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He grabbed his go-cup of coffee and followed her to pick up his truck with Duke on his heels. He strolled along beside her. “I don’t think we’ve ever had a case with three viable murder suspects and not a shred of evidence on any of them—suspicions, maybe, but not being able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt any of them were at the crime scenes makes life difficult.”
“Maybe we haven’t yet but something will have to give.” Jenna took a sip of her coffee. “No one is that lucky. They were all near the murder scenes. I know Emily has been asking everyone if they saw them around the time of the murders, and Webber as well. It’s not as if we can put it out in a press release. I figure we’d get sued.” She threw one arm up in the air. “Unless the killer makes a move this afternoon, we’ll still be scratching around for evidence and suspects, but Lyons is sure shaping up as the ringleader in the Chrissie Lowe rape case. Right now, I’d be happy to solve at least one case this week.”
Kane led the way into the carwash. “Rowley has the theft collar, so it’s not as if we haven’t solved anything, but if nothing happens this afternoon, we’ll be back to square one on the other cases. I guess we can only keep throwing out the net and seeing who else we can catch because as sure as my truck is black, if this is murder, he hasn’t stopped killing yet.”
After changing clothes, Kane pushed a few useful items into the pockets of his jacket and waited in his truck for Jenna to come running down the porch steps of her ranch house. He’d chosen a mixture of dark greens to blend in with the forest then added a black ball cap and shades. Jenna had disguised herself quite well with casual clothes, a baseball cap, and sunglasses. She’d merge in with the other runners without much notice. For him it was slightly more of a problem: no matter what he wore, he stood out like a sore thumb. Being a head taller than most was an advantage he’d never trade, but blending into a crowd had never been something he’d been able to achieve. He pulled his ball cap down over his eyes and looked at Jenna as she slid into the passenger seat. “I figure we’ll need to split up. If anyone sees us together, they’ll make us for sure.” He started the engine and headed down the leaf-strewn driveway and out onto the highway.
“Yeah, I already decided that, and I’ve worked out three possible scenarios but I’m in two minds about leaving Duke behind.” Jenna chewed on her bottom lip. “He’d be able to warn you if someone was lurking in the forest.”
Kane shrugged. “Maybe but everyone knows he’s always with me. If they don’t make me first up, the moment they see Duke, they’ll recognize me for sure.”
He turned the truck onto the main highway into Black Rock Falls. Once out of town, he’d decided to take the backroads to Stanton Road to avoid the traffic, getting them to the parking lot at the beginning of the trail with a good half hour or more before Emily was due to arrive. He’d had his own ideas on how to handle Emily’s surveillance but glanced at Jenna and then moved his attention back to the busy road. “How are you going to play this, Jenna?”
“We’ll arrive early enough to be able to split up and be at the top of the rapids, waiting on both sides of the trail.” Jenna glanced at her watch. “With Webber following Lyons behind her, and both of us ahead of her, we should be fine.” She turned in her seat. “Wolfe is dropping by the office to collect Rowley and they’ll be in the parking lot at the foot of the mountain as backup. We all have com packs, including Emily.”
“Okay.” Kane kept his eyes on the road.
“I figure if Lyons makes a move, we allow it to play out.” She looked at him. “We’ll be able to hear what he’s saying to Emily. If he’s just asking her to a party, we’ll keep our distance and let plan A take its course. I’ve instructed Emily to accept his invitation but insist she drive herself to the party.” She adjusted her ball cap and pushed a strand of hair behind one ear. “I told her if he wants to run with her, she should insist he go on ahead back down the trail because she wants some alone time.”
Kane smiled. “Then if the killer is lurking, she’s out of harm’s way.”
“Exactly, and if there is no killer waiting to pounce and Lyons tries to drug her at the party, she’ll have Webber as backup, as we’ve discussed, and we’ll have the proof we need to take him down, at least for administering an illegal drug.” She sighed. “If we can get our hands on his burner phone, we might be able to charge him with Chrissie’s rape as well.”
“It’s a possibility. I’d bet he keeps it close by.” Kane accelerated along Stanton Road and the smell of pine rushed through his open window. “So, what’s plan B?”
“I figure it’s highly unlikely he’ll try and rape her in the mountains, but if he touches her, whoever is close can take him down.” Jenna opened her jacket to reveal a shoulder holster. “Not the best thing to carry running but I’ll use it if I have to.”
Kane grinned. “Me too.”
