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Jenna raised one eyebrow. “Codebook?”
“If I told you that I’d have to kill you.” He snorted in amusement. “You know the drill.”
Jenna’s cellphone pealed and she growled in frustration, then looked at the caller ID. “It’s Wolfe.” She accepted the call and placed it on speaker. “Is anything wrong?”
After listening to Wolfe’s explanation about Ella Tate and the apparent murder of Sky Paul, adrenaline started to pump through Jenna’s veins. She exchanged a glance with Kane. “Of course we want to be involved, I only have a cold. I’ll head the investigation from here. I?
??ll call search and rescue and send Walters and Webber to meet the chopper and the snowmobile volunteers and coordinate the search.” She sighed. “What are the chances of finding Sky Paul alive?”
“It’s unlikely anyone could survive injured and lying on the side of the highway in a blizzard.” Wolfe’s voice sounded strained. “The temperature has been dropping all day and another blizzard is on the way. We might not find her until the melt. If another four hours goes by with no sign of her, it will be a body retrieval.”
Jenna frowned. “Yet the other young woman lived to tell the tale. How so?”
“Right now, I don’t have much more information for you. Rowley is about twenty minutes out of town with Ella Tate. I’ll head out to the hospital to meet him and collect evidence from the alleged victim shortly.”
Impressed by Rowley’s quick action, she nodded. “It sounds like you have everything under control. I’ll call in Walters and Webber and get them out to ground zero.”
“No need. Webber and Walters are making their way to the last known coordinates with a snowplow to cut a path alongside the road where Miss Tate said the incident occurred. Rowley mentioned Walters has experience in search and rescue.”
“Okay.” Jenna frowned. She needed to be in the midst of the action, not stuck at home, but to venture outside with a chest infection and a fever just to find a corpse was begging for pneumonia. It wouldn’t be worth the risk. She had skilled deputies and issuing orders from home was no different to being in the office, but right now, no one was available at the sheriff’s department apart from Magnolia the receptionist—Maggie to her friends. “Okay, if you take down Miss Tate’s statement it will free up Rowley to run the office. I’ll call in some help from Blackwater. Right now, we have to consider Miss Tate as either in danger or a murder suspect. We’ll need around the clock surveillance at the hospital. Has anyone contacted the parents of the missing girl? She may be safe at home for all we know.”
“Rowley didn’t mention contacting Sky Paul’s parents but I guess his main concern was getting Miss Tate to the hospital. From the blood Rowley mentioned on Tate, I doubt she is at home or her parents would have reported the attack.” Wolfe sounded concerned. “I’ll speak to him.”
Jenna exchanged a glance with Kane and frowned. “No, it’s fine, you have enough to do. I’ll call him now. He can go speak to Sky Paul’s parents before he returns to the office.”
“Sure. I’ll email you a report of my findings and Walters will keep you updated on the search.”
Jenna let out a long sigh. “Okay, thanks.” She disconnected and looked at Kane. “I feel useless not being out there coordinating the search and rescue.”
“All parties involved know what jobs they have to do. You know as well as I do the search and rescue chopper has been doing this for many years. Same with the snowmobile volunteers. They know their stuff and you have Walters out there to direct traffic if necessary.” Kane shrugged. “It’s not your fault you’re ill. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
“I’ve never tried to run an investigation from home before.” Jenna turned her head away and coughed. “I prefer to speak to my deputies face to face.”
“Then get them to drop in here. I don’t think it will make any difference if you’re not in the office. I figure our only problem will be if Wolfe suspects Ella Tate is involved.”
Jenna rubbed her temples to ease the threatening headache. “If she is then one of us will need to interview her. Rowley is a competent deputy but he doesn’t have our experience, and Wolfe will be working forensics.”
“Maybe not.” Kane made his way to the kitchen and poured two fresh cups of coffee. “But Wolfe is on the ball. I figure we should wait for his report.” He sighed. “As Wolfe said, we’re more likely to be searching for a corpse. After twelve hours or more out in this weather, she wouldn’t stand a chance. The search is routine now, not a life-or-death situation.”
Jenna huffed out a long breath. “Yeah, I guess but if he believes she’s responsible for killing her friend, I’ll want you to interview her. You ask the right questions and get inside people’s heads.”
“I’m sure I can drive to the hospital and back without a problem, or Rowley can drive me.” He smiled at her. “Try not to worry too much. You have a capable team at your fingertips. Rest up and you’ll be back at work in no time.”
Jenna shook her head. “I can’t right now with this case buzzing around in my head.”
“Talk to me.” Kane looked interested. “What have you got?”
“A theory.” Jenna leaned forward in her chair. “If someone attacked Sky Paul on the highway and her car is missing, we could have another murder on our hands—or we might have the killer in custody… whatever, I’ll call Blackwater and see if they can spare a few deputies to guard Ella Tate in the hospital. Can you follow up with Rowley? He needs to get over to speak to Sky’s parents.”
“Sure.” Kane’s brow furrowed. “I’ll ask him if he notified Ella’s next of kin as well. If not, I’ll call them. It’s likely, with organizing the snowplow and arranging for Wolfe to examine the girl, it might have slipped his mind.”
Jenna heaved a sigh of relief. Head injury or not, Kane was firing on all cylinders, although he had become a little remote toward her since losing his memory. The incident had reopened the wound of losing his wife—for him it had happened a few weeks ago—and she recognized the signs of a man in mourning. Keeping him busy was the best medicine. “Will you be able to chase down some info on the Tate girl for me as well? We only have her word for what happened. If Sky is dead, she would be the last person to have seen her alive.”
“Sure can.” Kane reached for the coffee pot. “Go back to bed and rest. I’ll pour you a cup of coffee and bring you a slice of Aunt Betty’s fruit cake.”
“That is easier said than done.” Jenna heard a vehicle heading toward the house and groaned. “Did I ever mention how much I hate doctors? They always want to jab a needle in me.”
“Go back to bed. I’ll get the door.” Kane pushed to his feet and walked to the door without using his stick. He glanced over at her. “See, I’m fine. I made it to the cottage and back without a headache. I’ll be back to work before you at this rate.”
