Whisper in the Night (Detectives Kane and Alton)

“I can see that.” He smiled back. “You look so darn pretty with the sun coming through the trees on your hair. Can I get a photo of you?” He pulled out his burner cellphone.

“Sure.” Sara blushed, her cheeks rosy and eyes dancing with pleasure. “Shall I pose?”

He shook his head. “Nah, just stand there.” He took the shot, and then showed her. “I’ll always remember you just like this.”

“Look, I see some crows.” She turned away and headed deeper into the forest, then turned to look back at him. “Are you coming?”

“Yeah. Just a minute, I dropped something.” He went back to collect the rope and slung it over one shoulder.

It took only a few strides to reach her. Images of women who’d made his life a misery came at him front and center. Anger came in a rush and it only had one cure. He needed to see terror in Sara’s eyes. He moved so close to her, strands of her long hair brushed his cheek. He took a breath, inhaling the sweet scent of her. The fear fix was all he’d gotten from the other girls, but Sara was special. She’d take care of all his needs. “Have you heard of the Shadow Man?”

“Yeah, it’s all over the news.” Sara picked her way along a narrow trail. “They figure he killed Lindy and now Amanda is missing.”

“He killed her too.” He’d gotten so close, he bumped into her when she stopped and turned to face him.

“How do you know that?” Sara stared into his eyes and a flicker of doubt crossed her face.

“Because I’m the Shadow Man. Nice to meet you, Sara.”

Forty-One

Walters and one of the Blackwater deputies met Jenna as she

slid painfully from Kane’s truck. They joined Kane and formed a cordon around her as she climbed the steps into the sheriff’s department. Once inside, she went straight to her office and found Agent Josh Martin staring at the whiteboard. “I could have used you in the field, Agent Martin. We’ve been run off our feet today.” She eased her aching body into her chair and waved her deputies into the room.

“I’m sorry, we’ve been dealing with a child abduction case in Deep Valley and that takes priority.” Martin leaned against the wall and folded his arms across his chest. “You’ve had two murders, so we can’t even class the perp as a serial killer. It’s a local issue. But I’ll hang around and help until I’m called out on another case.”

Jenna didn’t feel like pleading with the man to stay and assist them. “Okay, thanks. I’ll appreciate any assistance you can give me.” She stared at her notes and gathered her thoughts. “Walters, will you head out to Rowley’s position and secure the crime scene until Wolfe has finished and send Rowley back here?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Walters pushed his hat onto his gray head and ambled out the door.

Jenna glanced up at the Blackwater deputy. “Deputy Smithers, thanks for your assistance at the Braxtons’ but I’ll need you here for a couple more days if that’s okay? I’ll clear it with the Blackwater sheriff.” She didn’t wait for his reply. “I’d like you to go pick up Sean Packer and Mason Lancaster and bring them in for questioning.” She turned her attention to the whiteboard. “You’ll need to contact Packer’s employer and find out where he’s working today; Lancaster should be at the high school. The details on both men are in my daybook.” She slid the book across the desk to him.

“Sure thing.” Smithers, a middle-aged deputy with a sunny smile, took out his notebook and copied down the details.

“What about Kittredge and Anderson?” Agent Martin stared at the whiteboard.

Jenna nodded. “Yeah, they’ll be coming in as well. We spoke to Kittredge yesterday. We haven’t had time to get out to the Triple Z Bar to check out his alibi yet, but he’s using the same ambiguous excuse he gave us last time. He’s working out at Glacial Heights this week.” She looked up at Martin. “Do you mind riding along with Smithers?”

“Sure.” Martin raised an eyebrow, and then turned to Smithers. “When you have the info, come get me and we’ll take my vehicle.” He led the way out the door.

“And me?’ Kane slid one hip onto the edge of the desk. “Kitteridge? He doesn’t have an alibi for last night.”

Jenna nodded. “Yeah, and bring in Anderson as well, but wait for Rowley to return and go in his cruiser. It’s the better option for bringing in suspects.” She stared at the whiteboard. “I figure it has to be one of those four men but I have a niggling feeling about Miller. He’s the only one of the five men we can put at the scene of Lindy’s abduction. I’ll dig a little deeper into their backgrounds and see if any of them have had problems with women in authority.”

“It might not be in their records.” Kane rubbed his chin. “Trauma bad enough to impact a personality to the extent of releasing psychopathic behavior usually happens during childhood, so I’d be looking for a foster kid, broken family or a kid brought up by a female relative.”

Jenna rubbed her aching back. “Yeah, think outside the box, got it.”

A knock on the door brought Maggie, carrying coffee and sandwiches. Jenna smiled at her. “Thank you so much, Maggie, but I don’t figure I could eat right now.”

“Then try.” Maggie placed the food on the desk. “You can’t work these long hours on an empty stomach without consequences, and you being shot and all.”

“Thanks, Maggie, you’re an angel. I’m starving.” Kane gave Jenna a shrug, grabbed the coffee and a packet of sandwiches then headed for the door. He turned to Jenna. “I’ll eat while I’m chasing down the whereabouts of the suspects.”

Jenna stared after him, and then noticed Maggie’s satisfied expression. “Nothing interferes with Kane’s appetite; he’ll eat after attending an autopsy.” She sighed. “I’m not feeling hungry right now but keep the coffee coming. I’ve a lot of grunt work to do.”

“I’ve two fresh pots on now.” Maggie smiled. “The hotline volunteers are still taking calls.” She narrowed her brown gaze. “The media will be crawlin’ all over town soon. You want to speak to them or do I tell them ‘no comment’?”