Follow Me Home_An unputdownable crime thriller that will have you hooked Page 25

“Okay. When Kane gets here, we will take his SUV and leave mine here. It will make a good marker for Wolfe when he arrives.”

  A few minutes later, sunlight flashed on a windshield roaring around the bend at high speed. The wailing siren did not muffle the sound of the powerful engine in Kane’s vehicle. When he came to a stop parallel to her SUV, she walked to the passenger door and pulled it open. “We’ll ride with you. The cabin is down that road.” She turned to Bradford. “Grab the backpacks out of my car.” She tossed her the keys. “Rowley, bring a rifle.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Bradford collected the backpacks and hauled them to the back of Kane’s SUV. “Will these be okay in there with the dog?”

  “Yeah, he won’t touch them.” Kane nodded in the affirmative. “Put them beside mine.”

  They all piled into the vehicle and Jenna gave Kane directions as he turned into the forest. She glanced at him. “This is a frightened kid. Turn off the siren but leave the lights on. A kid will approach a police vehicle if they’re lost.”

  “I think the trail is coming up on the right.” Rowley leaned forward eagerly.

  “Okay.” Kane pulled the SUV off the road beside a narrow trail. “Down here?”

  “Yeah, I would say so.” Rowley peered at the map then back at the trail. “Hey, look, there is a signpost some ways down the path.”

  Jenna leaped from the car. “Okay, grab your backpacks and leave the rifle. If you find anything, mark the area with a flag and call me. She pulled a plastic bag from her pocket and looked at Kane. “Get Duke.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Kane let the dog out of the car and attached a long leash to his collar. He hoisted on his backpack then walked the dog to her. “Give him the scent then all we can do is head toward the girl’s last known position and hope for the best.”

  Jenna opened the plastic bag and offered it to the dog. To her surprise, he gave two short barks then dropped his nose to the ground and searched around. Moments later, he took off down the road away from the cabin. “Oh, that can’t be good. We know she was at the cabin.”

  “But maybe she went this way after the woman saw her.” Kane attempted to heave Duke back but the dog barked loudly and pulled at the leash. “He seems intent on heading this way. Do you want me to follow him?”

  “Yeah, take Bradford with you.” Jenna glanced at Rowley. “Come with me to check out the cabin.” She turned to call after Kane. “Keep in contact, Kane.”

  “Roger that.” Kane gave her a nod, and with Bradford at his side, they followed the dog.

  Without hesitation, Jenna plunged down the track leading to the cabin but was soon glad to have Rowley at her side. She could not imagine a young girl walking down this path voluntarily. Deep in the woods, the pine trees and the dense undergrowth seemed to form an impenetrable wall closing in around them. Long shadows fell like prison bars across the track and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up as if in a warning. Apart from their soft footsteps and the creaking of the trees, an eerie silence descended on them. Every muscle tensed as she realized the usual birdsong was missing. Jenna slowed the pace and glanced around in all directions, sensing danger lurking in the shadows. She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Something isn’t right. No birds.”

  “I see some crows up there.” Rowley frowned. “They are all watching us.” He shuddered. “That’s creepy.”

  Jenna sniffed the air and shrugged. “I can’t smell death but crows are a good sign something is dead around here.” She waved him on. “The cabin must be around the next bend. Keep to the tree line. We have no idea what is around the next corner.”

  A soft buzzing sound reached her as they walked and the cabin came into view. Astonished, she gaped at the front door. The wooden panels moved like a heat mirage. She took a few steps closer then realized with a shudder that the black mass was a swarm of flies. They crowded over the log cabin and spread across the windows like blinds. “Oh my God, are those flies?”

  “Yeah.” Rowley wiped a hand across his mouth as if in disgust. “That can’t be good.”

  The sound of Kane’s voice in her ear startled her but she quickly regained her composure. “What have you found?”

