Breaking the news to a family of a murdered child had to be the worst job Kane had ever encountered. His training had been nonexistent but he had suffered the pain of loss and understood the need to keep the facts clear and concise. He stared at the inquisitive faces of Mr. and Mrs. Parker. “I’m sorry to inform you, we found a body in Stanton Forest we believe to be Felicity. Your friend Magnolia Brewster identified her photograph.”

“Oh my God. I’ve been calling her for an hour.” Mrs. Parker fell against her husband. “This can’t be happening.”

“What happened to Felicity, was it an accident?” Mr. Parker hugged his sobbing wife.

Kane took out his notepad and pen. “The cause of death is undetermined until the results of the autopsy but we believe it was a homicide.”

“Murder! Who would kill our little girl?” Mr. Parker’s face paled and his hand shook as he held his wife. “I can’t believe anyone would do such a thing. Are you sure it’s Felicity?”

“I’m afraid so.” Kane watched the couple gaped at him in shocked disbelief. “Would you like to sit down? Is there anyone I could call, a family member perhaps?”

“No!” Mr. Parker’s voice trembled. “Why aren’t you out looking for her killer?”

“We have every man on the case but we need your help and I really need to ask you some questions?”

“Ask your damn questions but I don’t know how we can help.”

He hated intruding on the family’s grief. “When did you last see Felicity?”

“At breakfast.” Mr. Parker gazed at him with unseeing eyes as reality set in. “She mentioned she would be meeting up with some of her friends later.”

“Did she say what friends? Does she have a boyfriend?”

“Yes, Derick Smith, but they fell out over the upcoming rodeo dance. I’m not sure if they made up or not.” He gave him a tragic look. “You don’t think he killed her do you? Dear God, I allowed him to date her.”

“We don’t have him as a suspect but we’ll be checking everyone Felicity knows. Do you have his address and cellphone number?” Kane looked at Mr. Parker. The man was trying to keep control of his emotions but now anger had replaced the shock and disbelief. “Anything else you can tell me about Derick?”

“Yes.” Mr. Parker took out his cellphone and scrolled through his contacts. “I made sure I had his contact details before I allowed her to go out with him.” He rattled off the information. “Derick has a part-time job at Miller’s Garage on Saturdays and during summer break.”

“Thank you.” Kane kept his notes brief and pushed the questions, hoping they would elaborate a little more. “Do you think she might have paid him a visit this morning?”

“No, she wouldn’t go and see him without telling me.” Mrs. Parker choked back a sob. “To be honest, I’m not sure what she was talking about this morning, I wasn’t listening to her. It’s my fault.”

Kane sucked in a deep breath. “You’re not to blame but you can help me catch the person who hurt Felicity. Do you remember anything at all about her movements this morning? Had she spoken on her cellphone or mentioned doing anything specific?”

“I heard her talking to Aimee before breakfast.” Mr. Parker absently rubbed his sobbing wife’s back. “She mentioned walking to her house. Aimee has a car and they go into town and hang out there or at Aunt Betty’s Café. I’m sure Aimee will tell you everything they planned to do.”

Kane could feel the emotion flowing from the couple. “Do you know who else Felicity could have been meeting?”

“Dear Lord, how many more questions? Can’t you see my wife is close to collapse?”

Kane pushed on, aware the couple were crumbling before him but he needed the information. “Anything you can tell me might help, Mr. Parker.”

“You know girls, they have cliques and I’ve lost count of who is in and out these days.” Mr. Parker frowned then lifted tear-filled eyes to Kane. “Although, Felicity wouldn’t need to cut through Stanton Forest, Aimee lives on School Road.”

Kane made notes. “Do you know Aimee’s last name?”

“Aimee F-fox.” Mr. Parker stumbled over his words. “The family are close friends.”

“Thank you.” Kane scribbled in his notebook. “What time did she leave this morning?”

“Early, before eight.” Mr. Parker blinked away tears.

“Can you remember anything else at all?” Kane leaned forward in his chair. “What kind of mood was she in—happy?”

“She was excited at breakfast. I remember her asking us if she could go to the dance at the fairgrounds on Friday night with her friends.” Mr. Parker sighed. “I said I would discuss it with her mother but if she went, we would drop her there then pick her up at ten.”

“She is a good girl, Deputy.” Mrs. Parker rubbed her eyes. “She did all her chores and stopped playing games at the dinner table. She deserved to go to the dance this year. Now she’s dead—Oh God, this has to be a mistake.” She sunk back into her husband’s arms.

As their devastation washed over him, Kane ground his teeth, trying to keep a professional persona and get through the interview. “Does she have a computer? I’ll need to take it back to the sheriff’s office.”

“Yes, a laptop. She uses it for schoolwork. I’ll get it for you.” Mr. Parker turned away and climbed unsteadily up the stairs.

Kane waited for him to return, unfolded a large evidence bag, and pushed the laptop inside then asked Mr. Parker to sign the seal. He hated distressing Felicity’s parents any further but had to keep going while details remained fresh in their minds. “Do you remember what she was wearing when she left home and did she have a cellphone with her?”

“Wearing?” Mrs. Parker lifted her tear-stained blotchy face and glared at him. “Don’t you know?” She let out a wail, broke away from her husband and fell against the wall. “Oh my God, what did he do to her?” She threw herself at Kane grasping the front of his shirt. “You have to tell me. I must know what happened to her.”

