Chapter 7

SEVEN

Jenna eased onto the towel-covered front seat of the Beast and reached for a box of tissues to dry her face. The constant rain and being wet all the time annoyed her. The wet slicker seemed to cling to her all over and it concerned her that the constant wet might damage the Beast’s pristine leather seats. After drying her hands, she waited for Kane to start the engine and then entered Kalo’s number into the onboard computer. Using the FBI whiz kid out at Rattlesnake Creek would be the best way to get information fast. She needed the current addresses of the families of both the victims and passed on their information the moment he picked up.

“Give me a few moments. This shouldn’t take long.” Kalo tapped away on his keyboard. “Yeah, I have it. They’re still living at the same place, have lived there for twenty years or so.” He gave Jenna the details. “While you’re heading that way, I’ll do a background check on both sets of parents and see if I can discover where they’re working now or if they’re working. If they’re not at home, you’ll be able to hunt them down there.”

Jenna heaved a sigh of relief. “Thanks.” She added the coordinates to the GPS and waited for it to find a signal. She turned her attention to Kane. “They’re close by. One is on School and the other on Pine.”

“Okay.” Kane backed out of the parking space and headed in the direction of Pine.

Pine Road had been named well. Tall pines lined the blacktop along both sides. The houses, all red bricks, built almost one hundred years ago and set back from the road, had long driveways meandering through what was once part of Stanton Forest. The picturesque houses appeared welcoming during the day, but at night the long closed-in dark driveways became threatening. She recalled a few murders that had happened on Pine over the time that she’d lived in Black Rock Falls. “The Peters’ residence is first. I do hope someone is at home. There is nothing worse than going to a person’s place of work and giving them bad news.” She glanced at Kane. “I believe that most families would still be holding out hope that their children would walk in the front door one day.”

“I figure I would be the same.” Kane turned the Beast into a driveway that was little more than a tunnel of green vegetation. “At least the driveway is hard-packed gravel, some of them along Pine have deep ruts that fill with water and become quagmires.”

The trees closed in around Jenna as they moved deeper into the tunneled driveway. The driving rain had been diminished to large spots of water splashing on the windshield. Here, the steaming forest was dark and foreboding even in the daylight. The hairs on the back of Jenna’s neck rose as if in warning and yet she could see nothing to fear. As she turned to face forward, the Beast’s lights lit up the way ahead and everything appeared normal again. At the end of the driveway stood an impressive house, which she imagined would have at least six bedrooms, reception rooms, a library, and an office. No lights shone from the upstairs windows and they stood out like the black sockets in the skulls of the two victims they’d discovered. Two of the ground-floor windows glowed with light that spread out over a small covered entrance with steps leading up on both sides. The pillars on each side of the steps made the house look very regal and an unusual design for a small town in Montana. She wondered if it had been owned by one of the town’s forefathers or perhaps a banker. They stopped outside and Jenna pulled her slicker hood over her head and dashed to the front door. When Kane walked up beside her, she pressed the bell. Footsteps echoed from inside and the door opened to reveal an older woman. Her hair was dark brown, short, and stylish, but a few silver hairs were evident. “Mrs. Peters?”

“Sheriff Alton and Deputy Kane.” Mrs. Peters looked from her to Kane and then back. She pressed one hand against her chest. “Oh my goodness, is this something about Cole?”

“May we come inside?” Kane gave her a sympathetic stare.

“Yes, yes, of course you can.” Mrs. Peters stood to one side and waved them toward a mudroom. “Please leave your wet things in there and come into the family room. I have a nice warm fire in there and you both look frozen to the bone.” She sighed. “Can I offer you a cup of coffee?”

Although Jenna would have loved a hot drink, she shook her head. “That’s very kind of you, but no thank you. We have other people to visit this morning.” She removed her slicker and wiped her boots on the thick mat and then followed the woman into the family room.

The room smelled of polish and wood smoke. Everything about the room spelled opulence, from the large stuffed sofas to the bronzes sitting on the mantelpiece. Artwork of scenery around Black Rock Falls covered the walls. As she walked to the sofa, her feet sunk into the deep pile carpet covering the floor. She sat down and waited for Kane to join her before turning her attention to Mrs. Peters, seated in a chair beside the fireplace. “I’m sorry to inform you that this morning we found two bodies in the river. We have reason to believe one of them might be your son.”

“That’s impossible. My son went missing twelve years ago.” Mrs. Peters raised both eyebrows and stared at them with an incredulous expression.

“We have reason to believe that the bodies were mummified by being buried in sand approximately twelve years ago.” Kane frowned. “Do you recall what Cole was wearing the night he went missing?”

“Vividly.” Mrs. Peters met Jenna’s gaze as her fingers busied with the folds of her pleated skirt. “As he was planning to go into Stanton Forest and camp for the night in the mountains, I insisted that he wore extra clothing. So he would have been wearing thermal underwear. Maybe one or two sweaters and his college jacket over the top.”

“Did he wear a watch or a ring or anything else that could identify him?” Kane’s pen paused over his notebook.

“He didn’t wear a ring—he was hoping to get one after the football finals—but he did wear a watch and a fraternity pin on his jacket. He was a member of Alpha Pi.” Mrs. Peters shook as she pushed a strand of hair behind one ear. “Do you believe it’s my son? What happened to him? How did he die?”

