Page 14 of Their Wicked Games

Returning to the stables, she scattered fresh straw into the stalls. “I’m not looking forward to the autopsy this morning.”

“I figure it will be pretty straightforward.” Carter closed the doors and tipped back his Stetson. “The cause of death is obvious. The autopsy will make it official, is all.” He brushed straw from his jeans and walked outside with her. “I contacted Bobby Kalo last night, and we went to work on the victims’ phones. They didn’t keep much about their social life private. It was all over social media and, from the number of messages, they discussed everything with their friends. It would have been easy to discover where they were going and at what time.”

Exasperated, Jenna pulled straw from her hair and turned to slide the barn door shut. “Darn, I was hoping we’d find a lead, but then kids of that age usually have their heads bent over their phones 24/7. I mean, they even take pictures of their meals and share them. I guess telling everyone about a fishing trip is normal these days.”

“Do you want us at the autopsies or would you prefer that we head out to interview some of the suspects?” Carter balled his fists on his waist.

Jenna thought for a beat. The faster they interviewed the suspects the better, although discussing the case with Wolfe was an essential part of the investigation. “You should come to the autopsies. Wolfe always has a different slant on things and we don’t want to miss anything. Rio and Rowley can get started and we’ll head out after the autopsies.”

“That works for me.” Carter headed toward the cottage. “We’ll see you at breakfast.”

Jenna headed inside the house and was greeted by the smell of freshly brewed coffee. She went via the kitchen to see what Kane was making for breakfast and caught him sliding a large platter of ham-and-cheese omelets into the oven to keep warm. “Mmm, they smell delicious. I’ll grab a shower and then come back and help you.”

“It’s okay.” Kane grinned at her. “I’m just about done here, as soon as I’ve fried the breakfast potatoes. I’ll make toast as well but that can wait.”

Jenna kissed his cheek. “I’m so glad you can cook.”

Carter and Jo were at the table discussing plans for the day when she walked back into the kitchen. She helped Kane serve the breakfast and then sat down. “I figure Wolfe would have already performed a preliminary examination of the victims, so with luck, we might not be held up too long at the morgue. We need to chase down the suspects before anyone else is hurt.”

“I went over their profiles last night.” Jo sipped her coffee. “Nothing jumps out at me. I think it’s because I’m so used to looking at psychopaths’ profiles, although these people all could have the capability of killing under different circumstances. I’m not seeing the cunning I usually see that enables me to create a profile. Looking at the crime scene, and I am sure we’ve all seen similar on the battlefield, who exactly am I profiling? This group of killers we are assuming are part of a local team or enthusiasts’ crossbow club, but if we look outside the box, we might be missing the obvious.”

Intrigued, Jenna put down her fork. “Which is?”

“Who are the parents and are they involved in some way?” Jo placed her cup gently on the table, turning it with her fingertips. “What if this murder is a form of payback or a warning?”

“So we should be looking deeper into the parents’ backgrounds?” Carter nodded. “I’ll get Kalo onto it ASAP.”

Jenna stared at Jo. “That would make life a whole lot more complicated.”

“Yeah, it would.” Kane leaned back in his chair, making it complain, and shook his head. “I can’t imagine a cartel or whatever has infiltrated Black Rock Falls. They wouldn’t have been established long enough for Mr. and Mrs. Average to become a problem. I mean, killing three kids as a warning is extreme. I know a meth lab snuck under our defenses, but it didn’t last long, did it?”

“I see your point.” Carter’s fork paused on the way to his mouth. “We’ve heard nothing about gangs or anyone else coming under suspicion for illegal activities in this county. Meth labs pop up all over. They can be very small, have local distribution, and go unnoticed, but usually someone gets greedy and the shit hits the fan.” He glanced at Jenna. “I’m with Kane on this one. I figure we stick to the list of suspects. If they don’t pan out, we’ll try another angle.”

After listening to the conversation and theories, Jenna ran both hands down her face. “I agree the list of suspects is sketchy but it’s all we have for now. We follow procedure and work through the list and see if we can place any of them in the forest at the time of death. If that doesn’t work, we move to plan B.”

“Which is?” Carter eyed her speculatively.

Jenna filled her fork. “I’ll tell you when I know.”

FIFTEEN

After arriving at the office, Jenna received a call from the DA informing her that the DEA had taken over the meth lab case. She would be kept informed, but on the information received, it was obvious that both the Williams brothers would be dealing their way out of life sentences. Glad her team had been involved in removing the manufacturing and distribution of dangerous drugs, she set her mind to the homicide case. With six suspects to interview, she gave Rio and Rowley the task of hunting them down. She needed to know where they would be and when to catch them unawares. She instructed Rio and Rowley to take the first suspect they found and go and interview them. She would head out to the ME’s office for the autopsies with Kane, Jo, and Carter. She turned to Rio. “When you’re done, keep hunting them down. Message me with anyone else on the list you find and we’ll head out and see them after the autopsy.”

“I’m on it.” Rio stood and headed out the door with Rowley close behind.

Jenna stood and gathered her things. She grimaced. “Nothing like attending an autopsy to spoil a perfectly good day.”

“You can say that again.” Kane followed her out of the office with Duke on his heels.

Walking into the morgue had everyone in a somber mood. Coming from a bright sunny day, an inch into a cold white tile environment crushed any happy thoughts. Although Wolfe used every means available to keep the odors to a minimum, underneath the antiseptic smell, the stench of death lingered like an evil entity. Goosebumps prickled across Jenna’s skin as the cold air seeped through her clothes. She often wondered how Wolfe and his team appeared to be completely oblivious to the stench and cold. She figured maybe after so long they’d gotten used to it.

Their footsteps on the tile, along with the tap of the dogs’ claws, echoed along the corridors as they made their way to Wolfe’s office to deposit the dogs and then continue on to the examination rooms. In an alcove opposite, they shucked their jackets, exchanging them for scrubs, face masks, and gloves. Jenna moved her gaze along the three rooms, noting that each of them had a red light burning outside, which suggested that all the rooms were in use. She looked at Kane. “Did Wolfe mention where he’d be completing the homicide autopsies?”

“Nope.” Kane frowned. “I’m guessing he would be kind of busy right now. He’d be handling the autopsies for the shooting as well.” He turned to Carter. “I don’t figure it would be a good idea if I walked in on the autopsies of the men I shot. Take a look for me, please?” He offered Carter his card for the scanner.

“You’ve got it.” Carter plucked the card from his hand and waved it over the scanner of examination room one. As the door slid open, he turned and gave them the thumbs-up. “Right first time.” He handed the card back to Kane.

“I’m sorry.” Wolfe came out from a back room. “I didn’t hear you arrive. Things are a bit hectic around here today. “Emily is assisting Norrell’s team in room two, and I have a sudden death that arrived from the hospital early this morning.” His attention moved across them. “It’s just me today. Webber is organizing the hospital arrival, as there’s a rush on it.” He was referring to his assistant and badge holding deputy Colt Webber.

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