Page 39 of Their Frozen Bones

“Yeah, I don’t need one just for an interview.” Oberg chuckled.

Jenna took a legal pad from the drawer and a pen from inside her pocket. “Okay, Mr. Oberg, tell me all about the women in the forest.” She gave him a direct stare. “How did you meet them?”

“I don’t want to say.” Oberg looked away and his mouth turned down.

Flicking a glance at Kane, Jenna stood. “Then I’m wasting my time. You agreed to talk to me so I could speak to the DA about a possible deal. I’ll need something to give him, Mr. Oberg. Details are important and will make or break a deal.”

“Okay, sit down.” Oberg rolled his eyes. “But I don’t like your attitude toward me. Bossy women are a pain in the butt.”

“Either answer the questions or we walk.” Kane scraped back his chair. “I’d rather be eating peach pie than talking to you.”

“I met them through dating apps, okay?” Oberg rolled his shoulders. “Everyone does it these days.”

Jenna sat down and made a few unnecessary notes. “How did you get them to Black Rock Falls?”

“I offered them a vacation at a ski resort.” Oberg grinned. “They couldn’t get here fast enough, but when they arrived, I put them on the back of my snowmobile and took them into the forest to admire the view. They all came willingly.”

“Describe what happened next.” Kane rested his clenched hands on the table.

“I told them to lean against a tree and look at the view. I pulled out my phone to take a pic and then walked behind them, grabbed their wrists and wrapped them around the tree.” Oberg grinned. “They got nasty but when I pressed my Glock into their faces they went real still.” He looked at Kane and shrugged. “I didn’t rape them or hurt them, just maybe scared them a little.I tied them to the tree, covered their mouths if they wouldn’t stop screaming, and cut off their clothes. Next, I took their hair, drew a smiley face on their foreheads, and took a pic and showed them.” He chuckled. “You should have seen their faces. Their hair was like a puppy they couldn’t stop stroking. It drove me crazy watching them preening like damn birds all the time.”

Jenna looked up from writing. She’d written a confession for him and all he needed to do was to sign it. “Then what? You drove away and left them to freeze to death?”

“Yeah, I guess I did, but wildlife might have gotten there first. It’s happened before. Not here but in Colorado.” Oberg shrugged. “Is that classified as murder? I guess by hacking off their hair and clothes it might be classified as assault, but I didn’t murder them. The weather did that all by itself.”

“Did you intend for them to die?” Kane’s voice was low and almost cordial. “I mean some women nag, nag, nag, and I guess tying them naked to a tree in twenty below would be a way of shutting them up for a time.”

“Yeah, I didn’t want them showing up again and causing me strife.” Oberg thought for a beat. “I guess deep down I couldn’t stand the sight of them.”

Hating hearing Kane speak like this but impressed he was getting the prisoner on his side, Jenna leaned forward, resting her hands on the desk. “Do you recall their names?”

“Nah, as soon as I walk away, they are erased from my mind.” Oberg frowned. “I take photographs so I can look at them and sometimes I go back later to see if the critters have eaten them and take more pics. They look so funny staring out into the snow.”

“Women can be annoying.” Kane leaned back in his chair and waved a hand. “They have all these weird habits. What did they do to make you want to take them into the forest?”

“It was the hair. They were always touching their hair.” Oberg rolled his eyes. “Normal people don’t play with their hair all the time. The fake women, you know the types, with big puffed-up lips, eyebrows hitched up so high they looked startled or like clowns all the time, the puffy cheeks, implants all over, long fake nails. They are the ones who do it all the time. It’s like they are sending out alien signals. Like it’s, ‘Look at me hiding behind the mask. Really I’m an ugly old crone.’ I strip them off and show the world what’s underneath.”

Horrified, Jenna tried to compose herself. “Were the women you left to die horrible to you? I’ve known many women who look beautiful because of a little cosmetic surgery. It increases their self-esteem. It’s not meant to be a mask.”

“No not horrible but demanding.” Oberg sighed. “As if breaking a nail was criminal, or if they couldn’t get their hair or nails done, it was the end of the world. They were obsessed with how they looked all the time. It was look at me, look at me. Every five minutes they were taking selfies and they couldn’t walk past a mirror without stopping to admire themselves. It’s not normal. They’re all freaks. Crazy self-absorbed freaks.” He swung his gaze to Kane. “He understands. I bet he likes his women natural, just like I do.”

“Maybe not.” Kane rubbed his chin. “Are we done here or do you want to go into more detail before we call in the DA? He’s watching the interview and knows you’ve cooperated. I guess you’ll need to speak to him, but first we’ll need a signed confession given freely without duress.”

“Sure.” Oberg shrugged. “Whatever, to get it over with. My wrist hurts and it will be difficult to sign it.”

“That will be fine. We’ll witness the document and we have it on tape.” Kane straightened. “It’s all good. You did the right thing.”

“Okay.” Jenna finished the written confession by adding a list of the women they’d discovered dead in the forest. She mentioned the attempted murder of Carolyn and the attack on Emily Wolfe. She slid it across the table. “Read this aloud, and if you agree, sign it and I’ll call in the DA.”

“I confess to taking Flora Hadley, Lorraine Smith, Abilene Drew into the forest, tying them to trees, stripping them, cutting off their hair, and leaving them to die. I also confess to keeping Carolyn Stubbs prisoner and taking her into the forest to do the same thing. I attacked Emily Wolfe on the trail.” He looked at Jenna. “I had no idea who she was. I figured she was Carolyn.” He signed the bottom and smiled. “There, now can we do a deal?”

Jenna took the legal pad and pen and stood. “The DA will be right in.”

Following Kane outside, Jenna leaned against the wall. “I guess we’d better inform all the law enforcement offices in Colorado and tell them about Oberg.”

Footsteps announced the DA with a colleague and Rio. Jenna nodded. “He’s all yours.”

“I can’t believe he gave up all that evidence so easily.” The DA rubbed his chin. “The slip about Colorado is interesting. I figure this guy’s crime spree goes wider than we imagined.” He looked at Jenna. “I’ve already called County to collect the prisoner. I’ll formally charge him and sort everything from hereon. Make sure you have all Carolyn Stubbs’ details, parents, friends, everything in case we need her. I believe Oberg will plead guilty, but if he changes his mind, she’ll be a crucial witness. Rio can handle everything from here. Why don’t you head on home, you look exhausted.” He walked inside the interview room.

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