The Crying Season: An edge-of-your-seat crime thriller Read online

  “Did you find my Stetson?”

  Kane had dealt with people many a time who believed law enforcement were the scum of the earth and their money could buy them out of any situation. The attitude Woods was giving him came from years of privilege and getting his own way, likely old money. He shrugged. “I’ve asked the barman at the Triple Z Bar to look out for it.”

  “That’s not good enough.” Spittle flew from Woods’ mouth. “Get back down there and find it.”

  “No can do. I make a point of staying out of places like the Triple Z Bar unless there’s a ruckus. If somebody hands it in, we’ll let you know.”

  Woods’ face turned a peculiar shade of purple. “Those lowlifes will steal it and you know it. I paid them good money to track for me and they deserted me out in the forest, said they’d hunt down the buck I clipped.”

  “You should have hired professional trackers.” Kane looked down at the man’s enraged face and smiled. “Don’t you know if you lie down with dogs, you’re gonna get fleas?” He gave him a light push toward the interview room. “This way.”

  “I demand you go to the Triple Z and find my hat.” Woods threw him an indignant stare over one shoulder.

  As Kane ushered Woods past Deputy Rowley, he grinned. “Seems like Mr. Woods has given up his right to remain silent and refused medical assistance. Inform the sheriff, will you, please?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  2

  Jenna glanced up from her computer screen as Rowley knocked on the door. “Problem?”

  “No.” Rowley looked at her through a swollen, streaming eye and gave her Kane’s message. “Woods is in interview room three.”

  “Okay.” She pushed to her feet. “The paramedics are on their way. Go sit down and keep ice on that eye. I don’t want you doing anything until you’ve been checked out.”

  “Yes, ma’am, but I’m fine.”

  She moved closer, peered at him, then frowned. “You don’t look so good and I’m worried about you. Let me see your hands.”

  When he lifted his bruised and skinned knuckles, she shook her head. “Oh, Jake, they’re not fine and neither are you. Will you at least sit here in the quiet for a while?” She pulled out a chair in front of her desk. “I’ll ask Maggie to bring you some ice and send the paramedics to check you over. Let me know if you need anything.”

  “Sure, thanks, but I’m okay.” Rowley turned his hands over and sighed. “I’ve hurt myself worse than this working out.”

  Jenna ignored him. Rowley had not complained once since the first day he walked into the office as a rookie. He was dependable and efficient, and she was proud to have trained him, but this time she had to put her foot down. She went straight to the counter to speak to the receptionist, Magnolia “Maggie” Brewster. “Rowley is a bit banged up. I have him in my office. Can you get him some ice and keep an eye on him until the paramedics check him? I’m sure he has a concussion.”

  “Right away. You know, I can’t figure out how Deputy Kane came back from that brawl without a scratch.” Maggie rolled her brown eyes skyward. “I don’t believe he would send Jake in alone.”

  Jenna bit back a smile at her indignation. “No, Kane was there in the middle throwing bodies in all directions. I think Kane knows how to duck.” She glanced toward her office door and lowered her voice. “Kane cleared a path through the fight and I followed. Rowley jumped straight in fists flying.” She leaned closer. “I figure he was having the time of his life.”

  The door to the sheriff’s department swung open and James Stone stormed inside with an expression of doom. He marched toward her, gripping his briefcase like a shield before him.

  “Sheriff Alton, you have my client, Ethan Woods, in custody.”

  How did he get here so fast? Jenna took in his casual clothes and hiking boots. The lawyer usually arrived wearing an expensive suit and polished leather shoes. “We do but he has already waived his rights.”

  “I don’t believe it.” Stone gave her a cold stare. “Take me to him. What’s the charge?”

  Jenna lifted her chin. “He attacked one of my deputies with a bottle and incited a brawl at the Triple Z Bar.” She led the way to the interview room. “Then there’s the buck.”

  “Buck?”

  As they entered the room, Woods sprang to his feet.

  “James. Thank God you’re here. This idiot arrested me.” Woods waved a hand at Kane, who looked up from his notes.

