“We have four deputies from Blackwater and Louan cooling their heels at the motel.” Kane pulled out his phone. “They can split the shifts but I doubt Wolfe will want to return again in the morning. He’s usually thorough and I gather you’ve taken footage of everything?”
“I sure have.” Rio waved a hand toward the stairs. “I took images of every step as well.”
Jenna glanced at Kane. “Go make the calls.” She turned back to Rio. “Okay, I’ll speak to Wolfe and then we’re heading out to inform next of kin.”
She headed up the stairs and into the room. The body of Becky was on a gurney and Wolfe was making ready to leave. “I’m going to speak to her parents. What time tomorrow for a viewing?”
“Eleven.” Wolfe turned to her. “Autopsy at two. Rowley must have been minutes away from saving this girl. She was still warm when we arrived, her body temperature hadn’t fallen much at all, no onset of rigor. I figure she was killed not long before he arrived at the house.” His eyebrows drew together. “She died while Sandy was unconscious in the other room. You’ll need to keep that information from her. At least until she is over the shock of what happened.”
“That’s going to be difficult but I’ll do my best.” Jenna stood hands on hips and surveyed the room. “We’ll come by after we’ve spoken to the victim’s parents. Kane is organizing a patrol to watch the house overnight; Rio will need to head home when they arrive.” She looked at Carter. “Are you staying or do you want a ride back to the hotel?”
“I’m staying.” Carter was examining the ceiling. “Shane is not through here yet.”
“I’d appreciate his help if you can spare him? We have a ton more areas to process and I haven’t started on the other bedroom yet.” Wolfe indicated to the floor. “The killers tipped bleach over the victim but where the body pressed against the wall, I found trace evidence. They rushed the cleanup and I’m going to check every inch of this room before we leave.”
Jenna wrinkled her nose at the pungent smell of bleach. “We shouldn’t be too long. I’ll drop by Aunt Betty’s Café, I’m sure we all need coffee to keep us going.”
“Good idea, we’ll use the family room. It’s a clean area and no one went in there during the attack.” Wolfe sighed. “Keep as quiet as possible, we won’t be popular with the neighbors. Webber is going to be searching all the trash cans out front of the houses before we leave. The victim’s clothes are missing and the killers could have dumped them before leaving.”
Jenna nodded. “It only takes one mistake and we’ll have them. That will be their downfall. Killers all believe they’ve committed the perfect murder. There’s no such thing.”
Thirty-Three
The wind was picking up, rustling the trees and making the fall leaves rain down across the blacktop. In the streetlight, it reminded Kane of a flock of butterflies. He leaned against the door of his truck waiting for Jenna. Concerned about Sandy and how Rowley was coping, he pulled out his phone to get an update. “Hi, Jake, it’s Dave. Any news?”
“Some. They performed an ultrasound on the babies and assured me they’re fine but Sandy is having a brain scan. She said her vision was blurry. Her folks are here and mine are on their way. It’s going to be some time before they complete all the tests and stitch her up. I’ll know more later.”
Kane glanced up as Jenna walked to his side. “We’ll drop by before we head home. Do you need a change of clothes or anything else I can get you?”
“Nope, my parents will grab what I need if I have to stay.”
“Okay, we’ll see you soon.” Kane disconnected.
“Any news?” Jenna pulled open the door to the truck.
Kane slid in behind the wheel. “Babies are fine, nothing on Sandy yet.” He backed out the parking space and headed into town. “The Powells’ address is already in the GPS.” He looked at Jenna. “I get a knot in my stomach every time we have to inform next of kin. It’s something you can never get used to, is it?”
“Nope.” Jenna leaned back in her seat. “I try and rehearse what to say in my head but when I get there I’m never prepared.”
As they entered Main, Kane was surprised to see the clusters of people still milling around, most of them young people in small groups chatting or eating
takeout. The hotdog cart was doing a fine business and seemed to have an endless supply. He smiled. “How do they keep that cart going, day and night?”
“They own the convenience store and with six grown sons, they can keep going around the clock.” Jenna smiled. “They have more than one cart.” She pointed at the people in a line outside Aunt Betty’s. “Oh, I have to call Aunt Betty’s. They’re so busy tonight, I should order coffee for the team and we’ll drop by on the way back. Wolfe said it’s going to be ages before he’s through. I’ll order some food as well.” She made the call.
Kane headed for the Powells’ house and smiled to himself. She was using one of his tactics, to ease the stress of the night. A girl’s brutal murder and the senseless attack on Sandy had shaken the team. He could feel the simmering anger from everyone with the exception of Rio. His introduction to Black Rock Falls had been tough but he’d handled himself with a professionalism he hadn’t expected. He glanced at Jenna. “I figure Zac is going to be a real asset to our team. He didn’t need any direction and just mucked in and got the job done.”
“I agree but do you think he’s what he seems?” Jenna cleared her throat. “I mean he acts like he’s seen it all, no emotion. Most guys of his age would have puked at the sight of a girl bludgeoned to death but he took it in his stride.”
Kane nodded. “He must have a built-in mechanism. Think about it. He can’t forget anything he sees and as a detective in Los Angeles, he’s seen his fair share of blood and gore. Not being able to forget is an incredible freak of nature. It’s not classed as an eidetic memory. That’s being able to recall an image for about a minute in detail and he hasn’t got what’s classed as a photographic memory either. What he has is a mixture of long-term memory and instant recall, something that hasn’t really been labeled correctly yet. His IQ must be off the board but whatever the doctors decide to call it, he’s had it forever. I guess he’s learned to cope with it and turn off the emotion attached to the memory.”
“You do that all the time.” Jenna shrugged. “What’s so different?”
“I don’t have his memory.” Kane kept his eyes on the road. “I do turn off emotion but it’s part of my training and it’s a technique I used to make the shot and kill the target. I don’t forget the people I’ve killed but I’ve learned not to dwell on it. He must do the same. His memory is a gift and a curse.” He slowed as the GPS indicated they’d reached their destination.
Outside the house, he removed his hat and turned to Jenna. “Here we go.”
“The front porch light is on and they’re probably waiting up for her.” Jenna removed her hat, dropped it onto the seat, and opened the door.