Page 34 of A Song for the Dead

Jenna liberally coated him and shook her head. “He was creepy. He said he hears voices at night and believes people are buried in the floor of the cellar. He never goes down there.”

“It’s probably wolves following the stink.” Kane removed his face mask and looked at Blackhawk. “It was another off-the-grid weird person.”

“How so?” Blackhawk handed him the reins to Moon Dancer.

“He has a house filled with animal body parts and taxidermy all over.” Kane rubbed the end of his nose. “It smells like death in there.”

“I thought as much, or there was sickness inside.” Blackhawk smiled. “The spraying hasn’t helped too much. Hopefully the fresh air will blow away the smell.”

Jenna stepped into Kane’s hand, and he boosted her into the saddle. “Can we get away from here and take ten? After that experience, I’d like a strong hot cup of coffee.”

“There’s that clearing we came through, we can stop there, it’s five minutes ride from here.” Blackhawk mounted and smiled at her. “We can at least enjoy the ride back. The forest is beautiful at this time of the year and Duke is enjoying the walk.”

Jenna’s satellite phone buzzed and she shot Kane a glance. “Oh, I wonder what’s up? Maybe Carter has found a suspect?” She accepted the call and it was Wolfe. “What have you got for me, Shane?” She placed the call on speaker and Kane moved closer to listen.

“I have a few things you need to know.”Wolfe cleared his throat.“With so many cases running alongside each other here, it’s complicated. First, we’ll talk about the missing woman, presumed dead at this point, Daisy Lyon. The blood smears and spatter Kane found belong to what we assume is the victim. It is a match to the blood in the bathroom. The MO is the same as the Freya Richardson case. We discovered blood-trace evidence in the shower but nothing else. In both cases, the drain in both showers was clean, as in the killer made sure they were clean. The residue we sucked from the pipes had no traces of blood, so the shower was cleaned and left running for a time. The blood traces we discovered came from the walls of the shower. To our advantage, the killer concentrated on the base of the shower and drain. He wouldn’t have seen the blood traces on the tile. It was only because we swabbed the entire area they were discovered.”

Jenna chewed on her bottom lip. “It’s the same MO as all the crime scenes going way back, but the shower part is new. I’d say he did that all along and it was missed.”

“There’s nothing in any of the forensic reports that mention the shower. I’m assuming they believed the victims stepped from the shower and were attacked, end of story. We know there was more happening because now we have the tapes of the murders.”He sighed.“The last one, cold case number six, had an old MP3 player in the grave. This is untraceable, so we have no idea who owned it. This means we have no clue to any other victims. If we’d been able to identify the owner, it would have given a clue to where the Halloween Slasher was operating before he came to Black Rock Falls.”

“Have you identified any of the other victims?” Kane leaned closer and raised his voice.

“Yeah, they all came from what Jo would call his comfort zone, so all we had to do was to put the names on the recordings to the list of missing persons from seven and eight years ago. We then obtained dental records and medical records. We have a list of names. I’ll send them to you with their last known locations. I’ve sent all the names to Kalo and he’s hunting down the next of kin. I’ll notify them, as after this long, I don’t figure they’d appreciate a visit from the local sheriff. I’ll be able to answer their questions.”

Impressed by how fast Wolfe and Norrell had worked to identify the victims, Jenna nodded. “That’s amazing, thank you.” She took a deep breath. “How long before we have the causes of death?”

“Norrell is working around the clock. She has done a preliminary examination on each victim looking for similarities, but it’s early days. She did say they all have bone damage to indicate sharp forced trauma to the neck, as in cut from front to back with enough force to cut the vertebrae. This would indicate a strong powerful man. In the neck, it’s not easy or necessary to cut through to the spine. A stab in the carotid artery alone would kill. This is overkill.”

“It makes me wonder if he attacked someone at one time and they survived.” Kane rubbed his chin.

“Maybe. That’s why you’re the investigators and I’m the medical examiner.”Wolfe chuckled.“I’ll be interested to hear what you find. I’ll call you when I get any more information.”He disconnected.

