Silent Scream (44 page)

“The condo was supposed to have been, too,” David said.

Barlow shrugged. “I know. I thought of that already. I’ve called for a cadaver dog and they’re supposed to be here soon. Then
we’ll start searching for remains.”

It was a grim prospect, but part of the job. “They didn’t
leave a glass ball. Are we talking the same arsonists?” David asked and Barlow’s eyes narrowed.

“House belonged to Barney Tomlinson’s mistress. What do you think?”

The words hung in the air for a moment. Then Casey met David’s eyes, his kind. “Why don’t you take off? Go see Zell and Detective
Sutherland. You’re back on in a few hours and you won’t be able to then.”

David thought of Olivia, grieving alone. She shouldn’t be alone. “Thanks. I’ll need to catch a ride back to the firehouse.”

“I’ll ask one of the cops to drive you back,” Barlow said.

Wednesday, September 22, 2:30 a.m.

Olivia and Noah found Micki at the crime scene, staring at the flattened grass that was stained with blood. Kane’s hat was
still on the ground. It looked… lonely. And small. Nothing like the man who’d worn it.

Carry this picture in your mind
, Olivia told herself sternly.
This is the monster you’re chasing. This is what he took from you. From Jennie.

Beside her, Noah let out a breath. “Goddammit.”

Micki looked up, startled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you coming.”

“Did you find the bullet?” Olivia asked harshly.

“Yes. Hollow-point. I had it sent to ballistics. They’ll have results by morning meeting, but I’m betting it’ll match Weems
and Tomlinson.”

“Did he leave anything behind?” she asked. “Did the cameras catch him?”

Micki’s lips twisted bitterly. “He was dressed like
a cop. Kane must have knocked off the bastard’s hat.” She pointed to it, flattened in the dirt on the shoulder. “The shooter
ran over it with his tires when he was escaping. Then the ambulance ran over it again, but it’s folded over, so hopefully
anything he left behind will be trapped inside.”

A hat
, Olivia thought. Kane would see the irony in that.

“And the security cameras?” Noah asked.

“We got basic height and weight of the shooter. Angle was wrong for the license plates on the van. We can get a very basic
make on the van, but that’s it.”

Olivia pointed to Kane’s hat. “Can I take it?”

Micki shook her head. “Not yet. I’m sorry, Liv.”

Olivia’s nod was crisp even though her heart cracked. Micki was doing her job and she was damn good at it.
It’s just that it’s on the ground. It shouldn’t be on the ground
. She cleared her throat and when she spoke, her voice was even and strong.

“It’s okay. I just want to make sure Jennie gets it. I’m going to find Kenny Lathem now. Call me if you get anything.”

Micki just nodded, her lips pursed to keep from breaking down. Olivia turned on her heel and made her feet move, Noah at her
side.

Oaks was waiting for them in his office. A woman sat in the chair next to his desk. He signed, then pointed at the woman who
looked to be in her early twenties.

“He said he thought you’d come back, so he waited,” she said. “I’m Danni Oaks. Principal Oaks is my dad. He asked me to come
and interpret for him tonight.”

“Thank you,” Olivia said. She turned to Oaks. “Were any children hurt tonight?”

“No,” he signed. “Kenny is quite upset, as you might expect. We’ve called his parents to come get him.”

“We need to talk to him first,” Olivia said flatly.

Oaks hesitated. “Detective,” he signed, “I cooperated with you yesterday.”

“And we appreciate it,” Olivia interrupted the soft voice of Danni Oaks, not bothering to hide her impatience in her face
or her tone. “But my partner is dead, Mr. Oaks.” She watched him flinch. “And Val, the interpreter from yesterday? She’s missing.
Somebody wants Kenny real bad. I want to know who and why. And I want to know now.”

“His parents should be here,” Oaks signed tiredly, Danni voicing.

“Kenny could be in danger, Mr. Oaks,” Olivia said. “He knows something that somebody doesn’t want told. I don’t want to have
to explain to his parents why somebody murdered him, too.”

Oaks’s shoulders sagged. “I’ll have him brought in.”

Wednesday, September 22, 2:55 a.m.

K
enny shuffled in next to a man Oaks introduced as Roger Court. Roger was the dorm staff who had spoken with Kane’s killer.

When they were all seated, Olivia began. “Kenny, I know you’re scared, but you have to talk to me.”

Kenny closed his eyes. “I want to go back to my room,” he signed, his face stony.

