Be Mine Forever (Detectives Kane and Alton)

“That’s good.” Jenna sighed. “Now, I’ll try and figure out a way I can get a search warrant to seize the Hughes’ vehicle to see if Wolfe can find any of Laurie Turner’s DNA inside.”

“I might have that sorted.” Rio walked to her side. “Verna has admitted to driving the vehicle on Saturday night, she didn’t like Laurie, and her brother was one of the last people to see her alive. Add to this, we believe the killer had an accomplice who knocked the phone from Laurie’s hand and Cory had plenty of time to disable her truck during the practice. I figure we have probable cause.”

Impressed, Jenna smiled at him. “Write it up and see if you can catch a judge to issue a warrant. I’ll be in town tonight, so you can get on home too, once you get back.”

“Jenna.” Kane walked out her office and went to her side. “Carter had Kalo run Stan Williams through the sex offenders’ database and his name came up in a sealed FBI juvie document. We can’t use it against him but it was a heads up. Seems that as a fifteen-year-old, Williams was caught molesting five-year-old girls at a birthday party.”

Twenty-Six

Sandy Rowley gave Jake a kiss goodbye as he left their old home in town. “Go, I’ll be fine. I have my Thermos and cookies if I get hungry. When I’m done here, I’ll watch the fireworks from the front window.”

“Stay inside and call me, if you need me.” Rowley touched her cheek. “I’ll be at the office.”

She gave him a little shove. “Go, Jenna will be waiting for you. I’ll see you soon.”

“Close the door behind me.” Rowley moved down the stairs, turning to watch her before he hurried to his SUV.

He’d insisted on checking all the rooms before he left. Since she’d found out she was carrying their child, he’d been super overprotective but she didn’t mind. Having such a kind, loving husband was a wonderful gift she valued greatly. She glanced around the house. It was as neat as a pin but the delivery guys had left papers and footprints everywhere. The house belonged to the sheriff’s department, willed to them by a deputy killed on duty some years ago. To make the inside nice, Jenna had replaced the three mattresses, bed linen, and drapes. Jake had painted the interior during a six-month slow period after the melt and now it was ready for the n

ew occupants to arrive. Zac Rio and his twin siblings would be moving in the following weekend.

She moved from room to room, making sure everything was spick and span. The hectic day, watching the parade, and visiting her mother had exhausted her. The house had an empty, cold feel about it since they’d removed all their possessions. A radio would have been nice to break the silence as hearing the creeks and whines of the old house was putting her nerves on edge. She finished her chores, stowed away the cleaning utensils, and leaned against the kitchen counter deciding what to do to pass the time. She checked her watch willing the time to go by faster. Jake wouldn’t be by to collect her until at least eleven, he said his shift finished at ten-thirty but he’d spend time chatting with whoever took over the next shift and by the time he arrived home, he was usually about an hour later than expected. She poured a cup of hot chocolate from her Thermos and went upstairs to the back bedroom. Her favorite stuffed leather chair was set in front of the window, she could watch the comings and goings in town. She curled up, finished her hot chocolate, and must have dozed off to sleep. Something woke her and disoriented in the darkness, she glanced around for some moments to get her bearings before staring at her watch. The digital readout told her it was a little before nine. The lights in the hallway had been on when she came into the room but she’d sat in darkness to best observe the view outside the window.

Perhaps a bulb was out. She stood to turn on the light. She flicked the switch off and on. Nothing. A wave of panic surged through her at an unusual sound from downstairs. She’d lived in this house for over six months before moving to the ranch and she could identify just about every noise in the old house. Heart pounding, she slid back into the room and pressed her back against the wall. The creak came again and a slight jingle like the sound of keys. If it had been Jake or even Jenna dropping by, they’d have called out and turned on lights, not crept around. Someone was in the house.

The sound of footsteps came again, like boots on the polished floor. In blind panic, Sandy searched her pockets for her phone. She could see it in her mind’s eye inside her purse on the counter beside the Thermos. How had someone gotten inside? Jake had insisted she take the key to the front door with her rather than return it to its place above the door. She placed one hand on her swollen belly. If the intruder moved into a room, she could slip down the stairs and go for help. Footsteps moved through the kitchen. Cabinet doors opened and closed. Terrified, Sandy’s breathing came so fast, she feared someone would hear her.

