Be Mine Forever (Detectives Kane and Alton)

“Nope.” Rowley gave him a puzzled stare. “The sheriff called me. She received a 911 call and called me and Wolfe.” He shuffled his feet. “How come she didn’t call you?”

“She left in a hurry just after I arrived home.” Kane shrugged. “I had a night out with Carter and slept over at The Cattleman’s Hotel.” He gave Rowley a direct stare. “Jenna figured I needed a night out to do some male bonding, that I’ve been spending too much time with her.”

“Uh-huh.” Rowley grinned. “As a woman surrounded by menfolk at work, it should’ve been the other way around but then she does spend time with Sandy and Emily, I guess.”

Kane laughed. “Don’t forget Maggie, although she’s not a girls’ night out kind.”

“Girls’ night out?” Jenna looked at Kane curiously. “There’s a woman lying murdered over there and you’re chatting about having a girls’ night out.”

“Me?” Kane shook his head. “No, ma’am. The complete opposite.”

“Okay.” Jenna stared at her notebook. “Kane, I want you to check the apartment over the store, and Rowley talk to the bystanders and canvas the immediate area. Find out if anyone saw or heard anything last night between seven and midnight. I’ll call Rio to come and assist. I want someone here until Wolfe has removed the body, so delegate. Contact Walters if you need an extra hand. When you’re done here, I’ll go with Kane to see Dr. Turner and inform him about his wife.” She looked at Kane. “Did you remember to leave the dog food before you left this morning?”

Kane narrowed his gaze. “Yeah, of course I did. I left a bag on your porch.”

“Fine. I’ll see you back at the office.” She walked away pulling out her phone.

“Jenna.” Kane hurried after her and met her stride for stride. People had started to gather around the alleyway to see what was happening. He waved them away. “Nothing to see here folks, move along now.”

“Didn’t you understand your orders?” Jenna pulled open the door of her cruiser and slipped behind the wheel and stared at him.

“I understand them just fine but would like to know why you’re acting so hostile this morning?” Kane removed his hat and scratched his head. His hair was still damp from the shower. “Why didn’t you call me about the murder? I am the deputy sheriff.”

“Dave, you’d just gotten home.” Jenna wrinkled her nose. “You kinda stunk pretty bad and had lipstick on your cheek, so I figured you’d need time to get cleaned up. I’m not being hostile, I did the chores and left without as much as one sip of coffee. I’m not needed on scene at the moment, so I’m delegating responsibility. Now, I’m going to have breakfast at Aunt Betty’s.” She shut the door and buzzed down her window. “You know darn well, if I don’t get my coffee in the mornings, I’m like a bear with a sore head. Go with the flow, Dave. I’m not the fairy princess every day—some days I’m the wicked witch and if we’re going to make this thing between us work, you’re gonna have to live with it.”

He caught the annoyance in her eyes and swallowed the laugh bubbling up his throat. “Sure, I’m down with that.”

“Good.” Jenna eased out into the traffic.

Kane stared after her. He liked the way she spoke her mind to him. It had become almost a tradition between them. No lies, just honesty even if it stung a bit. He understood the mood swings. Jenna had a soft side, but on the job, she rarely let down her guard. With a male team to command, she had no other choice. No matter how close they became, she would remain aloof at work. That was Jenna and he respected her for it. He turned and headed back to the crime scene.

Observation was a massive part of detective work, comparing and mentally logging pieces of information, some so remote they don’t seem to matter at the time. He avoided the body and scanned the area, moving along the alleyway keeping as close to the wall as possible. He noticed a distinct drag mark and bent to examine the turned-up dirt. The murder hadn’t occurred here, the body had been dragged from somewhere else. He moved forward using his Maglite to peer into dark recesses and turned the corner into the small courtyard that led to the foot of a flight of stairs. Pulling on gloves, he moved up the steps, checking each one for evidence. The old wooden stairs creaked and groaned like most behind the old stores in town. The apartments above the stores were usually rented for extra income, the stores’ owners preferring a larger home. He reached the top and found the door ajar and knocked. “Sheriff’s department.”

