Promises in the Dark (Detectives Kane and Alton)

Jenna sighed. “That’s good to know. Thank you.”

“One thing.” Rowley looked expectant. “I know you don’t want me interfering in the FBI case and all, but Atohi called and suggested we head up to the Whispering Caves and see if anyone has been there. He figures the girl’s body could have fallen from there.”

Jenna didn’t want Rowley or Blackhawk risking their lives in the catacombs. “It’s closed for a reason. People go inside and are never seen again. I’m not sure it’s safe to go there alone.”

“Atohi has a friend willing to come with us and his grandfather who knows the caves. We’ll be making chalk marks on the walls as well.” Rowley frowned. “What if the guy who kidnapped the girl is using the caves to hole up in? He’d know no one would go near the place.”

Jenna nodded. “Okay but have a regular check in with Maggie, say every half-hour. Take a Sat Sleeve for your phone and some communication packs with you.” She tapped her chin thinking. “And the helmets. Make sure everyone is suited up.”

“Sure, we’ll be fine. Don’t worry.” Rowley pushed to his feet. “Thanks.”

“Stay safe.” Jenna heard voices in the hallway. “I have to go. We’re attending the Sophie Wood autopsy at ten.” She headed for the door and then turned to smile at him. “That desk suits you.”

Thirty-One

The sun warmed Jenna’s face as she followed Kane to his truck. It was a beautiful day, the sky stretched out for miles, blue and cloudless. She took in the view, inhaling the exquisite perfume of summer in Black Rock Falls. The hint of pine and the wealth of wildflowers came on every breeze. After witnessing horrors no person should ever experience, nature was a soothing balm, and a constant beauty in her life. She climbed inside the truck. “I’m glad to be working alongside you today.”

“Missed me, did you?” Kane chuckled. “I missed you too, especially our breakfast together. Working out with Carter is okay but all business, whereas we have fun. I’m not sure I could work with him all the time, and living with him makes my brain ache.” He shook his head. “He doesn’t have an off button. When we’re on a case together, we have our quiet times but Carter never stops talking.”

Jenna laughed. “I’ve noticed, although he seems to have stopped teasing me at last.”

“Yeah, well you know that selfie you took of us outside the ski lodge?” Kane backed out the parking space and headed down Main toward Wolfe’s office.

She nodded. “Yeah, what’s that got to do with Carter?”

“I enlarged it and it’s in a frame over the fireplace in the cottage.” Kane winked at her. “He looked at it and said to me, ‘Nice pic.’ He was quiet for a while as if processing the fact we’d gone there together for a vacation, I think. Although, I’m sure we mentioned it during the case last winter. Maybe now he’ll leave you alone.”

Jenna laughed. “He thinks we’re a couple? Well if that makes him pull his head in, it’s fine by me.”

As they took the backroads to Wolfe’s office, Jenna admired the riot of color in the front gardens of the houses lining the sidewalk. With her window down, she caught the fragrant mixture of blooms blowing into the cab. Above the forest the sky framed the dark mountain peaks in the distance. The beauty of Black Rock Falls with its diversity and ever-changing landscapes made her heart twist. She had fallen in love with the town and its people. Her work as sheriff gave her life purpose and her friends had become the family she thought she’d never have again. It was hard to fathom how much her life had changed since leaving DC. Murders aside, moving to Black Rock Falls had been the best thing in her life.

Suddenly she realized Kane had parked outside the ME’s office and was staring at her. She cleared her throat. “Sorry, did you say something? I was miles away.” She buzzed up her window and collected her things.

“Nope, I was enjoying the quiet.” Kane slid out the door and waited for her on the sidewalk. He indicated toward the road. “Here they come. Wanna wait for them?”

Jenna tipped her face up to catch the sun and sighed. “They can’t get in the door without us. I’d say Emily and Webber are assisting Wolfe. There’s no one at the front desk.”

“They could ring the bell.” Kane raised an eyebrow. “But then, I guess we’d still have to wait for them to suit up.”

A few minutes later, Jo and Carter joined them. They moved inside the morgue, suited up and headed for the examination room with the red light glowing outside. Jenna breathed in the menthol salve she’d placed under her nose and stepped inside the cold room. She nodded to Emily and Webber. “Morning.”

In front of her, three gurneys covered bulky twisted shapes that had once been people and to one side, white feet stuck out from under a sheet. The normally sterile, antiseptic air was heavy with the acrid smell of burned flesh. The odor seeped through the menthol barrier and crept up her nostrils. Jenna had to push down an awful need to run out the room. She shuffled her feet and caught Kane looking at her over his facemask. By the compassion in his gaze, he could just about read her mind. She straightened and gave him a nod. The next moment Wolfe walked out from a side door and glanced around the room. Stepping forward, Jenna met his gaze. “What’s first on the list today?”

“I’ll walk you through my findings on the burn victims and then we’ll start on Sophie Wood.” Wolfe flicked on a screen and images of inside the Woods’ house lit up the room. “This is where we found the victims. As you can see the shockwave from the explosion toppled both Mr. Wood and his daughter’s chairs over but Mrs. Wood remain

ed in an upright position.” He went to the X-rays. “Jody has a slight contusion on the right side of her skull, consistent with hitting the floor during the blast. From the toxicology, I’ve tested for carbon monoxide and from the amount inhaled, she died before the fire took hold. She wasn’t injured or sexually abused.” He waived toward the smallest body. “She was secured by zip-ties and was wearing PJs.” He glanced up at Jenna. “Questions?”

Glad that Wolfe had left the tiny body covered, Jenna shook her head. “Not at this time.”

“You can put Jody back, Em.” Wolfe removed the sheet from the next unrecognizable victim. The charred remains curled up in a fetal position. “This is Mr. Wood.” He clicked a remote and an X-ray came onto the screen. “He was found on his left side but has blunt force trauma to the back of his skull. I’ve made a comparison with various implements and have concluded he was hit with a weapon in a downward motion.” He formed his hand into a pistol and struck downward. “From the position of the injury, the victim must have been sitting in the chair at the time of impact. The hematoma to the brain, would suggest he survived for at least five to ten minutes after the injury. From the fibers I found embedded in his flesh, he was dressed in casual clothes and secured with zip-ties. His cause of death is complicated by the degree of carbonization.” He pointed to the position of the body on the image. “Seated close to the doorway, he took the full force of the shockwave and the gas can was close by. He would have been unconscious due to the head trauma but the fire killed him.” He looked at Jenna.

She stared at the charred figure no longer resembling anything human and swallowed hard. “And Mrs. Wood?”

“She was brutalized.” As Emily slid Mr. Wood back into the mortuary drawer, Wolfe went to the next victim. He clicked up images on the screen. “Her nose and jaw are broken. She has a cracked eye socket. I conclude this woman suffered a severe beating. Her body isn’t as fire damaged as the others and rape is evident. She was alive and burned to death. I found traces of smoke inhalation in her lungs. She was dressed but her underwear was missing.” He tossed the sheet back over the body. “All victims had eaten at least one hour prior to their deaths.” He looked over his mask at Jenna. “I’m ruling all three deaths as homicide.”

“Do you have a time of death?” Carter stared at the gurney.

“No time of death but we know when the explosion took place and these people were alive before the fire, so we can use the documented time of the explosion for the TOD.” Wolfe looked toward Jo’s raised hand. “Jo?”