Page 22 of A Song for the Dead

Heart in her mouth, she looked over one shoulder and gaped at a hideous Halloween mask. Before she could scream, something sharp slammed into her back, one side and then the other. Pushed hard against the vanity, a hand clamped down over her mouth and she couldn’t move her arms. As the cold basin pressed into her stomach, pain shot through her. Her knees weak, she sagged when a husky voice came close to her ear.

“Oh, don’t pass out on me yet, Daisy. I haven’t started to have fun yet. Trick or treat?”

TWENTY-EIGHT

THURSDAY

Jenna and Kane spent a few extra minutes dropping Tauri at the kindergarten. He’d told them about the Halloween mask he’d been making and wanted to show them. It was a new experience for Jenna and seeing the little boy’s excitement at having them there made her go misty. The way they taught the kids impressed her. It was a light and airy complex, where parents or grandparents could drop by to help out. The family unit was included and the children seemed to be enjoying themselves and eager to learn. In most cases, Tauri at four would have been too young to attend kindergarten, but when they approached the one in Black Rock Falls, seeing how big he was for his age and his ability to communicate so well, they had made an exception. Although he’d turn five on December first, he still towered over most of the kids in his class.

Impressed, Jenna examined the mask and smiled at Tauri. “Wow! This is beautiful.”

Not a ghoulish face with fangs as she’d expected, the mask he’d made was adorned with feathers, white rings around each eye, and zigzag lines on each cheek. She handed the mask to Kane. “Isn’t this wonderful?”

“Indeed.” Kane turned it over in his hand. “You’ll need wings on your costume. We’ll go and look for something this afternoon. You are planning on trick-or-treating with Anna Wolfe? We did promise.”

“Yes, I like Anna, and Nanny Raya is making my costume.” Tauri beamed at them. “Will I look like an eagle, Mommy?”

Jenna laughed. “You will indeed.” She wondered if they’d make the Halloween Ball this year, with a serial killer in town, but mentioning it now wouldn’t hurt. “If we go to the Halloween Ball, would you mind staying with Nanny Raya?”

“Silly Mommy.” Tauri giggled. “Nanny Raya already told me, as sheriff, you and Daddy need to be at the ball and we’d be busy sorting out candy.” He looked around at the other kids. “See how they look at you, Daddy? One day you should come by and tell us a story about keeping us safe. I told them you were a great warrior.”

“I will, soon as I can.” Kane bent to give him a hug. “We need to go to work now. We’ll see you soon.”

Looking from one to the other, Jenna couldn’t be prouder of both of them. She kissed Tauri on the cheek and waved to him as they left the classroom. She turned to Kane. “Come on, Great Warrior, get out your thinking cap. We need a breakthrough in these cases. There must be something we’ve overlooked.”

“Rio and Rowley will be out with the drones again this morning.” Kane glanced at his watch. “Carter and Jo should be arriving around ten. We’ll rehash everything and take it from there.” He pulled open the door of the Beast and slid behind the wheel.

Jenna’s phone chimed and it was Maggie. “Hey Maggie, what’s up?”

“I’ll patch a call through to you. It’s a woman by the name of Tara Farrell. She’s concerned something has happened to her friend.”

Jenna waited for the call to come through. “Sheriff Alton. Am I speaking with Tara Farrell?”

“Yes, I live at 106 Pine. You need to come. Something has happened to my friend. I’m parked on the road, on the corner of Pine and Stanton. Can you come?”

Nodding to Kane as he spun the Beast around and headed for Pine, Jenna took a deep breath and hit record on her phone. “What is your friend’s name and can you explain what happened?”

“Daisy Lyon.”Tara gave a little sob and then appeared to gather herself.“I work late, so I usually creep in, grab a shower, and go straight to bed. When I wake, Daisy has already left for work. We hardly ever see each other. This morning when I went into the kitchen, her purse and keys were on the counter. I went to her bedroom door and knocked. I figured she might have overslept. The bed was stripped and I could see blood on the carpet. I called out but she didn’t reply. The room smelled like blood. I was scared. I ran out of the house, got in my car, and drove here to call you.”

Exchanging a meaningful glance with Kane, Jenna cleared her throat. “Okay, we’re coming up on you now. We’re in the black truck.” She disconnected and looked at Kane. “I hope this isn’t victim number two.”

“So do I.” Kane turned to rub Duke’s ears. “Stay, boy. We won’t be long.”

Leaning in the window of the passenger side of the woman’s vehicle, Jenna took in the disheveled woman, wearing pj’s and a sweater. “Can you drive back to your house? We’ll be close behind, or I can ride with you if you’re scared.”

“I guess.” Tara’s hands trembled as she gripped the steering wheel.

Jenna pulled open the door and looked at Kane over the hood. “I’ll ride with her. Stay close.”

“Thanks.” Tara turned the SUV and they headed along Pine.

As the vehicle slowed to drive through a dark tunnel made by a canopy of tree branches and overgrown shrubbery, Jenna turned to her. “Pull up outside the house but stay inside the vehicle. Lock the doors and we’ll go inside and look around. Daisy wasn’t suicidal or had threatened to take her own life at any time?”

“No, absolutely not.” Tara looked horrified. “She was always planning for the future. A husband and a tribe of kids. She sent me messages last night and sounded just fine.”

Nodding, Jenna pushed open the passenger-side door and waited for Tara to lock it. She nodded to Kane, and they pulled their weapons and stepped inside the open front door. The smell of blood had infused the house, and as they cleared the rooms one by one, it seemed to crawl toward them along the passageway. When they reached the open bedroom door, as usual Kane went high and she went low, scanning the room in silence, listening, and watching for movement. Nothing but the stench of blood and the usual release of bodily fluids that happened at death. The entire scene screamed death. Beside her, Kane held up one finger, holstered his weapon, and dragged booties and gloves from his pockets. Once covered, he drew his weapon and nodded to her. Teamwork practiced after years together needed no words. Jenna kept her weapon raised and Kane cleared the room, checking the closets and all around before moving cautiously to the bathroom.

“It’s the same as before.” Kane turned to look at her dark eyebrows raised. “Mirror image. It’s the same guy. Do you want me to call Wolfe while you question the witness?”

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