Jenna shook her head and scanned the crowd. “No, I’ll do that. I know many of the people who filmed it. Take Mrs. Law and her baby to Her Broken Wings. It’s a refuge for battered women. Two streets up on the left. Get her statement. Explain, we’ll need her to testify in court or he’ll walk.” She turned to the crowd and raised her voice. “I’ll need the footage.”
As people came forward, her heart sank at the sight of Deni Crawford, the impossibly rude Blackwater News reporter heading her way with a satisfied smile. Talk about being in the right place at the right time, the busybody reporter had caught the entire episode on film. She turned to face her. “No comment.”
“Oh, come on, Sheriff.” Crawford held out the microphone. “You must have something to say to the people of Black Rock Falls?” She smiled at the camera. “It’s not every day we see a sheriff in action, while her deputies stand by and do nothing.”
Refusing to rise to the bait, Jenna looked straight into the camera. “In Black Rock Falls we don’t tolerate spousal abuse or bullying so please donate to Her Broken Wings Foundation and help those in need. Thank you.” She turned her back on Crawford and addressed the crowd. “Okay who filmed the incident?” She took out her cards. “Email a copy to me please.”
As she moved between the people, she noticed Kane coming out of Antlers carrying something. He stopped at his truck and leaned against the door watching her. With all the footage emailed to her and names taken of witnesses, she made her way back to the Beast. She looked at Kane’s stern expression but he said nothing and just handed her a towel filled with ice. She took it from him and pressed it against her throbbing cheek. Now the adrenalin had worn off, her face ached. She looked at him. “How is Mrs. Law?”
“Frightened and hurting.” Kane frowned. “Her husband has been beating on her for some time. I wanted to tend her injuries but she wanted to feed the baby and
told me to leave her alone.”
Jenna watched as Rio escorted the woman to his cruiser. “Let’s go before that news reporter films anything else, I’m doing.” She climbed into the Beast and waited for Kane to get behind the wheel and start the engine. “I saw you holding Rowley back. Thanks for letting me deal with the situation but I wasn’t expecting it to be all over the news tonight.”
“You made it perfectly clear you had a point to prove.” Kane was staring straight ahead. “The big loud mouth bully who beat up on his wife needed taking down a peg. Being knocked off his feet by a woman your size in front of his friends will take a long time to live down, especially when it makes the news. It’s just as well his wife is leaving him. He’d take it out on her for sure.” He pulled into his space outside the sheriff’s department and turned to look at her. “It’s difficult, Jenna.” He pointed to his chest. “In here, seeing Law put his hands on you made me want to tear him apart, but in here—” he pointed to his head “—I knew you could take care of yourself but when you gave up your weapon—Jesus, Jenna.” He shook his head. “I had palpitations.”
Jenna smiled at him. “You re-trained me well, and I’m at my peak but I have to admit, knowing you were there watching my back made it a whole lot easier.”
Fifteen
Head throbbing, Jenna walked into the sheriff’s department to find Atohi Blackhawk waiting for her. Maggie had supplied him with coffee and sandwiches. Her friend looked weary and she smiled at him. “Thank you so much for searching all night. We found a body out at the old mines and Wolfe has just confirmed it’s Laurie Turner.”
“That’s some way from where I found her backpack. It belongs to Laurie. It has a tag with her name on it.” Blackhawk lifted a large evidence bag from beside his chair and handed it to her. “I decided to ride my trailbike through the forest and it was on the trail we searched yesterday about half a mile from Stanton. I marked the place with tape and have the coordinates.” He held up his phone. “I took shots of the trail and all around but whoever dropped it there didn’t leave a trace. I’ll forward them to everyone now.”
Jenna stared at the backpack. She’d take it to Wolfe when they went to the autopsy. “We’re looking for a primary crime scene and it may be close to where you found this, we’ll go and check it out. Did you touch it or go through it?”
“Nah.” Blackhawk shook his head. “I had a pocket full of gloves and evidence bags with me, in case we found anything during the search.” He sipped his coffee and regarded her with interest. “What happened to your face?”
