Page 22 of Their Haunted Hearts
“I don’t know.” Cash shrugged. “I left just after.” He placed everything neatly back in the box. “I gotta go.”
Rio nodded. “Thanks for your help.” He handed him a card. “If you or any of your friends recall any information, call me.”
The man took the card and dropped it into the garbage and then left without a backward stare.
Twenty-Two
Jenna walked into the office, glad to see that Rio and Rowley were already on the job. She went to her office to scan the files Rio had uploaded to the server. She glanced over at Kane. “I’m always impressed how much information Rio can obtain in such a short time.”
“Yeah, I gather they’re heading out to speak to two of the potential suspects, Cash and Withers are on the same side of town. If the autopsy doesn’t take too long, we should be able to interview at least one of the others.” He gave her a long look. “Do you want me to write a media release? We need information. There might be someone out there who has seen something and at the time they didn’t notice something was wrong.”
Glancing up from her computer screen, Jenna shook her head. “No need to. I wrote one on the drive into town and I’ve already sent it.” She glanced at her watch. “I received a reply right away and it would have been on the eight o’clock news. I’d say if anyone has seen anything, the phones should start ringing before long.”
“I hope Rio and Rowley will be back soon because there’s no way Maggie will be able to cope with answering the phone all day and running the front counter.” Kane leaned back in his chair. “If you want to get things organized here before we leave for the autopsy, I’ll go down and lend her a hand now.”
Jenna smiled at him. “Thanks, I would appreciate that. I’ll give Rio a call and see how far along he is with the investigation.” When Kane left the room, she made the call.
She listened with interest at Rio’s rundown of the interview with Dale Cash. “So, he had a trophy?”
“The thing is we don’t know if he’d gotten that from her before she left the Triple Z Bar or around the time she died.” Engine sounds came from the earpiece and Rio cleared his throat. “One thing I noticed was the man keeps his belongings tidy. His bed was made and his belongings stowed in neat piles inside a trunk at the end of his bed. Everyone who sleeps in the bunkhouse had the same setup—cot, bedside table, and trunk—but I noticed most of them were messy. He is also an impressive size, not as big as Dave but more like Carter. He wouldn’t have any problems carrying a body.”
Considering everything he had said, Jenna pulled at her bottom lip. “Did you think to ask him if he was in the roadhouse on Sunday night?”
“No, I didn’t. I’m sorry, Sheriff. I was kinda concentrating on the Bunny Watkins case. I have his cell phone number. I’ll call him right away and get back to you.” He sighed. “We’re heading out to talk to Bryce Withers, the horse breeder.”
Jenna frowned. It wasn’t like Rio to forget anything. “Yeah, follow up on Cash and when you’ve spoken to Withers head back to the office. We’ll need you both at the front counter answering phone calls. I’ve given a media release about the latest victim and it’s already been on the news. Dave is downstairs helping Maggie answer the calls and there’s no one to run the front counter.” She sighed. “We’re due at the autopsy at ten.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Rio disconnected.
She made a list of things to do and then grabbed her and Kane’s coats. She looked at Duke, snug and warm and sound asleep in his basket under her desk. She bent to rub his silken head and he lifted his eyelids to peer at her. “Stay here, we’ll be back soon.” The dog had food and water and he’d been walked just before. He’d do for a couple of hours.
Jenna headed downstairs just as Pastor John Dimock came through the glass doors, bringing with him a strong breeze filled with the threat of snow. She glanced at her watch. She didn’t have time for long discussions and forced her lips into a smile. “Pastor Dimock, what brings you here on a cold day like today?”
“I heard the callout for people for the hotline. I’m here to help.” Pastor Dimock met her gaze. “Have you discovered that poor woman’s name yet? How did her family take the terrible news?” He rubbed his hands together. “I’m always available to pray with the bereaved.”
Zipping up her coat and pulling on gloves, Jenna shook her head. “I’ve put everything we know into the media release. We haven’t contacted her next of kin, so we won’t be releasing her name. The media release was more of a call for information. We need to discover if anyone was in the area when the body was dumped or saw anyone acting strangely.”
The four phones in the office were ringing off the hook. Jenna looked at Kane who was making notes with the phone tucked under his ear. “My deputies will be along soon and be able to assist you. I’m sorry, but I really need to go now.”
“That’s fine.” Pastor Dimock gave her a compassionate smile and turned to Kane. “I’m here to answer the hotline phones.”
“Thank you. Maggie is organizing everyone, so if you need any help, talk to her or Deputy Rowley.” Kane came out from behind the counter. “When you answer the phone it’s very important that you take down the details of the caller first. Then write a small description of the reason for their call. Thank them and tell them we will be in contact if the information is relevant to the case. That’s all you really need to know.” He held the countertop flap open for the pastor and waved him inside. “The pens and the caller notebooks are on each desk. We need to go. We’re late.”
Jenna nodded. “Thank you. I appreciate your help.”
“My pleasure.” Pastor Dimock walked to a desk and made himself comfortable and then picked up a ringing phone.
Jenna hurried back through the office and out the back door to where Kane had parked the Beast. “I’m grateful for any assistance but I don’t want him talking to the next of kin. That’s Father Derry’s job. Pastor Dimock seems to be a gossip, so we’ll need to be careful what we say around him. We don’t want a conviction jeopardized by sensitive information getting to the press.”
“My thoughts exactly but pastors do try and help. It’s what they do, so don’t worry too much.” Kane started the engine and they headed for the morgue. “Run it past the others as well. He might be well-meaning but we don’t know him as well as the other volunteers. They know not to run their mouths.” He snorted. “I guess Father Derry has run a background check on him. He usually does for anyone he has working alongside vulnerable people, so he’s probably just overzealous.”
Jenna stared at the doors to her office as they drove out of the parking lot. “Yeah, he would. Nothing slips past Father Derry.”
When they arrived at the morgue and suited up, Jenna could hear Raven’s voice clearly coming from the examination room. He was discussing various autopsy techniques with Emily and they both turned to look at Jenna when she walked through the door. They stood to one side and Wolfe was bending over the body on the gurney. “Are we late?”
“No, but as this case is identical to the previous one, we moved along with the autopsy rather than making you go through the same examination again.” Wolfe peered at her over the top of his face mask. “The complete exsanguination is the same. The sharp force trauma on the neck is identical. I can’t imagine why he’s draining their blood unless he’s drinking it, but the stake through the heart on both victims is the classic way in fiction to dispose of a vampire. I don’t understand the workings of a very sick mind but I figure whoever is doing this believes he is destroying vampires.” He looked at Jenna. “Have you discovered any information on her at all?”
Jenna nodded. “Yes, her name is Bunny Watkins. I have more on her than I’d hoped for, but unless you can get into her laptop, we can’t get any further at this stage.”
