Page 17 of Whisper Through the Pines

By the time they arrived at the Haunted House, the wind had picked up, jostling the jack-o’-lanterns stretched out between the street lights, and dark clouds had rolled in from the mountains, threatening rain. Jenna followed Kane along the alleyway through the back door to the Haunted House backstage area. A pickup blocked the space and a man wearing a dark cowboy hat, a brown suede jacket, and jeans unloaded and stacked firewood alongside the back door. The man ignored them and turned back to the truck, gathering more split wood. She stood for a few seconds watching him and then followed Kane up the stairs and waited as he hammered on the door. One of the crew opened the door and stared at them half asleep, coffee in hand. “Sheriff’s department, can we come inside? We would like to speak to the production manager.”

The young man blinked a few times and then stood to one side to allow them to pass. The cluttered area was chaotic and filled with people moving around. Props had been piled in corners, and racks of costumes pressed against the walls. It appeared to double as a changing room for the actors as well. A dressing table surrounded with lights sat at one end, with makeup spilling across the top, and on a table, latex masks sat discarded. In the center of the room, a woman barked orders and Jenna walked to her side. “I can see you’re busy, but I really need to ask you a few questions.”

“What is it now? Did I forget to dot the i on one of our permit applications?” The woman waved a hand at three men carrying gear. “Well, get on with it. I haven’t got all day.” She turned slowly back to Jenna and then raised her gaze to Kane and blinked as if she hadn’t noticed him before. “Ah—what can I do for you, Sheriff?”

With the feeling of eyes burning into her, Jenna turned to see two actors in costume watching them with suspicion. She turned back to the production manager. “I need to ask you and your special effects tech a few questions.”

“Okay.” The woman gestured to a man working at a tech station surrounded by laptops, lighting boards, and a projector. “Milo, get your ass over here. The cops want a word.” She narrowed her gaze. “Is there a problem?”

“What’s your name?” Kane took out his notebook and pen. “And the name of your special effects tech?”

“I’m Tessa Regan and this is Milo Strong, my special effects guy.” Tessa stood arms folded across her chest in a defensive manner and glared at them. “I haven’t got much time. We’re on a final run-through. We’re opening early. Tickets went on sale yesterday and they are selling right up to Halloween.”

A small young man with spectacles came toward them and stared at them wide-eyed.

Jenna nodded, took out her phone, and pushed the record button. “We’ve had an incident in the forest that you might be able to help us with. We believe that someone was projecting an image onto the mist and attempting to lure people into the forest. Can you tell me who has access to the projectors that you use?”

“Me.” Milo adjusted his glasses. “Well, most times. I need help when we’re running a stream of illusions at the same time. Only a few of the team know how to rig a portable projector.”

Jenna flicked a look at Kane. “What are their names and are they here today?”

“Trevor Richards, Shane Crow, and Mason Kitteridge and, yeah, they should be in the house.” Milo checked his watch. “It’s not time for a break.”

“Can you ask them to come here?” Kane looked at Tessa. “It will save time.”

“Sure.” Tessa went to the control panel and pressed a button and then spoke into a mic. “Trevor, Shane, and Mason to the dressing room.”

When they arrived and introduced themselves, Jenna immediately dismissed Crow. As a man in his late sixties, small and wiry, he wouldn’t have the height or strength to decapitate someone. Richards stood approximately five-ten, rugged, with an earring and long black greasy hair, wearing a faded T-shirt depicting an eighties rock band. Kitteridge was six-two, muscular, maybe thirty, with a weather-beaten appearance. Either could fit the profile. She noticed how they ignored her and looked at Kane. She cleared her throat. “I gather you are all proficient in using a portable projector? Can you tell me if it’s possible to project an image on fog?”

“You can project an image or film on any surface.” Richards shrugged. “Fog is good. We use a fog machine to make the ghosts appear real.”

“Who had access to the projectors last night?” Kane looked from one to the other with his pencil raised above his notebook.

“Everyone.” Milo moved around as if he needed to use the toilet. “Although, we did have one stolen recently. I was unpacking and left it in the back of the pickup. After I carried some of the equipment inside, I went out and it was gone. We haven’t reported it missing.”

“Do all the effects run from the tech station? Do you control the projectors as well?” Kane moved to the station and glanced at the high-tech equipment.

“No, we run the projectors on a timed loop.” Milo’s hands trembled as he pointed to a timetable of events stuck to the wall. “The customers come through and move at a predictable rate, so it’s easy to time it for each group as they walk through the attraction.”

Jenna recalled the way the Haunted House worked before. The attraction offered various scenarios. If a customer took a certain path, the outcome was different. This is what brought the tourists back each year to experience a different adventure each time. She turned toward Tessa. “So everyone who works here during the day setting up works at night as well?”

“Yeah, well, most of them do.” Tessa shrugged. “The actors only come in at six. We don’t require them to set up. They just get in the way.”

“Did anyone leave during their shift last night?” Kane walked back slowly, his gaze scanning the room as if taking it all in. “Or maybe show up late, or disappear for a time?”

“I did.” Kitteridge looked at Jenna and smiled. “I had a stomach bug. I drove down to the roadhouse to get something to fix it.”

“I sent Richards to pick up some takeout around nine.” Tessa shot Richards a stare to freeze a lake. “He was gone for a long time. He said the pizzeria was packed and there was a long line.”

“There was a long line.” Richards folded his arms across his chest. “Next time go yourself. I’m not paid to collect food.”

“Could any of you rig something fast and then tear it down and move it to a different location?” Kane ran his gaze over the men.

“I figure all of us could do that.” Milo shrugged and glanced at the others. “It’s something we need to do often. If the scenes don’t offer the intended thrill, we need to come up with something else. Like an automaton for instance.” He sighed. “Our reputation for scaring people is what makes money, not just on Halloween. You know, this house has been running various scary shows for over a year now. We still get people coming from all over.”

Jenna had heard enough. There was only one other question on her mind. “Has anyone been fired lately or had a disagreement with anyone here?”

“Yeah, Tom Winehart had an argument with me.” Tessa lifted her chin, her eyes flashing. “He figured he could run the show. I asked him to step back and to stop undermining my authority, and he wouldn’t, so I asked the owner to fire him. He threatened me but left town the next day.”