“I know but I want results.” Jenna pushed a hand through her hair and glared at Rowley. “Which room?”
“The victim is this way, ma’am.” Rowley’s face paled as he led the way. “This homicide is different from the last one.”
“Right.” Jenna’s shoulders slumped as she glanced at Kane. “Have you been on scene yet?”
“Nope. I just arrived.” Kane grabbed his crime scene bag from the back seat of his SUV and headed toward the room. “Wolfe is working it now.”
The motel room door was open when they arrived. Kane dropped his bag outside and they suited up in crime scene gear. He surveyed the area. “If I planned to murder someone, this place is perfect. No CCTV cameras, trees to give cover. No one has a chance of seeing anyone coming and going.”
“Murder or a place for illicit sex with a minor?” Jenna’s forehead creased into a frown. “As the killer didn’t book the room or pick up the key, Ely must have snuck his murderer into the parking lot in his car, or the killer came in that white sedan.”
Kane peered into the door and nodded to Wolfe. Tied to the bed, the naked victim was wearing a condom and had a gag of some sort pushed into his mouth. A blindfold covered his forehead. The man’s face had turned a deep shade of blue. “Sex play gone wrong?”
“No, I don’t think so. This is a homicide and we can add robbery as well; his wallet is empty.” Wolfe’s eyes peered at him over his face mask.
“Okay, let me take a look.” Jenna shot him an inquisitive look and peered inside the door. “Oh, I see. What have you found in his personal effects? Is there anything to tie him to the Price case?”
“Yes and no.” Wolfe strolled to the door with a grocery sack and held it open for her. “Chocolates and wine, condoms. His wallet and clothes are here. No cash. It could have been a hooker but if so, she wore gloves. I found no prints other than the victim’s on his wallet. There are hundreds of others, far too many to consider.”
“Hookers don’t generally murder their clients; it’s bad for business. They don’t wear gloves either.” Jenna sighed. “Any initial findings?”
“He has a scar on his right side that fits the description Zoe gave you of one of her attackers, but appendix operation scars are quite common. I’m not 100 percent sure but I think the killer stabbed him in his ear with something like a knitting needle. I’ll give you a definite cause of death after the autopsy.” He sighed. “Doing something like that would be taking BDSM a little too far but as our victim was obviously expecting sex and his wallet is empty, I suggest we look at the local hookers.”
“I don’t think so.” Jenna cleared her throat. “I’m not aware of any who do call-outs, they all work discreetly at the Cattleman’s Hotel. In my time here, we have not been able to find cause to charge one of them. I’ve never been able to prove they accept money for sex.” She chewed on the end of her pen. “This murder is far more complex. We know this man was a clown and worked at Party Time with Amos Price. We have no indication to suggest he was involved in the pedophile ring unless Zoe can identify him. If she does then we could have a vigilante situation. Suggestions?” She lifted her concerned blue gaze to Kane. “Two murders in a week. I’m not ruling out the possibility just yet.”
Kane cleared his throat. “If he is an associate of Price then I would agree. The killer could have staged the murder to keep us guessing.”
“And it may not be related to Price’s murder at all. I’ll be interested in what Wolfe discovers during the autopsy.” Jenna gave Kane an agitated look. “Suspects?”
“That depends.” Kane flipped through his notes. “If we take the vigilante killer angle for now and include women molested as kids, Lizzy Harper and Angelique Booval fit the profile. Eighteen to say twenty-five, unstable due to kidnapping or other traumatic event involving a man. We have to take into account these men traveled around and could have molested kids in other towns. It’s not unreasonable to believe one of the suspects traveled here to kill them.”
“You mean the killer was molested by them as a kid and is seeking revenge as an adult?” Jenna tapped her bottom lip thinking. “Yeah, that makes sense.”
Kane glanced at Rowley. “We need information from as long as ten years ago. Do you remember anything similar happening in town when you were a kid?”
“Yeah, I do. There is someone else in Black Rock Falls we should consider.” Rowley’s head bobbed. “Yeah, I remember a couple of years back hearing about one of the teachers at the elementary school having a breakdown, caused by some trauma as a kid. I’m not sure what happened. She still works here but it’s common knowledge she hates men.”
Kane took out his notepad. “You got a name?”
“Yeah, Miss McCarthy. I think her name is Patricia or Pattie. I’m not sure where she lives but I figure she will have a house near Stanton Forest by the college. All the teachers seem to live in that area. I hear she rarely leaves the house unless it is to teach the young kids.”
“Okay. Good work.” Jenna’s expression brightened. “Rowley, I want you to head back to the office. Open a case file for this victim and log the interviews of the motel owner and the woman who found the body – that’s a priority. After that, continue to search for cases involving child molestation or disappearance here and in other counties. Go back eight to fifteen years. Get Bradford and Walters involved in the search; split up the counties, it will be quicker. Any cats peeing on cars or domestics that come in today send out Webber. He is experienced enough to handle the smaller cases without supervision.” She took a breath then blew it out, making her bangs fly off her forehead. “I’ll drop my car at the office then I’m heading up the mountain again with Kane to check out the victim’s residence. We might find some evidence to link him to the pedophile ring.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Rowley touched his hat and jogged to his cruiser.
Kane rubbed the back of his neck. “With potentially two more pedophiles on the list, if Zoe’s account is correct, we’ll need to find out who else is involved before the killer strikes again.”
“Yeah.” Jenna raised one black eyebrow. “I guess we’d better bring in the clowns.”
15
Jenna chewed her fingertips in frustration. Her long-awaited day to relax had slipped into oblivion. She sipped takeout coffee and watched the countryside dash by as Kane’s SUV burned up the miles. The beauty of Montana was inspirational. So many different vistas from lush pine forests to dazzling mountain views that went on forever. She liked the people, and overall, life was perfect, until a killer wandered into her town and shattered the peace.
The road ahead narrowed and rocks tumbled down the mountainside, pinging against the doors as they drove past. Although Kane had slowed the car, a rush of fear rolled over her. The narrow dirt trail fell away to a deep ravine on one side, and the impenetrable pine trees on the other gave no space to get off the road if another car approached. As the back wheels of the SUV slid trying to gain traction and peppered the trees with rocks, Kane’s concerned gaze moved over her.
“You’re as white as a sheet. You okay?”
She gripped the seat. “Keep your eyes on the road. I’m fine.”