Whisper in the Night

Book 6: Detectives Kane and Alton

by D.K. Hood

Genres: Police Procedurals; Female Sleuths; Thrillers; Crime Fiction; Suspense

Synopsis

She opens her eyes and struggles to make out the dark room around her. One thing she knows instantly – her wrists are bound and she’s tied to a chair, unable to move. As she screams for help, she hears footsteps outside. He’s coming…

Fifteen-year-old Lindy Rosen has been having nightmares for weeks, waking in a panic, screaming that there’s a man in her room watching her sleep. Her parents assumed it was her overactive imagination, but when one morning they find Lindy missing from her bedroom, they’re not so sure. Detective Jenna Alton is called in to investigate.

Within hours of the schoolgirl going missing, the kidnapper reaches out to Jenna with a video of Lindy bound and tied to a chair, crying to be set free. And a simple message – you’ve got 24 hours to find her or I kill her.

Jenna’s team work around the clock to try to find Lindy before the deadline, but time runs out, and Jenna receives a devastating message. The killer has made good on his promise. He’s playing a dangerous game. And no one knows what his next move will be.

But just two days later, one of Lindy’s school friends is taken in the middle of the night and the countdown begins again.

Release date: June 20, 2019

Publisher: Bookouture

Print pages: 334

Sample

Prologue

 

“Daddy, there’s a man in my room.” Fear closed Lindy Rosen’s throat and her voice came out in a croak.

The soft chuckling from the gloom sent shivers down her spine. The figure floated toward her, cloaked in shadows like the Grim Reaper. She dragged leaden legs from the bed and, tripping over blankets, staggered to the door. The sinister figure by her window terrified her. Grasping the doorknob with trembling fingers, she threw open the door and fell into the dark passage, forcing out a cry. “Daddy, help me!”

Heart pounding, she stumbled along the hallway and fumbled for the light switch. “Daddy! He’s really here this time, I heard him.” She waved frantically behind her. “He’s laughing at me.”

“Calm down, you’ll wake your sisters.” Josh Rosen slipped from her parents’ bedroom and blinked into the light. “It’s just a nightmare, Lindy. No one can get inside, they’d trigger the alarm.” He squeezed her shoulder and walked into her room, turning on the light. “Come and see. Look – no one is here and no one can stand outside your window, it’s too high up.” He gave the room a quick scan then yawned. “If this keeps up I’m going to get you counseling. It’s not normal to be having recurring dreams all the time.”

Horrified he’d refused to believe her, she gripped his arm. “He was there this time. I heard him.”

“I used to dream about snakes eating me alive when I was a kid, so I know it seems real enough.” Her father rubbed his eyes. “Get back into bed and I’ll get the light. I’ve an early start in the morning.”

With reluctance, Lindy climbed back into bed, peering all around, expecting someone to appear out of the wall like magic. She’d turn fifteen in two weeks and wanted her parents to treat her like an adult. Waking her father over the past five nights hadn’t made her the most popular person in the house. She sighed. “Okay, I’m sorry to disturb you again. Night.”

“Night. Think of something nice. It will help.” Her father closed the door behind him.

As the room fell into darkness, Lindy pulled the blankets up to her neck and screwed her eyes shut. She forced her mind to concentrate on planning her birthday party. Sleep came so close she could almost grasp it. The warm bed surrounded her and she burrowed into the soft pillows, drifting into sleep. It was just a stupid dream.

Rustling close by woke her and the hairs rose on the back of her neck at the sound of soft chuckling. Shaking with terror, she opened her eyes wide and peeped over the blankets at the window, where the shadow of the man usually lurked. The moon shone through the drapes, spilling across her rug and landing on her backpack overflowing with schoolbooks. The room was empty. She must have been dreaming again. With a long sigh, she closed her eyes.

A heavy weight landed on her, pinning her beneath the blankets. Air rushed from her lungs and she stared into a horrific ski mask, unable to move. She took a breath to scream but a smelly cloth clamped over her nose and mouth so hard it hurt her teeth. Arms trapped, she tried to buck but couldn’t get the weight of him off her. Her mouth filled with something horrid and the strange flavor coated her tongue, burning her lungs as she fought for one tiny breath of air.

