“Thank you. This your truck?” Jolene Darvish peered up at him from her diminutive five feet. “You don’t have a cruiser?”
Kane smiled and opened the door. “No ma’am.” He helped her into the back seat.
“Now don’t you go driving like a maniac.” She touched him on the shoulder as he slid behind the wheel. “I know how you young whippersnappers like speed and my nerves are on edge from this morning.”
Turning to Atohi with a grin, he scratched his cheek. “I’ll drive real slow, ma’am.” He took off very slowly. “Tell me about the vehicle that tried to run you off the road. Did you see the driver?”
“No, it was right on my tail.” She met his gaze in the rearview mirror. “All I could see was the grille and the bull bar.” She paused a beat as if recalling a memory. “It had GMC on the front.”
Kane nodded. “That’s good. Now the person following you. Can you describe them?”
“No, I’m afraid I can’t.” She gripped the back of the seat. “Have you ever had that feeling, deep in the pit of your stomach that someone is watching you?”
Being very familiar with his own gut instinct, Kane glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “Yeah, I know what you mean. It’s saved my life many a time.”
“That’s the feeling.” She leaned back in the seat. “Although it might be a bear, waiting in the forest to raid my food locker again.” She chuckled. “It can’t be after me. The meat on my bones is long gone.”
Pulling into his parking space outside the sheriff’s department, Kane glanced at Atohi’s concerned expression. It was obvious, his friend was thinking the same thing. To a hungry bear just out of hibernation, a vulnerable old lady alone in a cabin in Bear Peak would make a very nice snack.
TEN
After speaking to the quilting circle members and getting much the same information, Jenna sent them on their way. Kane had taken off again, saying he was dropping Atohi back to his truck. She updated her files and leaned back in her chair. Famished didn’t come close to the gnawing in her belly. When she looked up to see Kane walking through the door, she smiled with relief, now they could go and eat—and then her phone rang. It was Rio. “Did you find the murder weapon?”
“Nope.” Rio let out a long breath. “We’ve searched all over, but the killer could have thrown it anywhere, including alongside the roads and there’s miles of highway. That’s not why I called. I had a call from the principal of the high school to ask why Cade and Piper didn’t show for school again today.”
Jenna tidied Kane’s desk and turned off his computer. “Mrs. Jacobs was in this morning asking after our victim and mentioned having to be home for them this afternoon, so she must have sent them to school this morning.”
“They’re not answering their phones and they’re not at home, unless they decided not to pick up the landline either.” Rio cleared his throat. “Maybe it was a mistake buying them that truck. It was a mistake to allow Dave to work on the engine, and you know Dave with engines. It goes way too fast now.”
Waving Kane over, she put the phone on speaker. “Are you concerned they might have wrecked the truck?” She raised her eyebrows at Kane. “Dave mentioned Cade was a very responsible driver and I’m sure Piper is as well.”
“Cade is a seventeen-year-old kid, and driving a powerful truck is like pointing a loaded gun—I know it’s the norm out here in the West, but back home it was different. I’m heading home to see if they’re there. I’ll need some personal time to hunt them down.” Rio’s boots crunched on the dirt and Jenna could hear his cruiser door opening.
“Dave is right here.” Jenna frowned. “Do you want us to help you?”
“Not yet anyway.”
“What’s happening with the twins?” Kane moved beside her. “Are you sayin’ that the truck is too much for Cade to handle?”
“Well, it wasn’t until you rebuilt the engine, now it can tow an eighteen-wheeler.” Rio snorted. “Like I said, it’s a loaded gun.”
“I made it safe.” Kane looked unimpressed and his shoulders drooped. “It’s dangerous out here, and if they’d broken down, anything could have happened. Don’t you think I considered the implications of the upgrades before I made them? I took Cade and Piper out a few times in the Beast before I did anything, and Cade especially handled the power just fine and my truck is way more powerful than that old GMC.”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong.” Rio started his engine and the sound of tires on gravel came through the speaker. “I appreciate the work you put into that truck. It’s
the twins. They seemed to be settling down and now they vanish at all hours of the night.” He sucked in a breath. “Well, Piper was home this morning, but Cade didn’t roll in until just before I left for work. It’s not drugs. I have them tested regular after they ran away from their grandma’s and came back as high as kites.”
“It sounds like he has a girlfriend.” Kane rubbed the back of his neck. “That would be why he’s not picking up his calls. Maybe ground them for a time?”
“I’m their brother not their dad. It makes it difficult, especially now they’re getting older.” Rio sounded defeated. “Maybe I should talk to Wolfe. He might have some fatherly advice.”
Jenna looked at Kane and shrugged. “Is Rowley on his way back to the office?”
“Yeah. I’ll go and hunt down the twins. I should be back this afternoon.” Rio disconnected.
“Hmm.” Jenna tapped her bottom lip thinking. “Do you figure Wolfe will be able to help him?”
“Maybe.” Kane shrugged and grabbed Jenna’s coat from the line of pegs along the wall. “I need to eat.” He whistled Duke and the dog bounded out from behind the counter, his backside wagging and his eyes bright with excitement. “Are you okay to walk? I’ll bring you up to speed with what Jolene Darvish told me on the way.”