“So, now he makes sure they’re dead each time.” Kane looked at Jenna. “Killing as we’ve seen isn’t easy. Most times, the first kill is messy and rushed. In strangulation victims, the killer renders them unconscious, but it takes four minutes of sustained pressure on the carotid artery to kill someone, and that takes a lot of strength with bare hands. It’s easier with a cord, from behind and using a knee in the back to sustain the pressure. You’ll notice as the stranglers go along, they usually adopt different methods to ensure death.”

“I believe that is too much information, Dave.” Blackhawk had paled and he rubbed one hand down his face. “My agreement with Wolfe is we not discuss the details unless it’s tribal. Can we do the same?”

“Sure.” Kane looked abashed. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been discussing methods of killing someone, when we’re enjoying a ride in the forest.”

“Thanks.” Blackhawk gave him a nod. “I figure, after listening to ways to strangle someone, I need a strong cup of coffee too.”

THIRTY-NINE

How interesting. I’ve never enjoyed being interviewed by law enforcement, not knowing if they plan to drag me away in handcuffs and take me to the sheriff’s office for interrogation. All I could think of was, What had gone wrong? What had possibly led them to me? Circumstance, maybe but I was one of many people near Freya and Daisy before they became mine. Anyway, how could they possibly know my plans? They couldn’t read my mind or see through my pupils and into the lenses at a reflection of what I’d done. Did a flash of red linger there in a beautiful memory of gushing blood? As they asked their questions, my mind kept moving from Freya to Daisy, reliving each step, hearing their last breaths, the feel of their blood on my bare skin. I wanted to bathe in the red warmth but then I’d have given the forensic department a part of me and that could never happen.

I can read them like books. They have nothing. I left nothing behind, I never do and my casual attitude would speak volumes to them. I could see their calculated glances, trying to read what I’d never reveal. I wanted to laugh at their feeble attempts to get inside my mind. If they knew what was in there, they’d be running away so fast all I’d see is dust in their wake. My mouth grows dry and my fingers itch to slide my knife silently into soft scented flesh. The night is coming, and I have one more to offer. The grave is dug, the preparation faultless. All I need to do is ramp up the fear factor. The final offering must be the best. The more fear and suffering I can inflict, the more bountiful will be my reward.

I wonder what will happen if they discover the graves? Will I need to abandon my Halloween offerings—again? Have they no idea how important it is for me to complete the ritual before the moon rises on the last night of the month? I shake my head in denial. It can’t happen. I’m way too smart to leave evidence of graves behind. They’ll find nothing—not now—not ever.

I grin at my reflection. You see, I’m just a normal guy. Everyone is safe for now because my next offering has been chosen, but Halloween comes every year and I’ll be making my list. The things that go missing from your house and the feeling that someone has been inside your personal space isn’t your imagination. It’s usually me. I’ve already dug a grave especially for you. You see, no one ever knows when I’m coming, but the moment you step from the shower and see me, it’s too late.

FORTY

After riding for a time, they stopped for a break. Blackhawk had taken them a different way through the forest and the trail had opened up to a small clearing opposite the river. The water flowed fast and wide and as the afternoon clung to the last rays of the sun, the mist already had started its journey through the forest and on its way to town. Watching the twirling ghostly shapes emerge from water and join the procession sent chills down Jenna’s spine. This close to Halloween she wondered if they were witnessing the opening of the doors between life and death. Could the stories handed through time be true? How many myths had been proved to be true as archaeological digs uncovered artifacts from places once deemed to have been formed in someone’s fanciful imagination?

“The rising mist resembles spirits leaving another world to visit.” Blackhawk smiled at her as if he’d read her mind. “This time of year, we see this more often. The rising mist and strange figures traveling through the forest and along the sidewalks in town.”

“Yeah, it sure adds to the creepiness everyone seems to revel in over Halloween.” Kane emptied his cup of coffee and sighed. “What it says to me is it’s getting late and close to the time we collect Tauri, and we need to go. We try to keep to the same time schedule unless something comes up or he wonders where we are.”

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