  “You’re lucky I’m here. I planned to take a trip to New York this week.” Stone placed his briefcase on the table and pulled out a seat then gave Jenna and Kane a dismissive wave. “I’d like to speak to my client alone.”

  “Sure. Press the buzzer when you’re finished.” Jenna glanced at Kane. “You can bring me up to date with the other two prisoners. I gather they’re not being represented at this time?”

  “Nope.” Kane stood and his cold stare moved over Stone, but he followed her out the door without another word.

  In the hallway, she stopped and leaned against the wall. “What have we got?”

  “Leroy and Abel Finch. They are brothers who own a cabin in the mountains near Bear Peak. Their licenses check out and are current. There is no evidence to indicate they are poachers, no infringements with Fish, Wildlife and Parks.” Kane glanced at his notes. “I have no proof of who started the brawl. The buck has a through-and-through wound so no bullet even if we took the time to do ballistics. It does have a broken leg, so it could have staggered out onto the road before Woods had time to reach it. Woods did say they left him in the forest to chase down the buck.” He shrugged. “It’s hearsay at best.”

  Jenna tapped her bottom lip, thinking. “I’m not sure the charges of striking a law officer will stick. I figure they’ll have witnesses coming out the woodwork to turn around the charge to police brutality. If it sticks, all the judge will give them is a fine. I’d rather lock them up for the night and let them go with a warning.”

  “That sounds like a plan. I’ll go talk to them next.” He tipped his head toward the interview room with Woods and Stone talking animatedly. “What about Woods?”

  “We’ll see what he has to say. I figure he’ll offer to buy his way out of trouble and we can send him on his way. How much damage do you think they did to the Triple Z?”

  “I figure if Woods offered the owner five grand, he’d be dancing naked in the street with joy.” Kane’s mouth quirked up into a smile. “Most of his tables and chairs are from yard sales, then add a few glasses. A day to clean up the mess and I think he would come out ahead.” He flicked a glance toward James Stone. “His lawyer is probably charging him more than that an hour.”

  “Okay, we’ll see if he’ll do a deal.” She sighed as Deputy Webber came into view looking glum. “It looks like I’m going to be busy for a while. Can you deal with Woods?”

  “Sure, I’ll cut him a deal to pay damages and let him go.” Kane grinned. “It might take the edge off Mr. Freeze for a while. He is one lawyer I detest dealing with; he is such an arrogant ass.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.”

  When Webber marched toward them, Jenna could tell by his expression that something was wrong. She turned to meet him. “Problem?”

  “Maybe. A couple of hikers found a human skull near the reservation border. I asked them to wait in the front reception area. Rowley is still in your office with the paramedics.”

  Jenna considered her options. “Bring them down to interview room four and send the paramedics down here as soon as they’ve finished with Rowley to check the Finch brothers. If the brothers are okay, lock them in the cells. I’ll speak with them later.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” The deputy turned on his heel and hurried back along the passageway.

  Can my day get any worse? Jenna sighed and pushed a hand through her hair. The brawl at the Triple Z slid into obscurity. She looked up at Kane. “I’ll go interview the hikers.”

  “Sure.” He rubbed his chin. “A human skull, huh? You want me
to call in Wolfe?”

  She shook her head. She counted herself lucky to have the medical examiner, Deputy Shane Wolfe, on her team, and discovering he had served in the marines was an added bonus. “Not yet. I’ll see what they have to say first. I hope it didn’t wash down from the reservation. There are some ancient burial sites there and they don’t like people walking on their sacred land.”

  Footsteps heralded the arrival of two paramedics. Webber followed behind with a young couple. Pushing down the need to ask the extent of Rowley’s injuries, Jenna entered the code on the door then ushered them into the interview room. She took a seat and rested her hands on the table. “I’m Sheriff Jenna Alton. Can I have your names and contact details for the record, please?”

  “Jim and Bailey Canavar out of Kansas.”

