Page 34 of Their Haunted Hearts
“I do.” Tauri leaned closer.
Kane lowered his voice. “That’s why I cook. Mommy has too many things on her mind to worry about toast.”
After waving goodbye to Raya and the boys, Kane locked the house and headed for the Beast. It was parked right outside where Jenna had left it the previous afternoon. He shook his head. Wolfe had slipped him a sedative and by the time he’d gotten home, he could hardly make it up the steps and into bed. He’d slept like a log. The bitterly cold wind brushed away any cobwebs as he climbed into the truck. The drive through town took longer than usual with many people slowing along Main to peer at the ever-growing Halloween decorations. The sign for the Halloween Ball now had a red sticker across it saying sold out. He glanced at Jenna. “I’m glad you purchased the tickets early.”
“I needed to get a stack. Everyone is going. I hope Julie makes it; she’s due home any day now. She left her SUV at the airport, so unless she has a problem getting a flight, she should be home soon.” Jenna gathered her things as they pulled up outside the office. “I’ll head upstairs. Can you ask the guys about any updates? Rio was going to interview a suspect. I’ll see if Wolfe has uploaded any more info and meet you in the conference room.”
Feeling a little useless with his arm in a sling, Kane smiled at her. “Not a problem.”
People buzzed around behind the counter answering the hotline calls. Rio had updated the media release the previous night and the following few days were usually busy. The pastor was again manning the phones along with a couple of the usual women. Kane stopped at the counter and spoke to Rowley. “Any updates?”
“Rio has. He’s in the conference room with Raven updating the whiteboard.” Rowley leaned closer and dropped his voice. “The pastor is becoming a fixture. I figure he means well, but he asks so many questions it drives me insane.”
Kane frowned. “About the cases?”
“Yeah, he has been here working the phones but wants to chat whenever someone calls in. Then there’s the other new guy.” Rowley indicated to a tall young man with broad shoulders answering calls at one of the desks. “That’s Doug Lowe. He wants to help too. He never stops asking questions.”
Kane eyed the man in his peripheral. “Well, we do need help with the hotlines.”
“That would be fine but he wants to be more involved and said if Jenna deputizes him, he’ll go around to the bars and truck stops asking about the suspect you’re looking for as an undercover agent.” Rowley rolled his eyes. “I said I’d pass on his suggestion and I don’t discuss the cases with him either.”
Glancing at Doug Lowe currently making notes after a call, Kane slipped behind the desk and went to speak to him. “We really appreciate your help but going undercover for us isn’t possible. We couldn’t risk your life with a potential serial killer in town. Thank you for the offer.” He didn’t wait for a reply and had turned to go when Lowe raised his voice.
“Deputy Kane.” Lowe came up behind him. “I’ve been considering becoming a deputy. I don’t mind working nights if necessary. I’m a good shot and know hand-to-hand combat. How do I sign up?”
Not wanting to reject the offer of help, Kane turned slowly back to face him. “We’re not looking for anyone just now but there’s an application online. Fill it in and we’ll be in touch when a position becomes available.”
“Perhaps if Doug is free at night, he could come with me on my rounds?” Pastor Dimock smiled benevolently. “There’s always God’s work to be done?”
Although Kane wondered how a young woman would feel about two strangers approaching them at night in Serial Killer Central, he smiled. “I’m sure helping the less fortunate is what you do best.” He looked at Doug Lowe. “If doing charity work is something you’d like to do, I’m sure Father Derry will be able to discuss this aspect with you. Thanks again and now I must get back to work. I’m needed upstairs.” He turned and walked from behind the counter and headed up the steps.
He explained the conversation to Rowley and Jenna. “They seem to want to get involved.” He dropped into his office chair. “I understand wanting to help man the hotline, but they seem overkeen.” He frowned. “The problem is they both fit the general description of our suspect.” He ran a hand down his face. “Am I seeing too much into this?”
“We can’t be too careful. We know that some psychopaths like to insert themselves into investigations. I’ll make a note to ask Kalo to do background checks on them.” Jenna smiled. “Does that make you feel better?”
Kane blew out a sigh. “Yeah, thanks.”
Thirty-Four
Jenna glanced up as Kane walked into the room, and she beckoned him forward. “Kane’s just walked in. I’ll put you on speaker and bring him up to date.” She looked at Kane. “The victims have been positively identified and are who we believed. The local PDs from their counties have been very helpful and are currently interviewing family and friends for background information we can use to discover why the women headed here. Over to you, Shane.”
“Okay, first, Kalo found the origin of the silver key you found in the motel room. It belongs to the Black Rock Falls bus station. The lockers are used by travelers, so can be taken up to a month at a time. I suggest you go and take a look. Secondly, I looked over Bunny’s tablet and found an email to a friend that mentioned she’d taken everything she could carry and left her apartment. Apparently, her ex-boyfriend had been beating on her for years, hence the old injuries. She took out a domestic violence order against him but he’s hunting her down. She mentions having proof of his violence toward her in a safe place. So, I figure she’s left it in the locker at the bus station.”
“I doubt that has anything to do with the current murders.” Kane rubbed his chin. “Poor woman, she never got justice.”
Jenna shook her head. “If we get the evidence to the DA in her hometown, maybe they can prosecute him.” She picked up her landline. “Rowley, grab the silver key from Bunny Watkins’ possessions and head down to the bus station. See if it opens one of the lockers. Number four is on the key. There might be information in there on a domestic violence case.” She disconnected. “He’s on his way. What else do you have for me, Shane?”
“I’ve added all the drug information to the files but basically the tests I ran on the stomach contents of both victims confirmed the presence of a date-rape drug.” Wolfe moved around in his office chair, making it squeak. “We’ve seen the use of these types of drugs in previous cases. They work very fast and can first incapacitate the victim and then render them unconscious.”
Jenna’s jaw tightened and she flicked a glance at Kane. “So, you were right all along. He drugged the victims before killing them.”
“I checked the mouths for bruising or evidence of force-feeding and found nothing. Since the victims ingested it voluntarily, he likely added it to their food or drink. This would tie in to him being seen at the roadhouse. It would be a perfect place to slip a drug into their drinks.”
“So, they never had a chance to fight back.” Kane leaned on the desk. “I noticed the absence of defensive wounds. Did you find anything else to prove that there was a struggle?”
“I found no scratches, bruises, or any signs whatsoever of a struggle on either victim.” Wolfe blew out a sigh. “I don’t believe they were just subdued. I figure they were completely incapable of resisting.”
“If he’s using a sedative this strong, it means he’s calculated. He doesn’t want panic—he wants control.” Kane’s mouth turned down. “What about the bite marks?”
