Promises in the Dark (Detectives Kane and Alton)

When Cleaves agreed without complaint, Kane followed Carter to the door. He dropped the man’s pistol on the side table with the clip and headed outside, glad to be in the fresh air again. As they walked to the Beast, he fell in step beside him. “He was in DC around the time of the bombings. I wonder if the C-4 is from the same batch used in the bombing?”

“Hmm, Wolfe has the equipment to find out.” Carter removed his hat and scratched his head making his hair stick up in all directions. “No sign of the girl?”

Kane shook his head. “Nope but he’s been walking through mud and there was a freshly dug garden bed right outside the Woods’ backdoor. He had a problem with Mrs. Wood and I figure a crush on Sophie.” He smiled. “I do believe we have a suspect.”

Sixteen

The FBI and the Black Rock Falls sheriff were using the divide and conquer routine to speak to everyone even remotely involved in the explosion. They could hound him as much as they liked but he wasn’t worried at all. There was no evidence against him, he’d been too careful. The way to grease the wheels was to be as cooperative as possible and carry on life as normal. He’d be heading into work soon but had something to do before he left. He backed his truck out of the garage and picked up the hose. He liked to keep his truck clean, and people didn’t take too much notice of him as he washed and polished his pride and joy. There was something therapeutic about hosing down and washing his truck, he liked to watch the mud from his wheels wash away in a gray swirl into the gutter and down the drain. He bit back a grin. Kind of like watching Sophie bobbing along in the water and then plunging over the falls. He’d heard her scream disappearing in the distance before the falls swallowed her up. Now the urge to go look for her was driving him insane. He wanted to be there when they dragged her broken and battered body from the river. Or would anyone find her before the wildlife? So many people walked into Stanton Forest and never returned. The dense mass of tall pines, mountain peaks, and caves held their own danger, not to mention the dangerous ravines cut from glaciers millions of years ago that claimed many lives. Once the forest had taken a person, they vanished forever.

Her escaping had been fortunate. It had saved him the trouble of getting rid of her and he’d have had to sooner or later, because as much fun as it would have been leaving her to the rats, he needed to use the cave again. He had to admit, she’d been no fun at all. She’d refused to play his game and sulked most of the time and he’d tired of her. Now the falls would cover his involvement in her disappearance and wash away any evidence. Many had fallen to their deaths over the waterfalls in the forest and after the pummeling of millions of tons of water on flesh, the result wasn’t pretty. He sighed, he had better things to do than think about Sophie Wood—in fact he’d visit his cabin soon and make plans. He’d lain awake at night planning just like before.

He took a cloth and wiped down the paintwork. He’d followed the media coverage on his last acts of revenge. They’d murdered an innocent man to atone for his crimes but he’d never believed his actions were wrongdoings. He’d never killed anyone who didn’t deserve it. He hadn’t killed Sophie, had he? She had made her own fate. The others, the families, and kids, well they were what the government called “collateral damage”—those killed during a mission to remove someone who’d become a danger to others. He’d read that somewhere and it rang true. Everyone he’d blown up or burned had been a danger to others and what kind of man would he be if he’d left the kids alive to be shoved into the system? He understood the system only too well. He looked at his reflection in the window as he wiped away the water droplets. People would call him a psychopath, a man devoid of emotions, who held no value to life. This was the problem—he cared too much. He accessed his blog. Writing his cryptic posts made it real and reading them gave him a sense of achievement but only he would know their true meaning. He smiled as the words formed in his mind.

I’m alone again, my visitor left today; we’d had fun playing games together. It was surreal, sharing my time with her but we all know that life ebbs and flows like a river. My friend decided to join the stream back to reality.

Seventeen

It was going to be one of those days when an investigation was as slow as walking in quicksand. Jenna climbed behind the wheel of her vehicle, turned on the engine and cranked up the aircon. It was a beautiful day, not at all hot but inside her SUV the temperature had become uncomfortable. She waited for Jo to slip into the passenger seat. They’d covered a lot of ground in the last few hours. After dropping by the command center set up to find Sophie Wood, she’d been disappointed the widespread search had yielded no sightings of the girl and nothing positive had come in on the hotline. They’d gone on to visit the family and friends of the Woods. It had been an exhausting task even though the town of Louan wasn’t large, it was compact and their visits had entailed disturbing people at their workplaces to gain information. She turned to Jo. “It seems the Woods were angels according to their family and friends but I’ve never met anyone working in social services who hasn’t upset someone.”

