Her Broken Wings by D.K. Hood
Five
Jenna had sat bolt upright in bed at the sound of her cellphone. Her first thought went to Dirk Grainger’s mother. She’d left the seriously ill woman tucked up safely in Sunnybrook Nursing Home under Doc Brown’s care. However, the ringtone told her that Deputy Rowley, the young man she’d trained up from a rookie to become a first-class lawman, was calling her in the middle of the night. It was his turn to answer the 911 calls, and he wouldn’t have disturbed her unless something bad had happened. The wind rattled the shutters on the windows as she turned on the bedside lamp and glanced at the clock. Oh yeah, at this time of the morning, someone had to be dead. She grabbed her pen and notepad and answered the call.
The moment she disconnected, Jenna pushed the hair from her eyes and called Kane. As usual he snapped awake in a second and was on his way.
Jenna dashed to the front door. By the time she’d fastened her duty belt around her waist and slipped into her coat, she could see Kane’s headlights heading toward her. Having a deputy living in a cottage on her ranch had its benefits. She reset the alarm system and headed out the door into a dark, stormy night. An arctic blast hit her with force and cut through her thick jacket, raising goosebumps on her flesh. By the time she’d climbed inside Kane’s truck, affectionately known as “the Beast,” the cold had numbed her cheeks. “Drive fast. Rowley’s alone out there.”
“Roger that. I’ve had the engine idling since you called and there’s no ice on the roads. I’ll have us there in no time.” The powerful engine roared and the truck’s tires showered the fence with gravel as Kane pulled away from the house.
Jenna noticed that Duke, Kane’s bloodhound, was missing from his usual place on the back seat. “I thought it would rain today but the storm clouds might bring the first snow. Is it too cold for Duke already?”
“Yeah. I left him asleep in his basket. There was no way he was coming out tonight.” Kane sped along the driveway. “What did Rowley say?”
Jenna explained, entered the address into the GPS, and then turned in her seat to look at him. “We haven’t had a home invasion before. Burglary, do you think?”
“I can’t figure out why an intruder would use hollow-points in a burglary.” Kane turned onto the highway leading into town. “They usually prefer to grab anything of value and get out fast. It will be interesting to examine the scene.”
“I hope it’s not a hit. I’ve seen a few execution-style murders involving the cartel.” Jenna leaned back in her seat, trying to prevent bad memories from replaying like a movie in her head. “They wouldn’t think twice about breaking into a house and killing a man in his sleep.”
“Hmm, this town is spreading out so wide, anything could be happening out in the back country.” Kane accelerated and the Beast purred as they flashed past the open grassland surrounding Jenna’s ranch. The night was so dark, not one star peeked through the cloud cover. “What do we know about the victim?”
“I’ll see what I can find.” Jenna used her cellphone to access the records. “No priors. From what I can see, he’s a financial advisor working in the local bank.”
“Maybe he gave someone bad advice.” Kane’s gaze remained fixed on the road. “People have killed for less.”
Jenna stared out the window. “I don’t recall visiting Majestic Rapids. It must be the housing development close to the new White-Water Rapids Park.”
“I believe it’s between the park and the ski lodge.” Kane glanced at her. “I’m looking forward to the snow this year. It’s been a long time since I’ve had the chance to hit the slopes. Remember, as soon as the snow arrives and we have some downtime, you promised to come up there for a weekend to keep me company. It’s no fun skiing on your lonesome.”
Jenna laughed. “I wouldn’t miss it. It’ll be like taking a vacation.” She pulled a knit hat from her jacket pocket and pulled it on. “Maybe Rowley will come with us and bring Sandy. I figure they’re getting serious.”
“We could ask him.” Kane chuckled. “Maybe we should ask Wolfe and his girls along as well. I guess the town can get along without us for a couple of days.”
“We do have Walters to fall back on.” She considered her older deputy. “I mean, we’d only be a phone call away if the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse rode into town.”
Jenna chuckled as Kane turned onto Main Street and the headlights picked up the first Halloween decorations. The residents of Black Rock Falls went all out when it came to any festival, and Halloween was no exception. As they drove down Main and out to the suburbs, most of the homes would fit fine into the set of a horror movie. “Looking at our sweet little town, maybe the Four Horsemen have already arrived.”
“Oh, I hope not.”
Darkness seemed to close in around the truck as Jenna peered ahead for the entrance to the Robinsons’ ranch. “I thought this area would have more houses. I’ve only seen two other driveways in the last mile.”
“Maybe they’re like you and want land to run horses.” Kane slowed when the GPS told him the turn was coming up. “This looks like the place.”
As the headlights picked out the name on the mailbox, Jenna nodded. “Yeah, this is it, and luckily, the gate’s wide open.”
Jenna glanced out the window as they negotiated the winding driveway, and an uneasy sensation crawled over her. The trees formed a dense wall each side of the road, and it was as if they tried to grab hold of the truck as they passed by. The long branches loomed out of the night like demons’ claws from the surrounding blackness, only to become trees again in the beam from the headlights. With only the arc from their lights illuminating the turns in the road ahead, it was like driving into a tunnel. “I couldn’t live out here. Can you imagine the wait for the snowplow to arrive during winter? I’m not so sure it would be able to make it around some of these tight bends.”
“Most people aren’t lucky enough to have the local snowplow driver living close by like you do, and they use their own.” He flicked her a glance. “I’m getting one this year too.”
Kane never ceased to amaze her. Jenna stared at him. “You want a snowplow now?”
“Yeah, it’s neat. It attaches to the front of my truck. Rowley has a new one and showed it to me last time I dropped by. After last year’s blizzards, I can’t see the weather getting any better and we’ll need it.”
“Okay, but it’s more work for you to do.” Jenna searched ahead. “I don’t see any lighting at all, and this driveway feels like we’re driving around in circles.”
“It’s way too narrow. Too bad if another vehicle wanted to get by.” Kane scanned the area and turned to her with one raised eyebrow. “I don’t see any security either, and with the trees so close and all, they’re asking for trouble. With this town’s reputation, you’d figure they’d secure their ranch.”
After another few minutes on the winding path, the glow from the house lights filtered through the trees. Jenna heaved a sigh of relief as they rounded the next bend and Rowley’s cruiser and the ME’s van came into view. “It looks like the gang’s all here.”
She attached her earbud and turned on the communications device attached to her belt. “Rowley, we’re at the front of the house. I see the front door is open. What’s your status?”
“We heard something just before, maybe coming from the cellar.”
Jenna stiffened. “Okay, wait for backup.”
“Copy that. There’s blood everywhere. You’ll need gloves and booties.”
Jenna turned to Kane. “Stay alert. Rowley hasn’t checked the cellar yet and it’s a bloodbath so we’ll need to suit up.”
“I’ll grab what we need from my kit.” Kane slipped from the truck and opened the back door. “Here.” He passed her a handful of equipment.
They moved up the front steps and Jenna caught sight of Wolfe and Rowley, weapons drawn and staring down a passageway. She pulled on her booties and then the gloves, and then shut the door behind them. “What is it?”
“Listen.” Rowley motioned with his chin toward a door at the end of the hallway. “Sounds like someone or something is in the cellar.”
The eerie shriek and thump sent an icy chill down Jenna’s spine. Why do I always get the creepy houses and dark cellars?