“Okay, so he didn’t try to kill her, but she had to be a threat, so if he is part of this circle of predators, why didn’t he try?”
“You have a point.” Jenna drummed her fingernails on the table. “Jane had a secure environment, or so we thought, and Walters was there checking everyone in and out during her stay. Maybe he didn’t get a chance to attack Zoe.”
“He couldn’t have gotten near her.” Kane stretched out his long legs and sighed. “Her parents never left her side. I doubt he would have had the opportunity to put anything in her meals. From what Walters said, her father purchased takeout for her most of the time.” He glanced at Wolfe. “Is there anything else we need to know about Zoe?”
Wolfe lifted his gray gaze. “Apart from malnourishment, she appeared to be quite stable and lucid considering her ordeal. I was able to view the doctor’s notes after the parents gave me permission.”
“What I’d like to know is how the vigilante killer became involved.” Rowley had been listening intently and looked at Jenna. “At first, I thought it might be a father of one of the missing girls, but they have alibis, so why did the vigilante give us the newspapers? What message is the killer sending us?”
Jenna smiled at Kane. “This is your field of expertise.”
“Sure.” Kane rubbed his large hands together as if on the brink of receiving a wad of cash. “I’m pretty certain our killer is a woman. She gave us a motive for her killing spree, maybe to make us back off because in her mind she is doing the right thing, like putting out the trash. She wants us to know how many kids are involved and the period of time the pedophile ring has been in operation. She is giving us clues to find them, not her.”
“So she figures you’ll go easy on her?” Webber flashed Jenna a white smile.
“She has murdered two men and it wasn’t in self-defense.” Jenna pressed both palms on the table. “She will be treated the same as anyone else we suspect is guilty of murder.”
“How do you think a jury would consider her crimes?” Bradford’s soft voice sounded strange amongst Jenna’s usual meeting of all-male deputies. “Do you think they’ll go easy on her?”
“I’m not here to worry about what a jury will think.” Jenna glared at her new deputy. “I know this case is conflicting; of course we all want these men brought to justice. Never forget our job is to bring them in and let the courts decide their punishment. I don’t want any of you thinking you can go easy on the vigilante killer. That may be the last mistake you ever make.”
“There is one thing for certain.” Rowley’s eyes scanned her face. “The vigilante knows who is involved in the pedophile ring.”
Jenna nodded in agreement. “She obviously found a link between the men we haven’t been able to discover. Apart from the two victims working at Party Time, their tiny ring of friends and associates came up clean. She has to be involved somehow, but all the girls we assume they kidnapped apart from Zoe and Jane are still missing. She can’t be a victim; we need to look elsewhere.” She sighed. “If we had t
he names of the other men in the pedophile group, we might be able to save the next person on her list, but I doubt anyone will admit to abusing children in exchange for our protection.”
Kane’s cellphone rang, disturbing her train of thought, and she stared at him. “Take that outside, will you please?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Kane stood, answering the call as he strolled through the doorway, then turned and held up one hand for silence. He walked back into the room wearing a concerned expression. “What do you want?” He placed the cellphone on the table and a distorted voice came out of the speaker.
“I gather by now you have figured out the missing girls in the newspapers are still missing?”
“We have. What is your interest in these cases?” Kane leaned over the table and his concerned gaze locked on Jenna.
“You should be looking up in the mountains.”
“I’m listening.”
“Head up to Craig’s Rock and you’ll need to check out Old Corkey’s place as well. It’s about five minutes away from there downhill.”
“Did you murder Amos Price and Ely Dorsey?”
The line went dead.
What the hell is going on here? Jenna swallowed hard. “Rowley, have you heard of Craig’s Rock or Old Corkey’s place?”
“Yes, ma’am, they are way up in the mountains. Not a place people visit because of the bears. It’s way off the hiking tracks; you won’t be able to drive up there. Ride maybe, but it will be a long hike off the main track along the falls.”
“Okay, get Webber and Bradford organized for the nurses’ interviews, I’ll need you with us. I’ll take the GPS and the satellite phone.” She shot a glance at Kane. “Will your friend Gloria be able to supply us with extra horses?”
“I can ask.” Kane picked up his cellphone and headed out the office.
“I have my own horse and trailer. If you can hire another horse from Gloria, make it a gelding and they will travel okay together,” Rowley called after him.
“Can you ride, Wolfe?”
“Sure.” He stood. “I’ll collect my gear.”