“Yes.” Emily’s hair fell over one shoulder as she nodded in agreement. She took out her cellphone and snapped a picture of the suspects. “Don’t worry. I’ll crop the image so the other information is not visible, just in case I lose my cellphone.” She smiled and patted Wolfe on the arm. “I’ll message you if we go to Aunt Betty’s Café and when we leave and return to the computer store. As far as I know the girls are restricted to those areas the same as I am.” She frowned. “Since Kate’s murder they are scared but no one knows what happened to them. They are sticking together but no one seems to know anything about Joanne Blunt.”
Jenna leaned back in her chair. “Joanne was a visitor to town and we believe she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She has no connection to the other victims or any of our suspects, which makes our killer all the more dangerous. Take care this afternoon and I will look forward to your report.”
She waited for Emily to leave the room and turned to Kane. “I want to keep a close eye on her. Is the new CCTV camera system installed near the computer store?”
“Yeah, it gives a clear view of the computer store and Aunt Betty’s Café and there are six others along the street. The interview room I converted into a command center also gives the ability to move the cameras, zoom in, et cetera.”
She tapped her pen on the table. “How long do the discs run? Do we have to change them or do they re-write every twelve hours or so?” She heard Wolfe make a strange sound halfway between a snort and a chuckle. She glared at him. “Okay, what’s so funny?”
“Everything is digital now, ma’am. We have terabytes of storage and keep them for six months, then if no crimes have been committed, we overwrite them.” Wolfe’s mouth twitched into a half smile. “The hard drives have approximately ten years’ life before we need to replace them but well before that no doubt they will be able to hold enough data for a year or more.” He raised one blond brow. “I can add an app to our cellphones to allow us to view the footage in real time. It might come in handy.”
She nodded. “Do it as soon as possible. I’ll get Rowley on phone interviews with our suspects but I gather we’ll have to chase up Lucky Briggs and Storm Crawley. It’s unlikely they will have their cellphones on hand if they are competing. The events at the rodeo did start today, I believe?”
“I can take a ride over there if you like?” Kane leaned nonchalantly back in his chair, his large hands resting on the arms. “I’ve organized four deputies from Blackwater to patrol the fairgrounds from Thursday through Sunday as we’ll be there undercover, so to speak. The new mayor is paying them so we don’t owe them our time.”
Annoyed he had taken charge again, she narrowed her gaze at him then a memory dropped into place. She had asked him to speak to the mayor about spending money on the town’s safety. He had informed her about funding for the CCTV cameras but not the extra help. The anger she had for him melted like last winter’s snow. “Yes, I remember asking you to speak to him. Thank you.”
“We can hire another full-time deputy as well, but a rookie. The mayor said the budget won’t stretch to another ex-marine.” Kane’s blue eyes searched her face. “Would you like me to place an advertisement once we have caught the killer or go ahead and start looking for someone now?”
She shook her head. “No, you have enough to do at the moment and a rookie to watch as well will be more trouble than he is worth. In any case, we have Maggie to do the grunt work. I can’t expect you to do her duties as well.”
Last night, he had let down his guard by showing her his gentler side. Rather than push him away she should encourage him to relax with her in their downtime. Their evening together had been natural as if they fit together, and the fact he cared enough to cuddle her all night meant a lot to her. She smiled and caught his relieved expression. “Thanks for handling the mayor, I find him a bit condescending. Then most of the old-school types in town think being a sheriff is a man’s job.”
“Trust me,” Kane smiled at her in a slash of white, “everyone knows who is in charge.”
Thirty-Four
Kane noticed the color rise in Jenna’s cheeks and stood ready to leave. “If it’s alright with you, ma’am, I’ll head out to the fairgrounds and speak to the cowboys.”
“Just a minute, Kane. I need a word with you before you leave.” Jenna tucked a strand of raven hair behind one ear then turned her attention to Wolfe. “If you need a quiet area to search through the laptops, use the control center, and you can keep an eye on Emily at the same time via the CCTV cameras.”
“Yes, that would be a good idea.” Wolfe rubbed the blond stubble on his chin and looked at Jenna. “I’ll need Chad’s IP address as well, and Kate’s other friends. It will give me a better idea of who was interacting and when. If I see someone we can’t identify, we will know it’s our bogey. Do you mind if I call the parents for the information?”
“No, go ahead and do what’s necessary.”
Unsure of Jenna’s mood or motive for keeping him behind, Kane dropped back into the chair and rested one boot on the knee of his other leg. After Wolfe left the room, closing the door behind him, instead of going back to her seat, Jenna stood between him and the desk and stared down at him with a confused expression. He gave her his brightest smile. “What can I do for you, ma’am?”
“Last night—okay. I know I checked out for a while.” Jenna rubbed both small hands over her face then peered at him through her fingers. “Before you ask, the flashbacks are a bitch but I’m coping, and swearing at you this morning was unforgiveable. I shouldn’t have had a drink or bothered you with my problems. It wasn’t a fair thing to do in the circumstances and I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.”
Kane leaned back in the chair and looked up at her. The memory of her snuggled against him came back in a rush. He frowned. “What circumstances?”
“You’ve recently lost your wife and ending up in your bed was unforgivable.”
“Her name was Annie and I lost her eighteen months ago.” He regarded the sorrow in her eyes and frowned. “You’re my friend and last night we both needed a little comfort. Trust me, sleeping alone after having Annie beside me for five years is hell. Just knowing she would be waiting for me to come home after a mission kept me alive. It’s been a long time since anyone needed me or cuddled me.” He reached for her hand and rubbed his thumb over her smooth skin. “Sometimes you’ll need a shoulder to cry on and I’ll need a cuddle or we’ll stop being human.”
Her dark blue eyes moved over his face and she gave the tiniest of nods. “I agree. I value the friendship we have outside the office. I think not allowing personal life to get in the way of the job is part of being a professional.”
He looked at her for a long moment. His dream of a wife, a white picket fence, and a bunch of kids had died with Annie but he had found a kindred spirit in Jenna. “I enjoy your company too and with all that’s happened lately, it’s not healthy to be alone every night to dwell on murder. Come over for a steak tonight and we can finish watching the movie.”
“Sure, let me know how you get on with the cowboys.”
He dropped her hand and touched the brim of his hat before heading for the door. “Yes, ma’am.”
* * *
Pedestrians dressed in their best fringes and sparkles filled the sidewalk. With the first day of the rodeo underway, the local businesses in Black Rock Falls were doing a roaring trade. Most of the stores had stalls out front carrying local souvenirs, preserves, pottery, and other interesting items. The boldly colored bunting draped on every available surface gave the main road a carnival atmosphere. Speakers set high on the lampposts vibrated with country and western music, the latest tunes interrupted by the local radio station with the results of events at the fairgrounds. The noise in the “quiet” town had increased to a constant babble of voices.