“Tell me when you first noticed Mr. Stone?”
“It was in the spring, over two years ago now. I noticed the green Land Rover first. It started travelling up the logging road quite regularly. I made it a point to be out at the mailbox the next time I thought it would be going by. He smiled and waved. Tall, man, big mane of gray hair.”
“Was anyone with him?”
“No. He stopped by one weekend and told me he had bought the property and was fixing it up for him and his fishing buddies. Didn’t recommend I visit as the property was swampy, he didn’t need to tell me that, I never go down there.”
“You mentioned no one was with him, none of his fishing buddies, anyone at all?”
“Oh yes, dearie. There were people alright, not fishing buddies, a female, very young, pretty, blonde.”
“Yes, first it was the blonde, next it was a dark haired young girl, must have been her cousin.”
“Did they come together?”
“No, first it was the blonde one. Then I didn’t see her anymore but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t there. I don’t hang at my window all day.”
“When was the last time you saw her?”
“Let’s see. It was in the winter time, two years or a bit more.”
“So did Mr. Stone keep coming regularly after that?”
“Oh yes, seen him going by with the dark haired skinny looking kid. It’s probably got nothing to do with his death but when I heard the police were looking for any information, I thought I should call.”
Kate thanked Mrs. Rogers for her cooperation and assured her the information she gave would help them with their investigation. She informed her that her statement would be typed out and a constable would bring it out to her for signature.
Standing on the front porch, Kate and Shirley saw the police van heading back to the city. They wasted no time getting to their car.
At the precinct, Kate, Shirley and Withers sat together in the multi-purpose room, eyes glued to the TV. The search of the cabin had turned up a tripod, camera, but no film. Darkness was descending and the techs were on the phone to arrange keig lights. Getting ready to leave with evidence bags containing articles of female clothing, hairbrush, make up and various toiletries, Withers came to a full stop in front of the fireplace. Placing the bag on the floor, he crouched down on the hearth and looked up the chimney. Four DVD’s were perched on a makeshift brick ledge three feet from the opening. The techs were still at the cabin pulling up floor boards. They were told to call the precinct if they found anything else of interest.
Eyes glued to the DVD, Kate asked if anyone recognized the girl. They all responded in the negative.
“She can’t be more than 15-16 years old. Obviously wasn’t coerced, she seems to be a willing participant.”
“Doesn’t make it any less of an offence, though, does it”, Shirley remarked.
“Damn right it doesn’t. We find the parents of this young girl and we may find the killer.”
Withers popped in the last DVD. A tall, skinny girl with freckles; she too was a very willing participant.
“Shirley, drop their pictures into our system and see what turns up.”
“Will do.”
“Do you think we’ve got a female killer, Kate”, Withers asked. “A mother out for revenge.”
I can think of two mothers of teenage daughters. Catherine, and Eleanor; I checked on Philip’s daughter, she has lived with her mother for the past five years in California. The other two should be come under scrunity but who knows, they could be kids of someone not even connected with the theatre. One thing I do know, we’re getting closer. Gordon was murdered because he was a pedophile.”
“I know someone who has a sister that age, Kate”, Shirley said. “When I interviewed Brenda, Stone’s protégé, she mentioned her.”
The phone rang and Withers picked up.
“The two taxi drivers who went to Catherine’s home are downstairs. I’ll handle it.”
Kate and Shirley went back to the office and together wrote up the report, e-mailed it to both the Chief and Gordon. Thirty minutes later, Withers dropped by to inform them about his interview. The driver to first arrive at the home picked up his fare at the entrance to the hospital. He said the passenger was wearing a long dark coat and a surgical mask covered the bottom half of the face. He said his passenger never spoke, just passed him a note with the address written on it. Thought it could have been a male or female. The driver who arrived at 4:30 gave a perfect description of Eleanor Sutton-Gray.
Kate looked at her watched. Time to go and eat, she was famished. She’d do Chinese takeout and call Roger from home.
Chapter 15
The stalker shivered in the cold wind but kept Hanya’s office window in view patiently waiting for the light to go out. A slick sheen of sweat sucked the thin plastic gloves tighter to the tense hands. A quick glance to back entrance way to make sure it was still clear. Yes, no traffic. Only three cars in the parking lot burnt out bulb in the overhead light at the entrance. The time was right.
A rustling sound from the woods by the left bank, something was moving. Resisting the urge to run, the dark figure slipped further back into the darkness. Where was Hanya? She should have been making her way across the lot to her car by now.
The sound was closer. This time twigs snapped underfoot then a small animal, moving too fast to identify, brushed against the stalker’s legs. Then the third sound, the one so patiently waited for, the sound of footsteps on asphalt. Watching the heavy woman making her way towards the parked cars, the stalker waited until
