Promises in the Dark (Detectives Kane and Alton)

“Okay.” Wolfe came back into the room. “The blood in the vehicle is a match for Sophie Wood.”

“This, the mud on the tires, and Sophie Wood’s body showing up in Dead Man’s Drop, is sure making the Whispering Caves look good as the bomber’s hideout.” Carter moved the toothpick across his lips. “I figure we need to contact Rowley, like yesterday.”

“Okay.” Jenna pulled out her phone. “I’ll put it on speaker.” She called Rowley.

Unease crept over Kane as he listened to the unanswered call. He leaned forward in his chair trying to be positive. “He’s likely out of range. The mountain is magnetic and there’s no signal deep inside there.”

“What about the guys that set up trail cams inside caves?” Jenna stared at him. “They seem to get them to work just fine.”

Kane shrugged. “They run a cable to an antenna on the outside and we don’t have that equipment on hand at the office.” He looked at her. “One thing’s for sure, the satellite phone won’t help him. That needs to be out in the open.”

“I’ll check with Maggie to see when he checked in last.” She made the call, listened, and frowned. “Okay, let me know when you hear from him.” She looked at Kane. “Not since he left the office. It’s been over an hour. She tried to call us earlier but she couldn’t reach us.” She glared at Wolfe. “Did you really install dampening fields in the examination rooms? I thought you were joking.”

“Yeah, I can’t do my job properly with phones going off all the time.” Wolfe leaned back in his chair, coffee cup in hand. “If she’d called the front desk, a light flashes in the examination room. She didn’t call.”

“Can we get back to Rowley’s safety, please?” Jenna stood, collected the empty cups, and placed them in the small sink set into the counter beside the coffee machine. “How long do we give him before we hightail it up there? I don’t like this situation one bit.”

“Rowley is going into the caves with an experienced caver.” Carter stared at Jenna. “I’ve met Blackhawk and he’ll have his back. Plus, they have another man along.” He flicked his toothpick into the garbage and reached for his cup. “I wouldn’t worry just yet.”

“Maybe not.” Jenna straightened and pushed hair behind her ear. “But the Whispering Caves are coming up clear as the bomber’s hideout. I figure we should head up there anyway. It will serve two purposes. We’ll be checking out a possible crime scene and Rowley at the same time.”

Kane nodded. “That sounds like a plan and we have hiking boots and equipment at the office and Duke would love a run in the forest.”

“We don’t.” Jo wiggled her feet to show her low-heeled sandals. “How about we go and speak to Harvey Haralson? According to the update from the DA he got bail and would be home by now.” She turned to Carter. “I’m sure you’ll be able to pry out information from him. If he’s involved in the kidnapping, we need to know.”

“He’s got a smart mouth.” Kane stood and stretched. “I couldn’t get a straight sentence out of him.”

“As long as he doesn’t lawyer up, I’ll give him some outs.” Carter grinned. “I’ll make sure it’s in his best interest to cooperate.”

Kane patted his leg and Duke stood slowly and yawned. He looked at Carter. “Do you want us to take Zorro with us?” He noticed the Doberman didn’t as much as move a hair at the mention of his name.

“Ha.” Carter brushed off his Stetson and pushed it over his shaggy blond hair. “Like I told you once before, you’d have to show him my body before he’d go anywhere with you.” He winked. “But you can try.”

At the idea of a challenge, Kane looked at Zorro. “Hey Zorro, playtime. Come walkies with Duke, come on boy.” He twitched his fingers in the same manner he’d seen Carter do a thousand times.

A tremble went through the dog’s muscles but his gaze remained locked on Carter. Kane looked at him. “Wou

ld he come with us if you told him to?”

“Nope.” Carter glanced at Wolfe. “You know the deal, right?”

“Yeah.” Wolfe nodded. “Carter found him in a drain after a tornado destroyed the house where the bitch and her pups lived. He raised him on a bottle and they’ve only been apart when Carter was wounded.” He looked at Kane. “They have a special bond.”

“Yeah.” Carter patted Zorro on the head. “I kept him alive and found his owners, but by that time I’d become attached to him. I offered to pay them for him but they gave him to me, they said we were meant to be together. He went through training by my side, came on my tour of duty, joined the FBI with me.” He looked at Kane. “He’s family.”

“That’s lovely.” Jenna looked all dewy eyed. “I’ve seen a side of you I never expected to see.”

“Nope.” Carter’s green eyes flashed. “That’s not a side to me, what you see is what you get, Jenna. Zorro is my Achilles heel is all.”

Kane rolled his eyes toward the ceiling. The conversation about dogs was going on far too long and did Jenna realize that Carter was trying to twist her around his little finger? “That’s good to know but Rowley might be in trouble. You coming, Jenna?” He headed for the door. “I’ll wait for you in the truck.”

Thirty-Five

Excitement ran through him as the sedan bumped over the uneven trail. It was a clear day with no rain forecast and a perfect time to be in the forest. He’d found the old trail months ago and after removing a few fallen logs had made it so he could gain access to the Whispering Caves without using more than one of the firebreak roads. He figured the old trail had once been used by tourists, way back in the day before the forest wardens had closed access to them for fear of another person vanishing within their dark depths. He’d dragged tree branches over the entrance and now he could vanish into the forest without a trace. It was only a few hundred yards to the caves and he could leave his vehicle hidden in the forest, not that he ever used his own vehicle. He wasn’t that stupid.

The end of the trail loomed up ahead. At once the canopy of tall pines and thick undergrowth made the area dimmer. The darkness of the forest worked well for him, the girls he brought with him could clearly see they had no chance of escape. So deep in the forest, their screams would be unrecognizable from the wide variety of wildlife. Not that they screamed. They learned fast after the first slap, that keeping their mouths shut was the better option. He turned the sedan around just in case he had to make a fast getaway and parked it hard up against the trees where it blended into the bushes. After collecting his backpack, he slid out and went around to the trunk and popped the lid. His gaze slid over Pamela. The dress he’d given her had ridden up to expose her long legs and the curve of her buttocks. He ran one hand over her flesh, waiting for her reaction. Most would pull away or attack him but she looked up at him, blinking with her mouth working but forming no words. Perhaps some exhaust fumes had leaked into the trunk and if he’d left her much longer, he’d have found a corpse. He chuckled and tugged at the cord around her neck. “Get up. I’m taking you for another nice walk in the forest.”

“Okay but don’t pull the rope so tight, I can’t breathe.” Pamela coughed and slid her fingers under the rope. “I’m no good to you dead, am I?” She tried unsuccessfully to climb out a few times but then crawled awkwardly out of the trunk and stood on unsteady legs swaying a little. “Why did you kidnap me? A good-looking man like you wouldn’t have any difficulty getting a woman.” She lifted her chin defiantly and glared at him. “Or are you a pedophile and can’t do it with women of your age?”