Where Angels Fear (Detectives Kane and Alton)

Jenna wanted him to admit he’d taken a woman to his room. If he wasn’t involved in Sky’s kidnapping, the woman Aitken saw him carry into his motel room would give him an alibi. “Is there anyone who can verify that you arrived here between two and three on Saturday morning?”

“Nope. I didn’t see anyone. It was late and most folks around here are tucked up in bed.” Knox didn’t move his intense stare from her face. “Anything else?”

“Yeah.” Jenna ignored his hostility and glanced back at her notes. “I’d like to see your right forearm.”

“How did you know abou—” Knox shook his head. “Never mind.” He rolled up his sleeve, displaying a dressing. “Yeah, I injured it opening a crate last Tuesday packing my truck.”

The same day someone attacked Levi Holt. Interesting. “So if you hurt yourself on Tuesday did you complete your run that night as usual?”

“Yeah.”

I have him. “So the highway closure wasn’t a problem for you at all?” Jenna cleared her throat. “I believe a truck overturned and spilled its load, closing the highway for eight hours or more. How did you get through and back, Mr. Knox?”

“I took a backroad.” Knox gave her a triumphant grin. “It goes through the Strong Ranch. It bypassed the closure. It’s a dirt road and they keep the snow well cleared. I’m not the only driver aware of it.”

His confirmation of being in the area could go both ways. Either he was sure the victims had not recognized him or he was innocent. Jenna took in his self-assured attitude and the way he looked at her, moving his eyes up and down her body, and decided the former. “What about Thursday evening, what time did you drive to Black Rock Falls?”

“I had one delivery in town so it was a quick turnaround. I got back here before one, I guess.” Knox glared at Kane and shook his head. “I don’t like people messin’ with my stuff. I ain’t done nothin’ wrong. This is police harassment.”

Jenna glanced at Kane. He was removing the sheets from the bed with care and stuffing them into plastic bags. They exchanged a meaningful look. She figured Kane had found evidence, but he said nothing and added the bag to the pile he had collected on the table. She turned her attention back to Knox, ignoring his outburst. “Did you have car trouble on Thursday night?”

“Nope.” Knox shuffled his feet. “It seems real strange speakin’ to you behind that face mask. What’s wrong, scared you might catch somethin’?” He moved a step closer, grinning.

“You need to mind your manners.” Blake stepped in front of Jenna. “You’re speakin’ to a lady, not your stripper girlfriend.”

Jenna shot Blake a look she hoped conveyed her annoyance and moved around him. “Stand down, Deputy. I am quite capable of handling Mr. Knox.” She lifted her chin. “Did you have a woman in your room, Friday before last?”

“If I did—” Knox grinned at her, “—as a gentleman I wouldn’t tell.”

“Ma’am, may I have a word?” Kane moved to her side.

Jenna followed him outside and shut the door. “What have you found?”

“What could be blood on the sheets.” Kane shrugged. “A few blonde hairs on the carpet, some red hairs. The room is a DNA cocktail.” He removed his gloves. “The blonde hairs could belong to the receptionist so we’ll need a sample of her hair for Wolfe to compare. I’ve bagged the sheets. They stink as if they’ve been on the bed for months.” He held up a set of car keys. “I’ll check the pickup as that was the vehicle Aitken mentioned in his statement. If there’s blood inside, and it’s a match for Sky Paul, we may have our Axman.”

“If you find some and it’s a match.” Jenna removed her gloves and mask, then bundled them into a ball. “I have him in the location of all three incidents at the right time; he drives a white pickup but not regularly and has an injury to his right arm. It sure points to him but many people drive white pickups and use the same road regularly at night for deliveries. Unless Wolfe finds some trace evidence, we don’t have one chance in hell of convincing Judge Eaton to sign an arrest warrant. He’ll say it’s circumstantial evidence at best.” She sighed. “He seems so unconcerned, it’s unnerving.”

“Yeah, but we shouldn’t discount him yet.” Kane leaned one shoulder against the wall and huffed out a cloud of steam. “He displays narcissistic tendencies and is so sure he hasn’t left any DNA, that’s a red flag in itself.” He rubbed his chin. “We’ve dealt with his type before. They believe they can outsmart us and without a trace of the missing persons, no bodies, we have zip right now. If Knox is the Axman, he has the upper hand and knows it. I figure we should dig a little deeper into Mr. Knox.”

Jenna tossed her gloves into a trash bin. “He hasn’t convinced me he isn’t involved.”

“Blake obviously knows the woman he sees. Maybe we need to get a name and check out her story.” Kane removed his gloves and mask. “If she’s the woman he carried into his room, he’ll be in the clear for kidnapping Sky at least.”

Jenna straightened. She still had to sweet-talk Knox into giving a DNA sample. “Okay, you process the pickup and van then go speak to the receptionist, see if she’ll volunteer to give you a hair sample. I assume she is the one who cleans his room and if not we need a name. I’ll wrap it up with Knox.”

She pushed open the door and took the few steps across the small room to speak to Knox. “Mr. Knox, are you willing to take a DNA test to exclude you from our list of suspects? Then we’ll leave you alone.”

“Sure.” Knox wet his lips. “Trust me, I never leave my DNA anywhere it’s not wanted.”

Ignoring his smart mouth, Jenna turned back to the table and opened the forensics kit. The idea of getting close to Knox made her want to gag. She tossed a pair of gloves to Blake then gave him a test kit. “I’ll leave that to you, Blake.” She turned to Knox. “Thank you for your cooperation.” She noticed him open his mouth to reply, but put her back to him and collected up the evidence bags, then opened the door, glad of the rush of fresh cold air on her face.

She waited outside for Blake to join her, then added the DNA kit to the large bag of evidence and looked at him. “Do you know the name of the woman you mentioned? He could have been carrying her into the motel room.”

“Nah, she’s a redhead.” Blake snorted. “One of the dancers who works at the titty bar.” He flushed to his ears. “Sorry, ma’am. I meant the local strip club.”

“Okay, I’ll need all the information you can get me on Knox. I’ll clear it with your sheriff.” Jenna tapped her bottom lip. “Someone will know his friends and who he hangs out with, bars he goes to, so see what you can find out about him. He is way too overconfident. Most people freak out when the cops search their homes. I’m worried if the woman Aitken saw him carrying into his room was Sky Paul, where is she now?”

Fifty-Two