He ran the blade down her cheek and the panic in her eyes sent a rush of euphoria through him. It was always the same, and he embraced the power surge from knowing he controlled the glow of life and the spark inside every living thing was his for the taking. The cut was tiny but effective, and it didn’t take long until the light left her eyes. She’d grown weak and was no longer a challenge, and the urge to play with her had vanished. He grabbed his backpack, extinguished the lantern, and headed out into the sunshine. As he strolled along the trail, he could hear voices in the distance. The sound triggered a need to forget his day job and hunt again. Nothing came close to the anticipation of the kill. His excitement in the hours before entering the forest reminded him of the times his father had taken him to buy ice cream. The eagerness of selecting the flavor, the taste as the ice confection slid over his tongue was a treat most kids took for granted, but for him that small window of time with his dad had been special. And like his time with—What was her name? It had been exciting but, like the alluring wrapper of an anticipated treat, she no longer served a purpose. Who thought twice about the food wrappers they’d tossed into the trash? He chuckled and shook his head. “Now that would be some kind of crazy.”
Nine
Exhausted, Jenna dropped into the chair at Kane’s kitchen table and caught the coffee Jo slid across to her. She added the fixings with extra cream to cool the brew. She sipped and allowed the night’s experience to settle in her mind. A shiver went down her spine and she lifted her gaze to Jo. “Thanks.”
“I know you’ve explained the details of what happened last night but there’s more to this than you’re saying.” Jo turned a concerned expression on her. “I know something is on your mind or you have a hunch who’s behind this attack. I’m a great sounding board. Talk to me, Jenna, and then try and eat something. You look like hell.”
Jenna’s gut feeling insisted that the man trying to kill her was familiar, but no one she considered made sense. She wanted to explain but she wondered if her reasoning was sound after such a disturbing night. An eerie sensation refused to leave her and she fought the constant urge to keep looking over one shoulder. “Being alone with someone hunting me down was an experience I’ve tried not to repeat, but last night was too darn familiar, like déjà vu.”
“How so?” Jo leaned forward on the table.
Jenna peered at Jo over the rim of her cup. The smell of coffee was somehow comforting to her shattered nerves. “A couple of years ago I dated a lawyer by the name of James Stone. He didn’t take rejection too well and became a nuisance. In the end Dave warned him off, suggesting we were in a relationship, and Stone backed off.”
“What’s that got to do with last night?” Jo stood and dropped bread into the toaster and then retrieved butter and jelly from the refrigerator. “He can’t still be stalking you, can he?”
Jenna shook her head. “Nop
e, he’s in jail for life without parole. He was living a double life. Top-shot lawyer by day and on the weekends, he ran a human hunting racket via the dark web.” She shuddered. “Not only did he hunt down couples for his clients to murder, he killed the clients as well and kept their bodies in a cave out of Bear Peak.”
“And you caught him?” Jo buttered toast and slid it across to Jenna. “Eat.”
Jenna added strawberry jelly and nodded. “Yeah, but Stone came close to killing Dave. We were hunting him down in the mountains and Stone shot Dave in the head and he fell down a ravine, busting his knee. Worse still, he had amnesia and didn’t remember coming to Black Rock Falls. When I went to help him, he didn’t recognize me. Trust me, when Dave aims a gun at you, he means business.” She stared at the toast and shook her head. “It was a nightmare.” She bit into the toast and chewed slowly, recalling the terrible weekend. “In the end it came down to Stone or me. I took him down but wanted him alive. He blamed me for his killing spree and it’s not something I can forget in a hurry.” She lifted her gaze to Jo. “When I saw Dave’s headshot and him falling over the ravine, I kind of lost it. I thought he was dead.”
“But you were calm and detached when you faced Stone?” Jo sat down and looked at her closely. “That’s what our brains do under stress. They can react either way. It’s the fight-or-flee response. People like us train to cope in these types of situations and pull up what’s necessary to survive. Your professionalism on the job kicked in and you fought back.” She took a drink of her coffee. “It’s a chilling story, but what significance does this case have to last night’s incident?”
The images of Stone’s victims impaled with crossbow bolts ran through Jenna’s mind in a flash of horror. “Two reasons. One: Stone used the crossbow like a signature, but he wasn’t exclusive; he did carry a rifle and knife. The second: although we’ve brought many killers to justice, Stone made it personal. He wanted me dead and blamed me for turning him into a killer. You should have seen him at his trial, he could have given Ted Bundy tips on charisma. My gut tells me he’s involved. The crossbow attack is him saying, ‘Don’t forget I’m coming for you, Jenna. We have unfinished business.’”
