Cross My Heart (Detectives Kane and Alton)

“Well, if we take Stone as an example, you can see if Adams fits the same profile.” Jo sounded enthusiastic. “Stone lived and worked in Black Rock Falls for a long time. He hunted and disposed of his victims within the local area. He used the caves as a special place to hide some of his victims and revisited the crime scenes and corpses.”

The file Jenna had on Adams filled her mind, and the profile fit. “Yeah, Adams is the same, but remember, Stone didn’t act alone and at some point was receiving instructions on how to kill his victims.”

“Which takes an organized, highly intelligent mind.” Jo tapped away on her keyboard. “I’m opening Stone’s files now. Uh-huh, yes, very organized and yet his kills were spaced out a little more and he was triggered by a disagreement with you. The question is, Jenna: Is Stone capable of manipulating people to act for him? We have no proof that anyone has been communicating with him, but things happen in jail. Not every prison guard is honest. I figure we go and speak to him and see what pearls of wisdom he can offer us. Some psychopaths can’t wait to tell their tales, especially if it’s for research into the criminal mind. The entire beginnings of profiling came about because of the FBI’s interviews with psychopaths.”

Jenna swallowed hard. Acid formed in her stomach at the thought of speaking to James Stone again. The confrontation on the mountain, the weeks and months afterward hoping Kane was alive, had been a nightmare. Could she face Stone again? “I’m not sure. Going in to see him might give the wrong impression.”

“The wrong impression to Stone?” Jo chuckled. “Seeing you will more than likely unlock his defenses, it’s the last thing he’d expect. Facing a victim he failed to kill and one who put him behind bars might make him drop his guard.”

The confrontation with Stone played in her head like the rerun of a soap opera. She’d been outside the interview room watching when he’d blamed her for his killing spree. Her refusing to date him had triggered a psychotic episode resulting in people dying. Could she dare risk it? “What if seeing me unlocks the rage in him again? What if he decides to kill the inmates?”

“Unless Black Rock County jail decides to place him in the general population, I don’t think so.” Jo sucked in a breath. “I could go with Carter and talk to him but I think the shock value of seeing you will loosen his tongue. It all depends on if you’re able to cope with seeing him again, after what’s happened.”

Torn between her private hell and Jo’s intentions, she needed to know more. “What do you expect to gain from seeing Stone? He’s not going to tell you anything. He’s smart and if he’s playing a game with us, we’re doing just what he wants.”

“Exactly, but we’ll be

prepared, and he won’t be.” Jo sounded confident. “I’ll make arrangements to speak to him. I’ve interviewed some of the vilest human beings on the planet; he won’t be able to manipulate me.”

Jenna turned and looked at the horror of the crime scene. “Maybe not you, because you haven’t been threatened by him and you’re not standing ankle deep in blood, like I am at the moment. I might let you down. He’ll play to my weaknesses.”

“Will he?” Jo sighed “The last experience he had with you is you taking him down. You outwitted him and he knows it. You’ll have the upper hand. Don’t worry, we’ll discuss everything beforehand and if it makes you more comfortable, we’ll have Dave and Carter in the room with us.”

Jenna considered the options. “No, if we’re doing this, I don’t want him believing I need backup. He’ll see you as a doctor and no threat. Having the guys in there with us will demonstrate my apprehension at seeing him again. I’d never give him the satisfaction.”

“Then it’s a go?”

Determined, Jenna straightened and lifted her chin. “Yeah, it’s a go.”

Keeping the conversation with Jo to herself, Jenna worked the scene with the team. She had to walk away numerous times to gather herself. She might have investigated more murders than most sheriffs, but she never at any time forgot the victims were people. Her imagination ran riot with the ordeal the victims had endured, and it tore at her heart. All she could think of when she looked at the perfect features of Patti Howard and the once handsome Emmett was that killing them had been such a waste. Two intelligent young people in the prime of their lives, struck down on the whim of a madman. She had to find out who was responsible. If not Adams, then she’d keep investigating until she found the killer.

The exhausting trek back up the mountain, loaded up with bodies and evidence, gave her time to think over her conversation with Jo. Her body ached as she climbed into the truck. As they drove down the mountain road, she turned to Kane. “As you know, I called Jo and she had a few ideas on the case.”

“We already have someone in custody and I’m sure we can figure out this case on our own.” Kane cut her a glance. “We managed to solve cases before they arrived on the scene.”

“Yeah, but this one is different. I know we have Adams in custody but nothing will convince me that Stone isn’t involved in some way. Not after seeing that crime scene.” Jenna poured them coffee from the Thermos. “Jo wants to interview Stone and find out if he’s involved. She has so many techniques she can use to pry information out of him and I need to find out if he knows anything about the attack on me.”

“Do you honestly think he’d tell you if he did?” Kane snorted in obvious disgust. “The man is less than an animal. Depraved, brutal, and crazy doesn’t come close. I can’t believe you want to be in the same room as him, let alone speak to him.”

“Well, I don’t have to. We have one of the top behavioral analysts in the country at our disposal.” Jenna recalled the long talks they’d had about the FBI behavioral analysts’ convention, and why Kane had wanted to attend. “I remember you telling me how the FBI started analyzing psychopaths. How most of their information came from interviews? The agents learned a way to approach them to make them talk and get insights into their behavior.” She yawned explosively. “Oh, sorry. Anyway, as we have copycat murders and an ongoing threat to me, interviewing Stone might give us the edge we need. Stone is so arrogant he might slip up and admit to influencing the killer. It’s worth the chance. Don’t you think Jo would be able to handle Stone?”

“I’m sure she has had experience with interviewing psychopaths worse than him.” Kane turned onto Stanton Road and accelerated, making the forest flash by in a swirl of green. “Why would you give Stone the satisfaction of knowing you went to him for help? You know he believes you’re in love with him and that you’ll go back to him one day.” A nerve ticked in his cheek. “You’d be playing into his fantasy.”

The vivid memory of Stone shooting Kane and then gunning for her flashed across her mind. How could she ever forget? It had taken every ounce of willpower not to put a bullet into Stone’s head. She’d known Kane would disapprove, and on the way back from the murder scene had thought long and hard about how to convince him. “I’m not planning on going in and straight-out asking him about this murder or my intruder.” Jenna finished her coffee. “Jo will interview him on the pretense of writing a paper or whatever and ask him if he’d like to be involved in the research.”

“He’ll know from the newspapers about the first body in the forest.” Kane slowed as they hit town. “By tomorrow, Rio would have the media release out. Stone will know the details.”

“No, I’ve decided to restrict the media release to the search for June Harris.” Jenna placed the empty cup in the console. “It will be generic and nothing will be mentioned about her husband or the other murders. Rio is an expert at saying nothing in media releases.” She looked at him. “We can’t stop Stone receiving newspapers; it would make him even more suspicious.”

“An interview with Stone wouldn’t be too easy to set up.” Kane shrugged. “But Jo can cut through red tape. I hope you’re not planning on going into an interview room with him alone, are you? You’ll need Carter and me with you. Even in chains I don’t trust Stone.”

Jenna shook her head. “I don’t either, but it will be just me and Jo. You’ll be right outside watching through the two-way mirror.” She shrugged. “Nothing can possibly happen, Dave. You and Carter and the guards will be a second away. We’ll be safe.”

“Jenna.” Kane ran a hand down his face and sighed with a hint of desperation. “A man like Stone can kill in a second.” He let out a long sigh that made Duke whine and looked at her. “There’s no changing your mind about this, is there?”

Jenna turned in her seat and gave Kane a determined stare. “Absolutely not.”

Thirty-Four