  “A girl’s bicycle fitting the description of Sandra’s. Its front wheel is bent out of shape. I’ve marked the place. It was on a trail just off the main road. Then Duke led us to the end of the road. Here it widens out, so I guess firetrucks used it as a turnaround spot. There is an SUV parked here, and the hood is cool, so it’s been here for a while.” Kane cleared his throat. “I ran the plates. It belongs to Chris Jenkins, and guess what? He lives in the mountains. Problem is, Sandra’s scent went cold here. I figure she got into another vehicle. We could have two guys working together, maybe a procurer and a client?”

  “Roger that.” Jenna kept up a constant scan of the area and one hand on her pistol. “I think we have something significant here too.”

  She explained the flies and the silence. “I’ll leave the mic open and go and take a look inside the cabin.”

  “Okay. We are heading to your position now.”

  Jenna slid her Glock from the holster and turned to Rowley. “We don’t know if anyone is watching us or who, if anyone, is inside. We’ll be vulnerable inside the cabin. I’m going to recon it alone. Get into the forest with a tree to your back and watch my six.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Rowley pulled out his weapon, gave her a curt nod, and backed into the shadows.

  She knew the drill, stick to the tree line then move from the corner of the cabin and look through a window. The emergency cabins in this area were little more than one room and she should be able to see if anyone was inside. She reached the side of the cabin and listened for any sound of movement.

  Nothing.

  As she edged toward the window, a great cloud of flies rose into the air, buzzing with annoyance. They landed on her, covering her face as if she was their next meal. She waved them away and turkey-peeked inside the window. The quick glance gave her little information as blackness met her gaze. The only light came from the small windows and apart from the one she was looking through, flies blocked the other. She banged on the wall, sending the flies swarming again. “Sheriff’s department, is anyone inside?”

  Silence.

  Shit! She holstered her weapon just long enough to pull on a pair of surgical gloves then spoke into her mic. “It looks empty. I’m going to try the door.”

  Heart thumping against her ribs at the thought of finding a murdered girl inside, Jenna eased along the wall to the front of the cabin and turned the doorknob with trembling fingers. As the door swung open, a cloud of flies rushed inside and the stench of death flooded her nostrils. Light from the door fell over the body of a man, lying on his back in a pool of blood. Multiple stab wounds adorned his bare chest and his eyes stared at her, set in a horrified expression that would stay with her for a very long time.

  A swarm of flies joined the ants crawling over his face, and as nausea grabbed her, Jenna moved away from the door. The man was obviously dead and the fewer people disturbing the scene the better. She spoke into her mic then had the courage to look at the body again. “We have a naked body, male, late thirties. Stab wounds to chest. I can clearly see a scar on his knee; he could be one of the members of the pedophile ring. I would say he has been dead maybe twelve hours or so.” She sighed. “I’ll notify Wolfe and then start a perimeter search but if this is another vigilante murder, I doubt we will find anything.”

  She heard a dog barking and was glad to see Duke bounding toward her with Kane in tow. She pulled out her cellphone and called Wolfe. “We have another homicide.”

  54

  Nothing was going to plan. Irritated, Bobby-Joe dragged the girl from the bed. “Get back into the cage and don’t make a sound, hear me?”

  “I want to go home.” She looked up at him, her chin stuck out at a stubborn angle. “You said you would take me home.”

  He grabbed her hair and twisted it in his fist, enjoying the
flash of fear in her eyes. “You are home. You’ll do anythin’ I want, when I want, and how I want.” He laughed when her eyes widened. “You’re never goin’ home, and if you try to run away, I’ll hunt you down then go get that pretty little sister of yours. I’ll slit your mother’s throat while I’m there.”

  Coming out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist, he headed up the cellar steps and strolled through the pantry and into the kitchen whistling. The sound died on his lips at the sight of a young woman leaning against the kitchen counter aiming a pistol at him. He stared at the gun clasped combat-style in both hands. The weapon looked big in her small fists and her face seemed familiar. Who the hell was she and what did she want? Flicking his eyes around to look for a weapon, he spotted a knife on the counter. Confident he could overpower her, he lifted both hands and edged in that direction. “What’s your problem?”

