Promises in the Dark (Detectives Kane and Alton)

“Send Jo to the front door and make up some excuse about dropping an earring or something.” Kane smiled at her. “You go round back and get the girl.”

“I knew you’d figure it out.” Jenna squeezed his arm. “Forget eating here, we’ll head straight to Black Rock Falls and I’ll get her into the Her Broken Wings shelter.”

“Great we’ll get to eat at Aunt Betty’s Café.” Kane waved her away. “We’ll go in first and you hide your ride somewhere.” His stomach growled and he caught her pained expression. “I hope this doesn’t take too long, I’m about ready to eat Duke’s doggy snacks.”

“That desperate huh?” Jenna shook her head. “I can tell time by your stomach. It rumbles every few hours.” She gave him a wave and headed back to her SUV.

He waited for Jenna to turn her vehicle around and then headed back along the highway.

“Here.” Carter handed him an energy bar. “One thing I’ve discovered working with Jo is eating is the last thing on her agenda. I keep a good supply of these in my pockets.”

“Thanks.” Kane grinned at him. “I figure Jenna gives me time to eat because my stomach growls so loud it makes Duke whine.” He unwrapped the energy bar. “But she’ll be discussing the case all through lunch. She never slows down during the day.”

“Are we going in as FBI?” Carter looked at him. “It might make him suspicious.”

Kane shook his head. “Nah, I’ll ask him about gates. I do need some for the corral I’ve been building, and maybe a new fancy door for the cottage.” He headed to the front of the forge and slid out the door leaving the dogs inside, with the windows open.

“I’ll hang at the door while you talk to him.” Carter met him stride for stride. “I’ll remove my hat when Jenna has the girl.”

Kane nodded. “Copy that.”

Twenty

Heart thumping with exhilaration, Jenna crept her SUV along the Crazy Iron Forge driveway. Ahead, Kane had parked the Beast to obscure the entrance to the forge. She smiled to herself; this way if Suffolk popped his head outside, he wouldn’t see her approach or departure. She backed her SUV in behind the stables again nose out ready for a fast getaway, and then turned to Jo. “There’s a path going around the back of the forge to the house, if we go that way we’ll avoid being seen. How are you going to play this?”

“The lost earring ploy.” She pulled out the stud in her ear and slipped it into her pocket. “I’ll find it at the appropriate time. Just make it fast.”

Jenna slipped from behind the wheel. “Try to keep her talking. If Dawn is in the kitchen, I’ll grab her and run but if I head upstairs, you’ll need to shut the kitchen door so I can leave by the front.”

They made their way along an overgrown walkway behind the stables walking in single file and keeping in the cover of the bushes. As they passed the end of the forge, Jenna waved Jo in the direction of the front porch of the ranch house and headed around back. A small gate in a very old fence led into the backyard and Jenna scanned the neat vegetable bed with not a weed in sight. Close to the back of the house, a line with white sheets swung in the breeze. The closed frosted kitchen widows would hide her approach. Adrenalin pumped through her veins as she headed for the open backdoor. At the foot of the steps a small flower garden, lovingly tended, exploded with color and gave her a lump in her throat. Dawn was obviously trying to make this house a home and she wondered how she’d become involved with Roger Suffolk.

Pressed against the wall of the house, Jenna listened. She heard Jo knocking on the front door and slow footsteps along the polished wooden floors. Moving with stealth, she crept up the steps and found herself in a mudroom off the kitchen. She was in full view of the kitchen and was just in time to see Dawn head down the hallway.

“Go to your room.” Mrs. Suffolk’s stern voice seem to echo through the quiet house.

Jenna waited for voices and slipped from the mudroom and headed toward the stairs. She could see the back of Mrs. Suffolk not five yards away from her. If she turned now, and caught her inside the house, all hell would break lose. The next moment, she heard Jo asking about the rose bush and drawing Mrs. Suffolk outside onto the porch. Not wasting a second, Jenna bolted up the stairs, her gaze flicking right to left searching for Dawn. She found her sitting on her bed staring at the wall. She lowered her voice to a whisper not wanting to startle her. “Dawn, if you want to leave, I can help you but we have to go now.”

“Oh, it’s you.” Dawn stood and smiled at her. “I knew you’d come back. I’ve packed a bag but how are we going to get past Ma?” She bent and pulled a backpack from under the bed.

“Don’t worry about her, my friend will keep her occupied in the kitchen but we have to move fast and silently.” Jenna held one finger to her lips. “No talking. We’re going down the stairs and out the front door.”

Pulse thumping in her ears, Jenna listened at the door. She heard voices and footsteps heading for the kitchen. She eased out onto the steps and started as the kitchen door opened. Shit! Ducking back inside the room, she looked around frantically for a hiding place.

“Dawn, get down here and help us search for an earring.” Mrs. Suffolk’s loud voice seemed to fill the room.

“I need to use the bathroom and then I’ll be right down.” Dawn poked her head around the

door. “I can’t wait.”

“Don’t be long.” Mrs. Suffolk’s footsteps shuffled back along the hallway. “Now, where do you figure you lost your earring?”

“Is that it down there behind the door?” Jo’s voice sounded strained. “Let me look.”

The kitchen door closed and Jenna grabbed Dawn’s arm and they moved down the steps. Each creak of the floorboards sounded like a gunshot but they only had seconds to get to the door and out to freedom. She pushed the girl ahead of her and as Dawn brushed past the statue of the cowboy the hanging strap of her backpack snagged it. The statue rocked and toppled. As if she still played on the high school softball team, Jenna scooped it up and extricated it from the backpack. After setting the statue in the middle of the table, she followed Dawn out the door and closed it silently behind her.

Jenna waved Dawn on. “Take the path behind the forge. I’m parked beside the stables. Run!”

Twenty-One