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Annoyed by her flirting, Kane shook her hand from his arm. “I’m sure you could learn from being here if you took the time to study the files. Right now, we’re on duty and I’m your superior. So the first lesson is to start acting like a deputy.” He patted his leg to get Duke’s attention, walked to the curb, looked both ways, crossed Main, and walked into the park. “There you go, Duke. Run around and have fun.”
He grinned when Duke looked at him, sniffed the grass, sneezed, and then waddled off at a snail’s pace. He heard Poppy behind him and followed Duke, plastic poop bag in hand.
“Was it something I said?” Poppy fell into step beside him. “I thought we had a connection. I was so excited about starting work I didn’t even unpack. I flew here ready to join the team.” She tugged at his arm again. “Aren’t you pleased to see me? I mean you seemed friendly enough at the convention. You did take my phone number.”
“Because you insisted.” Kane snorted through his nose. “I was being polite is all. It wasn’t my intention to encourage you.” He turned to look at her. “If I gave that impression, I’m sorry.”
“But in Helena, you offered to buy me a meal.” Poppy looked abashed. “What was I to think?”
“I have no idea.” Kane rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t have a clue what’s going on inside your mind. The lunch we had together years ago wasn’t a date. It was two people sharing a table is all.” He tipped back his black Stetson. “When I first met you, I’d just lost someone special to me. Maybe you noticed a vulnerability in me you wanted to exploit.”
“Exploit!” Poppy rounded on him. “Really?”
Dumbfounded, Kane shook his head and followed Duke. “Uh-huh.”
“Don’t you dare walk away from me.” She ran after him tearing the elastic band from her hair. “Why did you think I came here?”
This is getting way out of hand. Kane whistled Duke and turned his combat face on her. “I figured to learn about profiling. That’s the only offer on the table right now.” He walked away, leaving her staring after him.
He hated arguing with people, it was something he avoided like the plague. The idea of hurting Poppy’s feelings stung his conscience, but it would only mean avoiding her for a week. He had little doubt, she’d remain in Black Rock Falls or secure the position. He’d keep their misunderstanding to himself and allow Jenna to make the call but after Jo and Carter’s assessment of her, Jenna would never trust her and a team without absolute trust was worthless.
THIRTY-FOUR
Dumbfounded, Poppy stared after Kane. How could she possibly go back to the office now? She turned and walked in the other direction, needing to get her head around what had happened. As she entered the playground, she noticed someone sitting on the carousel. She turned to go and heard him call her name. She looked over one shoulder and frowned. The man had been in the seat beside her on the flight to Black Rock Falls and had offered her a ride into town. They’d chatted and he’d been nice. She smiled at him. “Hey. Fancy meeting you again.”
“I was opposite Aunt Betty’s Café and noticed the argument with the deputy. Is he the guy you mentioned coming here to be with?” The man stood and pulled up his hoodie against the damp misty air. “He didn’t seem too happy to see you.”
Poppy shook her head. “I had it all wrong about him. To think I dashed into work without bothering to unpack my things. I was so excited to be here.”
“Hero worship, if you ask me.” The man shrugged. “Him and the sheriff think they’re all that, but the truth is they couldn’t catch a real serial killer on their own if they tried. They always call in the FBI. I could murder ten people and they’d never catch me—not that I would. Just sayin’.”
Poppy smiled. “You could be right. There are women being murdered and they don’t have a clue who is responsible.” She looked around the park as the mist swirled around her feet. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to stretch my legs and thought I heard someone crying.” He scratched the stubble on his chin. “It could have been a bird or maybe a cat but it played on my mind some. I was on my way to speak to you and the big guy when you started in on each other.” He stared into the trees. “I heard it again just before. Has there been any kids going missing today?”
Staring into the darkening woods, Poppy shook her head. “Not that I know about. Where did you first hear it? Maybe we should take a look?”
“Up there a ways. I came down here because of the gate. The kids use it to access the park from a road on the other side of the woods. They ride their bicycles here after school some days.” He shrugged. “I was planning on calling the sheriff’s office if I heard it again. Being a guy, I didn’t want to go into the woods alone, looking for a kid.”
Poppy frowned. “What’s being a guy got to do with it if someone is in trouble?”
“Oh, come on. This is Black Rock Falls.” He snorted. “If I came across a kid in the woods and they started screaming, that deputy you were with would shoot me without a second thought.”
“I’m sure he wouldn’t.” Poppy heard a sound. It could have been a bird but she wasn’t taking the chance and turned toward the gate. “I’m going to see if anyone is there. If I find anyone, I’ll call it in.” She looked at him. “Are you coming?”
“Sure.” He smiled at her. “Lead the way.”
Poppy went through the gate and the forest enclosed her in dusk, under her feet a pillow of white mist, covered the narrow trail like a white linen tablecloth. As she moved deeper into the forest, she could only make out the night calls of animals. Low-hanging branches caught in her hair as she peered into the darkness. It was so creepy goosebumps rose on her arms. As she edged between trees, cobwebs touched her hair. “Are you sure people use this path? It’s covered in cobwebs.”
The next moment pain seared through her head and her hair was pulled so hard it tilted her head back exposing her neck. The cold steel of a knife blade touched her exposed flesh and she froze in terror. “What are you doing?”
“Move and you die.” The man pressed hard against her and his rancid smell climbed up her nostrils. “Use your thumb and finger and undo your belt. Let it drop to the floor.”
Trembling with fear as the sharp blade pressed into her skin and the warm trickle of blood ran down her neck, Poppy complied. “Okay. Why are you doing this? I’ll be missed and they’ll be out looking for me soon.”
“I’m not worried about the sheriff or her deputies. I’ve been watching them for a long time. I know everything about them. I don’t want to hurt you but I will if necessary. Cooperate and you’ll be fine.” He tugged at her hair again tearing it from the roots. “It makes no difference to me. You are the means to an end and I wasn’t expecting you to fall right into my lap. The word is the sheriff will be hunting for new deputies in June. The mayor mentioned it in his speech and the sheriff is asking for women to apply as well as men. I was planning on waiting for a female rookie but you’ll do just fine. Having you come along now, was a bonus.”
In his type of situation, the only plan was to survive. Trying to control her quivering lips, Poppy stood perfectly still. “Okay. What do you want me to do?”
