Page 35 of Whisper Through the Pines

Jenna peered into the box. Bowls of chili, savory turnovers, hamburgers, and fries filled the carton, and in the other were four pies, from the smell, cherry, peach, and apple still hot from the oven, and each one large enough to feed six. She smiled. “Well, Suzie sure knows your appetites. Grab what you need and we’ll discuss next steps.”

“Before you start.” Kalo peered from around his laptop screen. “I ran the CCTV footage from the pizzeria on the night Richards from the Haunted House claims he was waiting for a long time. Well, he was there and waited for about an hour to get served. It was very busy. So he’s in the clear.”

Jenna nodded. “That’s good to know.” She smiled at him. “I need to call Beth Katz about another case. I won’t be long.” She made the call and forwarded the files. “What do you think? I want to be in on this. Can you arrange to get me jurisdiction?”

“Yeah, we’ll investigate and if we find anything, Styles can deputize you and Dave as federal task force officers.” Beth’s chair squeaked as she pushed it along. “The child is safe?”

Nodding, Jenna glanced up as the team walked into the conference room. “Very safe. Let me know what you find. Right now, we’re up to our ears in multiple homicides.”

“What’s new?” Beth chuckled. “We’ll talk soon.” She disconnected.

Jenna waited for everyone to get their notepads and pens ready. She selected a container of chili and used the spoon supplied. It was hot and delicious and she moaned in pleasure as it slid down her throat. Being in the forest during a blizzard with her legs frozen to the knees had made her hungrier than she imagined. Even with the haunting sights of the decapitated men, her appetite hadn’t abated and neither had any of the men around the room. All of them watched her in anticipation as they ate rapidly. “Okay, this afternoon on our way home we are going to drop by and see Marty Flynn. Carter mentioned that he believes he is hiding something and maybe, if I speak to him, he may give up what he knows.”

“I’m sure he was hiding something.” Carter pushed his spoon back into his chili carton and looked at her. “The kid refused to look at us straight in the eye. In fact, he kept his eyes on his boots the whole time we were there, as if he was afraid that we might see a tell in his face. He knows something but he doesn’t want to lose his job. It must mean a lot to him.”

“Or he’s terrified of the men he’s working for.” Kane gave a nonchalant shrug. “Or one of them at least. After reading your interviews, I wouldn’t mind betting that it’s Jonah Pike who has a hold over the kid.”

Jenna looked around the table. “He seems to stick out, going on the interview, but then we’ve got Caleb Durnell, the guy the two women noticed hanging around the school. Both of them drive white pickups.”

“And so does Mason Kitteridge, the guy who works at the Haunted House.” Raven leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping the top of the table. “There is a whole list of things that make him one of the dangers. He has special effects knowledge and access to props, masks, and costumes. He knows how to stage scenes and it’s his business to frighten people.”

“It makes him almost too obvious.” Jo brushed the crumbs from the savory turnover from her shirt. “I checked him out. He’s been working here for a time, since the place opened. He worked in Blackwater previously and no one has been decapitated. Although it fits him, I’m still not convinced. I figure we need to haul him in and interview him.”

Nodding, Jenna agreed Kitteridge seemed an obvious suspect and they’d need to get more information from him. “Yeah, we’ll bring him in tomorrow and see what he has to say for himself, when he’s not in front of his workmates.”

“Who else do you want us to bring in for questioning?” Rio lifted his gaze to Jenna.

Jenna tapped her pen on her legal pad. “Just Kitteridge and Pike for now.” She glanced at Jo. “I figure we should interview Durnell at his home in the forest first thing in the morning—but we’re not going there alone. We’ll take Dave and Carter with us.” She shot a glance back at Rio. “I’ll leave you and Raven to bring in Kitteridge and Pike. Make it after lunch. Keep them separated, and don’t let them see each other.” She turned to Rowley. “I want you to man the office and keep me updated.”

“I’ve uploaded all the information I’ve discovered on the suspects.” Kalo peered at them from over his laptop screen. “Nothing of great note but I did find out where they’ve been living these past five years or so—and that’s here in Black Rock Falls, with the exception of Caleb Durnell.”

