“Late Saturday.” Kittredge pulled off one gardening glove and scratched the stubble on his cheek. “She wanted to plant a climbing rose for her mom beside the trellis under her parents’ bedroom. I dug the hole for her and the girls helped me plant it.”
“Do you usually work on Saturdays?” Kane’s gaze narrowed. “When I contacted your boss he said this job was Monday to Friday because the family liked some privacy at the weekend.”
“True enough but Mrs. Rosen wanted the front garden planted and we ran out of time on Friday and came back Saturday to finish up. I stayed back to help the girls.” Kittredge gave Kane a cold stare. “If kids asked you to help them to do something special as a surprise for their mom, would you refuse?”
“You shouldn’t be allowed to work anywhere near kids, especially with priors involving child abuse.” Kane’s voice had dropped to just above a whisper and his expression changed from casual to deadly in a split second. “You need to keep well away from them.”
“Well now, that charge was dismissed, which means, Deputy Kane, by speaking about it in public so my workers can hear means you’re contravening my civil rights. The fine sheriff here is a witness that you’ve slandered my reputation.”
“Not when you pleaded guilty and you’re listed on the state sex offenders’ database.” Kane had moved closer. “I guess it slipped your mind to tell your boss, huh?”
“The charge was dismissed.” Kittredge fisted his hands. “The boss knows and I ain’t offended since. I’m not restricted from working near kids – read the court documents.”
“Oh yeah, I know how you slid under the radar.” Kane’s expression was dangerous. “Problem is, you’re slap bang in the middle of mine.”
In an effort to defuse the situation, Jenna exchanged a meaningful stare with Kane, and then turned her attention back to Kittredge. “What time on Saturday did you last see Lindy?”
“Around four.” Kittredge removed his hat and smoothed down greasy hair. “They went inside and I went home. I didn’t know she’d gone missing ’til Monday.”
Jenna met the man’s cold gaze. “Can you account for your
movements on Sunday night between the hours of ten and seven?”
“Spent the weekend at the Triple Z, woke up in some woman’s bed Monday morning. I don’t recall her name.” Kittredge gave Jenna a satisfied smirk. “Ask around. I’m sure she’ll remember me.”
Seething with anger over his arrogance, Jenna made a few notes to cool down, and then lifted her chin. “Do you remember what this woman looked like?”
“Nope.” Kittredge pushed his hat back on his head. “I like to drink at the weekends and my memory gets a little fuzzy.”
“I see.” Jenna wanted to move out of his circle of stink but stood her ground. “So any number of people will vouch for you at the Triple Z?” She glanced back at Kane. “We’ll head over there now and speak to the owner. I’m sure he’ll remember you taking a room for the weekend.”
“He sure will, I live there.” Kittredge gave her a lazy smile. “I’m what you call a permanent guest. Speak to old Bob, he’ll tell you I was in my regular seat at the bar all weekend.”
Unconvinced, Jenna made a note in her book, and then lifted her gaze. “That’s all for now, Mr. Kittredge. Thank you for your cooperation.” She made her way back to the car, not waiting for him to reply.
“Did you see the way Duke reacted to him? Oh, he is so on the suspect list.” Kane grimaced. “What a jerk. Are we planning on checking out the Triple Z now or are we hunting down Charles Anderson?”
Jenna pulled open the door to her cruiser. “The Triple Z as it’s not far from here, so Kittredge would have been in the vicinity Sunday night. I figure as Anderson is working way over the other side of town that he’ll likely be heading home before we get there. We’ll catch up with him on our way home.” She waited for Kane to load Duke in the back then climb in the passenger seat before starting the engine. “I’m not convinced Kittredge is telling the truth and if he lives at the Triple Z, he was in close proximity to the old schoolhouse as well. I’ll send Rowley and Walters to hunt down his mysterious bed partner in the morning. Right now I want to get back to the office and see what information they have on the other two persons of interest.”
Eighteen
“I’ve gotta go and meet my mom outside the library in ten minutes.” Amanda Braxton rolled her eyes at the message on her cellphone, then glanced at her best friend, Lucy, and shrugged. “I wonder what really happened to Lindy.”
“On the news this morning they said she walked out of her house in the night and was found dead.” Lucy licked sugar from her fingers. “They didn’t say where they found her, like it’s a secret or something. You’d figure they’d tell everyone what really happened to her.”
Amanda sipped her milkshake until the straw gurgled on the bottom of the glass. “She’s been telling everyone about seeing a man in her room.” She pushed the empty container away. “Maybe she wasn’t dreaming after all. I know I saw my grandma’s ghost standing at the foot of my bed. It’s been happening over the last few nights, I’m sure I wasn’t dreaming.”
“If I saw a dead person standing at the bottom of my bed I’d figure I’d gone psycho – sure as heck I’d be out the door running for help.” Lucy’s eyes went round with fear. “Do you figure Lindy thought the man in her room was a ghost too?”
Amanda glanced at her phone to check the time. “I don’t know. In her nightmare there was a man hiding in the shadows of her room. He was in the corner near the window, but when she ran to get her dad, no one was there. I guess it could’ve been a ghost.”
“So what’s your grandma’s ghost look like? Is she all creepy with skin hanging off like a zombie?”
“Nah, she looks like the photo of her in the family room – you’ve seen it, she’s wearing a pink dress.” Amanda sighed. “She looks nice, not like when she was sick in hospital.”
“Does she say anything?’
“Nope, she just stands there looking at me and smiling.” Amanda sighed. “She used to tell me wonderful fairy stories about how they dance in the moonlight inside toadstool circles.”