The backs of her eyes hurt and the faceless man holding her down seemed to melt into ripples. The laughter had stopped but now the man hummed the lullaby ‘Rock-a-bye Baby’. Head throbbing in time to the pulse in her eyes, she gasped in more of the foul odor. Using her last ounce of strength, she tried to fight him but her heavy limbs refused to move and her head filled with cotton. The sensation of floating away crept over her, as if sleep was calling her. She forced open her eyes but the man was a fuzzy blur, then the room faded away to black. Daddy, help me.

 

 

Chapter One

It was a few minutes before lunch, when Sheriff Jenna Alton slid from her cruiser and looked up into a cloudless blue sky. From her position, she could see the vast pine forest, fresh from the recent melt, spreading out in endless miles of various shades of green, and higher still a magnificent eagle circled high above the black mountain peaks. She inhaled the crisp clean air and smiled. Life was good in Black Rock Falls as sheriff and she didn’t regret leaving her old life as DEA Agent Avril Parker way behind. Her past life had become an unpleasant memory and her new identity close to ideal.

A big black unmarked SUV slid into the space beside her and she glanced at her second-in-command, Deputy David Kane, an off-the-grid Special Forces agent and profiler, like her living a new life under a different name. The powers that be had placed them and Kane’s controller, ME Shane Wolfe, together in the same backwoods town to watch each other’s backs. Jenna leaned against her vehicle, surrounded by the picturesque town she had grown to love, and smiled. “It’s been so wonderfully quiet since Christmas it makes me happy to be here.”

“Shh.” Kane grinned at her over the hood of his vehicle. “You’re tempting fate.” He shut his door, and then headed up the steps to the sheriff’s department.

With reluctance, Jenna pushed away from her cruiser and followed him inside. She gave the receptionist, Magnolia (Maggie) Brewster, a smile and taken two steps toward her office door when Maggie held up a hand to stop her, then continued speaking into the phone. She leaned on the counter. “Is something wrong, Maggie?”

“I’ll put you straight through to the sheriff, Mr. Rosen.” Maggie covered the mouthpiece and her worried brown eyes moved to Jenna. “Mr. Rosen’s daughter’s gone missing.”

“Okay, I’ll take the call in my office.” Jenna waved at Kane to get his attention, and then pointed to her door. “Grab Rowley.”

Jenna had hired Jake Rowley as a rookie when she first arrived in Black Rock Falls. In the last couple of years, he had proven to be skilled and trustworthy. Not having a family herself, she valued the close-knit relationship she enjoyed with him, Kane, and Wolfe and his three daughters.

Seated behind her desk, she took a deep breath, opened her notebook and found a pen that worked before lifting the receiver and placing the phone on speaker. “Mr. Rosen, this is Sheriff Alton.”

“My daughter Lindy wasn’t in her room this morning and the front door was wide open. We’ve searched everywhere and can’t find her.”

“What time was this?”

“Seven.” He gave a distraught sob. “It’s my fault; she said someone was in her room last night. I didn’t believe her. I figure someone kidnapped her.”

Jenna took down notes. “How old is your daughter?”

“Fourteen.”

A too-familiar rush of dread hit Jenna. She took a breath and forced herself to concentrate. There was nothing worse than hearing a child had gone missing. “What time did she wake you and did you go check her room?”

“Of course I did. She’s been having the same dream for a week but there’s never anyone there. It was late, around midnight, I guess, I’m not sure.”

“Have you checked to make sure she isn’t at a friend’s house?” Jenna exchanged a glance with Kane. “Did she have any reason to want to run away?”

“No, she has no reason to run away. Look, Sheriff, someone’s taken her. We’ve called everyone and searched the ranch and she isn’t here or with any of her friends. I’m certain someone has abducted her. Lindy wouldn’t leave home without her cellphone. It’s never out of her hand. Her bed is a mess and the blankets are in a trail to the door, like someone dragged her out of bed. She’s only wearing her PJs and all her clothes are here. It was freezing last night and we’re miles from her friends.” He took a breath. “You have to listen to me. We can’t wait and see if she turns up, you have to do something now.”

