Page 17 of Their Haunted Hearts (Detectives Kane and Alton #27)
Sixteen
As she finished her meal, Jenna looked at her deputies. “The autopsy of the second victim is at ten tomorrow.” She glanced at Raven. “Do you want to be in on this one too?”
“I wouldn’t miss it.” Raven pushed around a salt cellar on the table. “This case is very interesting. Emily was saying she took prints and Wolfe has already uploaded them into the database. If the victims are on file, we’ll be able to identify them.”
“There’s one thing I noticed over the smell of decomposition: I could smell stale beer.” Emily looked up from her plate at Jenna. “As she wasn’t wearing anything, I’m assuming the smell came from her hair.” She shrugged. “Maybe she works behind a bar.”
“There is only one around here that really stinks and that’s the Triple Z Bar.” Kane dug into his bowl of chili, chewed, and swallowed. “The Cattleman’s Hotel smells good and so does Antlers. If she worked local, it must be the Triple Z.”
“Yeah, that would be the place.” Rowley nodded in agreement. “I don’t figure she’s a sex worker. They do drop by there on occasion.” He raised both eyebrows and looked at Jenna.
Not understanding how he could possibly know that, Jenna moved her attention to him. “What makes you say that?”
“Her nails for one.” Rowley shrugged. “The sex workers I’ve seen usually have nice nails and the victim bites hers. The other thing is, she’s not wearing makeup. They usually try to make themselves look attractive.”
“Not necessarily, I’ve seen plenty who bite their nails and have track marks up each arm.
Maybe the autopsy will tell us more. I don’t figure we run to judgment about her just yet.
” Kane leaned back in his chair. “We should take a photograph of her and show it to the bartender out at the Triple Z Bar and see what he says.”
Jenna nodded. “Yeah, that sounds like a plan. If she worked there, we might get some leads on who was talking to her last night. With two murders this week, I need suspects and right now all we have are shadows. To make things worse, the witnesses are talking and the news is already out that we’ve found another victim.
Some people really believe the bodies are vampires.
It’s crazy, like mass hysteria, and people are getting spooked. ”
“What amuses me is, if they read the books, when vampires are staked they burst into flames.” Kane chuckled. “We’d be finding piles of ash not dead bodies.”
“I figure whoever is doing this believes he’s catching them before they turn.” Raven sipped his coffee. “Or he would have added fangs. You do know there are people out there who actually believe in all this woo-woo stuff? For them it’s real. They’re like kids who never grew out of Santa Claus.”
“Unfortunately, I do.” Kane grimaced. “We’ve had many cases influenced by the occult.”
“I’ve seen many strange things in my life too.
Things that don’t quite fit into normality.
” Emily looked from Raven to Jenna. “I absolutely don’t believe in vampires but I like to keep an open mind.
I have a scientist’s angle on most subjects but there are other things I find intriguing and can see the possibilities, for instance, the mythological gods.
How does every civilization have the same story about visitations from people who gave them knowledge?
Was there an ancient civilization with knowledge equal or above ours? ”
“I find those things very interesting because even Santa Claus was based on fact.” Raven placed his cup on the table and nodded sagely. “When we get time, we should talk. I have some theories to discuss with you.”
“Now you two have found common ground.” Kane grinned. “Jenna wants to allocate what needs to be done.”
Amused by the turn of conversation, Jenna raised both eyebrows.
“Yeah, I do. Raven and Rowley, there are images of the last victim on the server. Get one and crop it to make it less graphic and take it to the Cattleman’s Hotel and Antlers.
Show it to anyone who may have come in contact with the victim.
We’re going to the Triple Z Bar and will swing by the Black Rock Falls Motel and do the same.
” She looked around the table. “I’ll call Rio and ask him to put out a media statement.
I’ll also ask the townsfolk to remain calm and not to be swept up in the Halloween hype.
It might work but I doubt it. With eyewitnesses to the corpses, panic will be hard to stem.
” She pushed her cup back and stood. “Let’s get at it. ”
Walking out to the Beast, Jenna watched Raven open the door of his truck for Emily and smiled. “I see Raven is old-school. I like that about him.”
“Should I be jealous?” Kane lifted Duke into the back seat and then climbed behind the wheel.
Tossing back her hair, Jenna snorted. “No, he only has eyes for Emily.”
The drive to the Triple Z Bar was glorious.
Seeing the beauty of Stanton Forest dressed in its fall gown, with the many colors and wildflowers lifted Jenna’s spirits.
The sun had dropped and cast zebra stripes across the highway, between the flashes of sunlight, she caught sight of deer grazing just inside the perimeter of the forest on patches of emerald-green grass filled with sunshine.
Tauri loved the forest and the horseback rides they’d taken lately.
He’d talked nonstop about Native American folklore.
She’d always encouraged him to learn about both of his cultures and welcomed Raya’s assistance and, of course, their close friend Atohi Blackhawk’s visits.
His time with Tauri and their visits to the res ensured Tauri kept a close relationship with his people.
She sighed as they bumped over the rutted entrance to the Triple Z Bar.
