Chapter 47
Forty-Seven
Arms pumping, Jenna crashed through the underbrush.
Ahead in the clearing a man dragged Beth from a truck, and she fell to the ground like a rag doll.
When the man swung at her head with the pistol, she swiveled, kicking the gun from his hand.
Seconds later, he attacked her with his fists, but she fought back, twisting and turning to avoid the blows.
Jenna ran faster and in the distance could see Styles emerging from the forest. Kane would be on her right and coming in hot.
He’d have his weapon drawn and be taking aim.
Jenna took in the situation and gasped as the man pulled out a hunting knife.
Throwing caution to the wind, she charged at the fighting couple, throwing herself at the man’s legs in a shoulder charge.
As he fell, he swung at Beth and the massive backhand sent her sprawling into the bushes.
The blade of the knife swished past Jenna’s cheek as they tumbled to the ground.
She rolled and kicked in a deadly dance as the knife came down so close it sliced through her jacket.
As he slashed at her, the blade got closer.
He roared above her and she glanced up to see the man’s arm rise into the air, his face twisted in a grotesque triumphant expression.
There was no escape, she tried to roll away and brought up both arms in defense.
In that instant a shot rang out, the sound echoing through the forest. The man screamed and fell flat on his back, clutching what was left of his right hand.
She choked back a cry as Kane walked out of the forest holstering his weapon.
She’d never been more pleased to see him.
Behind him, Styles thundered past and fell on his knees beside Beth.
In the distance, sirens blasted as Jenna took Kane’s outstretched hand and he pulled her to her feet.
“You okay?” Kane’s gaze moved over her. “That was gutsy.”
Nodding, Jenna noticed Kane had slipped into combat mode. Shaken to the core, she looked up at him. “Thank God I had you for backup.” She squeezed his arm. “That guy is dangerous.”
“So I see.” Kane ran a finger down the split in her jacket. “The liquid Kevlar vest can only do so much, Jenna. If he’d cut your face—"
Shaking her head, she indicated toward Beth. “He would have killed her.”
“I’d have taken him down before that and so would Styles.” Kane stared into her eyes. “You distracted him enough for me to wound him. I’m proud of you.”
Jenna smiled. “I’m glad you never miss.” She indicated toward the screaming man. “He’s not going anywhere. I need to check on Beth.” She went to her side and gasped at the mass of bruising on her face.
“Thanks, Jenna.” Beth blinked through swollen eyes. “You risked your life for me. I’ll never forget that.”
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Jenna nodded. “Just doing my job.”
She walked toward the man cursing them, and Jenna stared at him.
In the struggle, his face had been so contorted with rage she hadn’t recognized him.
Could this be the same easygoing cowboy she’d interviewed in the hay yard?
“Tex Williams?” His laid-back attitude had been one of the reasons he’d remained a suspect.
“I need medical attention.” Williams rocked back and forth, his bleeding hand clutched to his chest, staining his plaid shirt.
He looked at Kane and his eyes narrowed.
“Why did you shoot me? I had two crazy women attacking me. I had a right to defend myself. That’s the law in Montana, don’t you know? “
“Good luck with that.” Kane bent and patted him down but didn’t cuff him. “Don’t try and run or I’ll cuff you. I figure that might hurt some.”
“You’re gonna pay big time for this.” Williams glared at him.
“I’m sure the trail cam footage with tell another story.” Styles walked toward him, one hand firmly on Beth’s elbow. “We have Cutter and he’s singing like a bird.”
“Yeah.” Kane crossed his arms and leaned against a tree. “We know everything: when this all started, how you procured his victims, the Larkins’ body disposal. He told us you did all the actual killing, and he just roughed them up some.”
“He’s lying.” Williams had turned sheet-white and his mouth turned down at the corners.
“I was just a kid when he took me to one of the cabins and showed me how to discipline a woman. He told me he was doing God’s work.
He said that since the Garden of Eden, women have been evil, using their bodies to lure men into depravity.
He needed to make an example out of some of them so that the others would toe the line.
” He shook his head. “I’m not taking the blame for all of them. ”
Jenna sent a message to Raven that the suspect was down and needed medical attention and so did Beth. She turned her attention back to Williams. “Do you want to make a deal?”
“I need medical attention and your duty of care is to supply it.” Williams let out a strangled cry. “Maybe then I’ll make a deal.”
Jenna took out her phone and waved it at him.
“I have a doctor on the way now. I record a confession now or you take your chances in court. We have footage of you attacking a federal officer and attempted murder of a sheriff with a deadly weapon. That will tie you up in court for a while. Why not talk to us before you pass out? That’s the deal. Take it or leave it.”
“I’m bleeding to death here.” Williams cradled his arm.
“You’ll be fine.” Kane moved closer to examine his hand. “It cost you a couple of fingers but if you’d stabbed my wife, we wouldn’t be offering you a deal.” His mouth turned down. “Dead men can’t make deals.”
“Okay, what do you want me to say?” Williams lifted his chin to stare at Jenna.
Jenna glanced at Kane. His combat face was set in place.
“All we want is the truth, nothing else. Deputy Kane will read you your rights and then I suggest you start with what you told us about Wade Cutter taking you under his wing when you were a kid and telling you about the sins of women and how you need to deal with them. Then I want you to explain in detail exactly your involvement. If it matches what he told us, we will take the recording to the district attorney. You will need to plead guilty and throw yourself on the mercy of the court. The fact that you were groomed since being a child might go in your favor. It all depends how much of the evidence you give can be proven. So if you need some time to think about it before we start recording, don’t take too long.