The man was frantic and speaking fast to get his point across. Jenna frowned. “Okay, we’ll start a search immediately. Give me your contact information and a description of Lindy so I can get the ball rolling. What was she wearing?”

“Bright pink PJs with white bunnies on them.”

She made notes. “If you could email me a recent photograph of her, I’ll organize an AMBER Alert and search and rescue immediately. Don’t touch anything in her room. We’ll be right there to see if there’s any evidence of a break-in.” She gave him the sheriff’s department email address and her cellphone number.

“I’ll send her photograph right away.”

She disconnected and turned her attention to Rowley. “I’m leaving you in charge while I go with Kane to the Rosens’ residence. Take down what I need you to do.”

“Fire away, ma’am.” Rowley had his notebook open and pen raised.

Nerves rattled with the urgency required for a missing child, Jenna took a deep breath. If someone had abducted Lindy from her home as her father thought, then every second she delayed in searching was crucial. “Right now this is a missing girl, who’s likely a victim of a crime. Set up an AMBER Alert and a BOLO, then send out a media release. Contact search and rescue – they’ll be able to cover more ground. Register Lindy Rosen on the National Crime Information Center’s Missing Persons File. As soon as this story hits the media, you’ll have a flood of volunteers; call in Webber to assist you in organizing a ground search of a two-mile radius of her home. See if you can get a couple of forest wardens to assist.” She waited for him to stop writing. “Any questions?”

“Nope.” Rowley stood and hurried from the room.

Sorting priorities in her mind, Jenna picked up the phone. “Maggie, call the Blackwater and Louan sheriff’s departments and inform them we need assistance on a missing child case – we’ll need roadblocks set up north and south of the highway. Rowley has all the details.”

A missing child needed all the resources she could muster. She ran a hand through her hair, going down a mental list of things she needed to do. The first twenty-four hours were crucial. She called Wolfe to explain. “If it’s a kidnapping as Mr. Rosen suggests, we’ll need a phone tap or at least a phone to record calls and someone to stay with the parents. I’ll need Webber and I’ll pull in some deputies from Blackwater.”

“I’ll supply everything you need for the phone tap. Send me the coordinates and I’ll meet you at the Rosens’ to do a forensic sweep.” She could hear Wolfe throwing things into a bag. “Make sure the parents don’t touch anything.”

“Already done.” Jenna chewed on her bottom lip. “I’ll call in Walters to handle the phone tap.” Her semi-retired kindly deputy would be a good choice to remain with the family and monitor the calls. He’d also keep a record of everyone moving in and out of the house. “We’re leaving now.” She disconnected and frowned at Kane. “Remind me never to tempt fate again.”

On the drive to the Rosens’ ranch, Jenna received an update from Rowley. In the short time since they’d left the sheriff’s department, the local media’s broadcast of the missing girl had volunteers flocking into town to help search.

They took the sweeping driveway to the Rosens’ ranch-style house and Jenna scrutinized the surroundings. The house was part of Glacial Heights, a new spacious residential area on the outskirts of town opposite Stanton Forest. The houses, surrounded by landscaped gardens of over ten acres or more, were set far apart. The new development on this side of town was popular with the influx of people moving to Black Rock Falls. Mayor Petersham had cashed in on the flood of tourists following the town’s serial killer notoriety and announced contracts in his last budget for a ski resort, a whitewater rapids retreat, mountain bike adventures and a stack of new residential building projects.

Jenna glanced at Kane. “It’s hard to believe the upmarket side of town has spread this far north in such a short time.” She shook her head. “I wonder if the Rosens have security.”

“I can’t see any signs of a CCTV set-up on the perimeter and the gate is open.” Kane slowed his vehicle and scanned the area. “Not that surveillance would help. The expanse of trees surrounding the house would conceal an intruder moving in and out of the property.”

Jenna peered ahead. “The tire tracks overlap in the driveway as well. They must’ve had quite a few visitors recently. They’ll all make our list of suspects.”

