Page 42 of Whisper Through the Pines

“Who keeps a receipt for a bottle of Pepto-Bismol?” Kitteridge looked from one to the other. “Give me a break. These questions are crazy.”

Unfazed by his irritability, Jenna didn’t react. “You know we’ll check the CCTV footage, so if you’re lying, you might as well tell us the truth and save us the time of dragging you back here.”

“I’ll be on the tape.” Kitteridge checked his watch and blew out a long sigh.

Reaching for the folder Kane had under his hands, she flipped through the photos and pushed one of a pair of axes in front of him. “I believe you have access to these axes?”

“Yeah, they’re props.” The suspect blinked and stared at the photo. “They get handled by everyone. We moved them into different sets depending on which scene we’re setting up.”

“We’ve determined that they’re the same type that were used in the Axman attacks.” Kane slid the photo toward him. “Kind of a coincidence, don’t you think?” He gave him a long considering stare. “You had access to them and then went missing. At the same time, innocent people ended up murdered. How do you explain that?” He placed the photographs of the decapitated victims in a line in front of him. “Look at the photographs. They’ll never return to their families.”

“I didn’t do that.” Kitteridge’s gaze passed swiftly across the images and then back to Kane’s face. “If you figure someone used those axes, maybe you should swab them. You won’t find anything.”

Slightly confused by this suspect, Jenna watched him carefully. He came across as annoyed more than guilty. She hadn’t seen the change in him she would normally see in psychopathic killers, but then again, this one could easily alter his body language. His overexplaining of the use of the axes and his certainty of the lack of trace evidence concerned her. Guilty men often overexplained. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled. There was just something about him that didn’t sit right with her. “Oh, we’ll swab the axes. In fact, I believe they’re being swabbed as we speak.”

Kitteridge gave no reaction—nothing.

Perhaps he’d made sure the axes were clean. Sitting them in bleach overnight would remove all traces of DNA. Anyone who watched a crime show on TV would know that. She needed to change tack. “I believe you drive a white pickup?”

“So do half the ranchers in this county.” Kitteridge shrugged and folded his arms across his chest. “Why?”

“Yours was seen on the fire road around the time of the second murders.” Kane pushed an image of the two men’s decapitated heads in front of Kitteridge. “Maybe you need to explain.”

“I drove home that way.” Kitteridge’s shoulders stiffened and then he relaxed. “The mist was getting bad along the highway and the trees break it up some. It’s quicker, is all.” He stabbed a finger at the images. “I had nothing to do with killing these men.” He sighed. “Why would I want to kill them? I don’t know them and I’d need a reason—right?”

“Did you stop anywhere along the fire road?” Kane ignored his question, collected the images, and tucked them back inside the folder.

“No.” Kitteridge looked from one to the other. “Why would I stop?”

“Did anyone see you taking the fire road?” Kane leaned back in his chair. “Or did you notice any other vehicles?”

“Well, somebody must have or you wouldn’t be asking me all these stupid questions—and no, I don’t recall seeing any vehicles. It was misty, I could have easily missed one parked alongside the road.” Kitteridge stared at his watch. “This is taking forever and you’re gonna get me fired.”

“You obviously know your way around the forest.” Kane suddenly leaned forward, both hands clenched into fists. “Someone lay in wait for these men and attacked them from behind. Only cowards attack from behind.”

“Do they?” Kitteridge met his gaze. “I wouldn’t know because I’m no coward.”

Jenna glanced at Kane and he gave a slight nod. She closed her notebook. They had nothing to hold him. “We’ll need to verify your movements. Until then, don’t leave town. Deputy Rio will see you out.”

“Oh, I won’t. My work isn’t finished here yet. I have so many things planned for all next year.” Kitteridge’s lips quirked up in the corners almost triumphantly. “I’m sure you’ll both drop by to see the show. I mean, after the dead body showing up last year, anything might happen.” He stood, his chair scraping the floor, and Rio let him out.

Jenna switched off the recording device and turned to Kane. “What was that remark about?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe they have something really macabre for the new Haunted House attraction?” Kane rubbed his chin.

Unsettled by the look Kitteridge gave her as he left, Jenna rubbed the back of her neck. “Or it was a threat.”

“He isn’t easily intimidated.” Kane stood slowly, collecting the folder and legal pad. “Which means he knows we have nothing on him, or he’s innocent. I pushed but he didn’t bite, and he had no real reaction to the images, but then he does work in a gruesome industry. Maybe he is used to seeing gore?”

Jenna nodded. “Yeah, maybe, but he’s not getting off the hook just yet.”

Thirty-Nine

The chatter inside the conference room ceased the moment Jenna walked in with Kane. The smell of fresh coffee drifted toward her with the tang of leftover takeout. She walked up and down in front of the whiteboard and examined the names, timelines, and victims’ photos. Her hand went absently to her face, scrubbing across her chin as she tried to pick out anything to point to the killer. Something must link them to the victims and up to now it had eluded her. She snapped her fingers and turned to look at the team. “The time of death in each of these cases is very similar. They all seem to occur between nine and midnight. This would tell me whoever is our murderer has a regular job. Is not an itinerant or someone just passing through. He lives here. There are three suspects at the top of our list. I’m sure you’ve all had the opportunity to read through the interviews by now, so we’ll discuss Kitteridge.” She tapped his name on the whiteboard. “His interview was inconclusive really. I found him to be irritated, defensive, and threatening in a subtle way. He came across as very sure of himself and even suggested we visit the Haunted House attraction.” She ran a hand through her hair. “The problem is we have no probable cause. Like the other suspects, there is no connection with him. No motive for killing them.”

“He doesn’t need a motive. What we’re looking at is a spontaneous killer.” Jo leaned back in her chair, twirling her pen in her fingers. “He may well have set up a trap for two of the murders and then just waited until someone came along and fell for his game. He didn’t care who it was. He just wanted to kill.” She drew a long breath. “Something triggered the first set of murders. Maybe we should be looking at the CCTV footage at the pizzeria the night the first murders occurred. From the evidence from their friends, the young couple discussed the fact that they we’re going parking. If the killer had been waiting for a pie, he could have easily overheard the conversation. Maybe after he purchased his pizza, something happened to trigger him. He wanted to kill and they would be sitting ducks.”

“I figure Kitteridge was irritated because we dragged him away from his job.” Kane stood slowly, walked over to the coffee pot, and poured two cups of coffee. “He doesn’t like being singled out. I found him to be more evasive than anything and reluctant to answer questions. He doesn’t scare easy, which makes me wonder if he’s hiding something.”