AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yeah, Maggie asked all the right questions when Mrs. Doig called. The girl’s mother said it is usual for Sandra to sleep over with Peta Braun, they are BFFs and Mrs. Braun makes sure they don’t stay up all night.” Jenna chewed on her bottom lip. “The principal asked the kids over the intercom and a couple of them saw her heading away from the school toward the back road to Stanton Forest after school yesterday.”
The memory of the murders they had investigated earlier in the year ran through his mind. “That’s not good. I hope we don’t have another killer stalking the forest.”
“I’m more worried about the current very active pedophile ring.”
“Yes, and the local pedophile who has been working in town during the festival.” Kane swallowed the bile rushing up the back of his throat. “Ask Maggie to arrange for a member of the family to bring something Sandra has worn. It’s going to be difficult searching the forest and Duke can track by smell.”
“Yeah, her husband is on the way with a pair of her socks. I already thought of Duke.” Jenna’s eyes narrowed. “We need to move on this now. I am assuming this is another kidnapping by the same men. Now that Zoe is unavailable, they would need another girl. I’ll call Rowley and tell him to get back here ASAP.” She pursed her lips. “Stu Macgregor is the only known predator in town we are aware of at the moment—find him.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He rubbed his chin. “I’ll call the town council and see if he is working in the area.”
“Okay. Did you locate Lizzy Harper?”
He could almost see Jenna’s mind turning over; she had so many things to consider and was prioritizing at an amazing speed. “Yeah, she and her mother are cleaning a house on Clifton Drive. She should be there until five.”
“Good, and she has no idea she is on our radar. Once we receive the arrest warrant, I will send someone to pick her up, but right now Sandra Doig is our first priority. I want to be speaking to Macgregor in five minutes.” Jenna waved him away and reached for her phone.
With Deputies Wolfe and Webber at Craig’s Rock with the Helena forensics team, the office was shorthanded. Kane returned to his desk and immediately called the local council, and after the operator passed him from one department to the other, he managed to establish that the magician was working on the street across from the park not far from the sheriff’s office. Kane leaned back in his chair, recalling his earlier conversation with the man. He pushed to his feet just as Rowley came through the front door carrying a folder and went into Jenna’s office.
He followed him inside then waited for Jenna to stop speaking to Rowley. When she turned her gaze on him, he cleared his throat. “Stu Macgregor is working across from the park. That seems to be his spot during a festival. I spoke to him there last week.”
“Okay, we’ll speak with him first.” She turned to Rowley. “While I’m out, put Bradford on the desk to help Maggie with incoming calls from the public about the missing girl and make sure she keeps me up to date with any developments. You speak to Mr. Doig; he is bringing in something of Sandra’s we can use for scent.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Rowley marched out of the room.
The call panel on her desk lit up and she flicked an apprehensive glance at him. “This might be information on the missing girl. Go and speak to Macgregor. It will be quicker to walk.”
“Sure.” He held up one hand. “I’ll need the girl’s details.”
“I’ve already sent all the information to your phone.” She lifted her chin and her eyes bore into him. “I’ll pick you up at the park when I’m finished here and we’ll go door to door, starting from where Sandra was last seen. I’ll get Wolfe and Webber back here and they can bring in Lizzy Harper.”
“Okay.” Kane headed for the door.
The sun hit him full in the eyes as he stepped out onto the street. He reached for the sunglasses in his top pocket and moved through the milling crowds enjoying the festival. The schools had closed for one day the previous week but the number of kids underfoot staggered him. He dodged a group from the local kindergarten class waving sticky fingers and smiling at him with toffee-apple-stained teeth. This week many entertainers, buskers, clowns, and magicians had set up in the parking lots in front of the local stores. He picked out Stu Macgregor surrounded by kids and he pushed down his anger. Would he go to work as usual if he had a kidnapped kid at home in his cellar? Could he be procuring kids for other pedophiles? Probably.
Predators, like psychopaths, had the ability to appear normal and most times wore the façade of a person of trust and likeability. Although he had found psychopaths to be extremely clever without feelings toward their victims, most pedophiles truly believed they loved the children they molested. They acted on their sexual perversion. The problem he had as a profiler was the two types of personality often crossed. He could be dealing with a pedophile with psychopathic personality who craved sex with children but had no conscience when it came to hurting or killing them.
He moved to the front of the mass of people watching Stu Macgregor run through his performance. The man noticed him at once and Kane noticed his hands shake a little during his final trick. When the magician announced he would be taking a short break, the crowed moaned as one then started to wander away. Kane walked up to him and stood, hands on hips. “Do you drive over from Blackwater each day or do you have a place here in town?”
“I leased a house. It’s a run-down place outside of town on the way to the falls.” Macgregor busied himself with his props, not meeting Kane’s eyes. “Why?”
Kane watched his body language with interest. He is worried. “I thought Stanton Road was upmarket.”
“Not Stanton Road, way past there up the highway near the Triple Z bar. It’s an old bunkhouse on Weller’s Road.”
Kane leaned closer. “Did you take a little girl up there last night?”
“No.” Macgregor still refused to look at him. “I don’t know nothing about a little girl going missing.”
“I didn’t say she went missing, did I?” Kane glared at him. “Pack up your things. W
e’re going to take a ride to the sheriff’s office. You can wait in a cell while we search your place.”
“You don’t have a warrant to search my place.”
Kane moved so close he could smell the man’s sweat. “You’re on parole, I don’t need one and I have enough to detain you on suspicion of kidnapping.”
He pulled out his phone and relayed the information to Jenna. “Give me your keys. You are a registered sex offender and a girl is missing.” He gave him a little push toward the sheriff’s department. “Start walking unless you want me to cuff you in front of all the kids.”
