Her Shallow Grave (Detectives Kane and Alton)

Jenna slid her phone inside her pocket. “We found her body outside the newspaper

office on Monday morning.”

“She’s dead?” Axel shook his head. “So young.”

It seemed a strange reaction from him. Most people would ask how she died and be inquisitive. She gave him a direct stare. “Where were you on Sunday night?”

“I went out to Mad Dog’s Roadhouse for dinner and played cards most of the night.” He shrugged. “Why don’t you ask him?”

Jenna watched him closely, noting his folded arms and defensive stance. He was hiding something. “When you dropped Zoe in town, what direction was she heading when you last saw her?”

“I don’t recall.” Axel lifted his gaze to her. “She climbed off my bike, handed me the helmet, and I stowed it in my saddlebags. When I looked back, she’d gone. I assumed she’d walked in here.”

“I see.” Jenna stared at her notebook and then back at him. “Do you own a hunting cabin?”

“No, I don’t own a cabin but I do go hunting and sometimes use a cabin from time to time, like most folks around here.”

Jenna turned as Kane walked back into the room and beckoned her. “Okay thanks, Mr. Reed. I’ll be on my way.”

She walked to Kane’s side. “What have you got for me?”

“Two of the men I spoke to remember seeing Zoe on Wednesday night just before this place closed.” Kane pulled her into the hallway. “They didn’t see her getting off a motorcycle but recall her speaking to a man—tall is all they remembered and perhaps, white. They said she walked with him in the direction of the church.”

“Which church?” Jenna looked up at him. “The Evangelical Center would’ve been closed at that hour. Maybe she headed to the Catholic church?”

“The EC.” Kane turned his woolen cap around in his hands. “She was heading right and the Catholic church is to the left.” He frowned. “The men I spoke to were inside until closing and then headed in the same direction to sleep.”

Surprised, Jenna shook her head. “There’s nowhere to sleep up there. Most head in the other direction.”

“I asked them the same question.” Kane pulled his woolen cap down over his red-tipped ears. “They bunk down out back of the town hall. There’s an outbuilding out there, Mayor Petersham arranged to leave it open and supplies mattresses and blankets. There’re a few necessities in there and heat. Apparently, it’s not well-known and a few of the regulars here use it when the shelters are full.”

Jenna met his gaze. “They would’ve walked right past the EC?”

“Yeah, they said they left a few minutes after she went past. It was snowing bad but they didn’t see her or the man but they did see taillights.” Kane glanced at the door to the storeroom and signaled with a finger over his lips for her to be quiet.

Jenna followed his gaze and picked out the shadow of someone eavesdropping in the doorway. She nodded and raised her voice but held up a hand for Kane to wait. She needed to find out if Reed was listening. “Okay then we’re done here. We’ll head up to the women’s shelter and see if she arrived there.”

She made a walking motion with her fingers and then grabbed her throat to tell Kane to surprise Reed, or whoever was listening so intently to their conversation. At Kane’s nod, they turned back and moved silently toward the storeroom. There was a slight scuffle as Kane pounced. Jenna peered into the storeroom to see Reed up against the wall, hands firmly behind his back. She looked at him. “Okay, Mr. Reed. Why the interest in our conversation? Is there something you’re not telling us?”

“Ouch! No, I’ve told you everything I know.” Reed looked over his shoulder at her. “I’m a preacher. I wouldn’t hurt her. I was trying to help her. Let go of me, I haven’t done anything wrong.”

Jenna shot a look at Kane’s hard expression and then back to Reed. “Was that you on Main earlier helping a young woman with a flat tire?”

“I was on Main earlier, yeah, but I didn’t see no woman with a flat tire.” Reed looked at her. “But I would’ve stopped if I’d seen her. Why?”

“Never mind. Where’s your coat?” Kane released his grip and stepped away. “Show me.”

“Okay, okay. It’s in the locker room drying out.” Reed rubbed his arms as he led the way to a steamy locker room and indicated to a row of coats, some still glistening with snow. “That’s mine.” He pointed to a dark coat and scarf much the same as the other four hanging on pegs dripping puddles on the floor.

“Do you wear sunglasses?” Kane was examining the coats.

“Yeah, like just about everyone in town who doesn’t want snow blindness.” He shook his head. “It’s hard to drive without them.”

Jenna looked at Kane and he gave the slightest shrug. It was obvious he couldn’t ID the man who’d spoken to Emily. She turned her attention back to Reed. “The supervisor mentioned you collect donations. How do you do that on your motorcycle?”

“I have a truck.” Reed turned and led the way back to the storeroom and then pulled up a roller door. A gush of freezing air and snowflakes rushed in making the storeroom resemble a snow globe. Outside, parked in front of Kane’s truck, was a white pickup with a hard tonneau cover.

“How do you transport perishables?” Kane stared at the truck.