“If the front door was open and the alarm deactivated, I’d say Lindy knew her kidnapper.” Kane pulled the truck to a halt and slid from the vehicle, then opened the back door and unclipped his bloodhound, Duke, from his harness. “Duke might be able to track her.”

Jenna bent to pat Duke on the head. “I’m sure he will.”

She glanced down the long driveway as a white van turned through the gate. “Ah good, Wolfe is here. I figured another set of eyes would help and Rowley told me he’s bringing Atohi Blackhawk with him as well.”

Jenna had known Atohi Blackhawk for some time. The Native American often came down from the res to work for Wolfe as a tracker and his knowledge of the local area was outstanding.

“How did he drag him down from the res so fast?” Kane slowed and parked on a gravel area close to the house.

“Sheer luck. Atohi pulled up as Wolfe was heading to his van. He’d heard about Lindy on his car radio and offered to help.” Jenna slid from the passenger seat. She had only just reached the steps when a man rushed out the door. She took in the man’s haggard appearance. “Mr. Rosen?” When the man nodded, she squeezed his arm. “We’re here to help find Lindy. May we speak inside?”

“Have you got any news?” Rosen turned his grief-stricken expression to the vehicles in his driveway.

Jenna moved up the steps, keeping a comforting hand on Rosen’s arm. “Not yet but we’re here to help. This is Deputy Kane and our medical examiner, Shane Wolfe. Atohi Blackhawk has offered to take a look around too and see if he can pick up a trail where Lindy might have gone.”

“Medical examiner?” Mr. Rosen’s Adam’s apple moved up and down as he swallowed. “Do you think my Lindy is dead?”

“There’s no evidence to make me believe so.” Wolfe stepped forward and offered his hand. “I’m here to hunt down forensic clues to help us find Lindy, Mr. Rosen. We’ll work together as a first response team.”

Jenna guided Mr. Rosen through the door. “We’re doing everything possible to find your daughter, Mr. Rosen. The search and rescue team are out scouring the area and we’ve alerted the media; if there’s a sighting of Lindy, we’ll know. The townsfolk in Black Rock Falls are very cooperative and have already formed a search party. I’ve a very capable deputy running a command post from my office.” She straightened. “Is there any place we can talk while my deputies take a look at Lindy’s room?”

“Yes, yes of course.” Rosen led the way inside the house. “My wife and daughters are in the kitchen.” He turned to look at Kane and Wolfe. “Her room is upstairs, first door on the right.”

Jenna kept her voice calm and followed Rosen down a hallway. “How many daughters do you have?”

“Three: Lindy, April and June.” Rosen shrugged. “I wanted to call Lindy Julia, as in July, but my wife objected. She was bullied at school by a Julia.”

The smell of fresh coffee wafted out the kitchen, tainted by the odor of burned toast. Three people sat at the table, all had wet cheeks and red eyes from crying. The two little girls appeared lost and confused and Mrs. Rosen stared into space as if in shock. “Would you like me to call a doctor?”

“No, we’ll be fine.” Rosen squeezed his wife’s shoulder and Mrs. Rosen seemed to snap to attention.

Jenna sat down at the kitchen table and introduced herself, then spoke to them as a group. “Mrs. Rosen, your husband mentioned Lindy was having nightmares. Can you explain when this started?”

“About a week ago.” Mrs. Rosen dabbed at her eyes with tissues. “Is this relevant?”

With her mind filled with the implications of what could be happening to Lindy, Jenna forced her demeanor to remain calm and in control. She took out her pen and notebook. Often people became less hysterical if they believed she was taking note of every word they uttered. “Yes, especially as she told you someone was in her room a number of times before she vanished.”

“It was the same dream every time.” Mrs. Rosen peered at her through red-rimmed eyes. “She woke my husband insisting she saw a man in her room. First she said the man was looking through her window, and then hiding in the shadows.”

“Of course, I searched the room and looked under her bed the first four times.” Mr. Rosen scrubbed his face as if trying to erase the memory. “The window is ten feet from the ground and there is no access, unless the man has wings. Last night, I didn’t look under the bed. I turned on the light, glanced around, then went back to bed.” He rubbed his eyes. “We have an alarm system. No one could have gotten inside.”

