Pray for Mercy (Detectives Kane and Alton)

She stood to one side as Emily kneeled on a plastic sheet and tenderly lifted each hand and placed it inside a bag. The way she patted the old woman’s arm as she stood to leave brought tears to Jenna’s eyes. The compassion Emily showed for the victims who came through the ME’s office astounded her. She turned to Wolfe. “When you leave, we’ll seal up the house. I’ll go and search for the house keys. They must be here somewhere. I’ll ask old Deputy Walters if he can watch the place until you return. You’ll be back once you’ve processed Rio, won’t you?”

“Yeah.” Wolfe dropped a body bag onto the floor. “I’ll leave the autopsy until tomorrow. I’ll make sure we have everything we need from here, so you won’t have to leave anyone outside. I’ll need you to chase down the next of kin and notify them. I’m going to be too busy. It’s only Webber and me this afternoon. I’ll call you about the autopsy, but I figure with everything I have to do, it won’t be until tomorrow afternoon.” He rolled the victim inside and pulled up the zipper.

Jenna nodded. “Okay, I’ll go find the keys. Don’t worry, we’ll lock the place up tight and Walters lives close by. I won’t leave until he arrives.”

“Thanks.” Wolfe nodded to Webber and they lifted the body onto a gurney and headed for the front door. “I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

“I’ll help you find the keys.” Jo followed Jenna into the kitchen. “This is one tangled mess. I hope Rio isn’t involved. I like him.” She moved through the kitchen. “This woman has a place for everything. I’m betting there’s a hook for the keys somewhere.”

Jenna searched the walls and found a bunch of keys on a hook beside the kitchen door. “Got them.” She pulled out her phone and called Walters. “I need you outside a crime scene: 3 Buffalo Trail. I’ll wait here until you arrive. Wolfe is processing a suspect found at the scene and will be back to do a full forensic sweep in an hour or so.”

“I’ll be right along.” Deputy Walters disconnected.

Jenna went about barring the door with crime scene tape and added some to the front gate before heading for her cruiser. She climbed inside and leaned back, letting out a long breath. It was good to be out of the stink. It was a smell that got into her hair and stuck to her clothes. She rubbed both hands over her face. “I sure hope Rio is in the clear but I still have a feeling something is going on around him. Maybe it’s just the trouble with Cade?” She glanced at Jo in the passenger seat. “What’s your take on it?”

“If you look at it logically, Zac being there doesn’t make sense.” Jo turned in her seat to face her. “I can see by the clotting of the blood how long he’s been there, not to mention the smell. The blood on his hands and clothes was dry. I figure he’s been there since last night.” She narrowed her gaze on Jenna. “You’re right, that feeling could be a reaction to his mood and his sudden change from being a reliable deputy. He must be at his wit’s end with Cade.”

Jenna placed both hands on the steering wheel and stared at the peaceful tree-lined road. “Maybe. I’ll leave my judgment until Wolfe has examined him.” She glanced up and down the road. “I live in isolation. It was a choice but I have security. Every one of the victims lives like I do, in houses far enough away from neighbors. If they screamed no one would hear them, and yet not one of them has as much as a deadbolt on their doors.”

“There’s no sign of forced entry.” Jo flicked through crime scene images on her phone. “It’s the same with all the murders. That would make me believe the victims knew their attackers.”

Scrolling for Rowley’s number on her phone, Jenna nodded. “Yeah. Dave always insists we look outside the box, and for me that would be Rio, but right now we have three suspects all known to the women, inside the box.” She waited for Rowley to pick up. “Jake, we have another murder out of Buffalo Trail. I’ll need you to go hunt down both suspects you interviewed yesterday. I need proof of their whereabouts from, say, eight last night until seven this morning.”

“I was waiting for Trey Duffy to show.” Rowley tapped away on his computer keyboard. “I’m the only one in the office right now. Rio is a no-show again and what’s with the message scrawled all over the front door? Do you want me to wash it off?”

After bringing Rowley up to speed, Jenna glanced at her watch. “I’ll be back before Duffy arrives, and if he shows early, ask Maggie to take him down to an interview room to wait for me. Make sure you check in with Maggie when you arrive and leave the interviews. We have another psychopath out there. If anything doesn’t sit right with you, get the hell out of Dodge and call for backup. I have Jo with me, and Kane and Carter will be back soon.”

“Copy that.” Rowley disconnected.

A pickup came hurtling down the road, throwing up dust, and skidded to a halt outside the house. A man jumped from the vehicle and ran toward the door. Jenna gave the siren a blast and the man stopped, turning to stare at her. Pulling her weapon, she slid from the cruiser. “Sheriff’s department. Stop where you are.”

“What happened here?” The man in his thirties ran toward her, his eyes round with alarm. “This is my grandma’s house. Is she okay? A friend drove by to see her just before and called me after seeing the medical examiner’s truck and your vehicle here.”

Jenna holstered her weapon and pulled out her notebook. “Can I have your name and contact details?”

“Bret Carson.” He rattled off his information and then his head turned toward the house. He took a few hesitant steps and then stopped and stared at her. “Is my grandma okay?”

Resting a hand on the man’s arm, Jenna shook her head. Telling someone their loved one had died had to be the worst par

t of her job. “I’m sorry. She passed away.”

“What happened? Did she take a fall?” Bret Carson scanned her face and his eyes flitted to the crime scene tape. “Does that mean someone murdered her?” One shaking finger pointed toward the tape.

Feeling the man’s grief wash over her, Jenna swallowed hard. The details of what had happened could destroy this man and have a domino effect all through his family. She nodded and kept a firm grip on his arm. “It would seem someone else was involved. We’ll know more later.”

“Can I see her?” Bret Carson attempted to pull away from her. “You can’t just leave her there alone. She needs me to take care of her.”

Under her palm, a tremble went through his arm and she gripped a little tighter. “She’s not here and I can assure you she is not alone. Dr. Shane Wolfe and his daughter Emily are with her. They will take the greatest care of her and treat her with dignity.”

“Oh, sweet Jesus.” Bret Carson collapsed to the ground and buried his face in his hands. He rocked back and forth, wailing like a wolf at the full moon.

“Do you have someone we can call?” Jo came around the hood of the cruiser and gave Jenna a concerned look. “Your parents? A wife or minister?”

“My wife. My parents passed when I turned eighteen.” He searched his pockets for his phone and thrust it at Jo and then dropped his hand. “No, maybe not. I don’t want her driving after hearing the news and she’ll insist on coming here.” He scrubbed at his tear-streaked face and staggered to his feet. “Where is my grandma? Where have you taken her?”

Jenna took hold of his arm again. “She’s at the medical examiner’s office. He’ll help me find out who killed her. It’s best if you go home and wait for him to contact you. I’ll drive your truck and you can show me where you live.”

“My place is on Stanton, just past Pine.” Bret Carson made an obvious attempt to pull himself together.