  Jenna took in the couple’s appearance. Jim Canavar, a tall man with glasses and wearing clothes that looked too small for him, was a stark contrast to the young woman beside him: very attractive, shoulder-length raven hair, with manicured nails and wearing branded outdoors clothes. She shouted money with a capital M. Pulling her attention away from them, she filled the details in the report. “Do you remember the exact location of the skull?”

  “Yeah, I took down the coordinates and took some photographs.” He glanced at his wife. “It scared the hell out of my wife when she went to take a pee.”

  “I’m sure it would.” Jenna wrote down her email address and passed it to him. “Did you touch the skull or disturb the area, Mrs. Canavar?”

  “No, I saw it just off the path then ran back to tell Jim.” Bailey gripped Jim’s arm and looked mournful. “I didn’t even want him to take photographs. I don’t want them in our honeymoon shots.”

  “I’m sure he will delete them but before you do, please send the coordinates and image files to this address. I’ll pinpoint the area.” She waited for him to comply then smiled. “What brings you to Black Rock Falls?”

  “We’re on our honeymoon and staying at the Cattleman’s Hotel. We drove up to the parking area at Deadman’s Creek then hiked all day, planning to camp in the forest then come down in the morning.” Jim shrugged. “The wardens told us it wasn’t a designated hunting area but we could sure hear the guns blazing in the distance. I’m pretty sure the trail borders the reservation but we found the skull on this side of the boundary just off the main trail.” He raised one eyebrow. “I figure it’s a murder victim.”

  “We don’t have any open missing persons’ files at the moment but I’ll be sure to check with other counties.” Jenna smiled. “It’s likely it washed down from an ancient burial site in the rain.”

  Her email pinged a few moments later and she opened the files. A gruesome image flashed onto the screen. The skull with tufts of black flowing hair stared at her from bottomless black sockets. She swallowed the bile rushing up the back of her throat at the unmistakable sight of a bullet hole right between the eyes. With the front teeth missing and a crack from jaw to cheek, the open mouth might as well be screaming homicide.

  3

  Jim and Bailey Canavar waited at reception in the Cattleman’s Hotel. As Bailey enjoyed staying at this five-star hotel, Jim had the chance to slip away on his own to go hunting, but his wife wanted to cut off that avenue of pleasure. He had renewed his hunting license just in case. He might have lived in Kansas for the past ten years, but as a born and bred Montanan, he visited the state many times. Black Rock Falls was in the middle of nowhere but the hotel had a bar and first-class restaurant. He loved roughing it outdoors but his bride had found the idea of hiking and camping in the woods akin to sleeping under a bridge. At least by combining one or two days hiking with the equivalent luxury of the Cattleman’s Hotel, he would keep her happy for a while. When the person in front of him in line stepped away, he moved up to the counter.

  “How was your day?” The receptionist, dressed in a suit and tie with a gold badge displaying the name Nigel on his lapel, smiled at Bailey. “Did you enjoy the hike?”

  “Not particularly.” Bailey did her usual pout of displeasure. “Finding a skull ruined my entire day, maybe my entire honeymoon.”

  “A skull?” Nigel blinked a few times then leaned on the counter. “Do tell.”

  Not sure if the sheriff would approve of them blabbing the information around town, Jim lowered his voice. “We found a human skull up near the border of the reservation. We’ve just returned from the sheriff’s office.”

  “Oooh, how exciting.” Nigel gave him a conspiratorial wink. “You do know Black Rock Falls is becoming famous for serial killers.” He grinned. “People love to hear the stories. We have strange goings on from way back, haunted barns, and did you know around these parts people go missing and are never seen again?” He waved to the advertisement for a crime thriller on the back of a tourist handout. “They’re even writing about us now. It’s great for tourism.”

  “Really? There is no accounting for taste.” He was familiar with the area but scrutinized the maps on the counter. “Can you recommend another trail, nice and quiet, we can try? Someplace we can make camp overnight.”

  “You said we could have two days in the hotel.” Bailey flicked a lock of hair over one shoulder. “That was the deal.”

