Page 34 of Shadow Angel
Grabbing her dark side by the throat to gain control, Beth lifted her finger from the trigger but pushed the muzzle harder into his head. “Well then, maybe I should save the county a ton of money by accidently blowing out your brains?”
The door burst open. Styles and Ryder, weapons raised and breathing heavy, poked their heads inside and Beth smiled at them. “What took you so long?”
THIRTY-SEVEN
FRIDAY
Styles paced up and down the office. “I’d like to know just how he got inside.”
“I guess we’ll find out more when we can speak to him.” Beth shrugged. “It surprised me too. I cleared the house, and when I heard a noise, I figured it was the wind. Not many can get the jump on me. He hits like a sledgehammer. In the end, we took him down, that’s the main thing.”
After hearing Beth’s threat to shoot Crenshaw, Styles had been ready to find a situation in the cabin, but Beth had surprised him. She sure knew how to talk the talk. What she’d said to Crenshaw, and the malice in her voice, would scare anyone. He cleared his throat. Now in the calm of day, he had questions. “You handled the situation well. In the end, when he threatened you, did you ever want to take him out, Beth?”
“Nah, my finger wasn’t on the trigger.” Beth shook her head, spilling blonde hair over one shoulder in a fall of silk. “He was whimpering like a lost puppy. I had him beaten. It was just threats, is all, to keep him subdued until you showed. I wanted answers from this guy. When they die during arrest, they leave too many unanswered questions.” She frowned. “I was surprised it was Crenshaw, happily married with kids, works for the local charity, father was a minister. It takes all types to commit murder, I guess.” Beth leaned back in her office chair. “He’s a typical coward. I knew he’d crumble when you arrived and then cry for his lawyer the moment we cuffed him.” She checked her phone for the tenth time in a few minutes. “How long does it get to obtain a darn search warrant? We’ve gathered enough evidence for probable cause. In fact, we have the entire case laid out with a pretty pink bow on top for the DA.” She narrowed her gaze. “My problem with the delay is that we don’t know if Crenshaw’s lawyer has contacted the wife and told him he is in custody. What if she empties the house before we get there?”
Shaking his head, Styles sat on the edge of his desk and looked at her. “Do you figure Crenshaw will want his wife to find his secret stash of trophies?” He rubbed the scar on his chin. “Then again, I guess it could go either way. She’ll dump evidence or be angry enough to leave everything for the cops. A woman scorned is a dangerous person.”
“I figure raping, murdering women, and necrophilia goes a little past ‘scorning’ on the cheating-husband scale.” Beth chewed on the end of a pen. “I doubt she’ll stand by him.”
Thinking over cases he’d read or been involved in over the years, he shrugged. “Some women find a man like that irresistible.”
“Not me, but then I’ve seen the murder scene photographs. Let’s turn this around. What about men in this situation?” Beth twirled the pen on her fingers. “Do you figure you’d be attracted to a murderess? No, let me rephrase that question. Do you think you could like a woman who kills to protect others?”
Confused, Styles frowned. “You mean like a vigilante or someone in law enforcement?”
“Is there really a difference?” Beth dropped the pen into an old coffee cup and smiled at him. “They both take down dangers to society. Even though one type of killing is inside the law and the other means twenty to life or the needle.”
Thinking it over, Styles shrugged. “I guess each case is different. I can’t give you a specific answer.” He stared at her. “I’m sure you’d have no qualms about a guy who kills for his country, or law enforcement in the line of duty, same with me, but women can be serial killers as well. It’s not gender specific. The vigilantes, I agree, are different. Most are driven by things in their past. They want to right a wrong or stop someone from repeating a crime. I can often see their point, as in why they kill. My thing would be trust. Could I trust them not to turn on me in my sleep.”
“Same.” Beth smiled. “I guess if we’re ever faced with a situation like that, we wouldn’t be stupid enough to make ourselves targets.” Her phone chimed a message. “We have the warrant. Let’s go. It’s Ryder’s jurisdiction and we’ll need him to assist.”
Styles called Ryder. “We have the warrant. Meet us at the Crenshaw home.”
“I was just going to call you. Jerry Blackwood is the attorney representing Crenshaw. He spoke to his client this morning before they shipped him to the Black Rock Falls County Jail. He knows about the warrant application. You’ll need to arrange an interview with Crenshaw through him.”
Glancing at Beth, Styles nodded. It was what they’d been waiting for. “Yeah, I’ll call him once we’ve executed the warrant. I’m guessing he’ll need a ride to Black Rock Falls? Unless that will cause a problem?”
“I can’t see it being a problem. Crenshaw is innocent until proven guilty. It’s a courtesy for his lawyer, is all.”Ryder chuckled.“I’m sure glad I didn’t have Crenshaw here for too much longer. That guy was ranting and pacing like a caged animal. The trip to Black Rock Falls must have been a nightmare.”
Recalling the anger radiating from Crenshaw when Ryder had taken him into custody and the problems getting him back to Rattlesnake Creek late the previous night, he wasn’t surprised. Beth had driven her truck with both him and Ryder sitting beside Crenshaw. When they had him safely in Ryder’s jail, they’d grabbed TJ and headed back to Rainbow to collect the other vehicles and their belongings from the cabins. It had been almost three in the morning before they’d gotten home. Ryder had left Crenshaw chained hand and foot in his jail cell but slept in his office. He and Beth had gotten a solid six hours sleep and filed the warrant the moment the judge opened his office at ten.
Tired, Styles yawned. “Did you get a couple of hours of shut-eye?”
“Yeah, the moment the prison van arrived I headed off home. I just walked in the office when you called.”Styles could hear a rattling of keys.“I’m on my way to the Crenshaw house now.”
Styles nodded. “See you there.” He disconnected and took the forensics kit Beth handed him. “I sure hope we find his stash of hair. I’m wondering how long he’s been killing and how many bodies are out there sitting on old sofas in remote areas. It must be more than two, that’s for darn sure.”
“I’d say it’s more than we imagine.” Beth hurried to the door, pulling on her FBI jacket. “How do you want to handle this? We might encounter resistance from his wife.”
Unconcerned, Styles shrugged. “Then she’ll be cuffed and placed in the back of Ryder’s cruiser.”
THIRTY-EIGHT
“Are you looking for drugs?” Mrs. Crenshaw stared at Beth from her seat on the sofa. “We don’t do drugs, so you’re wasting your time.”
Beth pulled on examination gloves and stared at her. “Does your husband have a man cave or an office?”
“Yeah, but you can’t go in there. It’s locked. He won’t let anyone go inside, not even to clean.” Mrs. Crenshaw sipped a glass of sweet tea and shrugged. “Where exactly have you taken Joe?”