Jenna nodded. “Okay, I’ll leave you all to bring your files up to date and we’ll head off to speak to the kid with Carter and Jo. Kalo, you come with us too.” She looked at the others. “Once you’re done, head home. It’s been a very long day. Get some rest. I have the feeling things are going to get hectic from now on.”

“More than today?” Carter grinned around his toothpick. “Bring it on.”

Thirty-Four

Darkness had fallen on Black Rock Falls by the time Jenna and Kane drove along Main. The snowflake-filled wind made the jack-o’-lanterns strung between the street lights dance and bob. It whipped into tumbleweeds pieces of straw from the bales stacked alongside some of the stores and waiting to be decorated for Halloween. It rolled them along the sidewalk and onto the blacktop, where they piled up, damp and bedraggled in the gutter. The building of the majority of Halloween displays had been abandoned due to the bad weather. As the Beast headed through town, odd pieces of the unfinished displays blew across the road. Some attached themselves to the fence around the local park and hung in colorful bunches like the discarded fragments of a piñata.

Jenna stared out of the windows. The town center had an odd feeling about it. Usually, it hustled and bustled until at least nine at night, but tonight the townsfolk had headed home early to escape the bitter cold and threatening snowstorm. Deserted, the brightly lit store windows reflected in the sidewalk glossy with rain. On the park side of the road, the night mist had already started to rise and crawl its way across the thick green grass, spilling onto the edge of the blacktop and morphing into eerie shapes each time the wind changed direction. She glanced at Kane. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen it so deserted here at this time of night. The weather’s not that bad here in town. It’s not even snowing.”

“I figure it’s the media warnings that you’ve been putting out, Jenna.” Kane flicked her a glance. “They know there’s a homicidal maniac who comes out at night and no one in their right mind is risking meeting him.”

The GPS issued another string of directions to Marty Flynn’s house and Kane took a left turn. Behind them, the sweep of lights from Carter’s vehicle filled the cab. There had been so many things going on Jenna had forgotten to ask Kane about Rhett’s fitness training. He’d told her that he could make the young man into a machine. She smiled to herself. That was so like Kane. He considered all their friends as assets and went out of his way to help them in any way he could. Rhett needed to protect himself and Kane had stepped up. “How is Rhett looking? Is he a machine yet?”

“Ha.” Kane flashed her a smile. “Fitness first and muscle bulk, and then I’ll teach him how to defend himself and so will Rowley. I’ve taken him through the basics, so he can disarm and attack military-style. Rowley is taking him to his dojo and he joined the classes there as well. It really helps to have martial arts strength and abilities as well as military. I don’t have the time to teach him both. Some things need a little time.”

Recalling how Rhett had looked the last time she’d joined the men for a workout session, she figured whatever Kane was doing with him was working. She’d watched Rhett work out with Carter, who doesn’t pull any punches, and he held his own well. “He seemed happy enough the last time I saw him and with more defined muscle.”

“He’s a natural.” Kane indicated ahead. “That looks like the place.”

Jenna scanned the area on the outskirts of town. Set back on a block of land sat a small weathered house with a battered pickup in the driveway. The house blinked at them each time the porch light flickered. Jenna climbed out and waited for Jo to join her. Kane and Carter would hang back so as not to frighten the boy. She headed toward the house, noticing the line of boots alongside the front door. She stepped up onto the porch and behind her Kane’s gloved hand reached up to adjust the light bulb. The irritating flashing ceased and Jenna knocked on the door. Footsteps could be heard from inside and a woman opened the door, wiping her hands on a dish towel.

“Sheriff Alton.” The woman’s troubled gaze moved across the four of them and then back to her. “What’s happened?”

Jenna offered her a small smile. “Everything’s fine, ma’am. We were hoping to speak to Marty for a few minutes. He’s not in any trouble. We’d just like his help with something.”

“Oh, I—” Mrs. Flynn hesitated and glanced over one shoulder. A young man appeared behind her, lanky and dusty from work.