Bring Me Flowers (Detectives Kane and Alton #2)(75)

“If you will give permission for your doctors to verify the condition, we will be willing to drop the charges.” Kane leaned his wide shoulders back in the chair, making it creak alarmingly.

“I would advise you to comply and I can get you out of here this afternoon.” Samuel Jenkins gave his client a look of pity. “I’ll collect the information personally so nobody else need know.”

Jenna leaned forward. “I’m afraid the DA will need to be notified of the reason we are withdrawing the charges against Mr. Rogers.”

“Very well, draw up the papers and I’ll sign them.” Rogers dabbed at his tear-glossed cheeks with the end of his shirt.

“Just one more thing before I return you to your cell.” Kane leaned his muscular forearms on the table and stared at Rogers with near violent intensity. “Where is your wife?”

“I hope she is rotting in hell.” Rogers’ Adam’s apple bobbed. “After all I’ve been through she refused to believe I wasn’t seeing other women. Stupid me was faithful to her for four long ugly years, and trust me, I had plenty of offers. She threatened to leave me on a daily basis. Now she’s gone and I’m free of the witch.”

“That’s all I have for now. Sheriff, do you want to question the suspect?”

“No, I have nothing to add.” Jenna turned her attention to the lawyer. “Is there anything you would like to say?”

“No.”

“Very well, the interview is terminated at three-ten” She turned off the recording device. “I have the paperwork ready for signature.” She removed documents from Kane’s manila folder and passed them to Mr. Jenkins. “If you’ll check these, ask Mr. Rogers to sign all copies, we can obtain the information without delay.”

“I will take the documents personally and return them as soon as possible. I have some sway and will go directly to the hospital.” Jenkins gathered up his copies with a flourish and stood. “If you’ll open the door, I’ll be on my way.” He patted Rogers on the shoulder. “I’ll have you out of here soon.”

Jenna looked up into Kane’s worried expression and chewed on her bottom lip. In a few hours, a potential murderer would be walking the streets of Black Rock Falls and there was not a damn thing she could do about it.





Forty-Four





After spending an hour setting up his trap, the man stepped from the shower and grinned at his reflection. Law enforcement in Black Rock Falls was a joke. He examined his body, making sure he had not one hair on his flesh, and chuckled. Watching the deputies running around chasing their tails was amusing, and he could remain in Black Rock Falls undetected for a long time. Sheriff Alton was gullible and her trained dogs as useless as tits on a bull. He had stolen a large pair of used crime scene coveralls and booties from the garbage outside the sheriff’s department right under their noses. This time he would wear the coveralls inside out. Imagine the face on the M.E. when he discovers one of the deputy’s hairs or DNA on another dead girl. He would watch the sheriff arrest her deputies and laugh himself stupid.

He craved a higher risk and a more thrilling kill each time. Having a couple of hours to plan his next kill had been challenging but he was smart. In Evansville, he cut his timing so damn close, the sheriff walked straight past him on the way to investigate the screams.

Kate had been his best work so far. He enjoyed the fear in her eyes as he cut. He moaned at the memory, loving the way his reflection remained in her eyes. Her terror of seeing him as his true self. He hated muffling her screams but noise echoed in the tiled room and he wanted to spend a lot of time with her.

The cuts on her eyelids had been a stroke of genius. Oh yes, his amazing skills shone though again, so underestimated for so long. Kate’s big blue eyes had followed his every move and the way her lip trembled with each incision had been a delight. Oh, she tried to scream, but the sound had been like the moaning of a whore.

Just as well, he had time to think. He needed to plan his next move. How could he pry Aimee Fox away from her parents? Then he remembered Thursday night in the Fox household was parents’ date night, which usually meant a visit to the Cattleman’s Hotel Restaurant and a movie. Aimee would expect her boyfriend—oh what was the boy with the greasy hair’s name? Ah, yes, Lucas Summerville—to visit her, but by sending him a bonus round in his new game, Lucas would forget all about Aimee and be in the online game room.

Wrapping a towel around his waist, he ambled into his bedroom and dressed quickly. If his plan worked, he would need to leave soon, and he went into the office to finish the final steps to gaining his prize. Seated at the desk, he opened his laptop. There she was, Aimee Fox, ripe and ready for the picking. She was chatting with Emily, Deputy Wolfe’s daughter. He grinned at the thought of plucking her right out from under her father’s nose. He placed the girls on a split screen then relaxed to listen to their conversation.

He wanted Emily. He craved to fist his hand in her long blonde hair and see the life slip away in her eyes. He shook his head to dispel the images. I must follow the plan. He entered the online games room and sent a message using Julia’s username. As a new member of the Aimee Fox clique, she would be trying to gain points from her esteemed leader. He heard the pinging as the message arrived on Aimee’s computer.

“Just a minute, I have a message from Julia.” Aimee held up a finger to stop the conversation. “I’ve got to go out.”