“Me either.” Jo pulled a bottle of water from a cooler on the back seat and opened it before handing it to Jenna. “I figure we go and speak to the people in their office. There’s always gossips and knowing what cases they are currently involved in might give us a lead.” She grabbed another bottle and turned to face her. “Although we’ll have to come in heavy. You know how difficult it is to get people to talk. Someone obviously had it in for the family and someone has to know who it is.”

Jenna sipped the water and then started the engine. “The Child and Family Services Department should be on Main. Kane tried to get some information from a social worker about a suspect on a case we were working on, multiple murders or known pedophiles and got nowhere, so I’m not holding my breath.”

“Sometimes, flashing my creds helps loosen their tongues.” Jo fastened her seatbelt. “The fact that the people we’re asking about are deceased will help too.” She shrugged. “We really don’t have any other avenues to explore. If we don’t find any clues, I’ll be hoping Kane and Carter have gotten something.”

After dropping her sunglasses over her eyes from their position on the top of her head, Jenna headed down Main and pulled into a space near the CFSD. She slid out and glanced up and down the street. The townsfolk bustled along in their daily routines but it wasn’t like Black Rock Falls. Her town was a working town and dusty battered pickups and men with the heels worn down on their cowboy boots was a normal sight. In Louan, clean and sparkling late model vehicles moved through town, or had parked at the curb. The local stores also showed a marked opulence compared to her town and the prices of shoes alone seemed exorbitant. She doubted the Louan homeless shelter was overflowing like out at Black Rock Falls because the Louan noticeboard had tons of employment opportunities. She decided to snap a few photographs of the board and send them to Father Derry, the local priest who ran the soup kitchen and shelters in Black Rock Falls.

“Looking for a new job?” Jo smiled at her. “If you’re ever planning on leaving Black Rock Falls, I’d love to have you join me in Snakeskin Gully. We work well together and I don’t figure my boss would complain about me having a permanent consultant or two on the payroll.”

Laughing, Jenna pushed her phone back into her pocket. “Thanks, but I think I?

?m needed in Black Rock Falls. I was sending the details of the jobs to our local priest, so he can spread the word.”

“That’s a great idea.” Jo indicated toward a redbrick office building. “Let’s hope we get some cooperation and then we can head for the diner. I’m starving and in need of caffeine.”

They entered the cool, quiet building and Jenna stood back to allow Jo to flash her creds and speak to the receptionist.

“We’re here investigating the deaths of Isaac and Connie Wood and their daughter Jody in a housefire.” Jo leaned on the counter. “I realize how difficult it is for social workers these days and wonder if you recall any one of the Woods’ clients making complaints or causing trouble?”

“They’re dead?” The woman looked aghast. “It is not my place to talk about their cases.”

“Okay then, are there any of their fellow social workers we could speak to, who might be able to help?” Jo gave her a stiff smile.

“I’m sure I don’t know.” The receptionist went back to her computer screen.

More than a little annoyed at the woman’s complete lack of empathy, Jenna stepped up to the counter. “We’d like to see the person in charge. Can you at least give me their name?”

“That would be Mr. Phelps and you’d need an appointment if you’re planning on speaking to him.” The woman with tight brown curls and an expression as if she had a permanent bad smell under her nose looked at Jenna with a triumphant expression.

“As this is an FBI matter, call him and tell him we’re here.” Jo rolled her eyes at Jenna.

“Then take a seat and wait.” The receptionist didn’t pick up the phone and just went back to her computer.

Anger seeped under Jenna’s mask of professionalism and she leaned on the desk. “We’re in the middle of a murder investigation and have a missing girl to locate. We don’t have time to sit and wait. Get on your phone and call him now.”

“He doesn’t like to be disturbed during his break.” The receptionist glanced at the clock. “I’ll tell him you’re here after one.”

Jenna looked at the small foyer behind her and the shingle on the door, John A Phelps, Director. She nodded to the woman and turned to Jo. “He’s through that door, come on.”