Page 12 of Their Haunted Hearts
As they reached the kitchen, Rio let out a long breath behind him and Raven turned to look at him, surprised to see his tightly guarded expression. “I figured you’d be more experienced in crime scenes.”
“I’m very experienced in crime scenes.” Rio holstered his weapon. “I was a gold shield detective in LA before I came to work here. What makes you believe I’m not experienced in crime scenes?”
Raven could understand if Rio’s coldness toward him was because he’d stepped in as a rival for Emily’s affections after their breakup, but on a professional level, he’d witnessed Rio’s instant dislike for him. The man had a retentive memory and maybe that’s why he had a little trouble letting go. Or maybe it was his instant close friendship with Kane? He and Agents Carter and Styles, along with Wolfe, had a bond that only those who’d served in the military enjoyed. Because of this bond, he’d slipped into the team with ease and spent a good deal of his downtime with the others building motorcycles. He gave Rio a long considering stare. “Maybe because this place freaks you out. You know it’s not real—well apart from the dead body laid out on an altar in the family room—but I could almost feel your fear.”
“My problem is I don’t forget things.” Rio rubbed his chin. “The patch of blood gave me a flashback to a case that I was involved in some time ago. I woke up covered in blood after investigating a dead body in a similar situation to this. I was the prime suspect for a time and the problem was I couldn’t remember what had happened. For someone like me, forgetting never happens and it kind of freaked me out.”
Nodding slowly, Raven slapped him on the back. “Yeah, I’ve been there. It gets better.”
“I doubt it.” Rio sighed. “Not being able to forget is a curse more than a gift.”
Raven noticed the purses on the kitchen table. He pulled out his phone and took a picture of them. “I’ll take these out to the witnesses. They’ll need them. I’ll get the details of the owner from them and call him. If you want to go, I’ll wait here for Wolfe.” He waved toward the back door. “Maybe we should go out this way.”
“Sure.” Rio pulled open the door and stepped outside into the alleyway. “I’ll get someone out to fix the door. Will you be okay to wait here until it’s repaired?”
Checking his watch, Raven shrugged. “I’ll need Rowley to relieve me within the hour.”
“I’ll send him along.” Rio strode away along the alleyway.
Raven scratched his head. He wondered why Jenna had made Rio chief deputy. When she’d been away on maternity leave, the position had sure gone to his head. Right now, he figured Rio would run in the elections against her the following year. Not that he could win. The townsfolk loved and respected Jenna and Kane. They knew they would keep them safe. The people he’d spoken to during her absence had been reassured knowing if a serial killer came into town, she’d be there defending them, even with a new baby. Luckily, the town and Jenna had been given a respite. Apart from a few local robberies and a small gang of kids from Blackwater stealing vehicles, it had been the quietest fifteen months in the past seven years.
He went back to the witnesses and called the owner, who was on his way with a crew. He explained the place was a crime scene and until the medical examiner had finished, no one would be entering the building. The door, however, could be repaired. The owner had a carpenter on his crew and would take care of it. He watched the women climb into Rio’s truck and waved away the few inquisitive onlookers before sitting on the bench. His part-time job had expanded from the odd day to three days a week and, like now, maybe seven days a week until the perp was caught. Luckily, training dogs as K-9s or for protection wasn’t precise. His dogs were super smart and could pick up their training when he had time. The people waiting for a protection dog understood a dog took as long as it takes. Having Atohi Blackhawk as a partner, meant he didn’t need to be at home to feed them. When he worked, Blackhawk stayed in his own cabin on his land. They had a great working relationship. He leaned back, rubbed Ben’s silky ears and sighed. He didn’t mind sitting back for a time, watching the townsfolk prepare for Halloween, and he might get lucky and Emily would arrive with her dad.
Twelve
The first thing that Jenna needed to do when she entered the Triple Z Roadhouse was to look on the board just inside the door where the truckers listed their destinations and offered rides to people. If Darlene had been trying to get a ride to Blackwater but never made it, there would be a chance her name could still be on the board. She went down the list and found four or more drivers heading for Blackwater in the next twelve hours. Darlene’s name was listed against the one due to leave at six that morning and someone had written “no-show” beside it. “That’s her. Look, his check-in time was ten last night. He must have had a sleepover.”
“It’s unusual for them to leave a name on the board.” Kane indicated to the scrubbed-out areas against the time slots. “Maybe he left it there to tell her he’d left. Most of them are on a tight schedule and wouldn’t have time to wait around.”
Considering what Kane had said, Jenna went into the restaurant. The smell of dirty cooking oil and onions greeted her, mixed with a weak aroma of coffee. She made her way through the tables, feeling rather than seeing the eyes turn toward her. Conversations halted and the sound of silverware ceased for a moment before starting again as if everyone had taken a breath and waited to see if she planned to arrest anyone. She approached the counter to speak to the server. “Is it normal for the drivers to leave the entry on the board if the passenger didn’t show?”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t happen often. Most people are waiting for the drivers to come in for their meals before they leave. None of the drivers waste time waiting for someone to show.” She smiled at Jenna. “Is there anything I can get for you, Sheriff?”
“Two donuts and two to-go coffees, thank you.” Kane leaned around Jenna. “Do you know who was serving last night? We’re looking for a young woman by the name of Darlene. She wrote her name on the board looking for a ride into Blackwater. It says she was a no-show. We need to know if she was speaking to anyone last night.”
“Yeah, Alice took an extra shift last night. One of our girls called in sick.” The server smiled. “She’s on a break. I’ll get her for you.” She handed over the coffee and donuts.
Jenna smiled. “Thanks.”
“That’s fortunate.” Kane dropped bills on the counter and added the fixings to the cups. “Do you want a donut?”
Jenna shook her head. “Nope, I don’t want to become a stereotype. They’re all yours.”
When Alice came out from the back carrying a cup of coffee and a sandwich, Jenna led her to a quiet booth and they sat down facing each other. “We’re looking for a young woman around twenty with long dark hair. She was dropped here by a driver from Butte and wrote her name on the list for a ride to Blackwater. She never made it, so we need to find out who she was in contact with while she was here. Do you recall seeing her?”
“Yeah, I remember her.” Alice took a bite of her sandwich and chewed slowly before washing it down with a sip of coffee. “She drew the attention of some of the cowboys and they were giving her a hard time. Then some guy came over and told them to back off. He purchased burgers and fries for both of them and sat over there in the booth. I figured he was just being kind because he was a lot older than she was, but not old enough to be her father.”
Glad to get a lead, Jenna nodded. “Can you describe him?”
“I really didn’t take that much notice.” She sighed. “I was busy and very tired. He was tall and broad. He wore a dark coat and his hat was pulled down over his eyes. I saw him walking away from the counter and he moved easy, so not old. I’m not sure but I believe his hair was dark.”
“Did they leave together?” Kane leaned forward, donuts forgotten.
“I can’t say.” Alice shrugged. “I carried a pile of dirty dishes out to the kitchen and when I returned, they’d gone. I’m sure I’ve seen that guy in here before. He comes in late for a burger and fries. I figure he’s a driver. Maybe she got a ride with him?”
Jenna glanced at Kane. “Did you happen to notice his shoes?”
“No.” Alice laughed. “If he comes by again, I’ll be sure to look for you.”