“Then we’ll need to find out if he’s escaped ASAP.” Jo reached for her phone. “Although if he’s still in custody, you might have to consider a copycat killer.”
Unsettled by the thought of a copycat killer with her in his sights, Jenna pushed both hands through her hair. “That’s all I need.” She looked at Jo. “Make the call. If it is Stone, at least we’ll know who we’re up against.”
As Jo made the call, Kane and Carter came through the front door. She turned to look at them and held a finger to her lips to stop their chatter, but Jo stood and walked into the hallway. “Jo’s calling the county jail to make sure James Stone is under lock and key.”
“So, you figure he’s behind this attack?” Carter dropped into a chair beside her and pushed back the rim of his Stetson. “Kane mentioned the crossbow but honestly, Jenna. Stone isn’t the first killer to use a crossbow. It’s probably a coincidence. For instance, did Stone leave ears as his calling card? Or take them for trophies?”
Jenna shook her head. “No, but the crossbow and the intent reminded me of Stone. I’m wondering if he has a follower out there.”
“It’s possible.” Kane filled two cups with coffee and handed one to Carter and then refilled Jenna’s cup. “Although, because of the macabre nature of the case, details of the murders were withheld from the media. Only we know he blamed you, so this has to be someone else.” He sat down and added liberal amounts of sugar and cream to his cup. “One thing for sure, a woman is missing an ear. That message was loud and clear, but is he advertising the fact he’s murdered someone or is he holding them for ransom?”
Jenna moved her attention over Kane and Carter as they removed their Stetsons and almost self-consciously ran their hands through their hair. They had their sleeves rolled up, but apart from that, she would have walked right past them in the street. She leaned back in her chair and stared at them. The usual jeans and casual shirts had been replaced by suit pants and dress shirts. It was obvious both had visited the barber, although Carter’s sun-bleached blond locks looked as if he’d visited a stylist. His hair still hung over his collar but was fashionably untidy. Kane, on the other hand, looked slick, his dark hair trimmed to perfection. She must have been in shock not to notice the change in them before and wondered just how much she had missed during the home invasion. She cleared her throat. “I guess we’ll have to see if anything comes in today. Perhaps Wolfe can use the Snapshot DNA Profiler or whatever it’s called, again and we’ll be able to get some idea of what the person looks like who’s lost the ear.”
“I’m sure he will.” Kane smiled at her. “He’ll be by later to give you an update. He is arranging for some of his friends to come by and secure the property.”
Jenna understood by Wolfe’s “friends” he meant a government team would be by, no doubt by chopper, to secure the ranch. Having POTUS watching over their security meant things happened fast when necessary. She nodded. “Thanks.” She was going to ask about the conference when Jo’s voice came from behind her.
“Stone is under lock and key.” Jo walked into the kitchen. “He has visits from his lawyer, that’s all. His mail is opened and read before he gets it, he’s not permitted to send anything from the jail. There’s no way he can communicate instructions or discuss his case with anyone who may be a fan.” She sighed. “I spoke to the warden and because of Stone’s notoriety, they keep a very close watch on him. Apparently, he is a model prisoner and spends most of his time in the library reading law books and making notes. Maybe he’s writing a novel?”
“So, it will be a wait and see situation.” Carter finished his coffee and stood. “We’ll head off home now. Jo wants to see her daughter. Our resources are at your disposal if necessary and as it’s quiet in Snakeskin Gully right now, if you need us, just pick up the phone.”
“Thanks.” Jenna smiled at him. “I appreciate you coming by.”
“Any time.” Carter pushed on his Stetson and looked at Kane. “I’ll drop you at the ME’s office so you can pick up your ride.”
“Okay.” Kane turned to Jenna. “Unless you need me here? I could get a ride back to town with Rowley?”
Jenna shook her head. “Go, I’ll be fine. I’ll leave Rowley and Rio in charge of the office today and we’ll see if we can chase down anyone with a missing ear. I want you here to watch over the repair crew when they arrive.”
“Roger that.” Kane bent to examine her face and frowned. “You should go and rest. There’s nothing you can do at the moment. Wolfe will be at least an hour, and Rowley and Rio are out looking for clues. No one will disturb you.”