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“Do you by any chance use run-flat tires?” Kane pulled out his notepad and had a bland uninterested expression.
“Yeah, I do, but there’s no law against that is there?” Barker’s lips curled up at the corners in an amused grin. “I figure I’ll be changing them for snow tires pretty soon.” He looked up at the sky. “The snow is light so far this year but it’s gonna be nasty later. It’s always a very harsh winter when it’s late in the year and usually lasts right up to March or sometimes April.”
“We didn’t come here to talk about the weather, Mr. Barker.” Kane gave him a long hard stare. “We’re hunting down anyone who might have been between here and Blackwater over the time a few people went missing. As you move around some in your work, we figured you might have seen something.”
Jenna pulled out her notebook and refreshed her memory. There were so many victims, she’d lost count. “I believe you travel between here and Blackwater for work? Have you done any work for Mr. Bridger out of Paradise Falls, Blackwater?”
“Nope, can’t say that I have.” Barker scratched his cheek. “I was working out at Blackwater on Thursday and Friday.”
“Did you do any work around Broken Wolf Forest?” Kane raised both eyebrows.
“Yeah, I was out that way. I cleared a toilet for an old lady out at Parker’s Way, Mrs. Darlington. I have her number if you want to speak to her.” Barker pulled a phone out of his back pocket and scrolled through the contacts. He gave them the details.
The man wasn’t acting suspicious and was co-operating with them, but Jenna wanted to push a little harder. “During the time you worked around Broken Wolf Forest, did you happen to see a young woman walking a group of dogs?” She waited a beat when he didn’t answer. “Her name is Jenell Rickers and she runs the Doggie Daycare Center in Blackwater.”
“Yeah, I saw her. She was walking down Main and heading toward the forest. That would have been Thursday morning around eleven. She crossed the road right in front of my truck and gave me a wave for stopping for her.” He shrugged. “I’d finished my job with Mrs. Darlington and was heading to Black Rock Falls.”
“Were you in the vicinity of the Triple Z Bar late on Monday night or near Stanton on Wednesday around six?” Kane looked up from his notes. “We’re looking for anyone who might have driven past a beaten-up old truck sitting on the side of the road on Stanton about five minutes’ drive from the Triple Z Bar.”
“No, I’m sorry I can’t help you.” He scratched his belly lazily and yawned. “If that’s all, I’d like to get back to watching the movie on TV.”
Jenna exchanged a glance with Kane and when he shook his head, she pulled a card out of her pocket and handed it to Barker. “If you think of anything or hear anything about the things we’ve spoken about, please give us a call.”
“I surely will.” Barker stepped back from the door and closed it in their face.
“I don’t think it’s him.” Kane stepped off the porch and crunched his way along the gravel driveway back to the Beast.
Jenna climbed into the passenger seat and turned to look at him as she clicked in her seat belt. “What makes you so sure?”
“He seems like a regular Joe to me.” Kane shrugged and started the engine. “He gave over information freely and willingly and didn’t ask too many questions. Then there is the tires. I took a good look at them when we walked past, and the tread on them doesn’t match the pattern of the truck we found near where Maisy Jones went missing. Run-flat tires are expensive, so I can’t imagine he would change them on a whim. He doesn’t know that we found tire tracks at more than one crime scene. It’s not him.”
Jenna stared at the house for a beat and then sighed. “Okay, I guess we go back to the office and regroup. I’d like to know if Kalo has found any dirt on anyone on our suspects list.” She pulled out her phone. “I’ll give him a call.”
“Kalo.”
Jenna leaned back in her seat. “We’re not making much headway. Have you found anything interesting on any of our suspects?”
“No priors, as in jail time—a few fines, but basically, they’re clean. All of them are smart. Nothing really of interest. Matthew Oakley, the mechanic, was a choirboy, never married and he owns a cabin out of Troubled Creek. Wiley James, the realtor in Blackwater, studied for the priesthood and left. He married and divorced, which I found strange for someone so supposedly devout. Barker, the plumber, used to ride with a biker gang and was involved in a ruckus in the Triple Z Bar about six years ago. He owns his house and a cabin at Bear Rock. That’s the place where all the crazies hang out, right? You might need to watch him.”
Jenna glanced at Kane who shrugged. “We’ve just spoken to him and he seems harmless enough, but we’ll keep that in mind.” Checking her watch, she frowned. “Have you heard from Jo and Carter?”
“Nope.”
Jenna pushed the hair from her face and sighed. “Okay. We’re heading back to the office but we’ll be heading your way soon. We can work out what’s next when we update the files. Catch you later and thanks.” She disconnected.
As they drove through town, snowflakes dusted the sidewalk and turned the park a patchy white. She stared out of the window at a group of townsfolk hanging fairy lights around the covered shelter that was used each year for the Nativity scene. As the Beast slowed in the traffic, she could pick out the statues inside. Each year different organizations donated their time to decorate the display. She smiled. Every time they’d passed by, they had completed a little more. She glanced at Kane. “What do you want for Christmas this year? I can never decide what to give you.”
“I have everything I want.” Kane smiled at her. “I’m a contented man.”
Jenna returned his smile. “Yes, but I want something to put under the tree for you. Can’t you give me a little hint?”
“Nope.” He chuckled. “Whatever you decide will be perfect. I love Christmas shopping and we have a ton of gifts to buy. Don’t forget, we’ll need extra for the people living in the shelter over Christmas. I’m sure warm clothes and some personal items will be welcome. Father Derry can hand them out for us. Apart from our beliefs, for me, helping those less fortunate is the true meaning of Christmas.”
Jenna squeezed his arm. “That’s one of the things I love about you, Dave. You’re always thinking of others.”
THIRTY-TWO
Blackwater