“Oh, I know you never go anywhere without a weapon. I’ve often wondered if you take one into the shower.” Jenna chuckled, and when he didn’t reply she poked him in the arm. “Holy cow, you do, don’t you?”
“Well, I leave it close by.” He shrugged. “It’s a habit.” He turned off Stanton Road and made his way through the rows of pine trees toward the parking lot at the foot of the trail. “What’s plan C?”
“If everything goes to plan A, we hold back and watch. If the killer tries to take out Lyons, it’s going to be before he hits the more popular trail, so somewhere between the top of the rapids and the old bridge. We’ll be on our coms and able to surround him without too much difficulty.”
Kane winced. “This killer is strong and super smart; he’ll spot us if we get too close and it only takes a second to kill. That close to the rapids, he could just pick Lyons up and toss him over the ravine.” He glanced at her. “I figure the safest thing for Emily is rather than continue to the switchback, she should take the cut-through path or maybe go back up and wait at the top.”
“Then she’d be away from Webber; he’ll be on Lyons’ tail.” Jenna shook her head. “I don’t want her exposed to danger. I told her to let Lyons go on ahead and then follow in five minutes or so. We should stick to the plan or it will get confusing. She can always hang back or shoot down the cut-through to your position if anything goes wrong.”
They pulled into the parking lot and Kane stopped way down the back in an area steeped in deep shadows. His black truck was almost invisible in the dark. He glanced around. Six other vehicles surrounded him but he could not see Emily’s silver Jeep Cherokee or Wolfe’s white van. “It looks like we’re well ahead of time.” He attached his com pack to his belt and threaded the earpiece through the neck of his shirt then holstered his weapon in the small of his back. He noticed Jenna was surveying the area intently before she jumped out the door. He followed and rounded the hood. “Ready?” He handed Jenna a bottle of water. “Stay safe.”
“Roger that.” Jenna headed up the rapids side of the trail and in seconds was lost in the trees.
Kane scanned the area one more time and then made his way across the parking lot, taking the inland trail most people preferred. The track through the dense forest led to three options. One was to take the switchback and come down along the edge of the rapids, and the second was to cut through halfway and take the shorter way back down beside the rapids. The third was to carry on up to the head of the rapids. Most people took the inland track up the mountain to avoid the cold spray and wind in their faces, but on the way down the other track, having the cool wind on their backs as they ran into the mottled sunshine was a refreshing change. He ran at an even pace, keeping his attention on every shadow. The trail was eerily quiet and he passed no other runners. He didn’t mind the solitude. The silence could be an advantage, and although the scent of pine was strong with the wind in his face, if someone was hiding close by, he’d likely smell them.
Forty-Five
A mixture of unease and excitement washed over Emily as she slid her Jeep into a space in the parking lot at the entrance to the running trail and got out from behind the wheel. She turned on her com and slipped the earbud into her ear then bounced her head up and down as if listening to her favorite tune. It had been her father’s idea, and if Lyons approached her, she could make the excuse of turning off the music and activate the mic. She couldn’t see Webber’s truck coming into the parking lot but he’d followed her at a distance from the college, staying well back. The roar of Lyons’ red Mustang on her tail, however, was unmistakable. She pressed her mic as she reached inside the Jeep for her water bottle. “Game on.”
“Roger that.” Jenna’s voice came through loud and clear. “Kane’s positioned on the forest track—head that way. I’m up at the top near the rapids. I’ll follow you down when you leave. Webber will be behind Lyons. You’re good to go.”
Emily went through her usual stretching exercises then swallowed hard, glancing at the three unknown cars in the parking lot. She took a lungful of fresh, pine-scented air then headed up the trail. How strange to feel so worried when she ran the same path almost every day, but this afternoon the usual crowd was missing. She understood why: most people would have forgone their exercise to enjoy the fun at the showgrounds. The rodeo went late on Friday, with the crowning of the Fall Festival queen and other events. Most people would be taking advantage of a night out. As she moved along at her usual pace, she noticed the change in the weather; the summer had vanished and the coolness that came off the mountains in fall had arrived. A fresh breeze carrying a hint of snow whistled through the tall pines in a strange whine, and the dying leaves from the undergrowth crunched underfoot.
In her earpiece, she heard Kane’s voice as he communicated with Jenna.
“Phil Stein is on the mountain, going slow about twenty yards from the switchback. I’m in a concealed position ten yards from the switchback.”
“I’m taking it slow. I figure I’m halfway to the switchback and will continue on up to the falls.” Jenna’s voice had a calming tone. “Anyone on your tail, Em?”
