“Good.” Kane turned on his heel and walked back to where Jenna was speaking to a tall man he recognized as Riley Adams. The man was standing far too close to her and, by the look on Jenna’s face, something about this guy had spooked her big time.
In Jenna’s hand he could make out the images of Payton Harris and his wife displayed on the iPad. He moved in closer and listened to the conversation.
“Did you know June and Payton Harris from before, or did you first meet them at Aunt Betty’s Café?” Jenna’s eyes darted to him and returned to Adams’ face. “From the CCTV feed you seem pretty friendly.”
“No, not from before.” Adams leaned one shoulder against the wall and took a nonchalant pose. “They were sitting at the table next to me and I overheard their conversation. June had her heart set on hiking up to the top of Bear Peak and visiting the falls, but she was concerned about them going alone into the mountains. They didn’t have a satellite phone and as I was planning on heading that way to do some hunting, I offered to go along, seeing as I know that trail, and I offered to show them the way.”
“Can you give me a timeline?” Jenna pushed her tablet under one arm and took out her notepad.
“Look.” Adams straightened. “I heard the news about June going missing. I’d have called the hotline if I’d had any information. She was a nice person.”
“‘Was’ a nice person?” Jenna narrowed her gaze on him. “Is there something you’re not telling me, Mr. Adams?”
“Hey, lower your hackles.” Adams flicked a glance over Kane and rolled his shoulders. “I met them in Aunt Betty’s on Thursday morning. I grabbed my gear and they followed me to the forest. We left our vehicles there and hiked up to a spot close to the falls. We rested there for a spell and then I showed them the trail to a campsite about a half mile away. If you know the area, there’s a clearing with a firepit about twenty yards from the river, the one fed by the runoff from the mountain? It’s low at this time of year. I left them there and hiked to a hunting area about a mile west. I came back down that night and went home.”
Unconvinced, Kane took in Adams’ confident pose and the way he stood inside Jenna’s personal space. It was unusual behavior to act that way during an interview with a law enforcement officer. Most people would be a little nervous, even the innocent ones. He took a step closer to Jenna, and the action made Adams take a step back. Good, I’m intimidating him. “What time did you last see June and Payton Harris?”
“Maybe around two.” Adams shrugged. “I’m not sure. They insisted they could find their way back to their pickup. They wanted a romantic night in the mountains, so I let them be.” He looked directly at Jenna. “Women like that, don’t they? The isolation and fear of being eaten by bears must be an aphrodisiac or something.” He chuckled.
/> “Well, I figure you shouldn’t include all women in that statement.” Jenna gave him a stony stare. “Or men. Sleeping on hard ground in the freezing cold isn’t everyone’s idea of fun.”
“You really need to loosen up, Sheriff.” Adams pushed a hand through his hair. “Being so uptight isn’t healthy.”
When Jenna snorted in disgust, Kane spotted the triumphant glint in Adams’ eyes. He had enjoyed making her angry and no doubt was trying to push her buttons. He was so smooth, so confident, and almost too good to be true. Firing a barrage of questions at him might cause a chink in his armor. “Where exactly did you park?”
“A short way past the forest warden’s check station on Stanton Road.” Adams pushed his hands into his pockets; slight irritation showed but he had it under control and soon slid back into a confident pose.
It was at times like these that Kane appreciated his height and body bulk. Adams was a strong guy, athletic in build, and had the pleasant features and confidence of a serial killer. He kept eye contact and leaned a little closer. He wanted to see just how far he could push him. Most people would be either annoyed or shaking in their boots by now. “What is your favorite weapon of choice?”
“I can’t decide between a rifle and crossbow. They both have their appeal.” Adams held his gaze and his lips twitched into a smirk. “I was hunting elk to fill my freezer. I only hunt game for food, Deputy.”
“And what weapon were you carrying on Thursday?” Jenna was making copious notes and looked up at him.
“Weapons, Sheriff.” Adams gave her a slow, confident smile. “I never go into the forest without my sidearm, but I was carrying a crossbow that day.”
“I noticed you were wearing a slicker in Aunt Betty’s. Do you usually wear a slicker in the mountains when hunting? I don’t recall seeing any hunter orange on it.”
“I wasn’t big-game hunting, ma’am.” Adams rolled his eyes. “It gets wet and cold up there, and yes, I wear my slicker most times when rain or storms are forecast.”
“So, did you bag an elk?” Jenna’s eyes narrowed.
“Nope, can’t say that I did.” Adams crossed his arms over his chest. “I didn’t run into anyone, nor did I visit the check station. I should have, but I wanted to get the Harrises on the trail.”
“Okay, ah… do you work here full time?” Jenna held his gaze.
“I work my shifts.” Adams sighed. “If I do a double, I usually have the next day free. I didn’t work on Thursday.”
Kane cleared his throat. “Did you work on Sunday night?”
“Nope.” Adams looked at him. “I was at home during the storm. It’s too dangerous to be out in a dry storm with the lightning and all.”
“Can anyone verify your whereabouts on Sunday night through Monday morning?” Jenna lifted her chin with a determined expression.
“I dropped by Aunt Betty’s for breakfast and collected some supplies from the general store on Monday.” He shrugged. “I’m sure they’ll remember me and you’ll have the CCTV footage to verify I was in the diner. Won’t you, Sheriff?”
“Yeah. I’ll be checking out your story.” Jenna looked down at his shoes. “What size shoes do you wear?”
“You want my shoe size?” Adams grinned. “Now you’re getting personal but hey, I’m easy to get along with, Sheriff. Size twelve.”