The woman’s long fingernails pierced his skin but he kept his voice, calm and professional. How the hell can I tell her what happened? He gently pushed her away and sucked in a deep breath. “I am asking routine questions, ma’am. I don’t have a list of her personal effects.” Kane swallowed the lump in his throat at seeing her distress. “I want to make sure nothing is missing, no article of clothing overlooked or any personal possessions.”

“He is only doing his job.” Mr. Parker, close to collapse, took a shuddering breath in an obvious attempt to remain strong and gripped his wife’s shoulder. “She had on a pale blue top with a butterfly on the front and a denim skirt.” He rubbed his chin. “Pink cowboy boots. She wears a gold cross around her neck.” Mr. Parker raised both dark eyebrows. “She received it as a birthday present when she turned thirteen and never takes it off.” He gave his wife a little shake. “Is there anything I’ve missed?”

“Yes, she has a c-cellphone with her all the time, she never takes her eyes off the screen.” Tears cascaded down Mrs. Parker’s cheeks. “It is a smartphone and has a p-pink cover.”

“May I have the number and would you mind giving my department permission to check her calls and social media, in case she spoke to anyone prior to her death?” Kane wrote down the details.

“I’ll sign anything you like.” Mr. Parker seemed to crumple into himself. “Just find the person who did this.”

“We’ll find him.” Kane swallowed the lump in his throat. “We would like to give you time to inform your relatives before this is leaked to the press. Keeping it out of the media for twenty-four hours will give us time to investigate. I know you want this person caught but a media frenzy isn’t the best course of action.” He sighed. “The sheriff has advised everyone concerned not to tell anyone. If the killer doesn’t think we have found Felicity, they’ll be careless.”

“I don’t want to give this animal the satisfaction of becoming famous on the damn news.” Mr. Parker shook with anger. “We won’t say a word.”

“I want to see her.” Mrs. Parker gripped Kane’s arm. “Where is my baby?”

Kane looked into the woman’s distressed face. “I can take you to see her now but I only need one of you to positively identify her. Perhaps you might prefer to remain at home?”

“I want to see her.” Mrs. Parker swayed to her feet. “It has to be a mistake.”

Kane bit back a sigh of regret and nodded. “Yes, of course. Felicity is at the local funeral home. Do you want me to lead the way?”

“Yes, please.” Mr. Parker placed one arm around his wife.

Straightening, Kane turned on his heel and left the house.

---

Drained after the emotional viewing and signing of the necessary documents, Kane headed back to the office. He had been relieved to see the mortician had made Felicity appear asleep. The sheet covered her completely and came up to her chin to hide the horrendous injuries.

Not having the energy to tangle with Sheriff Alton again, he bypassed her door and went straight to his desk. After scanning the paperwork into the system, he added his notes from the parents’ interview then pushed to his feet and headed for the coffee machine. The pot of freshly brewed coffee filled his nostrils. He should have been famished but had no appetite with the haunting memory of his wife’s shocked eyes fixed in his mind, so much like the expression on Felicity’s young face. He leaned one shoulder against the wall and rubbed the throbbing scar covering the plate in his head.

“You okay?” Jenna moved to his side and placed her small hand on his arm.

He forced his mouth into a small smile, surprised by her change of attitude toward him. “I’ll do. I have entered all the information including my interview notes with the parents into the file. I’ve informed the parents not to talk about the murder to give us some time to chase up the leads we have, and they agreed.”

“Any suspects?”

“Yeah, we will need to follow up on the victim’s boyfriend, apparently they argued recently.” He sighed. “His name is Derick Smith and I have his details. I called his workplace, Miller’s Garage, and spoke to George.”

“Did you ask him if Smith was acting any differently?”

“Yeah and George said he was acting normal.” He scratched his cheek, aware of the stubble. “I’ll need to speak to him but from what George said he is a pretty solid young man. If he argued with Felicity, he would more likely storm off and sulk than kill her.”

“Okay, that’s good enough for me. It’s late and we can interview him in the morning.” Jenna met his gaze. “Anything else?”

Exhausted and with a headache from hell, he nodded then immediately regretted moving his head. “Yeah, I obtained a formal ID on the victim and all the permissions we need to check her calls, et cetera, but telling the parents was brutal.”

“It’s the worst job. It was nice of you to send Wolfe home. I guess he is a little raw after losing his wife?”

“He is not alone.” He met her concerned gaze. “I lost someone close to me as well. You never forget seeing someone you care for dying and you can do jack shit about it. Life sucks sometimes.” He sighed. “Can we change the subject?”

“Do you like Chinese?” Jenna raised one dark eyebrow in question.

“Yeah, but I haven’t tried that new place in town.” He rubbed his stomach. “I’m not really hungry.”

“You will be once you smell the sweet and sour chicken.” Jenna filled two takeout cups with coffee and handed him one. “I’ll leave my cruiser here, if you’ll drive me home. My order should be arriving soon and we can eat at my place. Rowley will lock up and Walters is on the 911 line until six in the morning.”

Suspicious of her sudden change of attitude toward him, he rubbed his chin. Perhaps the idea of having two men confronting her in the morning was a problem, but she was as tough as nails. He relented and smiled. “Okay, I’d like your thoughts on the case.”

“Deal.” She turned as the front door opened with a delivery guy carrying two carry-out bags. “How’s that for timing?”

He pulled out his wallet and offered her some bills, but she ignored him.

“I paid by card over the phone.” She headed toward the front desk. “Your treat next time, okay?”