He called out several times before pushing the door wide, calling out again and stepping inside with caution. The door led to an open plan kitchen and family room. Signs of a struggle were evident, chairs tipped over, pots and pans strewn around the room as if someone had tried to use them as weapons. He pulled his Glock and checked the bedroom and bathroom. The place was empty but long strands of hair blew across the floor from the breeze coming through the door. The bed was in disarray, sheets trailed toward the door, and clothes lay scattered and torn on the threadbare rug. He holstered his weapon and went back to the family room and stared at the photographs on the mantel over the fireplace. He recognized Laurie Turner and the woman with her was the corpse in the alleyway. It didn’t take him long to find Mrs. Turner’s purse on a kitchen counter. The ID in the name of Jeanette Turner confirmed his suspicions.

He moved back down the stairs and went to Wolfe. “She lived upstairs. The door is open and there are signs of a struggle in the bedroom. I found drag marks in the alleyway.”

“I’m assuming she was strangled.” Wolfe was directing Emily and Webber to bag the woman’s hands and get her into a body bag. “The contusions and scrapes appear to be post-mortem, it’s different to the cheerleaders’ murders but suspiciously the same, as if someone had inside information. I’ll know more later. You’ll need to contact her husband to come by to ID the body. I don’t want to wait too long before I do the post on this one.” He turned to Emily. “The apartment upstairs is the likely murder scene. We’ll get her into the van and then do a sweep upstairs. Kane has been inside but I want you in coveralls and booties. I’m not planning on missing any evidence.” He turned back to Kane. “I’ll send Webber back with the body but I’ll need two hours at least to process the scene here and upstairs. Have Mr. Turner show around noon.” He sighed. “Autopsy at two as usual.” He moved closer. “I’ll check the dressings on your backs so arrive a little early.”

Kane nodded. “Sure.” He noticed Rio had arrived. “I’ll go speak to the neighbors and see if anyone heard anything. Stan Williams lives right next door over the general store. Funny that, huh?”

“Maybe your hunch about him is right.” Wolfe bent to heave one end of the body bag onto the gurney. “I’ll see you at two.” He headed for his van.

Kane walked up to Rio. “Rowley is around somewhere talking to the locals. Come with me and we’ll see if Stan Williams is home.”

“Not at this time of day.” Rio glanced at his watch. “He’ll be driving the school bus. I’d say he’ll be back after ten.”

Kane turned at the sound of footsteps to see Jake Rowley hurrying toward them.

“I have something.” Rowley came to his side. “One of the onlookers, Dan Staple, said he was walking back to his vehicle from Aunt Betty’s Café when he heard an argument last night around eight-thirty. He didn’t think much of it until he saw the ME’s van this morning. I asked him if he noticed any vehicles parked close by and he recalled seeing an old-style red Ford pickup. It caught his eye b

ecause it was so unusual. I showed him a photo of Laurie Turner’s pickup and he identified it as the same color and model.” He waved his statement book. “I have his statement and details. I’ve also spoken to store owners but most had closed for the night. The people aren’t at home from the apartments over the stores each side. So, apart from the vehicle we’ve got nothing.”

“Interesting. The Ford could be vital evidence.” Kane rubbed his chin. “There wouldn’t be any other 1950 red Ford pickups in town fitting that description. It has to be Laurie Turner’s and we find her mom dead close by. I’ll go check it out. The sheriff will want a media statement released as soon as possible. Zac, that’s your department. You know the drill, no specifics, just asking for anyone in the vicinity between the hours of seven and ten. Jake, I’ll leave you to open a case file.” He looked from one to the other. “Have you eaten?”

When they both nodded, he ordered them back to the office. “I’ll go and speak to Jenna. She’s stopped by Aunt Betty’s for breakfast.”

He walked back to his truck, his mind running possible scenarios on the case. Was Dr. Bob Turner involved? It seemed too obvious for a man of intelligence to go to murder his wife driving a distinctive vehicle. Or was he trying a move to psyche them out? He smiled to himself. If this was his plan, he had no idea who he was dealing with.