We will not be able to take a confession from you while you are under the influence of drugs and I’m sure the doctor, when he arrives, will give you something for the pain.
” Jenna looked at her watch. “I figure you’ve got five minutes. ”
“I know what I’m gonna say.” Williams looked at Kane. “Start the recording. I’m ready.”
Jenna started the recording on her phone, and they all moved closer to Williams as Kane read him his rights.
Once he was done, Jenna nodded. “State your name and then in your own words your involvement with Wade Cutter, the murders, and disposal of bodies, including the Larkins’ involvement, which you recounted to us previously. ”
Williams told the story of how he’d arrived at Lawson’s Ridge when he was fifteen and participated in an internship.
Wade Cutter took him under his wing and they became close, as they had so much in common.
By the time he’d left high school and Lawson had employed him, he’d already beaten three women to death.
He’d moved into Cutter’s house with his wife and, later, son.
“I was scared at first, but Wade kept telling me I was doing good and soon I enjoyed it.” Williams rocked back and forth staring into the distance as if recalling every moment.
“I enjoyed hearing them scream and by the time the bruises on my knuckles had healed, I wanted to feel that pain again. It made me feel alive.”
Bile rushed up the back of Jenna’s throat as he recounted in enthusiastic detail many of the brutal murders they’d both been involved in. She cleared her throat to get his attention. “So how did the Larkins become involved. Did that happen from the get-go?”
“Nah, we buried some of them with the dead cattle, but then I caught Lawson snooping around. He’d seen Wade carrying a body and putting it in the back of his truck.
He started asking awkward questions and talking to Wade’s missus.
He kept asking her about the women who seemed to be going missing all the time.
She’d cover them up by saying that they’d signed off and she’d paid them cash.
Then he’d ask me about them and I’d say I’d driven them to the bus station.
It was all planned well ahead of time but Lawson wouldn’t let it go.
I was out in the north paddock when I saw them down by the river.
They were discussing Wade, and Lawson was saying how he thought he was responsible for the women going missing.
Then a storm blew over and they dashed to the fishing cabin to shelter.
I locked the door, let the horses go, and then took a can of gas from the storage shed out back.
I poured it all around the front of the cabin and set fire to it.
There were bars on the window to stop the wildlife getting inside.
Once that door was locked, there was no way out.
We all knew where the key was kept. They’re always hanging outside on a hook.
I was going to take the key out of the lock, but the cabin caught fire so fast it was an inferno in seconds.
Even the stormwater wouldn’t put it out.
By the time the gas stored in the lean-to exploded, I was almost back to the ranch. ”
“So why did Wade leave?” Kane straightened, resting one hand on the grip of his M18 pistol.
“He found the bodies and figured the cops would be involved.” Williams grimaced.
“He didn’t know if Lawson had already spoken to the sheriff and he didn’t know what evidence he had against him, but he knew he had something.
So he took off into the forest acting like a madman—as if he’d lost his mind with grief at losing his best friend.
The Larkins made up the story about the suicide, and they told Bowman they’d found him and buried him in the forest. His wife knew all about it and when everything quieted down would go and meet him.
I figure she’s the only woman he tolerated, but he’d beaten her regular since the day they were married—and Branch too.
So I supplied the women we needed and he went to his sister’s husband and asked him to dispose of the bodies.
Larkin was cool with this as long as he could watch us.
He’d sit there in the corner drooling, but most times Wade would capture everything on video for him.
He has all the footage at his home. Sometimes I’d go and get Wade and we’d drop by his place to watch them and relive the best ones.
The women never knew there were two of us.
We wore coveralls and balaclavas and by the time we both showed they were too far gone to notice. ”
“Tell us more about the body disposal.” Kane leaned closer.
“We’d drop the body in the back of Larkin’s truck and that would be the end of it—until Bill stupidly tried to take on one of your deputies.
” Williams rolled his eyes. “Then I got the job of burying the bodies again, but the last girl got away. Wade must have been getting careless. I’m sure the one I buried was still breathing and the next one he dumped into the meat locker for me to collect took off like a zombie and I chased her down, but she ran into a cabin and then you guys arrived.
I only just escaped. I ran back to the cabin to tell Wade.
We needed to move fast and find ourselves another cabin.
” He indicated behind him with his chin.
“That one—and that’s all I can tell you.
” He sighed and looked past Jenna. “I hope that’s the doctor. ”
Jenna turned to see Raven, Rio, and Rowley running toward them.
Raven went to check Beth but she waved him away, although she’d have two black eyes by morning.
Jenna turned off the recorder and nodded to Williams. “Just one more thing. Was anyone else involved? Anyone from the ranch? I’d like to know if your story and what we know about Cutter is the same. ”
“No, it was our secret.” Williams smiled. “No one else would understand. They’d laugh at us if they knew we were doing God’s work.”
“We found Wade Cutter dead earlier today.” Kane stood to one side as Raven examined Williams’ hand.
“Wade is dead? You lied to me?” Williams’ eyes widened. “How did he die?” He moaned as Raven dressed his wounds. “Who killed him?”
“A person who seeks revenge against serial killers took him out.” Beth pressed a hand to the bruised lump on her brow and swayed slightly. “You’ll need to watch your back—even in prison. We can’t protect you. This guy is a ghost and never leaves a trace. If they found Cutter, you’re next.”