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Rage smashed into him making his hands tremble. She was a smart-mouth just like her grandpa and he wanted to hurt her. “It’s not about the sex, sweetheart.” He pulled her around and tightened the slipknot on the rope around her neck and stared into her bulging eyes. “It’s about the pain.”
He shoved her through the trees, as she stumbled on tethered to him like a dog on a leash. The spikey lower branches and undergrowth would be cutting into her flesh but she made no complaint. He urged her forward toward the black mountainside rising to the sky. It dominated the edge of the forest for miles in all directions and dropped a shadow over the forest. This close to the Whispering Caves, it was like twilight and held an eerie silence until he heard the voices. Walking ahead of him, Pamela heard them too. He tugged at the leash to prevent her screams and then dragged her into the shadows. He put his mouth close to her ear. “Shut your mouth.”
“Noooo.” Pamela turned, one hand raised to strike him.
He grabbed her arm and pulled her against him clamping one hand over her mouth. Just in time to silence her before four men, one a deputy he recognized from Black Rock Falls, broke out the forest and headed toward the entrance to the Whispering Caves.
In his grasp, Pamela wriggled and kicked frantically, making grunting sounds. Gripped by the fear of being discovered, he tightened his hold around her chest and slid his gloved hand to cover both nose and mouth. Once unconscious, he’d hide her under the bushes until they left and she’d come around soon enough once he allowed her to breathe again. She fought hard, and he enjoyed her feeble attempts to get free before lack of oxygen stilled her. He leaned back against a tree breathing heavily as the men disappeared into the tunnels. Had his secret place been discovered? He’d removed all trace of his visit from inside the caves. The old mattress was fouled from bears and critters. He’d sprayed it with a very useful agent he’d discovered after dating the owner of a DNA testing laboratory. A handy non-corrosive liquid that removed all trace of DNA. He’d stolen a case of the spray bottles from her storeroom and that night the entire place had exploded due to a gas leak. He grinned into a shaft of sunlight. No one would ever know he had the magic liquid.
He released his grip and Pamela slid to the ground. He couldn’t take her there now. He’d take her back to the cabin. She wouldn’t be able to escape and she’d be easier to visit until she’d served her purpose. He looked down at her and rolled her over. Wide staring fixed eyes looked back at him but saw nothing. He pressed two fingers to her neck feeling for a pulse. “Dammit. Did I say you could die on me?”
He paced up and down for a few moments to clear his head. He couldn’t leave her here. If anyone found her, the local sheriff would know for sure he was using the Whispering Caves as a hideout. Right now, if the deputy found nothing inside, they’d leave and he’d have his special place back again. He lifted Pamela’s inert body over one shoulder and headed back to the old sedan. He dropped her in the trunk, stashed the chain under a fallen log, and spent time wiping down the vehicle. He’d been wearing gloves but checked all over for anything incriminating. He went back to Pamela ripped off her dress and pocketed the cheap metal chain with a tiny unicorn attached, she had been wearing. Taking a spray bottle of DNA remover from his backpack, he sprayed her all over. He looked at her; without the fear, she was nothing to him, just another piece of garbage he had to dispose of. He’d left his truck hidden in the forest about two hundred yards away from the barn where he’d taken the sedan. It was a wooded area, easy enough to drive in unnoticed by the backroad and slip away without anyone seeing him. The ranch house was facing the main driveway. He’d return the vehicle and leave her inside, the old folks living at the ranch would never know what had happened.
He climbed into the sedan, pulled on a baseball cap and sunglasses, and then headed back to town. He turned off the fire road and on to Stanton but had not driven half a mile when a woman standing in the middle of the road, flagged him down. He buzzed down his window and looked at her. “Is something wrong, ma’am?”
“Yeah, I have a flat but my spare is at Miller’s Garage.” She gave him a small smile. “I’d ask my husband to go get it but I can’t reach him on the phone right now. Could I get a ride into town with you?”
He cleared his throat. Unbelievable. He had a body in the trunk and now this woman not only wanted a ride but could identify him as the driver of the old
sedan. He glanced in his rear vision mirror. Not a soul was on the highway and making an excuse would make her suspicious. He smiled and teased her a little. “Oh, I’m not sure, picking up a beautiful young woman might get me into trouble with my wife.” He rubbed his chin. “Why not call out one of Miller’s mechanics to help you?”
“I’m sure it will be okay and I’ll be happy to explain to her if you want.” She looked desperate. “I’m Sandy Rowley, I’m married to Deputy Jake Rowley. With all the serial killers stalking these parts, I really don’t want to be out here on a lonely strip of highway all alone.” She patted her purse. “Even if I am carrying a weapon.”
He grinned so wide his face ached. As if that would stop him. “Well then, I guess you’d better jump inside.”
Thirty-Six
Concerned, Jenna climbed into Kane’s truck and fastened the seatbelt. She turned to look at Kane as he started the engine and backed out. “Do you think something’s happened to Rowley?”
“Nope.” Kane flashed her a smile. “I’m just sick of hearing about Carter’s life. He’s trying to make you feel sorry for him. I figure it’s a ploy to get women to like him.”
Astonished, Jenna stared at him. “He’s a good-looking guy and I’m sure women like him just fine.” She shook her head. “So why the rush to go find Rowley?”
“I’m starving.” Kane headed down Main. “You mentioned Rowley was with Blackhawk, his grandfather, and another friend by the name Mingan?”
Not surprised in the least by his excuse to leave, Jenna nodded. “Yeah.”
“Well, Rowley is armed, Atohi can take care of himself, and Mingan, I met at Rowley’s dojo. Between them, one of them would get away to call for backup if something went wrong. Nootau knows the caves like the back of his hand and there would be other ways in and out. Don’t worry.” He pulled up outside Aunt Betty’s Café. “Give me five minutes to grab some takeout, we might be stuck out in the forest for hours.”
She waved him away. “Sure.”
The door slammed behind him as Jenna’s phone chimed. She glanced at the caller ID and sighed with relief. “Maggie, any news from Rowley?”
“Not yet but that’s not why I called. The Blackwater Sheriff has put out an Amber alert, his granddaughter, Pamela, is missing. She didn’t arrive home after visiting her grandma last night. Sheriff Stuart has had everyone out looking for her and they found her school backpack in a wooded area close to town. I thought you should know as she is coming up fifteen, like Sophie Wood.”
Jenna put the phone on speaker and pulled out her notepad. “Okay, so she went missing when?”
“She was last seen leaving her grandma’s house at about five-thirty last night. She likes to stop by and have a chat on her way home from school. Her folks don’t get home from work until six, so I guess it passes the time.”
If the girl did the same thing every night, someone could have been watching her movements. Jenna frowned. “No signs of a struggle?”
“The information I have is what I told you. Do you want me to call and ask?”
She leaned back in the seat. Could this be a coincidence or related to the kidnapping of Sophie Wood? As nothing linked the cases, no fire or explosion, she dismissed the notion. “If you could call them and inform them, we had a missing girl the same age out of Louan, they might be prepared to share the information but I doubt the cases are related.”
“Okay.” Maggie sounded relieved. “I’ll call as soon as Rowley checks in.” She disconnected.
Jenna brought Kane up to speed when he returned. They headed out of town and along Stanton when Jenna noticed a pickup on the side of the road with a flat tire. “Hey, hold up. That’s Sandy’s vehicle.”