  “You said that to me as well.” The woman’s hands held the gun with unnerving steadiness. “That you’d hunt me down and kill my parents, but you didn’t find me, did you?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about but I do know you’re on private property. My gate is locked and signposted for a reason.”

  “I took care of the gate. You should have purchased a thicker chain; my bolt cutters sliced through it like butter.” She smiled at him. “You didn’t expect me to walk all the way back here, did you?”

  “Okay. So, you’ve obviously been here before. What do you want? Did you come to tell me I’m a daddy?”

  “No.” Her expression turned to ice. “I’ll give you one thing—you and your friends were always careful.” A slow smile twisted her lips. “I guess you’re running out of friends now, huh?”

  Unease crept over him. How did she know two of his friends had died recently, and where the hell was Chris? He had expected him to arrive last night to use the cage, but after scaring his girl in the forest, maybe he’d decided to hole up in the cabin until later. He shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. “You’re talkin’ a load of shit, lady.”

  “Am I?” She lifted her chin and her cold eyes bore into him. “Let me see… Amos died, then Ely. I ran into Chris near where you picked up Sandra; he won’t be bringing his girl here today.”

  Panic made his heart beat uncomfortably fast. How does she know about the girl I met in the forest? “I don’t know any Sandra.”

  “Oh, that’s right; you never ask their names, do you?” Her lip curled in obvious disgust. “Is she locked in the cage in the cellar?”

  How does she know about the cage? Only one of his girls had ever escaped. Stu had lost one and paid the price for his stupidity. When his girl vanished, he had scanned the newspapers for months but had not seen one word mentioned about her. Looking at the woman standing before him, she could be the girl; there was a slight resemblance. “Is this a joke?”

  “Do I look like I’m joking?” Her aim did not falter.

  She knew too much and had the confidence of a cop with plenty of backup. He took his eyes off her for a split second to glance out the front window expecting to see deputies’ cruisers outside but only the forest filled his view.

  “If you’re looking for the sheriff, she won’t be coming to the party.” The woman smiled as if she had read his mind. “I have big plans for you, Bobby-Joe. You do recognize me, don’t you?”

  The puzzle fell into place. She must have been one of their earlier girls. Luckily, she had never said a word to the cops. She must have liked being here. “You do look familiar now I come to look at you.” He cleared his throat. “What do you want?”

  Her eyes locked on his face but her mouth twitched at the corners as if holding a gun on him was funny. “I’ve been out visiting old acquaintances and thought I’d drop by. I just couldn’t get our time together out of my mind.”

  Relieved, he smiled his best come-get-me smile. “Never found anyone as good as me, huh? You don’t need to hold a gun on me, all you have to do is ask.”

  He opened his arms wide and held in his gut to make the towel puddle at his feet. He needed a distraction to grab the knife but the woman’s attention had locked on his face; not even her eyes moved. “Like what you see?”

  “I see evil. A person who hides behind a mask.” Her mouth turned into an ugly grimace. “You are a pathetic little worm and not worthy to be called a man. You see, a real man protects children.”

  “So why are you here?”

  “To even the score.” She wet her lips as if savoring her words. “I know what you are and I was in the hospital when you murdered Jane. Now it’s your turn to pay but first, I want your laptop, all the images you have of the girls you kept here, and the masks.”

  “No way.”

  A bullet whizzed past his ear in an ear-piercing boom, splintering the wall behind him and showering his bare flesh with splinters of wood. He flicked a glance over one shoulder and gaped at the hole in the wall. Holy crap, she is using hollow points. Fear shook his knees and sweat coated his skin. He held up his hands. “Okay, okay. They’re locked in the pantry.”

  “Get them, all of them, and before you think you might try and cut me or maybe grab a gun, think again. I’ll drop you before you can take your next breath.” Her eyes fixed on him and she smiled. “I’m going to enjoy killing you.”

  Terror gripped him and, keeping his hands high, he moved slowly to the pantry door. “I’ll need to lower my hand to open the door.”

  “Keep one hand on your head.”