“The lights outside come on and we have CCTV cameras for the immediate area if the alarm is activated.” Mrs. Rosen lifted her tear-streaked face. “Wherever she is, she knows the person who took her. She must have deactivated the alarm before she left the house and she would never do that for a stranger.” She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. “I’ve called everyone we know, and she’s vanished.”

Jenna took down notes. It would be unusual for a girl to run out into the night in her PJs and without footwear in spring. “Does she have a boyfriend with a vehicle?”

“She knows a number of boys from school with cars but nobody special as far as we’re aware.” Mrs. Rosen sniffed. “I asked her friends but unless they’re keeping secrets, she has no one special.”

“Okay, I’ll need a list of her close friends and their details.” Jenna pushed her notebook toward her and kept a reassuring tone. “They might talk to me.”

Jenna turned in her seat as Kane entered the kitchen. “Do you have anything for me?”

“There is a sign of a struggle. The blankets on the bed are disturbed, as if kicked off then dragged toward the door. This isn’t something that would normally occur so we have to assume someone was inside the home and dragged Lindy outside.” He looked at the Rosens. “Did you hear anything at all last night?”

“No, not a thing, we went right back to sleep.” Mrs. Rosen sobbed into her hands. “Oh, Lord, I’d hoped she’d wandered off in her sleep but now I’m sure someone has kidnapped her.”

Worry gripped Jenna’s gut as she looked up at Kane. “It sure looks like an abduction.”

“I’ve given Blackhawk an article of Lindy’s clothing and he’s taking Duke to see if he picks up a trail.” Kane’s attention moved to the parents. “When was Lindy last outside?”

“The girls haven’t played outside for some time, it’s been too cold.” Mrs. Rosen wiped her eyes. “I take them to play basketball in town after school, so they get plenty of exercise.”

“That’s good – it will make her easy to track.” Kane straightened. “We’ll need your daughter’s diary, in case she mentions anyone in particular, her laptop and cellphone. Wolfe found a few hairs on her bed but there’s no sign of anyone gaining entry to her room via the window. The front door locks are intact with no sign of tampering, no footprints outside the house in the garden beds below her window.” He rubbed his chin. “If I hadn’t seen the bed, I’d figure Lindy opened the front door and left willingly.”

Jenna nodded. “I’ll follow up with her friends. We might get some valuable info.”

“She wouldn’t run into the dark in her PJs and she wouldn’t leave home without her cellphone, even if she knew the person.” Rosen slammed his fist onto the table, making the empty cups rattle. He glared at Jenna. “Think about it, Sheriff! She had nightmares of a man in her room. Do you honestly believe a terrified girl would run out the house in the middle of the night or open the door to let him in?” He glared at her. “No way. She’d never do such a thing.”

“No, I don’t. As it happens, I agree with Kane but I’m following procedure, Mr. Rosen. I’ll call her friends. I understand how upsetting this is for you, but you can rest assured we’re doing everything possible to find Lindy.” Jenna sighed and looked at Lindy’s distraught parents. “We’ll be setting up a recording device in case anyone calls with a ransom demand.” She patted Mrs. Rosen on the hand. “I’m leaving Duke Walters here with you; he knows what to do if anyone calls. Plain-clothes deputies will be dropping by to relieve him. They’ll introduce themselves as ‘doctor’ – it’s a code word for police in these matters. We don’t want to alert a kidnapper we’re here. I don’t want you to make contact with the perpetrator if anyone calls – leave everything to the deputies. Please make sure the landline is free so we can monitor all incoming calls and just use your cellphone. It’s unlikely her abductor will have your cellphone number.”

She noticed Wolfe standing in the doorway.

“I’ll need samples of Mr. and Mrs. Rosen’s DNA to match against the samples from Lindy’s room, and fingerprints of the family. Was anyone else in Lindy’s room over the last couple of weeks?” Wolfe placed his bag on the table and pulled out two DNA kits, then his compassionate gray eyes fixed on the couple.

