Page 28 of Whisper Through the Pines

The hinges groaned and Rowley’s stomach flip-flopped at the smell oozing through the gap. The odor was very familiar, metallic and rancid. He scanned the perimeter of the forest, but not even the mist stirred in the clearing. In front of him, Rio took out his flashlight and lit up the small cabin’s interior.

“Oh, dear Lord.” Rio dropped his flashlight and staggered backward down the steps. Something cracked in the forest, close by. “Get back to the truck. Now!” He pulled his weapon and bounded away.

Confused, Rowley ran after him. “What was it?” He climbed into the passenger seat and locked the door.

“Cherry’s and Connor’s heads are on the table.” Rio grabbed his satellite phone. “We need to call this in.”

Heart thundering, Rowley held up a hand to stop him. “Tell her this is the Axman’s doing. This is another myth. Do you know the one about the child knocking, the kid who drowned in the river and comes out of the forest and knocks on cabin doors to lure people to their deaths?”

“Yeah, I’ve heard it.” Rio stared at him and then returned his gaze to the forest. “Another Halloween story to frighten people, but this time it’s real.” He wiped a hand down his face. “Which means the bodies will be out there somewhere.” He started the truck, his eyes darting back and forth across the clearing. “Keep searching for any movement. I don’t want him creeping up on us. I’ll call Jenna.”

A shiver slid down Rowley’s spine and he gripped his pistol tighter. “Do you figure he’s out there watching us?”

“He was the last time.” Rio pressed Jenna’s number. “This killer likes to play games.”

Twenty-Seven

“You wanted to see me?” Jenna looked from one woman to the other and then indicated to Kane. “You’d know Deputy Kane.”

“Yes.” The first woman glanced at Kane and then moved her attention back to Jenna. “I’m Tonie Pacey and this is my friend Rose Potter. Our daughters attend the local grade school and it’s come to our attention that an old white pickup is hanging around the school. We noticed it a few days ago, and then last night it was cruising up and down as we picked up the kids. It was as if he was looking for someone.” She looked from Jenna to Kane and back again. “On the news you mentioned that if we saw anything we thought suspicious, we should come in and report it or call the hotline.”

Jenna nodded and took out a pen and notebook from her pocket. “Can you give me the approximate times that you saw this man?”

“This is what makes it unusual.” Tonie frowned. “We watched him and he didn’t drop off or collect anyone. Those were the times we noticed him.”

Making quick notes, Jenna lifted her gaze back to the women. “Can you describe him at all?”

“I didn’t get to see him close up”—Rose pushed her hands into her pockets—“but I know trucks and this was an old square-body Chevy, white with Montana plates.”

“Did you get the number?” Kane looked interested.

“Yeah.” Tonie pulled out her phone. “I took photographs. They’re from a distance but the plate is clear. The tinted windows make it hard to see him, but when he drove by, all I could see was a cowboy hat pulled down over his eyes. It seemed so suspicious, we decided to come by.”

“Send them to me.” Kane gave her his number and waited for his phone to buzz and then checked it. “Got them. This is very important information.”

Nodding, Jenna smiled at them. “I’d like you both to make a statement, so we have all your details. Would you be willing to act as a witness if this man proves to be a problem?”

When both women nodded, she called Maggie and explained. She turned back to the women. “Thank you so much for coming by. Now if you see this man again, make a note of the time and date for me, but don’t go anywhere near him. We’ll have someone watching the school and we’ll know who he is in a few minutes. I’ll also alert the school to make sure they have teachers watching the kids during breaks and pickup and dropoff times.”

“Can’t you just arrest him?” Rose shook her head. “He’s up to no good.”

“We can’t arrest someone for driving up and down the road, but we’ll watch him and see what he’s doing.” Kane gave her a reassuring look. “We take your report very seriously and we’ll take steps right away to keep the kids safe. You have my word.”

Concerned that the truck matched the one Jenna had seen in the alleyway and the description given to Rio and Rowley yesterday could belong to the killer, she shuddered at the thought. Where was he now and could he be hunting down kids for his next victim? She turned back to the women. “We’ll get onto this right away. I’ll leave you with Maggie.” She handed them her card. “Any problems give me a call.”

She turned and headed up the stairs with Kane on her heels. They went into the conference room and she stared at Carter, Jo, Raven, and Kalo. “We have images and a plate of a guy hanging around the grade school. We’ll find out who he is and check him out.” She went on to explain about the truck sightings. “He might be our killer.”

“Give me the number.” Kalo opened his laptop. “I’ll have his name and what he ate for breakfast in a few minutes.”

Jenna’s phone chimed and she looked at the caller ID. “It’s Rio. I’ll put him on speaker. Hi, Rio, what have you got for me?”

They all listened in stunned silence as Rio brought them up to date. Horrified, Jenna glanced at Kane. “Okay, stay where you are unless you’re in danger and then get the hell out of Dodge. This guy is ruthless and kills without reason. I’m guessing both the hunters were armed and he still got to them.” She paused for a beat. “On second thought, meet us at the highway end of the fire road. I’m not taking any chances with this guy. We’re leaving now.”

“What about the guy at the school?” Kalo eyed them over his laptop screen. “I have him. His name is Caleb Durnell. He was arrested in Bozeman for assault on a minor three years ago. He has a business selling firewood here in town.”

“He hasn’t done anything here.” Kane narrowed his gaze. “I ran his name after we spoke to him.”

Concerned about Rowley and Rio, Jenna looked from one to the other in her team. “I’m going to need everyone as backup.” She checked her watch. “If we’re not done by the time school gets out, I’ll alert the school and then ask one of the Louan deputies to go and stand outside. It will likely prevent Durnell kidnapping anyone.”