“I didn’t like her at all.” Raven leaned forward on the table, one hand wrapped around a cup of coffee. “She constantly clashed with me over technique.”
“And she flirted with all of us”—Kane shrugged—“which made us guys uncomfortable. Needless to say, we didn’t invite her back.”
“We decided to look into her background a little more closely.” Rowley looked up from his tablet and frowned. “She moved here from Great Falls and has a history of violence, which she blames on PTSD. Apparently, a guy made a move on her in a bar and she put him in the hospital. Another report from Great Falls: she smashed a glass over the head of a woman who was laughing in a restaurant.”
“She’d be more than capable of doing both murders.” Kane leaned back in his chair. “I’m now wondering if it’s a coincidence that the woman who washed into the river in her sedan was a member of the group as well. We need to get that vehicle hauled out of the river and taken to Millers’ Garage. I want to know if anyone tampered with the brakes or steering.”
“I’m on it.” Raven picked up his phone and headed for the door to make the call.
Moving her attention back to Rio, Jenna nodded. “Who else do you have on your list?”
“It’s a shot in the dark but we need to include anyone the members of this group consulted as well.” Rio picked up the pen again. “Dr. Caleb Morrow is a trauma therapist and I’m aware he counseled several of the women in the group, as well as a couple of the men in the group Rowley is running. It was something that one of the men mentioned to me that triggered my curiosity. He told them that programs like ours can trigger trauma relapses.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Jo shook her head. “The group is support. Women get more confidence when they know how to protect themselves, and it’s the same with men. Previously they had no one to turn to; now there’s a bunch of them who they can speak to and they make friends within that group. This is what was lacking in their lives before, and no way could it trigger a trauma relapse.”
“That’s good to know.” Rio made some notes on the whiteboard. “I made a few calls today to the women in our group, mainly to explain that there wouldn’t be any classes until we have solved this case. I threw in a few extra questions. This is how I discovered Morrow’s involvement with the women. Eileen Venter and Carla Parry both mentioned that while they were waiting in his office for their appointments, they heard him arguing with Sierra. When she left, she told them that she would never go back there again.”
Smiling her thanks at Kane as he pushed a fresh cup of coffee in front of her, Jenna nodded. “Well, it looks like we need to dig a little deeper into Morrow. Let’s see if he has any skeletons in his closet.” She added a name to the list in her daybook and sighed. “I’m thinking we need to contact the local authorities about scrutinizing the qualifications of counselors. This is the second time one has come under suspicion. That shouldn’t be happening.”
“There is one other person we should consider.” Rio added a name to the whiteboard. “Jade Ellison was a former attendee. When she dropped out of the program, I called her to make sure she was okay. She told me that she didn’t want to return because she felt that everyone in the room was watching her. I remember following up shortly afterward and discovering from her neighbor that she’d had a breakdown and spent some time in the hospital. The neighbor said she was very strange and held grudges against people for years.” He shrugged. “It may be nothing, but I figure we should look into her whereabouts at the times of the murders.”
“It seems to me the focus is on women perps.” Kane sat back in his chair and narrowed his gaze at Rio. “Is there any reason for this? It’s very unusual to have a female serial killer.”
“Access mostly.” Rio slid back into his seat and looked at him across the long table. “I took into account that the women in the group are all nervous types. They are aware of their vulnerabilities and so would be more likely to allow a woman inside their safety zone.”
“That is sound reasoning, if we weren’t talking about a serial killer.” Jo crossed her legs and doodled on her legal pad. “We need to consider men who came in contact with them as well. Most premeditated or, as we refer to them, organized murders, which I believe these are, are committed by men. Women tend to be more spontaneous and opportunistic. They are driven by revenge, hatred, greed, and jealousy, whereas men lean more toward fantasy. They’ll fantasize about murdering someone for a long time before they form a plan or plans of action.”
Sipping her coffee, Jenna considered Jo’s advice. “I agree. We need to speak to the women in the group and find out if any contractors worked for them. Many times our suspects have come from people who worked for the victims at one time or another.” She glanced at the rain lashing the windows and sighed. “The weather is terrible. The roads are chaotic at the moment but we can use the phones. Split up the names of the members of the group, ask them if any of them use contractors, and we can interview them when we get a break in the weather.”
“You won’t need to check this guy.” Kane took a card from his pocket and handed it to Rio. “I personally did a full rundown on him and the other guy who works with him. They are solid and have been working in Black Rock Falls for ten years without a complaint. I’ve recommended them to the people who asked me for a security firm.”
“Thanks.” Rio turned the card over in his hand. “I’ll split up the lists.”
“Just you, Rowley, and Raven.” Kane frowned. “Jenna and Jo are in no fit state to be here all day. I’m taking them home to rest up.”
Wanting to protest, Jenna stared at him and then relented as the pain in her shoulder increased. “Yeah, a spell in the hot tub and a good sleep and we’ll be as good as new.”
Her phone chimed and she stared at the caller ID. It was Maggie from downstairs. “Yes, Maggie?”
“Julie and a man by the name of Rhett came by to speak with you.” Maggie kept her voice low as if not to be heard. “They said it was urgent so I sent them up to your office.”
Wondering what had happened, Jenna frowned. “Okay, I’m on my way.” She looked at Kane. “Julie wants to see us. She’s in our office with Rhett.” She looked at her deputies. “We’ll be heading home once we’ve dealt with this. Jo, Carter, do you want to come too?”
“Yeah sure.” Carter stood slowly and slid his phone into his pocket. “Come on, Zorro.” He wiggled his fingers.
Jenna gathered her things. “I’ll see you in the morning. Don’t work late. It’s dangerous out there. Leave before dark.” She hurried out of the door.
Twenty-Two
Kane caught up with Jenna in the hallway and Duke bounded ahead of them. His dog loved Wolfe’s girls and he vanished inside the office. “Jenna, wait up.” He turned to her. “We know little about Rhett, but Julie wouldn’t come here unless something is troubling her and she feels she can’t talk to Shane about it. She looks to me as her uncle and someone she can trust. Do you want me to handle whatever problem she’s having?”
“Maybe they’re engaged.” Jenna’s eyes sparkled and then she chewed on her bottom lip. “Nope, Julie isn’t impulsive. There must be something wrong or she would go to her dad to discuss it. Okay, Dave, you ask the questions.”
“I’m sure glad I never asked any of Wolfe’s daughters out on a date.” Behind them Carter shook his head. “That poor guy. If he stays after a second interrogation, she’s onto a winner.” He blew out a long breath. “Wolfe told me about meeting him.”
“He only wants the best for his girls.” Jo gave him a side-eye. “I’ll be the same when Jaime gets to that age.” She exchanged a look with Carter. “Maybe we should wait outside?”
Kane rolled his eyes. “He’s gonna need to meet the family sooner or later and, although not blood, we’re Julie’s family.” He headed toward the door and stepped inside.
