Page 44 of Now You See Me

“We’re not here about the Zander Hastings case, Agent Carter.”Sam Cross leaned back in his chair and tipped back his light brown Stetson.“It’s not your case.”

“I beg to differ.”Carter straightened and leaned his back against the wall, arms folded across his chest.“We were brought into that case by the Nampa Police Department.”

“Maybe, but I’ve been made aware that investigators from Idaho will be here shortly to interview my client.”Cross was making copious notes on his legal pad.“If we could just stick to the kidnapping, and the abduction of my client.”

“Is there anything else you can tell me about Matthew Oakley.”Jo looked up from her notes.“Did he, by any chance, explain to you what he was doing with the bodies?”

“No, but he did tell me a few things.”Maisy kept glancing at Sam Cross as if to get his permission to continue.“He said that the only time people were nice to him was over the holidays.”She thought for a beat.“He sang Christmas jingles when he was working on the bodies.”

“Anything else he said or did that was unusual?”Jo sighed and leaned back in her chair, twiddling the pen in her fingers.

“Yeah, he said that people were nice, but were like peaches and cream or something on the outside and rotten underneath.”Maisy stared at Jo.“Does that mean anything?”

“No.”Jo looked at Carter.“I’ve finished the interview. Do you have any questions?”

“Nope. I’m done here.”Carter straightened.“Agent Carter has left the room.”He headed for the door.

“I’ve spoken to the DA. Your client will be formally charged and sent to county jail.”Rio stepped forward.“Charges include conspiracy to commit murder, in the case of Ginger Vaughan, kidnapping of Cooper Rowley and assault of a law enforcement officer during the execution of their duties.”

Jenna pulled out the earbuds as Carter walked into the hallway. “That was harrowing. I wonder how the jury will see her reason for taking Cooper.”

“There’s no excuse for using a toddler as a bargaining chip. She’ll be in jail for a long time, whatever the outcome.” Carter looked at Jenna. “He was referring to the wax figures, wasn’t he?”

Sickened, Jenna nodded. “Yeah, each one of those figures probably represented someone in his life who had been nasty to him at one time or another. All bright and shiny on the outside and rotting flesh in the middle.”

“I’m wondering how many times he’s done this before in different states.” Kane rubbed the back of his neck. “Covering real people with wax and making them look like mannequins took some skill. I don’t believe this was the first time he’s done this. The problem is proving anything. We all know what happens to decorations after the holidays. Most of them end up in landfill, and if the bodies weren’t discovered, that’s where they’ll be, never to be seen again. One thing’s for darn sure, Matthew Oakley almost committed the perfect crime.”

FORTY-TWO

MONDAY, WEEK TWO

Snowfall had arrived at Black Rock Falls overnight in abundance, coating the landscape like frosting on a cake. Snow fell slowly and it turned the view of the cottage that Kane had once called home into a setting inside a snow dome. Jenna touched the long icicles dangling from the gutter around the front door and headed down to the gym. She stripped to her workout clothes and started on her usual exercise routine. This was usually followed by an extensive workout with Kane, but now that Carter was staying with them for the holidays, she was content to watch them try to kill each other. The thumps and groans that came from the mat made her smile. Both of them regarded the other as a punching bag. One thing for sure, neither of them had lost his edge. The workout was brutal and she had to call time and insist they head for the shower. “Come on, guys. I know Jo has offered to cook breakfast this morning but I don’t want to be late getting into the office. Wolfe would have worked most of the night and I would like to know what he’s doing this morning. If he is conducting autopsies on the victims this morning, I want to be there.” She grimaced as Carter landed a punch and danced away.

“Just let me swat this fly and I’ll be right along.” Kane swept Carter’s feet and grinned. “There, that didn’t take long.” He offered Carter his hand and pulled him to his feet. “You’ll need to take the cruiser if you’re planning on dropping Jaime back at Wolfe’s house for the day.”

“Not a problem.” Carter reached for a towel and wiped his face. “As long as I don’t freeze to death running back to the cottage.”

“Nah, you’ll be fine.” Kane grinned. “I used to do it all the time. It was like coming out of a sauna and rubbing yourself with snow. I hear it’s good for the heart.”

“Right.” Carter shook his head and pulled on sweatpants and a sweater. He grinned at Kane and placed one hand on the doorknob. “Tomorrow you’re going down, man.”

“It will never happen.” Kane flicked a towel at him and grinned at Jenna. “What?”

Jenna waited for Carter to leave and ran her fingers through Kane’s hair. “Nothing. I just love you is all.”

An hour later, they arrived at the office. Jenna and Kane worked with Rio and Rowley to update the files. Maisy Jones was locked away in the county jail. The findings of the wreck on the highway were still in the preliminary stages, but from the information released to them, the accident was caused by the driver of the tanker using his cell phone. Dash cameras revealed the tanker plowing into the eighteen-wheeler before spinning out of control and overturning in the ditch. The explosion that followed was caused by sparks igniting the inflammable liquid leaking from the damaged tanker.

Jenna emailed the file to everyone concerned and gave Kane a brief outline about what had happened. She glanced at her watch. “Wolfe said he would be starting the autopsies at ten. We have time to go and take a look at Matthew Oakley’s house. It would be interesting to discover if he kept trophies. It might give us some indication of how long he’s been murdering people and coating them in wax.”

“As Jo and Carter have taken Zorro to thev-e-tfor a checkup, we should take Rio and Rowley with us. It will save time.” Kane glanced at Duke in his basket. “I’m glad he hasn’t learned how to spell yet.”

Jenna finished her cup of coffee and stood. “Me too. With his phobia of thev-e-t, it’s better he lives in ignorant bliss.”

They pulled on their coats, gloves and hats and then headed downstairs. After informing Rio and Rowley to follow them, they headed out the door, leaving Duke pretending to be asleep in his basket in Jenna’s office. The snow outside was getting heavier and snowplows and salt sprayers chugged up and down Main. Kane had already fitted the snowplow attachment to the front of the Beast, and Jenna had faith that it could get through just about anything. They headed to Winding Alley and found Oakley’s house without any problems.

It was a neat, red brick, older-style home with a front porch that leaned a little to one side. The wooden steps creaked as Jenna stepped on them. She wondered why someone would keep a neat yard and yet neglect to paint or maintain the house. She knocked on the front door and they waited, not expecting a reply, but in truth they didn’t know if Oakley lived alone. After knocking again and getting no reply, it didn’t take Kane long to pick the lock on the front door. Jenna pushed it wide open and they both peered inside.

“Rio and Rowley are here.” Kane looked toward the road.

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