Be Mine Forever (Detectives Kane and Alton)

Slightly unnerved by witnessing the bravado of an obvious psychopath in Marlene, Jenna nodded and pulled out her phone. She hit the video and held it up in one hand with her flashlight in the other. “Okay, you understand your rights and wish to waive them, is that correct?”

“Yeah.” Collins blinked at the light. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“You’ve got no evidence we did anything.” Marlene sneered at her.

“You have no idea how much trouble you’re in, have you?” Exhausted, Jenna leaned against the wall but kept the camera rolling. “We have your DNA at both murders, and now we have both of you for kidnapping Vicky. In fact, I’ll compile a list of charges so long to give to the DA, like my deputy said, you won’t see daylight until you’re an old lady.” She turned to Collins. It was a bluff but she’d try it while he was off guard. “Something else, we know you’ve been talking to Dr. Turner. You’re patient 124, right?”

“He said

he wouldn’t tell anyone.” Collins’ eyes narrowed. “He said if I helped him move his wife’s body, he’d give me alibis.”

“You told Dr. Turner?” Marlene pulled on the zip-tie binding her to the hitching post. “She’s lying.”

“Then how would I know his secret number?” Jenna wet her dry lips. She had him. “Dr. Turner wrote appointments in his diary to cover both of you but I figured he’d fold and let you take the blame for his wife’s death.” She shrugged. “He’ll say you threatened him or something.”

“I only visited him once at the school.” Collins appeared shocked. “I never went to his home. He called me to go over and help him at his wife’s apartment. I wore gloves and a balaclava but I dropped the body going down the stairs. She was heavier than she looked, we had to drag her into the alleyway.”

“Okay.” Jenna paused the video to check Kane again. The bleeding had stopped but there was no change. He was in trouble and she could do nothing to help him. She went back to her prisoners.

“We know you killed Laurie, Marlene.” Jenna lifted her chin. “That was an ingenious plan to disable her pickup and then make her drop her phone.”

“Yeah.” Marlene seemed oblivious to the phone camera trained on her and preened at the compliment. “Once everyone was in the gym, Dale messed up her precious pickup and in the parking lot, I pushed her real hard and stamped on her phone.” She grinned. “You should have seen her face.”

“You shouldn’t have told her.” Collins looked horrified. “Now I’ll be blamed for Laurie’s murder and you killed her, not me.”

Jenna glared at them. “Then you killed Becky Powell. We know you were involved, Dale.” She held the phone high and kept filming. She wanted all the evidence she could get. “Why Deputy Rowley’s house?”

“We didn’t know it was his house.” Collins looked incredulous. “It was empty, is all. When Marlene saw someone leave the key over the porch, she checked it out and took one of the backdoor keys.”

Jenna looked from one to the other. “So, are you claiming you didn’t attack Mrs. Rowley as well?”

“I didn’t touch anyone.” Collins stared at Marlene. “What did you do?”

“Like I’m going to admit to hurting a deputy’s wife.” Marlene rolled her eyes.

Jenna swallowed hard. Her mind was on Kane and not this pair of psychopaths. She wanted to be holding his hand and making sure he was okay but she had to keep them talking. She needed the evidence. “Why leave Becky’s body there? You dumped Laurie’s out at the mines.”

“We saw the deputy’s SUV stopping outside and ran away.” Collins shrugged. “We didn’t have time to move her body.” His brow furrowed. “I’m not going down for Laurie’s murder.”

Jenna turned off the video and took the light out of his eyes. “Just tell the truth and the courts will sort out who is to blame but don’t allow Dr. Turner to walk free—and he will if you don’t tell us everything you know about him.”

“That’s not going to happen—not now.” Collins stared in the direction of Kane. “Why didn’t your deputy stop Marlene from stabbing him? He just caught her in his arms. He could have side stepped and she’d have hit the floor.” He shook his head. “Look at the size of him, he could’ve taken her head off with one blow.”

Overwhelmed with worry about Dave, Jenna shook her head. “Deputy Kane doesn’t hit women.”

“Then he’s a fool.” Marlene laughed. “I sure taught him a lesson. He’ll learn, men always do. Women rule. Isn’t that right, Sheriff?”

Anger simmered and Jenna eyeballed her. “No, it isn’t right. He could have broken your neck like a twig but he treated you with respect. Your attitude toward men disgusts me.”

The whoop, whoop, sound of the chopper blades filled the night and Jenna ran outside with her flashlight and waved it back and forth. She jumped into the pickup and reversed to light up the wide area of open land adjacent to the barn and then got out. There would be room enough for the chopper to land. Dry grass and dirt hit the windshield as the chopper lowered to the ground and the moment it touched down, Wolfe jumped out with Emily at his side. Carter remained at the controls, the blades whipping up clouds of dirt. A gurney dropped onto the grass and Wolfe pulled it up to its full height, dumped a bag on it, and pushed it toward Jenna at speed.

Jenna led the way inside, unable to talk with the noise of the chopper. She ran into the stall. “He’s been out for about ten or more minutes. I can’t wake him.”

“He’s bleeding out.” Wolfe bent over Kane and looked up at Jenna and Emily. “Grab his thighs.” Wolfe eased behind Kane and with effort lifted him onto the gurney. “Em, get the plasma.” He placed a tourniquet around Kane’s arm. “Give me a vein, come on, Dave. Don’t you dare die on me.”

Legs weak, Jenna held her breath as Wolfe inserted the needle and held the plasma bag up high. She stood helpless, her body numb as he checked him and then turned to her. She looked at his worried expression and a part of her died inside. “It’s bad, isn’t it?”

“Yeah and I can’t risk doing anything more here. Time is of the essence and I have a surgeon waiting for him at the hospital. Rio and Rowley are on their way.” Wolfe squeezed her arm. “I’ll take good care of him, Jenna, and I won’t leave his side. He’s been through worse and he’s in great shape but I won’t lie to you, he might not make it to the hospital.”