“Yes, ma’am.” Kane’s grin had not faded.
She stood and pulled out her notepad. “I’ll need my car keys.” Flipping open her notes, she looked at Kane. “I sent emails out to the other sheriff departments in the state requesting information on similar cases. I cc’d you in, Kane, so the emails will go straight to your cellphone.” She sucked in a breath. “I gather from your talk with Felicity’s parents, the boyfriend, Derick Smith, has a part-time job at Miller’s Garage on Saturdays and during summer break? I want you to interview him just to see if he is as squeaky clean as George thinks. He lives on Pine Forest Road, a block away from Felicity’s house, he could have driven past her on the way to work.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“After you’re done with Smith, pick up Wolfe and head back out to the crime scene and check out the other trail.” She glanced at her notes. “Something you said last night made me think. It wasn’t hot yesterday and yet I didn’t notice any pools of water at the scene. The victim’s hair was damp but the killer had taken the time to brush it. I studied the images as well and didn’t notice any muddy footsteps leading away from the rock in any direction as you mentioned. You were correct. All the footprints led away from the river. If the killer placed the body on the rock, cut her up, dried her hair and brushed it, then picked flowers before he left, somehow he left no trace of his movements in or around the clearing.”
“We’ll look closer.” Wolfe gave her a determined stare. “I’ll break down the area into a grid and we’ll search every damn inch. I’ll find something we can use.” He handed Jenna her car keys.
“Do you mind if I grab Rowley and take him with us?” Kane rubbed his chin. “As he’s lived here all his life, he’ll know all the tracks throughout the forest.”
Jenna nodded in agreement. “Good idea. I’ll be out of the office for an hour or so.” She headed for the door. “Maggie will have to manage for a short while. I’m going to visit Aimee Fox and see if she can shed some light on Felicity’s movements before her death. I’ll call first to make sure one of her parents is there before I question her.” She stopped walking and gave Kane a long look over one shoulder. “I’ll take Deputy Walters as backup.”
“Good idea.” Kane followed close behind her. “I’ll call you if we find anything.”
She turned and flicked a gaze over both men. “I’ll do the same.”
Seventeen
Kane strolled into Miller’s Garage to interview Derick Smith with his military mindset fully loaded. A familiar calmness descended on him, bringing everything around him into perfect clarity. If Derick had killed Felicity, his instincts would scream, “Guilty.” He avoided the office and walked past the gas pumps and into the garage.
Two cars sat on the hoists with a man working on each. He had spoken to George Miller, the owner of the place, many times, so the young muscular man in dirty coveralls had to be Derick. He took in the size of him—not only young and as strong as a bull but he could plainly see marks on one forearm resembling scratches. The strong, fit football player could render a full-grown man unconscious with one punch, and overpowering a sixteen-year-old girl would be a piece of cake.
The image of the mutilated body and the surprised look of horror etched into her expression flashed into his mind. Anger welled and he fought hard to swallow his emotion. He approached Mr. Miller. “Hey, George, mind if I have a quick word with Derick?”
“Oh, it’s you, Deputy Kane. Would you like my daughter to bring you a nice hot coffee? We have a fresh pot—no trouble.” George smiled and wiped his hands on an oily rag.
Kane had avoided Mary-Jo after a date six months previously. As he valued Jenna’s friendship and the comfortable ease he enjoyed with her off-duty, he had not asked Mary-Jo out again. Her father regarded him as son-in-law potential and tried to force her onto him at regular intervals. He smiled at the older man. “Thanks, but if I drink any more coffee I won’t sleep for a week. It’s been one of those days.”
“I know what you mean.” George went over to Derick and tapped him on the shoulder. “Deputy Kane wants a word with you, son.”
“Sure.” Derick pulled out his earbuds and gave Kane a worried frown. “My folks okay?”
“As far as I’m aware.” Kane led him to a more secluded area of the workshop. “Do you know Felicity Parker?”
“Yeah.” Derick looked over Kane’s shoulder at the tools lined up against the wall, each in their marked position. “She’s my girl.”
Kane stood feet apart and rested one hand on the handle of his Glock. He had mentioned her in the present tense, not something a man would do if he knew she had died. He pushed him a little to see if he had the temper he expected. “Bit young for you, isn’t she?”
“She turns seventeen in a couple of months.” Derick shot him a worried glance. “It’s not like that either. I respect her and plan to marry her someday.”
“Uh-huh.” Kane narrowed his gaze. “I hear you had one hell of an argument over Felicity going to the dance on Friday night.”
“Yeah, we did disagree.” Derick glanced down at his soiled work boots then lifted his chin. “She wanted to go with Aimee, and that troublemaker is only interested in getting laid by Lucky Briggs. I objected is all.” He huffed a deep breath. “Lucky is the guy you need to be talking to about underage girls, not me, and I have her parents’ permission to date her.”
“When did you last see Felicity?”
“Sunday.” Derick shuffled his feet and avoided Kane’s gaze. “We went for a walk and talked some but she insisted on going to the dance without me.”
Kane waited a few beats hoping he would spill the entire story but the young man appeared to be deep in thought. “And?”
“I told her straight. If she preferred to hang around Lucky Briggs and become another notch in his belt, she wasn’t the girl for me.” Derick frowned and straightened, looking him in the eye. “Would you chase after a woman who trashed your heart as if the time we spent together and the respect I gave her meant squat?” He dragged a filthy hand through his hair, making it stick it up in all directions. “She tempted me beyond reason but I kept my word to her parents and never touched her.”
“I see.” Kane remained noncommittal and reached inside his pocket for his notepad and pen. He made a few notes. “So, you had no contact with her from what time on Sunday?”
“’Bout four thirty.” Derick’s expression turned from anger to concern. “Why are you asking me all these questions about Felicity? Her parents haven’t put in a complaint against me, have they?”
“No, they haven’t.” Kane jotted down the details. “I’m speaking to everyone who was in the area of Stanton Forest, Sunday through Monday.” He cleared his throat. “So, Sunday afternoon about four thirty was the last time you spoke to Felicity. Is that correct?” After reading Felicity’s cellphone records, he would know if Derick was lying.
“Has something happened to her?” Agitation rolled off the young man.
“Just answer the question.” Kane lifted his gaze from the notepad.
“Not until you tell me what’s going on!” Derick made a step toward him, fists clenched.
Kane straightened and gave him a “back the hell off” glare. “Felicity was involved in an incident on Monday morning and like I said before this is a routine inquiry.”
“I called her on Monday morning, early from here. I’ve called her since but she has turned off her damn phone.”
“How early?” Kane raised an eyebrow. “Had you started work?”
“Yeah, so around seven thirty, I guess.” Derick stared at his boots. “I was waiting around for George to do the paperwork on a repair. He wanted me to deliver the car and pick up the loaner before I got my clothes all greased up.” He wrinkled his nose. “I took the car out to Stanton Road around eight and got back here around nine.”