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Jenna filled a glass with water and pushed it toward him. “I’m not sure. Did you know your mother filed a complaint against him for inappropriate behavior?”
“No, I only remember the cops coming when Jane went missing. I guess they investigated him. I have no idea—I was just a kid.”
“Okay.” Jenna leaned back in her chair, acting nonchalant; he was getting way too upset, was it genuine or an act to cover his guilt? “How long ago did your sister vanish?”
“Eight years.” Stickler lifted his red-rimmed eyes and sniffed. “If he’s dead, we’ll never find her now, will we?” He took the glass and gulped the water.
“Our job is to find her and we’ll do our very best but we need your help. What we want to know is if Price had any friends.” Kane’s expression hardened. “Do you remember if he worked with another clown or did you see him with anyone?”
“Yeah, I do remember a magician, called himself the Great Dungini, and another clown.” Stickler stared into space then moved his gaze back to Kane. “I don’t remember any other names.” He straightened. “I could ask my parents. They probably have photographs; they took tons and have videos of the parties, although it would be hard to identify them with the clown makeup.”
“Okay thanks, you’ve been very helpful, and any images or videos would be a great help. Interview terminated at two-fifty.” Jenna switched off the recorder. “Deputy Kane will give you his card. If you can think of anything at all to help us, please call him.”
“I will.” Stickler pocketed the card. “Can I go now?”
“Yes.” Jenna flicked her ID over the scanner on the door and it clicked open. She indicated toward Rowley. “My deputy will show you out.”
After shutting the door behind him, she turned to Kane. “What do you think?”
“From his reaction at finding out Price is dead, he isn’t the killer.” Kane shrugged. “Problem is, he is angry and believes his sister is still alive, which after so many years the chances are remote. He has confirmed there was another clown. Stu Macgregor, the Great Dungini and Price worked together at one time and we know they worked at Party Time. As Price was clean at the time of the FBI investigation, I figure the media would have gotten hold of Macgregor’s case and if Stickler knew the two men worked together, he might have suspected Price had taken his sister. I hope Stickler doesn’t think Macgregor is involved as well and seek vengeance.”
“Oh, I hope not.” Jenna frowned. “We have enough to worry about at the moment.”
13
It could not have been easier to turn the tables on the next predator. With a few concerned words about having to slip away from home once her parents were asleep, she convinced him to take a room at the Black Rock Falls Motel. A perfect place, the motel had a variety of clientele depending on the seasons, from randy rodeo cowboys having one-night stands to hockey fans supporting their favorite team. In other words, the room rate started at two hours and the owner accepted every client who walked through the door. Men like him loved motel rooms because they carried so much DNA, proving anything would be difficult.
She persuaded him to leave the room key buried under the big tree beside the school gate and she made plans to meet him inside the room at seven that evening. After watching him drop the key and kick dirt over it, she waited for his SUV to turn the corner before attempting to collect it. As she walked past the school, she allowed oranges to spill from a paper sack in her arms. Retrieving the key and popping it into the sack with the oranges had been easy.
After arriving home that evening, she checked her messages, made a few necessary calls, then turned into a young teenager. She glanced in the mirror: At a slim five foot two, with fried eggs for breasts, she could pass as a much younger girl from a distance. During the day, the heels on her shoes and the clever way she styled her hair made her appear at least five seven. Her padded bra gave her a more voluptuous look, and when she added makeup, she looked all of her twenty-one years.
After slipping on surgical gloves, she pulled on a hoodie and moved through her kitchen and into the garage. She had chosen a mid-range white Ford; with so many in town, no one would notice her parking on the tree-lined lane beside the motel. The Black Rock Falls Motel was in a perfect location. No CCTV cameras to intrude on clients’ privacy, and the owners left them alone. Spectacular burnished copper maple trees surrounding the courtyard bathed the area in mottled shadows, which would allow her to enter the room unnoticed.
She arrived at six thirty and slid from the car, leaving the car keys hidden on top of one of the wheels then, keeping to the shadows, entered the motel parking lot. The monster had followed her instructions, taking a room at the back of the building, the last one closest to the trees. Glancing around, she jogged across the courtyard and used the key to gain entrance.
She heaved a sigh of relief, finding the room unoccupied. If he was a pack animal, she would be in trouble if he arrived with a couple of his friends. She removed her coat then took the long metal meat skewer out of her bag and slid it within easy reach beneath the pillow. No poison this time.
This one deserved special treatment.
Glancing at the clock, she turned out the lights and watched out the window for him to arrive. At five minutes to seven, an SUV pulled up outside and she caught sight of the light glistening on his bald head as he walked to the door. Her heart pounded. He was big and could snap her neck like a twig. Virtually defenseless, she would be at his mercy if her plan failed.
When he pushed open the door, she backed into the bathroom, standing silhouetted by the streetlight coming through the bathroom window. To make him believe his date was a young girl, she must keep her face in shadow. A wave of anticipation at the thought of destroying this monster empowered her. She would play the role and make him pay.
“You in here?” His voice sounded excited and shrill for his size.
She sucked in a deep breath to calm herself then giggled. They always liked it when she giggled. “Yes, I’m here. Did you bring the things I asked you to buy?”
“Yeah.” He held up a paper sack. “Why the stockings and blindfold? I don’t want you wearing stockings, I like my girls natural. Can I turn the light on so I can see you a bit better? You sure look pretty.”
“Not yet, I’m shy.” She twirled fingers in her hair, acting coy, and kept out of his way. “You look older than your picture. I thought you were eighteen.”
“I shave my head to look older.” He gave her a sad look. “I did lie a bit but I so wanted to meet you.”
“That’s okay.” She giggled again. “You like to play games, right?”
“Oh, yeah, I like to play games. What do you have in mind?”
“I watched my sister with her boyfriend – she’s eighteen – when they were babysitting and thought I was asleep. I asked you to bring those things because I want to do what they were doing.”
