from under the pillow. Satisfied he was restrained, she leaned over to switch on the bedside lamp then lifted up his blindfold.
“Look at me.”
An expression of terror crossed his face and he trembled.
“Who the hell are you?” He bucked, frantically trying to dislodge her. “Are you a cop?”
“I don’t think so. I’m here to kill you.” She pressed down hard on his chest, feeling his heart thumping against her palms, and stared into his horrified eyes. “How does it feel knowing you’re going to die?”
“Not if I kill you first, bitch.”
“Good luck.” Her fear slipped away as she looked at the pathetic excuse for a man shaking beneath her. She could not pity him. She hated men like him. “I’m going to kill you in the most painful way possible. Just like I killed your friend.”
“Why?” His face had turned a deep shade of red.
Suddenly struck dumb, she stared at him. “Why? For all the young girls you molested. Payback is a bitch, isn’t it?”
She enjoyed his struggle beneath her and the way his eyes bulged. She had frightened him, the same way as he terrified his victims. “Your friend died slowly, but unfortunately for you, it will be quicker but so much more painful.”
“You don’t need to kill me. I’ll give you money, anything.” Tears welled in his eyes. “What do you want?”
“Justice.” She picked up the socks. “Open your mouth.”
To her surprise, he complied and she jammed the socks halfway down his throat then pressed down hard. She sucked in a deep breath then plunged the skewer into his ear. As his muffled screams filled the room, she felt nothing. No remorse, no pity for inflicting incredible agony on the writhing man. Her mind was a void. He was vermin and she was the exterminator. She leaned down and stared into his eyes as the life faded away. “Suck it up.”
When he shuddered and his eyes rolled up displaying the whites, she removed the skewer then wiped it on the pillow. After dropping it into a plastic bag, she pulled out a roll of tape and dabbed a strip meticulously over the bed, lifting a myriad of hairs from the sheet. Satisfied nothing of her remained, she emptied his wallet to make it look like a robbery then collected her things and slipped out the door. Rot in hell.
14
Saturday
Early the next morning, after their usual workout, Kane sat in Jenna’s kitchen drinking coffee. The hound dog sat at his feet. One call to the animal shelter had revealed his name as Duke, and the dog he thought to be old turned out to be five and listed as a great tracker. After rehydrating, a couple of decent meals, and a bath, he was looking good.
He smiled at Jenna. “I hope I can find time to purchase the horses tomorrow. They might come in useful in this investigation.” He leaned back in his seat. “I repaired the corral last night, and the horse boxes in the barn are perfect. All I need to do is order feed and straw.” He frowned. “There are a couple of horse floats for sale in town as well.”
“Isn’t this going to cost you a lot of money?” She peered at him over the coffee cup. “I mean, you have spent a fortune on meat for Duke. More than you spend on yourself, and his vet bill must be horrendous.”
He grinned at her and patted Duke on the head. “Nah, it’s all good, and I have money. There was no way I was sending Duke back to the shelter, especially as he is a tracker. He will be a great asset once I get him fit. I like his company and I’m sure you’ll grow to love him.”
“He has such a sad face, of course I love him. I just hope his name won’t offend Deputy Duke Walters.”
He chuckled and called the dog to his side. “Nah, I told him and he said he was used it. Apparently Duke is a popular name for hound dogs.”
Her cellphone vibrated on the table. “Sheriff Alton. Yes, Mr. Ricker, what is your emergency?” She glanced at him, disbelief etched in her expression. “Don’t touch anything, shut the door to the room, and keep Rosa in your office until we arrive. I’ll have someone there as soon as possible.” She disconnected and the next moment was speaking to Rowley. “Can you get over to the Black Rock Falls Motel? Hold the fort until we get there. The cleaner found a body tied to one of the beds. Secure the scene until we arrive. I’m contacting Wolfe now.”