“Yes, the handyman, Sean Packer, he’s here today. We’ve had the man from the security company, Charlie Anderson, come by as well.” Mr. Rosen’s hand shook as he pushed it through his hair. “Did you find anything?”

“We found no signs of a break-in but the bed shows signs of a struggle. We have to assume someone abducted her but how they entered the house is a mystery.” Wolfe looked at the Rosens. “Could Lindy have invited someone up to her room last night?”

“And leave the front door wide open?” Mrs. Rosen looked incredulous. “No way. Lindy always asks if she wants one of her friends to sleep over, and they wouldn’t arrive in the middle of the night.”

“Sure. I don’t mean to upset you, Mrs. Rosen, but we need to ask these questions.” Wolfe passed Mrs. Rosen his notebook. “Could you please give me a list of cleaning products you may have used in her room over the last few days? I’ve taken her bedlinen to do more tests in the lab.”

“Cleaning products?” Mrs. Rosen’s expression blanked. “In the laundry, you mean?”

“Anything you may have used in her room or in the laundry.” Wolfe handed her his notebook then pulled on fresh latex gloves before opening the DNA kit. “Mr. Rosen, I’ll need to swab the inside of your mouth.”

After Wolfe had collected the samples and scanned the family’s fingerprints, Jenna looked at the strained expressions on the couple’s faces. “Wolfe’s very thorough. If someone was in Lindy’s room, he’ll find evidence.”

“Have you had any other recent visitors we need to eliminate?” Wolfe glanced at the list Mrs. Rosen had handed him. “Any other tradespeople, family or friends?”

“A few since we came here. I’ll give you a list. We employed a painter and a pest control service.” Mr. Rosen stared into space for some moments. “We use a gardening service. The Green Thumb Landscaping Service. They send three or four men each week.”

Jenna indicated to her notebook. “If you could give me the details, we’ll pay them a visit this morning.”

“I noticed the handyman waiting in the hallway. I’ll go get a DNA sample and his prints.” Wolfe picked up his bag and hustled out the kitchen.

“Do you have a monitoring company for your security system?” Kane shuffled his feet. “I noticed you have floodlights, and you mentioned the CCTV is connected to the security system. Do you have a backup copy of the CCTV footage?”

“Not here, no, but we’re hooked in to Silent Alarms. Its office is out of Black Rock Falls. If the alarm is tripped they call to make sure we’re okay and the cameras come on automatically.” Mr. Rosen’s expression was bleak. “No one triggered the alarm or they would’ve called me. They’re very reliable. The girls have set it off a few times and the response was immediate. I already called them to check the CCTV footage from last night and there’s nothing. They’re sending someone out to make sure nobody tampered with the system.”

“Are you sure you set the alarm last night?” Kane shrugged. “It’s an easy thing to forget.”

“I was standing right next to him when he set the alarm.” Mrs. Rosen lifted her chin. “It was before I set the table for dinner around six.”

Jenna looked at the young girls, maybe five and eight years old, and exchanged a look with Kane. The girls had remained silent as if in shock. “Do your daughters know the code to disarm the alarm?”

“No, only Lindy.” Mr. Rosen balled his fists. “All these questions. Shouldn’t you be out searching for my daughter?”

Jenna cleared her throat. “I know you’re upset, Mr. Rosen, but from the moment you called me we’ve had people out searching. With everyone out searching the streets, someone has to look in the obvious places, and to do that we need as much information as possible.” She waited for Rosen to write the list, and then stood. “Use your cellphone to call your friends in case she shows up. I’ll leave now and go speak to the people on this list. We’ll never give up. You have my word. I’ll call you the moment we hear anything.”

As Jenna reached Kane’s truck, she noticed Blackhawk moving purposely toward her from the trees with Duke at his heels. She looked at him expectantly. “Please tell me you found something.”

“Duke picked up her scent from the family’s vehicle and back to the porch.” Blackhawk frowned. “I figure she was carried from the house.”

“There’s no forced entry, so how did he deactivate the alarm and sensors?” Kane stared down at Duke. “It doesn’t make sense; someone opened the door from the inside.” He took the evidence bag carrying a pair of socks taken from Lindy’s laundry basket from Blackhawk.