Overwhelming empathy flooded Jenna. As a mother now, she completely understood what it would be like to lose a son. Having to deliver this type of news was soul destroying. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly to calm her nerves. “We don’t have a positive identification yet or cause of death. He’s with the medical examiner now and he’ll be checking dental records. We’re following up on anyone who went missing around Halloween the same year as your son. There was no watch found with the body, but he was wearing a college jacket and an Alpha Pi fraternity pin. Would you consent to a DNA test to confirm?”

“Yes, of course. Where would you like me to go?” Mrs. Peters stood wringing her hands. “I’ll go at once.”

“That’s not necessary.” Kane pulled a DNA collection kit from inside his pocket. “All I need to do is swab the inside of your mouth. The medical examiner has a DNA sequencing machine in his laboratory and will be able to give you an answer by tomorrow.” He handed the kit to Jenna and then pulled on examination gloves. “I’ll do the test and the sheriff will give you some paperwork to sign.”

“If this is Cole, can I see him?” Mrs. Peters stood and opened her mouth for Kane to swab the inside of her cheek.

Swallowing the lump in her throat at the woman’s overwhelming sadness, Jenna shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good thing to do. It would be better that you remember him as he was when he left that night.”

“Oh, sweet Jesus.” Mrs. Peters covered her face and sat down abruptly. “He was murdered, wasn’t he?”

“Like we said before, we don’t have a cause of death at this time.” Kane raised both eyebrows at Jenna. “Do you want us to contact your husband or a family relative who can stay with you for a time?”

“No, I’ll tell him when he gets home.” Mrs. Peters lifted a tear-stained face to Jenna. “I can’t give him this terrible news and expect him to drive home in this weather. It’s too dangerous.”

Nodding, Jenna pushed aside her despair and moved on. She needed information and this woman was all she had right now. “Do you recall the names of any of his friends? Who he was with that night?”

“Not really. The boys all had nicknames, but I do recall one of the girls went by the name of Josie Grady. It’s my sister’s name, so it stuck, I guess.” Mrs. Peters sighed. “They’d been friends since high school and Cole took her to the prom. She’d be in his group of friends, but his serious girlfriend was Abby Jaye. I didn’t see anyone the night he went missing. He left here alone and didn’t mention plans to give anyone a ride, but I assume he dropped by for Abby. They were all meeting in the forest rangers’ parking lot that night and that’s where we found his truck.” She pulled tissues from a box on a side table and patted her eyes. “I knew then that he’d never left the forest. We searched for an entire week, both families and some of the neighbors. I’m sorry to speak ill of the dead, but the sheriff back then did nothing to help find my son. He spent the entire four years in his office drinking whiskey. He was a disgrace to the badge.”

Jenna stood and handed her a card. “Thank you for speaking with us. The medical examiner, Dr. Shane Wolfe, will contact you with the results.”

“One thing.” Mrs. Peters lifted her gaze. “Whoever this boy is, did he suffer?”

“No.” Kane shook his head. “It would have been instant. If this is your son, we’re very sorry for your loss and you can rest assured we will find answers.”

Jenna nodded. “We can let ourselves out.” She headed for the door.

The rain had eased as they ran for the Beast. Jenna climbed into the passenger seat and leaned back, allowing the information to seep through her mind. “Well, we have another name. At least that’s progress. Perhaps the family of Abby Jaye will be able to fill in some of the blanks as well.” She added the address to the GPS and waited for the voice to come through the speakers to give them directions.

“It’s past one and you’ve been on your feet all day without a break.” Kane headed back through the tunnel of vegetation. “I know you believe I’m being overprotective, but I’m not. I’m just following the instructions that Wolfe and Norrell gave you. Missing meals and being on your feet for long periods of time was on the list of things you mustn’t do. I know you think you’re indestructible, but every month that goes by from now will be more difficult for you. You’re carrying a large baby, and at five months, it’s evident to me that the weight is going to be a problem the further you go into the pregnancy. Pregnant women don’t usually carry weapons, utility belts, and extra ammunition.”

Annoyed, Jenna flashed a look at him. “So what exactly do you want from me, Dave? Do you want me to quit my job?”

“No, I want you to take regular breaks like every normal person.” He followed the GPS instructions and soon they were turning into School. “That’s not too much to ask, even during an investigation. It’s not as if we have a psychopathic killer running loose at the moment. This crime happened twelve years ago and you need to slow down, if not for your own well-being but for that of our child.”

Seeing the concerned look in her husband’s eyes, she placed one hand on her rounded belly. She’d waited so long for this baby and didn’t want anything to happen to it, but she felt just fine. Nodding, she relented. “Okay, I’ll take regular breaks and eat. The time has gotten away from me, and I had a big breakfast. We’ll speak to the Jaye family and then head to Aunt Betty’s.”

“Thank you.” Kane pulled up outside a rambling ranch house and squeezed her hand. “I only want what’s best for you, Jenna. You know that, right?”

Smiling, she met his gaze. “Yeah, but if you start calling me ma’am again, you’re sleeping in the spare room.”

“Okay.” Kane’s mouth twitched up at the corners. “That’s a deal.”