Jenna closed the door and sat in her office chair. “Some crazy wife beater. He’s in the cells and will be on his way to the county jail as soon as he’s charged.”
“How did your deputies allow this to happen?” His brown eyes flashed with anger. “Men who beat on women are contemptible.”
Surprised by his concern, she smiled. “I’m fine. I wanted to handle him myself but it was a little difficult. I ordered Kane and Rowley to stand down.” She stood and filled a coffee cup and then searched the drawer for Tylenol. “Rio is taking her to Her Broken Wings, they’ll make sure she gets the best of care and assistance.” She took her coffee back to the desk. “Have you met Zac Rio yet?”
“I have.” Blackhawk nodded slowly. “He seems efficient but I’d say you have another overqualified deputy in your team. He’s ambitious. Have you considered he might go against you in the next election? I know that’s years away but by that time he’ll be well established in town.”
Jenna tossed the towel and ice into the sink and looked at him. “That’s way too far into the future for me to worry about and my head is filled with this case.” She indicated to the whiteboard. “We’ve gone from missing girl to murder victim in the last few hours. As soon as Rio gets back, he can handle the press because as soon as they get wind that I called off the search they’ll know we’ve found a body.”
“Do you know how she died?” Blackhawk turned his hat around in his hands and looked at her. “I didn’t see any blood spatter, nothing at all around her backpack. I did a good recon of the area.”
Having been with Blackhawk on a search in the forest many a time, she had seen his skills firsthand. A superb tracker, he was an asset and gave his time freely, refusing payment as if it was an insult. She valued his friendship on all levels, she’d trust him with her life. Jenna nodded. “We won’t know until the autopsy. This one is difficult, maybe strangulation with post-mortem wounds. The autopsy is at two, I’ll know more then.”
A brief knock came on her door and Kane walked inside with Duke at his heels and nodded at Blackhawk. “I’ve checked out Laurie’s laptop, it wasn’t password-protected. There’s nothing there at all unusual. The friends we’ve spoken to already make up the social media contacts. Her emails are very general. Even her search history is based on her assignments. No clues there at all. Not even a nasty comment.”
Jenna stood and added information to the whiteboard and then turned to Kane. “Atohi found her backpack. We’ll take it to Wolfe to examine.”
“Yeah, I read the file.” Kane went to the counter and poured himself a cup of coffee. “You sure you weren’t a cop in a past life?”
“Me?” Blackhawk chuckled. “Who really knows which way their spirit guide has led them? Although, I don’t like putting men in cages, so perhaps not.” He shrugged. “But if I saw a rabid dog, I’d take it down without a second thought.” He grinned at Kane. “Don’t look so concerned, Eagle Eye, I have no plans to start murdering people. It is not in my nature and I find digging holes too much of a chore.”
Jenna looked up as Rowley and Rio arrived at her office door. She waved them in. “What do you have for me?”
“Mrs. Law is in safe hands at Her Broken Wings. She lives out at Louan and they’ve arranged for her to go and collect her belongings while her husband is in custody.” Rio handed her a document. “She gave me a statement and will press charges for assault. The social workers at the shelter have everything under control, they’ve even arranged a pro bono lawyer to represent her if necessary.”
“Yeah, we took the charge sheet and evidence to date to the DA along with Mrs. Law’s statement and ours; we had enough to obtain an arrest warrant.” Rowley looked pleased with himself. “The DA wants statements from you and Kane and any witnesses willing to come forward to support his case. Law will be held in county waiting for a bail hearing. They are on their way to collect him.”
Glad she had such efficient deputies, Jenna smiled. “Good to know. We’ll get the statements before we leave for the autopsy and you can drop them into the DA’s office. I’m happy Mrs. Law and her baby are being cared for in Black Rock Falls. She’ll have a fresh start here.” She clasped her hands around her coffee cup. “We’re due to attend an autopsy at two. Rowley, I need you to start chasing down the witnesses in the Law case. The contact details are in the files. It would be easier if you could call them and ask them to come in to make a statement and then you’ll be here for the transfer of our prisoner.” She glanced at Rio. “Rio is attending the autopsy but he’ll be back to relieve you as soon as possible.”