  “Sure, anythin’ you say.” He opened the door wide and with trembling fingers slid open the false back to the pantry. Keeping one eye on the crazy woman with the gun, he opened the safe and took out his laptop. He piled a box of images and files on top then stuffed the clown masks into the box. He looked over one shoulder. “Where do you want these?”

  “On the kitchen table. Open the laptop and show me what’s on those thumb drives.” Her dark eyes moved over him. “One move, one tiny move toward me, and your head is leaving your body.”

  He complied and turned the screen around for her to view the images. “Now what?”

  “Now we’re going for a little walk.” She pulled out zip ties from her pocket and dropped them on the counter. “Turn around. Hands behind your back.”

  Anger tightened his throat. “No way. Are you jokin’? Shoot me, bitch, because as sure as hell, you’ll have to kill me before I go anywhere with you barefoot and naked.”

  He lunged for the knife on the counter and white-hot pain sliced through him in a bolt of lightning. His limbs stiffened and his heart raced. He hit the floor face down and heard the unmistakable crack of bone as his nose shattered. The metallic taste of blood ran down his throat. He could not move a muscle. Holy shit, she used a stun gun on me.

  “How does that feel, Bobby-Joe?” The woman bent and secured his hands behind his back with zip ties. She looped a few together and tied his ankles, leaving enough space to shuffle his feet. “I’ve picked out a nice tree close to the falls with your name on it.” She grinned at him but her eyes were as cold as ice. “Unless you want the stun gun on your balls next time, I suggest you do as I say, but I promise you one thing: Before you die, I will make you scream.”

  55

  Kane caught the smell of decomposing flesh before he rounded the bend in the path to the cabin. Duke was pulling hard on the leash and making strange barking noises then stopping to howl. He turned to Bradford and took in her ashen face. “Have you attended a homicide crime scene before?”

  “No, sir.” She straightened as if trying to look efficient and fell into stride beside him. “It smells pretty bad.”

  “It’s only going to get worse. Use one of the face masks in your backpack. If anyone asks you to enter the crime scene, you must be wearing coveralls and booties. Don’t touch anything without wearing gloves.” He glanced around, peering through the wall of trees. “Be alert, we have no idea if the area is secure. The killer could be right beside us and we wouldn’t see him in the cover of th
e forest.”

  They walked around a hairpin bend and he could hear Jenna speaking on her cellphone. “What’s your ETA?”

  He gathered she was speaking to Wolfe, and he called Duke and told the dog to sit under a tree. He wandered over to Rowley and they walked to the door of the cabin. Covering his nose with one hand, he peered inside. Sticky black pools of blood surrounded the body, which appeared to be wearing a black shroud of flies and other insects. He stepped away and turned to Rowley. “No bloody footprints but I can see some smear marks on the floor as if the killer tried to hide his tracks.” He took out his notepad and jotted down the information. “Did you see the body before the flies arrived?”

  “Yeah, but I don’t have anything to add to what the sheriff told you.” Rowley scratched his head. “He looks familiar and I recall his name. That’s Chris Jenkins, I gave him a ticket for a broken tail light a week or so ago.”

  “That will be easy enough to check.” Kane turned at Jenna’s voice. “Have you been inside, ma’am?”

  “No, Wolfe is five minutes away, we’ll wait for him. We have another problem: Walters can’t locate Lizzy Harper.” She removed her hat and wiped the sweat from her brow with a tissue. “Her mother said she didn’t go to work today and she’s not at home.”

  Kane scanned the area. “I doubt she’ll be sticking around.”

  “I haven’t seen any trace of her at all. We checked the immediate area but found nothing of interest apart from bicycle tracks over there.” She pointed to the edge of the clearing. “The dirt is softer and it appears someone leaned their bicycle against a tree.”

  Kane wandered over, pulled out his cellphone, and took photographs of the tire marks. “I don’t think this is Sandra’s bicycle; the marks are narrow and more like a racing bicycle.”

  “So, it could belong to the killer?” Jenna’s cellphone blasted out a heavy rock ringtone and she pulled it out of her pocket. “Yes, Walters, what is it? Just one moment, I’ll put you on speaker.”