Danni Oaks voiced it with a note of apology, sentiment Olivia knew was Danni’s and not Kenny’s. Olivia tapped the table, but
Kenny’s eyes remained stubbornly closed.

Olivia tapped harder, then banged her fist so hard the table jumped and shuddered. Still Kenny’s eyes remained closed. Fury
bubbled up, rattling her control and suddenly Olivia saw Kane again, lying on the ground. His blood soaking the ground. Dead.
Because this little shit wouldn’t talk. Goddammit, boy, you’ll talk to me
.

She grabbed the back of Kenny’s chair, yanking it from the table and around so that he had nothing to lean on. His eyes flew
open, went cold, closed again. “Fine,” she said. “We’ll see how stubborn he’ll be in the general population at the jail.”

“You can’t,” Oaks signed. Danni’s voice trembled as she spoke for her father.

“Watch me,” Olivia snapped back. “Just watch me.”

“He’s a kid,” Roger said aloud, signing at the same time. He was hearing impaired, but she could understand him. “He didn’t
do anything wrong.”

“I don’t know that. So I’m going to assume the very worst.” Olivia yanked her handcuffs from her belt and snapped one on Kenny’s
wrist.

Kenny’s eyes flew open, stubbornness flashing to panic. “No!” he cried aloud.

Olivia cuffed his hands behind him, then pushed him back in the chair. She had his full attention now. She turned to Danni
Oaks, her temper close to breaking.

“Tell him he will talk to me or I will arrest him for hindering an investigation. Tell him my partner died to save his sorry
ass and if he doesn’t start talking in the next ten seconds every cop downtown will know why he’s there. Tell him I am sick
and tired of his games and I want answers and I want them now.”

Danni signed rapidly, then Oaks stepped in front of Kenny and began to sign.

“What’s he saying?” Olivia asked when Danni didn’t immediately voice.

“To please cooperate. That his own life could be in danger.”

Kenny shot Olivia a look of impotent rage. “Let me go,” he voiced thickly.

“Not until he talks,” Olivia said and Danni signed it, giving Olivia a fearful look.

“How?” Kenny roared.

“He can’t talk if you’ve cuffed his hands,” Danni said quietly. “Please let him go.”

“You’ll cooperate?” Olivia asked him. Danni signed it and Kenny nodded furiously.

Olivia looked at Noah. “Well?” she asked. “Should I let him go?”

“He can’t sign without his hands, Liv,” Noah said mildly. “Let him go.” Olivia noticed Danni’s expression softened when she
interpreted for Noah. Kenny’s did, too.

Olivia unlocked the cuffs. “So talk to me, Kenny. First, what did this guy look like?”

Kenny rubbed his wrists resentfully. He deliberately turned halfway in his chair so that he answered Noah.
Good cop, bad cop
, Olivia thought, satisfied.

“Average,” he signed. “My height, about my weight, average face. He wore a hat.”

Olivia looked at Roger. “Anything you can add?”

Roger shrugged helplessly. “He had a badge, a white shirt. He looked like a cop.”

Olivia nodded. “I know. You told someone when he took Kenny away?”

“Yes. It wasn’t right. He’d taken Kenny away from the cops, not to them. I couldn’t leave my kids alone. I was trying to get
the attention of one of the officers when the detective arrived with a piece of paper with Kenny’s name. I pointed around
the building. He went running after them and then another cop followed him.”

Roger touched his hearing aid with a tiny wince. “I heard the shot and the second cop came back with Kenny. It didn’t take
long for the story to spread, that the detective was dead.” His eyes were stark. “I’m sorry. I know he was your partner. I
wish…”

The look she gave Roger was gentle, but inside she was screaming. “I know, but your quick thinking helped Detective Kane save
Kenny’s life.” She turned her gaze
to Kenny sharply. “My partner died protecting you. What. Do. You. Know?”

Kenny sagged. “My friend saw something,” he signed, slowly. “Sunday night.”

Olivia tapped Kenny’s knee. “Tell me,” she said softly.

“He was at the condo fire. He came back”—Kenny glanced at Oaks from the corner of his eye—“through the window.” Oaks firmed
his lips but said nothing.

“He was with Tracey Mullen,” Olivia said. “The girl who died.”

Kenny nodded. “He met her at camp. We were both there.”

“What’s your friend’s name, son?” Noah asked, his face kind.

“Austin Dent.”

Oaks frowned. “Austin was suspended Monday morning. He was smoking in his dorm room. Now that makes sense. We sent him home.”

“Where is Austin’s home?” Olivia asked.

“Duluth.” Oaks fingerspelled it. “I’ll look up his address.”

