Kane smiled at her. “Why thank you, ma’am, but I have to finish up here.” He glanced at Rowley. “Deputy Rowley will take your statement and then give you a ride back to the resort before he heads back to town.”
“I’ve seen you around.” Kim was keeping a firm grip on his arm. “Maybe some other time, when you’re not so busy?”
Kane flicked a glance at Rowley and didn’t miss his snigger. He cleared his throat. “As you’re a witness to the fight, it would be a conflict of interest but thanks for the offer.” He stepped away. “Go with Deputy Rowley, ma’am.”
“This way, ma’am.” Rowley led her out the door. “I’ll make sure you get back safely to your room.”
Kane turned as Jenna appeared at his side. “Find anything interesting?”
“Nope. There’s no personal belongings here at all.” She pulled on her gloves and zipped up her coat. “I checked the men’s jackets before they left. I have their cellphones and wallets but they weren’t staying in this cabin. It’s not fully furnished.” She frowned. “I guess they broke in here to use it as a meeting place to sell drugs.” She puffed out a cloud of steam in the cold room. “I’ll talk to Rowley in the morning but I’ve handed him the case. We have gotten enough evidence to charge them, it’s just paperwork and arranging transportation to county. We have a murder to solve and it takes priority.” She shook her head. “I’ll inform the management about the door.”
Kane shrugged. “Sorry about that.” He stared at her face and watched it change from concern to hilarity in a split second. “What?”
“One of the men we arrested called you a weapon.” She grinned. “I haven’t seen you in action before, well, not in full combat mode.” She chuckled. “You are a weapon.”
Seven
Winter had a special meaning for him. Delores didn’t decay so fast in low temperatures and it gave him more time to arrange his most treasured pieces of her. The snow would cover his tracks and, in the melt, all traces of his existence would wash away. Only his creation would remain but he’d be long gone by then and looking for another town to hunt for her. He’d welcomed the first snow with a rush of enthusiasm, or was it anticipation making his hands tremble? Once Delores arrived in Black Rock Falls, more would follow and he’d be busy right through January. The snow-covered sidewalks had called to him, telling him the time had come to find her again. If he’d asked people to describe the season, most would mention the bitter cold and unforgivingly long freezing nights. For him, it was the steam rising from fresh blood, the excitement of luring her into his lair, and the surprise on her face when she realized he’d planned to immortalize her as part of his collection.
At this time of the year, most people lived in a world of gray but he’d always been special and seen things differently. His winter was an incredible shade of blue. Each touch of the full moon on the white-dusted town, enhanced rather than blurred his vision. Houses on every corner stood out in sharp lines and each shadow fell on the snow clearly defined. In the daylight, as his collections became visible, the panic would begin, the town would be running scared and yet they would continue to trust him. He smiled. Like Delores they always trusted him—at first.
Out driving and enjoying the solitude, he spotted her dark hair on the bus and followed. Through the window and highlighted by the bright interior, he witnessed her argument with the driver. From the man’s expression, she’d used his kind nature to bully him into setting her down in the middle of town. He slowed as she stepped down from the bus. Slightly bedraggled, she turned to give the driver the finger and the ink on the back of her hand sealed her fate. She had an attitude in spades. With a tatty backpack slung over one shoulder, she moved along the brightly lit storefronts. He cruised by, watching her in his side mirror as she followed the passengers hurrying home from the bus and hustled them for money. He parked in a dark alley beside the church, slid out his truck, and followed her. Keeping a few paces behind, he could hear her stream of different excuses for being on the streets and by the time she paused at the entrance to the soup kitchen, he had the trap set.
The soup kitchen had finished serving meals for the night and Aunt Betty’s Café would be taking last orders. He slipped inside the café, and purchased two coffees and two pulled pork sandwiches. As he dropped the sleeping pills into one of the to-go cups, he kept her in sight as she peered at the menu. Snow glistened off her dark blue hoodie. She had no place to go and not enough money to buy a meal. As she walked away toward the church, hunched against the cold, he collected his order and slipped outside. He followed her, walking a little faster, and then cleared his throat to say something but she spun around. “Oh, excuse me.”
“Are you following me?” She glared at him with her chin stuck out in a belligerent attitude.
Hello, Delores, don’t you recognize me? He smiled at her; it always put her off guard when he smiled. “Ah, no. Just making my way back to my truck.” He indicated with his chin toward the dark alley. “If you’re heading for the church, it’s closed for the night. I have to get home to my wife.”
“You close the church, what sort of a priest are you?” She wiped her red nose on her sleeve. “Well, open it. I need a pew to sleep on. I’ll die out here.”
“I can’t do that, I’m sorry.” He stepped into the alley. “I’m not a priest but I can help you. Are you hungry?” He offered her one of the sandwiches. “I have a spare coffee too.”
“Yeah.” She snatched it from him and ate like a dog, stuffing the food into her mouth. “I need a place to stay.” She ignored the trash can close by and tossed the empty bag on the ground. She peered at him as she sipped the coffee. “You’re a minister, or whatever, you’re supposed to help me.”
He’d set the bait and all he had to do was reel her in. He smiled again. “I’m sure my wife wouldn’t mind if you took our spare bedroom for tonight—as it’s an emergency. I’ll be able to find you a place to stay in the morning.” He waved a hand to his truck. “Our house is at the other end of town.” He walked to the door pressing his key fob. “Unless you want to sleep on the church porch?” He opened the door and climbed inside, not looking at her, and started the engine.
The passenger door opened and she tossed her backpack on the floor and climbed inside. She sipped the coffee and yawned. “I sleep with a knife, so no funny business.”
He backed out into the dark still night. She hadn’t changed, her tongue was still as harsh as he remembered. The tattoos on her hands looked new and would enhance the design he had in mind. He nodded. “Once you’re safely in your room, you won’t see me until the morning.”
No, she wouldn’t see him coming—until it was too late.
Eight
Ava Price climbed into the truck, looked around at the pristine interior, and sipped her coffee. She’d gotten rides from all types. Some men had been fine and even offered her cash but she’d had her share of the predators. This guy, the minister or whoever, seemed okay. He had a wife at home and that was always a bonus. She watched him closely as he wasn’t saying much. He was clean shaven, unusual in these alpine towns in winter, and plain-looking. Nothing about him, his manner, or speech made her wary. Heck, if she had landed a place to stay, she would be set. She cleared her throat. “Do you have kids?”