“I hope so.” Kane’s blue eyes met hers over the rim of his takeout coffee cup. “I have the awful feeling she’s dead. Most people won’t leave home without their cards and wallet and I doubt if I could find anyone who willingly leaves without their cellphone.” Kane raised one black eyebrow. “Even you.”
She frowned. “For me it’s weapons then cellphone, and I usually stuff some cash into my pocket.” She sipped the coffee, easing the soreness in her throat. “But I admit I do keep essentials here in my office.”
“Exactly.” Kane flashed her a white grin. “So, unless Mrs. Rogers has a hideout somewhere with a stash of cash and clothes, I think we should be concerned about her safety. Especially as we found evidence of blood on the hall floor and the Chinese rug is missing.”
“She is not at her sister’s and I’ve contacted all the friends on the list she gave me. No one has seen her.” She rubbed her temples in slow circles. “If you add the muddy boots and shovel… It’s not looking good, is it?”
“Nope.” Kane’s blue gaze slid over her face. “Wolfe is bringing in cadaver dogs. Stanton Forest covers miles in all directions. We’ll need to set up a search party and spread out in sections from where Rogers parked his car.” He wiped his mouth with a paper towel. “The problem I have is if he isn’t our killer, we are counting down the hours for the next victim to turn up.” He sighed. “If he has escalated, we would expect him to hit over the weekend.”
A cold chill shivered down Jenna’s spine. “My guess would be while everyone is occupied at the dance at the showground on Friday night.”
“That was my thought as well.”
Trying to push past the horror of finding another mutilated victim, Jenna stood and went to the whiteboard. “Okay, while we’re waiting for Wolfe to finish his tests and for the K-9 team to arrive, the best course of action would be to remove Rogers from the suspect list then run through the timeline of each victim and see if any of our suspects match the murders.” She glanced at him. “As we have absolutely zero suspects or information concerning Joanne Blunt, I’m treating her death as a random thrill-kill by the same killer. We have nothing to tie her in with the other victims and we can discount a copycat.”
Taking the black pen, she made two separate sections at the end of the whiteboard and titled them, “Felicity, Kate other suspect options.”
Felicity.
Movements prior to death:
Last seen alive: Monday morning approximately seven fifty
By whom: Parents
Mrs. Rogers at approximately eight
* * *
What was she doing?
Leaving home to visit Aimee Fox
Mrs. Rogers witnessed her walking toward Stanton Forest – opposite direction to Fox home
* * *
Location: Stanton Road
* * *
What was she wearing? Blue shirt with butterfly, blue skirt, pink cowboy boots, earbuds.
* * *
Boyfriend: Derick Smith
* * *
Friends: Aimee Fox, Kate Bright, Chad Johnson, Lucas Summerville
* * *
Recent social interactions: Online gamer, Aunt Betty’s Café, computer store
* * *
Suspects:
A. Lionel Provine: interacted with Felicity and unable to verify whereabouts B. Derick Smith: Felicity’s boyfriend, cannot account for time missing during a car delivery C, D. Lucky Briggs and Storm Crawley: seen in forest at time of death
Kate:
Movements prior to death:
Last seen at home: Wednesday evening at approximately six
By whom: Parents
* * *
What was she doing? In her bedroom playing online games
* * *
Last seen alive: six fifteen by Lucky Briggs and Storm Crawley
* * *
What was she doing? Walking toward college
* * *
Location: Stanton Road.
* * *
What was she wearing? White top, blue denim jeans, cowboy boots, dark blue hoodie, earbuds.
* * *
Boyfriend: Chad Johnson
* * *
Friends: Aimee Fox, Lucas Summerville.
* * *
Recent social interactions: Online gamer, Aunt Betty’s Café, computer store
* * *
With: Lionel Provine and Aimee Fox, Lucas Summerville and Chad Johnson in computer store
* * *
Suspects:
Lionel Provine: unable to account for whereabouts
Lucky Briggs and Storm Crawley: Seen in town at Aunt Betty’s Café approximately nine on Wednesday night
“What about Derick Smith?” Kane stretched out his long legs. “We haven’t really considered him, have we?”
Jenna chewed on the end of the pen. “Okay, I’ll add him with a question mark until you can speak to him again.” She sighed. “Take out Rogers, and all the others look pretty weak.”
“Nah.” Kane’s long fingers closed around his second cup of coffee. “I think we need to take a closer look at Lionel Provine. You have him as a key player in both cases. Both victims played online games and interacted on a social level with Lionel Provine. He lives alone and can’t prove his whereabouts during either murder.”
“Yes, I agree.” Jenna made some notes on the whiteboard. “The kids regard him as a gift horse. He has gotten close to them by giving them gift cards or whatever they use to obtain bonuses in their games. He could be skulking online and pretending he is a kid.”
“That’s a possibility. Those games rooms are open to everyone who purchases the game.” Kane peered at her with a worried gaze. “Pedophiles use them all the time to get close to kids. The fact they are able to swap bonus cards should be a red flag to any parent. Wolfe has been so busy with the forensic investigations he hasn’t had time to look at the victims’ laptops, and their cellphones are missing. He did a trace and couldn’t find any of them, so I would say they’ve been destroyed.”
“That fact alone makes me wonder if the killer has left a trail to him on their cellphones. Maybe not Joanne but the other victims.” Jenna went back to her seat. “He must be close to the local girls; this is why Rogers fits the profile as well. Computer-savvy, knows the girls, hangs around the computer store with Provine, was in the area both times the murders were committed. You said they must have known their killer to be lured to their deaths, or someone had up-close and personal information about their whereabouts.” She picked up her second coffee and sipped. “Rogers could be in the damn games room acting as if he is one of the kids.”
“So what is your next move?”
Jenna tapped her fingernails on the desk and considered his question. “I’ll wait here for Wolfe to return. I can’t leave at the moment. I sent Walters home as he is doing the six until midnight shift.” She rubbed her brow. “Go and lean on Lionel Provine and drop over to Miller’s Garage and have a chat with Derick Smith about where he was last night. I’ll call you if Wolfe has come up with any startling new evidence.”
“Sure.” Kane stood and towered over her. “What time is the lawyer due to arrive? I would like to be present for the interview if that’s possible, ma’am.”
“Three, so you have an hour.” Jenna looked up at him, way up, and smiled. “Would you like to interview Rogers?” She noticed his eyes flicker as if in surprise. “You are my expert of psychopathic behavior and if he is not the killer of our victims, we need to know. Although, dragging him across the table and beating a confession out of him is out of the question as he’ll have his lawyer in the room.” She bit back a snort of laughter.
When Kane’s dark gaze narrowed, she caught a flicker of the man who killed for his country without one shred of remorse.
“Yeah, I’ll be happy to interview him.” Kane inclined his head and examined her face. “If you order me to do anything else, it will have to be after the lawyer has left.” He turned to leave.
Appalled he had taken her joke seriously, she gaped at him. “Kane, I—”
His large frame pivoted in the doorway and he grinned at her. “Gotcha.”
Forty-One