“There is a link but it’s top secret. I had to pull a few favors to get this information and it’s hearsay at best, so, you didn’t hear it from me.” Carter moved closer. “The secretary, whose name is suppressed, was the magistrate’s secretary. Apparently, the day of the bombing, she had someone removed from the premises. A man had requested an appointment to speak to the magistrate about abusive foster homes. The magistrate instructed his secretary to send the man to the local police to put in a complaint and it would be dealt with through the normal channels.” He shrugged. “He called himself ‘John Doe’ so we found no trace of him.”
Kane could feel Jenna’s eyes boring into him. She could sense his anger and he valued her company and support. She kept him sane and focused. Right now, if he discussed the bombing a moment longer, he’d explode. He needed an excuse and looked straight at Wolfe. He cleared the lump in his throat. “My head is throbbing. Do I have concussion?”
“Come with me.” Wolfe led him to his van. “Take some deep breaths, you know the drill. I know all this is bringing back painful memories and wanting to get revenge is normal but acting on it is not. You know that, right?”
Kane said nothing.
“You owe it to Annie to keep it together.” Wolfe’s expression was grim. “She wouldn’t want you in jail, she’d want you to have a long and happy life. Find the bomber and let the courts deal with him. Find the evidence and make the case. That’s what she’d want you to do.”
Kane tried to ignore the pain crushing his heart at the mention of her name and nodded, forcing words from his dry throat. “She understood my work and I made her promise to go on with her life if I died, she made me promise the same. At the time, I thought it would be me.”
“When her killer is behind bars, you’ll have to keep your promise.” Wolfe laid a hand on his shoulder. “Start living again, Dave, before it’s too late.”
After Wolfe examined his eyes and gave him the all clear, he searched his pockets for the pills he carried in an emergency and took a couple. They worked fast restoring his equilibrium and the headaches usually faded away. He noticed Wolfe looking at him. “Did you find anything else?”
“Not yet.” Wolfe ran a hand down his face and removed his smoke covered mask. “The local deputies are with Webber. They’re photographing the explosion scene and marking evidence. The entire area will need to be cordoned off so we can come back in the morning.” His shoulders sagged. “I’ll have six people to assist me. I’ll work the scene as soon as Carter has cleared around the house for explosives.” He turned to Jenna. “There’s nothing else you can do here.”
“Okay.” Jenna looked at Carter. “You go and clear the area around the ranch house if it’s safe. I know it’s late but I’d really like to stop by and see if our suspects have been tucked up in bed tonight.”
Forty-Three
Anger had replaced the glow of satisfaction at the direct hit on the deputy’s cruiser. He punched the door of his truck. How had anyone survived the explosion? He’d gaped in astonishment when the drone’s camera had picked up the two FBI agents through the smoke, one aiming a weapon at his drone. It was as if the gun was pointed directly at him and he’d used every evasive maneuver in the book to avoid being shot down but the man aiming the weapon was good. The first shot had the drone spinning out of control and the second obliterated his camera. Detonating the explosive and destroying his prized possession was his only way to conceal his identity. The explosion had been spectacular, one of his best, and lit up the sky like a firework and spread his drone all over the ground in a thousand pieces. Nothing would remain to trace the drone back to him and if necessary, he could build another.
Seeing the orange flames jump high in the sky had energized him. The danger he’d faced to complete another part of his plan had been worth the risk. Sheriff Buzz Stuart was already a distant memory, as was Pamela. He chuckled. To think, the sheriff’s granddaughter had been twenty yards away from his house all the time he’d been inside. The drive to Black Rock Falls to return the old sedan had been necessary, but the fire had called him back to Blackwater. Following the firetrucks into town behind the usual group of sightseers had been exhilarating. The crackle and roar of the fire, the clouds of thick smoke and the smell had thrilled him.
He leaned back in his seat to watch the firefighters soak the last dying embers. The team of firefighters from Black Rock Falls had already headed for home. He glanced toward the group of FBI agents, all huddled around. Shaken but uninjured unfortunately. It would seem even a near death experience wouldn’t slow them down.
He took one last look at the smoldering blackened shell of the sheriff’s house, catching the image and setting it deep in his mind. He often recalled his memories of destruction, and could call on them at any time, day or night. He wouldn’t forget the satisfaction of telling the sheriff and his wife he’d killed their granddaughter. Sending the explosives inside the house and then watching the couple burn had triggered an emotion in him, he’d thought long gone. He’d found pleasure in destroying the happy families on his list and making them suffer mental and physical pain. It had been a long time since he’d experienced any emotion other than anger but now, he understood how to turn his anger into an actual feeling. He craved more, needed more and deep down inside he’d come to realize his craving would never be satisfied.
He opened his social media page and thought for a time about what to say. He smiled into the darkness.
I enjoyed an eventful night with old acquaintances. There’s nothing better than sitting around a kitchen table and chatting about family.
With reluctance, he closed the page, scanned the area, and inhaled the exotic flavor of wet blackened wood. The lights would be extinguished soon once the medical examiner removed the bodies, if anything remained of the sheriff and his wife. His gaze followed the dog and FBI handler as they moved around the perimeter of the house. He hadn’t set any devices in the yard. He’d noticed dogs running loose in the area and didn’t want them tripping an IED and spoiling everything. His attention drifted to the other agents, standing close together in animated conversation. They would be leaving soon and he didn’t plan on being on the highway when they headed home. He’d had his fun and now it was time for him to vanish in the wind with the smoke.
Forty-Four
It was getting close to daylight by the time they arrived at the Crazy Iron Forge in Louan to speak to Roger Suffolk. The adrenalin rush from the explosion had gone leaving Jenna exhausted, but she had to act now before a suspect slipped through their fingers. When Kane killed the Beast’s headlights, they rolled along the driveway and the truck became invisible in the darkness. Ahead, a light set above the forge, illuminated Suffolk’s truck. Jenna hadn’t noticed any CCTV cameras but instructed Kane to park in the shadows and douse the interior lights. She planned to look through the windows of Suffolk’s truck for anything incriminating. Easing her way out of the door as quietly as possible, she walked around the Beast but behind her Carter cleared his throat. She spun around to look at him. “What?”