“It comes down to practice.” Jenna shrugged. “Stripping it blind is something I can do, and I would say Rowley and Webber can as well.” She sipped her water. “Knowing your weapon is very important. I’m glad Kane took you to the practice range. He mentioned he wanted to see how you were progressing. Don’t be surprised if he invites you to the gym. Webber works out at one in town and Kane drops in there from time to time to put the others through their paces. I guess he’s been waiting for a report on your progress from Rowley.”
“I’ve never met a deputy like him before; he is more like a drill instructor.” Bradford chuckled.
“Who is like a drill instructor? Me?” Kane’s voice came from behind her.
“Yes, you.” Jenna turned and glared at him. “Dammit, Kane, do you have to creep up on people? We are at a murder scene, in case it slipped your mind.” She welcomed Duke’s return by patting the dog’s head and going about removing the burrs from his coat.
“I wasn’t creeping, ma’am.” Kane gave her a brilliant smile. “If I had been, I’d have said ‘Boo.’” He flashed Bradford a satisfied smile. “Oh, come on, Paula, a drill instructor? I’m not that bad, am I?”
“Well, I guess not.” Bradford’s cheeks pinked.
“I’m just a perfectionist and want to make sure you’re capable of handling any type of weapon.” Kane dropped his backpack and let out a long sigh, then his attention settled on Jenna. “Wolfe and Webber are right behind me, ma’am.” He dived into his backpack for his bottle of water.
Jenna pushed her water back into her backpack and stood. “I see them now.” She glanced at Bradford. “Go and help them with their gear.”
She turned to Kane. “How did it go?”
“We have the remains packed away and enough footage to make a movie. Webber found one undetermined bullet casing. Wolfe will be able to tell us more after he gets the victims back to the lab.”
13
After listening to Wolfe’s hurried report on Dawson Sanders’ remains, Jenna led him to the bones she had found and waited with interest for his comments. “I can’t find anything else in the vicinity; do you think these were buried?”
“Most likely carried here and consumed by animals.” With gentle care, Wolfe removed the bones then placed them in a bag. He gathered soil samples then glanced up at her. “Dawson Sanders was wearing a belt so we have to assume this belongs to Paige or the killer. It could be a vital clue. If these bones belong to Paige Allen, we know the killer tied her arms behind her back before death. There would be no other reason, and if that is her skull, the killer subjected her to a vicious attack before killing her.”
“Blackhawk figured the marks on the bones are of animal origin.” Jenna pushed on her hat and stared at the thin white bones. “He is with Rowley and they are searching in the direction of the skull’s location.”
“It will be difficult to find the complete skeleton of Paige Allen; animals could have spread parts all over.” Wolfe passed an evidence bag to Webber to label. “Unfortunately, cadaver dogs will be no use either; they search for the smell of rotting flesh.”
Jenna’s earpiece crackled and Rowley’s voice came through.
“We’ve found more bones.” He gave his position. “They look small. I figure we’ve found the missing parts of Paige Allen.”
“Roger that, we are on our way.” She scanned the pile of equipment and her deputies’ exhausted expressions. It had been a long day. She turned to Wolfe. “Head to the coordinates with Kane and Webber. We’ll follow behind with the rest of the gear.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I need to duck behind a bush before we go.” Bradford waved a hand absently toward the undergrowth.
“Sure.” Jenna turned, surprised to see Kane coming back down the trail. “Is something wrong?”
“Not really.” Kane’s eyes searched her face. “You look all in and I’m starving. I have two huge steaks in my refrigerator. Would you like me to cook for you tonight?” He smiled.
Jenna let out a contented sigh. “That would be wonderful. I’ll pick up some hotcakes from Aunt Betty’s on the way home. I could eat a horse.”
“Deal.” Kane picked up one of the bags, and with a whistle to his dog, he hurried off in Wolfe’s direction.
Jenna hoisted on her backpack then picked up one bag of equipment. “You okay, Bradford?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Bradford came out of the bushes, straightening her clothes, and then bent to pick up the other bag. “Do you ever get used to the murders?”
Jenna shook her head. “Not really.”
“I was hoping you’d say yes.” Bradford sighed.
Jenna could see Kane in the distance and quickened her pace, eager to discover more information on what had happened to Paige Allen and Dawson Sanders. Two young people enjoying a hike in the forest. She came up with a few different scenarios. The killer did not fit into the same classification a
s some of the others she had dealt with during her time in Black Rock Falls and they had no missing persons’ reports from any of the neighboring counties.