Noah wrote it down. “At least our shooter doesn’t know where Austin lives.”

Kenny looked sick, his hands trembling as he signed. “The man… He got my cell phone. He has my texts. My phone list. He has
Austin’s address.”

Noah was already on his feet. “I’ll call the state police. They can pick Austin up. If the guy drove directly there from here,
he’s still two hours away.”

When Noah was gone, Olivia settled in her chair. “What did Austin tell you?”

“Sunday night, he was so upset. I didn’t know why. I didn’t know what he’d done.” Now that he’d started, Kenny’s
signs were frantic, but Danni kept up. “He smelled like smoke.” Again he glanced at Oaks from the corner of his eye. “I asked
if what he’d done was worse than getting caught smoking and he said yes. So I gave him my cigarettes. We figured Roger would
smell the smoke, but he’d think it was from the cigarettes.”

“So Austin got suspended,” Olivia said. “And he never told you anything more?”

Kenny looked away. “He texted me yesterday morning. Said he needed to tell the cops what happened, but anonymously. He asked
me to send a letter for him. From a mailbox downtown. That way you wouldn’t know it was him.”

They were just scared kids. But if they’d said something, Kane might… She had to take a moment, let the tightness in her chest
pass. “What did the letter say?”

“That he saw a man shoot that security guard. Then the man got in a boat that he’d tied to the dock and got away. That Austin
was in the building when it started burning. He was with a girl. He thought she’d gotten out with him, but she didn’t. He
couldn’t get back in. The door locked and he’d lost his key inside. He didn’t think you’d believe him.”

“All right,” Olivia murmured. “Kenny, I need to understand. Why, in God’s name, didn’t you tell us this when we asked you
yesterday?”

Kenny looked away again and Olivia caught the clenching of his jaw. “Because of Tracey,” he signed. “She was supposed to be
mine. Austin knew.”

Olivia closed her eyes, needing a moment to control the sudden rush of fury. “You didn’t tell us because you were mad at your
friend for meeting the girl you liked in
the condo?” She spoke very slowly. Kenny shot her an uneasy look as Danni interpreted.

“You said they had sex,” Kenny signed, his face anguished. “She was mine. Not Austin’s. I didn’t know she even liked him.
She pretended to like me. They must have thought I was pretty funny. Then Austin, wanting me to risk myself, mailing his damn
letter. I figured, no.”

“So you never mailed the letter?” Olivia asked, still very slowly.

Kenny shook his head. “Am I in trouble?”

Am I in trouble?
Kane was dead and all this kid cared about was his own skin.
Self-centered, worthless, piece of—
She made herself stop.
He’s a teenager. He was angry and scared. He didn’t know this would happen. You can’t blame him.
But she did.

“I don’t know.” She looked away, ran a shaking hand over her hair.

Noah sat beside her. “Breathe,” he murmured. He’d heard it all. He understood. “Kenny, what did Austin say the killer looked
like?”

“Tall, with brown hair.”

“Old? Young?” Noah pushed gently.

“Not too old, like not as old as our parents. But older than us.” Kenny shook his head. “It wasn’t very specific. I promise
I’m not lying.”

Noah drew a breath, let it out carefully. “Did he sound like he could be the man who grabbed you tonight?”

Kenny’s shrug was pained. “I don’t know. I was too scared to look at him.”

“I saw him,” Roger inserted. “He was maybe six feet tall, not really muscular, but not fat. He had a large nose.”

“We’ll have the two of you sit with a police artist,”
Noah said. “Kenny, do you know how Austin knew about the condo? How he got the key?”

“He had a summer job with a carpenter on the condo. That’s how he paid for camp.”

“Do you know the carpenter’s name?” Noah asked but Kenny shook his head.

Olivia frowned as a thought occurred to her. “Does Austin have dark hair?”

“It’s brown,” Kenny signed, “but he dyes it red.”

“Why?” she asked.

“His dad left them,” he signed. “Austin looks exactly like him and he knew it hurt his mom to look at him. So he changed his
hair. It’s been red since he was twelve.”

Olivia drew a breath. That emotion she understood. Her own mother had hated Olivia’s face because she looked like the man
who’d abandoned them. “All right. We’re going to leave a police officer outside the boys’ dorm until we’re sure it’s safe.”

Oaks nodded, relieved. “Thank you.”

When she and Noah reached her car, Olivia closed her eyes, drained. “Hell. I can’t believe that kid. Kane’s dead because Kenny
had a crush on a girl.”