It was close to the Triple Z Roadhouse. “If we’d had this information earlier, we could have saved time. ”
“It’s all part of the job. We’re making progress. It’s all good.” Kane pulled up outside the bar entrance and swung out. “Stay, Duke. We won’t be long.” He pushed through the old saloon-type double doors and disappeared into the gloom.
The smell of stale beer leaked out before Jenna stepped inside.
Apprehension gripped her as she stood for a few moments to allow her eyes to adjust to the dim interior.
She scanned the room. The amount of people who congregated here on a daily basis never ceased to amaze her.
Bikers crowded around a few tables pushed together, ranch hands in cowboy hats and boots shared a jug of beer, and other men sitting alone bent over bowls of food.
Conversation in the room dropped to a small buzz as the patrons noticed them.
Law enforcement wasn’t welcomed there. Many times, Kane and a team had found themselves in the midst of a brawl.
Everyone in the room carried a weapon, and as they walked toward the bar, people behind them were leaving.
Most times, for the criminal element, this place was a safe haven where they could get a good bowl of chili and cold beer at a reasonable price.
From the condition of the place, it was obvious that the owner didn’t pay for any maintenance.
The bartender didn’t approach until Kane slapped his palm on the bar. Jenna moved to his side and pulled out her notebook. She looked at Kane. “Take the lead. He might talk to you.”
All eyes looked at them and Jenna could cut the resentment in the room with a knife. She slid onto a barstool and pulled a pen from her pocket.
“Have you seen this woman?” Kane held up his phone.
“I’m not sure.” The barkeeper paled and his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. “Maybe.”
“Try to remember.” Kane enlarged the image. “Does she work here?”
“Is she dead?” The man’s eyes widened. “Is she that vampire you found this morning?”
Annoyed, Jenna blew out a sigh. “Yes, she’s dead and I can assure you she isn’t a vampire. She’s someone’s daughter and we need to identify her.”
“Just a minute.” The bartender walked away and returned a few moments later with another man.
“I’m the manager, David Johnstone. How can I help you, Sheriff?”
“Have you seen this woman?” Kane pushed his phone across the top of the bar toward him. “Does she work here?”
“Yeah, she has worked here for a couple of weeks. Her name is Bunny Watkins.” Johnstone stared at the image. “Is she dead?”
Jenna nodded. “I’ll need everything you have on her.”
“Yes, not a problem. I’ll print out her information for you. I have it in the office.” Johnstone’s gaze never left the phone. “How did she die? I know she walks to the motel each night. Was she hit by a vehicle?”
“She walks from here to the motel?” Kane shook his head in disbelief. “What time did her shift finish?”
“Midnight.” Johnstone looked up at Jenna confused. “Oh, not a bear?”
Jenna made a few notes and then lifted her chin. “The cause of death is undetermined at this time. What we need is to speak to the bartenders who worked her shifts. They might recall who spoke to her or who was taking an interest in her at any time. Do you have a list?”
“I’ll go and get what you need.” Johnstone hurried away.
“I figured that was Bunny.” The bartender moved closer, his hands pausing from drying a glass.
“Although she looks different. She usually ties her hair back and she has rosy cheeks. She is… I mean was an attractive woman, and yeah, she did attract attention.” He glanced up at the tables closest to the bar and lowered his voice.
“I’ve seen men hitting on her but I’m not squealing on anyone.
Customers who come here don’t take too kindly to people who speak to the cops and I’ve got a family to support. ”
“I could arrest you for withholding evidence in a murder investigation.” Kane’s voice was just above a whisper.
“Go out back, write the names down on a coaster. I’ll order a beer and take the coaster with me if you’re afraid of someone seeing you.
Just the men who you recall having a conversation, not the catcalls or brief exchanges.
We need to know if she mentioned anything about where she was going after work. Understand?”
“Yeah, sure.” The bartender turned away.
“There were a few men who held her up. It’s my job to keep her moving but I don’t mind her being nice to the customers.
It’s good for business, so yeah, I notice who she spends time chatting with.
I know most of the locals, so I can give you names if you keep my name out of it. ”
“They don’t need to know who we spoke to.” Kane leaned into Jenna as if speaking to her. “We use general terms when questioning people.”
Keeping her voice low, Jenna met the barman’s gaze. “However, I will expect you down at my office to give a statement within twenty-four hours. Unless you want me to haul you out of here in handcuffs.”
The bartender hurried away and the owner came back and handed her a sheet of paper. She left the document on the bar. “I want the bartender’s full name and address.”
“Okay.” Johnstone took a pen from his inside pocket and made notes. “There you go.”
A few moments later, the bartender came back, took a bottle of beer from the fridge, and placed it on a coaster in front of Kane.
“Thanks.” Kane slid the beer toward him and the coaster disappeared into his pocket. He dropped a few bills on the counter and nodded to Jenna. “Is that all you need, Sheriff?”
Jenna folded her notebook and pushed it inside her pocket.
She collected the sheet of paper, looked over it and smiled at the manager.
“That seems to be in order. Thank you.” She glanced at Kane as they stepped out into the fresh air.
“I so feel like taking a shower and washing my hair. The smell of male sweat and stale beer is like death. It clings.”
“Add gunpowder and it smells like war.” Kane grimaced and climbed into the Beast.