The noise came again and then a familiar sound, a snap like someone pulling on surgical gloves. Cold shivers ran down her spine as the footsteps came closer. Each step precise, and taking the stairs in a controlled pace with no rush. They know I’m here and they’re coming to hurt me.

Without a weapon, Sandy had nothing to use to defend herself. She moved deeper into the shadows and held her breath. She recognized the squeaky hinge of the door to the first bedroom at the top of the stairs and the sound of someone sliding open the closet door. Now was her chance. She slipped out the room and with her pulse thundering in her ears, crept along the hallway. Just as she reached the open door to the first bedroom, the old grandfather clock in the hallway downstairs struck nine. Terror had her by the throat and sweat beaded on her brow as she dashed toward the stairs. Footsteps thundered behind her and out of the darkness, someone grabbed her hair tearing her scalp. The next instant, pain shot through her face as her head slammed into the doorframe. Blood ran into her eye and she staggered back the way she’d come, feeling along the wall, trying to get away. A loud clang broke the silence and rang through her head in a wave of suffering. She fell to her knees, and rolled into a ball and played dead to protect her unborn child.

Only heavy breathing came and then someone took her by the feet and dragged her inside a room. A boot scraped past her and she squeezed her eyes shut tight. She could sense someone leaning over her and held her breath. Lungs bursting, she waited for them to leave the room. The door slammed shut as they ran back down the hallway. Sandy swiped at her eyes, nauseous and dizzy. Alone in the dark, the sky outside the window lit up in a streak of green. The firework display danced across her vision before everything went black.

Twenty-Seven

Nervous excitement thrummed through Becky Powell as she stepped inside the library to meet her date. She spotted him at once, leaning casually against a bookcase, flicking through pages of a book. He raised both eyebrows at her and walked out into the hallway. She followed him down the back stairs and he waited for her at the fire door. She smiled at him. “Has she followed you again?”

“Yeah, but she didn’t see me leave.” He pulled her close to him. “I’ve found a place we can go. It’s nice and private. Did you bring your pompoms?”

Becky grinned. “Yeah, they’re in my backpack. I’m guessing you want me to do a routine for you… a real private routine?”

“Something like that.” He cupped her chin and kissed her. “We’d better slip away before she notices I’m missing. Leave your ride here, I have a truck out back. Keep to the shadows and when you get inside, duck down so she can’t see you if she happens to look out the window when I drive by.”

When his hand closed around her fingers she nodded in silent agreement.

“Nice and quiet.” He pushed open the fire door and led her outside.

Heart thumping with anticipation, Becky followed him into the cool night. She hadn’t had too much luck dating anyone of late and stealing him from under the nose of one of his admirers made it all the sweeter. She couldn’t stop grinning as she hurried around the edge of the building and climbed into his truck. As she hunkered down, he took off slowly and she could see the streetlights on Main blink past above her. “Where are we going?”

“Not far but we’ll have to sneak into this place.” He glanced down at her. “It’s an empty house, but they’ve left all the furniture. It will be real comfortable for us to get to know each other.”

Becky giggled. “Oh, I can’t wait. I’ve never been on a date like this before. Are you sure no one is going to come by?”

“Certain.” He slowed the truck and pulled in under a tree. “Remember, not a sound and we stick to the shadows. I don’t want the neighbors to see us or they’ll call the cops. I came by earlier and unlocked the backdoor, so we’re gonna sneak in there.” He handed her a small lantern from the back seat. “Once we’re inside, I’ll use my flashlight to get upstairs but when I close the drapes, we can turn on the lantern. It will be real cozy.”

Becky’s heart raced as she followed him through the long shadows up a driveway and down a small pathway to a door. They moved inside and she smothered a giggle. The house smelled of furniture polish, and clean air as if it had been well aired. Following the flashlight beam they headed upstairs and as they climbed higher, the hand holding hers became damp. She liked that he was nervous being with her and sneaking into an empty house with him in secret made it so special.

At the top of the stairs, he turned into a bedroom and quickly closed the thick drapes. The flashlight blinded her for a few seconds as he aimed it at her. “Hey, drop the light and I’ll turn on the lantern.”