  “Yeah, honey, we’ll stay here a couple of nights then head back up the mountain. The weather might not hold, then we’ll be staying here again.”

  “Okay.” Bailey let out a long sigh. “At least all this walking is good for my figure.”

  “And I have just the place.” Nigel opened a map with a flourish and pointed at a winding road into the mountains. “You can drive through the mountain here and follow the road to this parking lot. It’s a new one and has a convenience store with a gift shop on-site. The family who owns the place runs a couple of cabins for hikers out back.”

  “I was looking more for a camping site, something well away from the tourist areas.” Jim pointed at the map. “Where does this trail lead?”

  “Ah, yes, Bear Peak. There is an old trail up there. It’s half a mile from the parking lot and a bit isolated but there is a plateau some ways up and it has a nice secluded place to camp. Great views from up there too.”

  Jim grinned. “Thanks. That sounds perfect. I like isolated.” He smiled at his wife. “I think a nice hot bath then a fine dinner will put you in a better mood plus there will be plenty of time for you to go shopping and visit the beauty parlor while I gather what we need for the trip.”

  “I’m in a better mood already. I’ll head on up to our room.” Bailey smiled at him, brushed past a man standing beside her and drumming his fingernails on the counter, and made her way to the elevator.

  4

  Perfect would become his word of the day. His attention moved over Bailey and his smile fixed in place, covering his inner turmoil. Nothing beat the thrill of watching a woman—particularly a spoiled, obnoxious young woman like her—running for her life in the forest. How satisfying it was to watch their horrified expressions when they realized no matter how far they ran or where they tried to hide, he would find them and they would die.

  He took a map from the counter and a pen from an ornate holder, marked the trail leading to the campsite, then folded the map neatly and pushed it into his pocket. He noticed Nigel was staring at him. “Could you book me a table in the restaurant for dinner at eight?”

  “Yes, sir.” Nigel picked up the phone.

  He turned away from the counter, pulled out a small black book from his inside pocket, and searched a coded list. He ran the tip of his finger down the page to select a few suitable names. A shiver of excitement rushed over him. He loved the chase and finally the kill. No other adrenaline rush matched the exhilaration of running down a woman and killing her slowly. It was addictive and next time the thrill wouldn’t be his alone. Next time, he’d have a special guest.

  5

  Tuesday

  Jenna slid from the cabin of Kane’s black rig and surveyed the new parking lot at the top of the mountain. M
ayor Petersham had spent a great deal of money clearing a landslide blocking the road to the popular fishing spot. Although fishing and hiking were two attractions, the town’s history of brutal murders lured sightseers by the thousands. With tourists bringing prosperity to Black Rock Falls, having the road open again was a sound economic move. A new owner had refurbished the old cabins and lived on-site, offering a convenience store, which sold everything from hot coffee to ammunition.

  Jenna took in the spectacular views; at her back, mountain peaks rose up to form an impenetrable barrier, dark against a brilliant blue sky, and waterfalls sprang from the many fissures in the black rocks, feeding into a lake, which spilled down the mountainside in a thunderous roar toward town. By turning a few degrees, she could take in a vista of the pine forest and down to the wide-open spaces leading to the town of Black Rock Falls.

  A cold wind lifted her hair; soon winter would arrive and life in town would change dramatically but for the next few weeks, the crisp, fresh mountain air drew hunters and hikers galore. She turned to Kane. “This has changed since we were last here. I’m glad we don’t have to ride up that steep track beside the falls to reach the crime scene.”

  “From what Wolfe said, it’s still about half an hour on horseback.” He walked to the back of the horse trailer then turned and his face broke into a wide smile. “It sure is pretty up here. I’d love to explore it some more, maybe hike along some of the lesser-known trails and camp overnight.”

  Jenna gaped at him; surely, he was out of his mind. “Camp up here? You’ll freeze to death.”

  “Nah, not these days.” He cocked one eyebrow and went to open the tailgate of the horse trailer. “People survive fine in the Antarctic. It’s about taking the right equipment and clothes.”