Read Online The Murder of Janessa Hennley by Victor Methos - Free Book Online
Authors: Victor Methos
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carefully lifted the knife, and held it in front of them.
“The knife’s old,” Mickey said. “Look at the nicks in the handle. This was his knife, not something he bought just for this.”
She placed it in the bag. “You think there’s anything else around here?”
“ I don’t know. I’ll take the other side again.”
Mickey called it a day when the orange sun began to set behind white and blue mountains. They’d searched for hours without food, water, or rest. He’d found an old tire, and she’d spotted a switchblade, but the edge was too dull to cut bread, much less flesh. It probably wasn’t related to this case. Something teenagers left behind. But just in case, they put it in another baggie and brought it along.
They walked back to her Tahoe , and Mickey collapsed into the passenger seat. He’d missed his meds and on top of it felt like he might pass out at any moment. In a cold sweat, he checked his pulse; his heart was beating at nearly 160 per minute.
“You wanna look at the Hennleys ’ house?” she said.
“I’ll do that later , if that’s okay.”
As they drove, Suzan glanced to him and back to the road. She was silent a long while before speaking. “You know, my aunt died of breast cancer. I’ve seen it before. The brave face. You don’t have to be that way with me.”
“It’s not cancer.”
“What is it?”
“I’m HIV positive.”
“Oh, wow. Hey, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.” She cleared her throat, and a lengthy silence ensued. “So, what do you think?”
“When are they burying the family again?”
“Tomorrow at noon. ”
Mickey thought about visiting a graveyard , and it tightened his guts. Still, it was the one place from which almost no sexual sadist could stay away. They wanted, maybe even needed, to see the pain their actions caused the victim’s family.
“I’d like to be there.”
“You can if you want, I guess. What for, though?”
“Just a hunch.”
16
“I’m staying an extra couple days.”
“What for?” Kyle said.
Mickey sat on the edge of the bed , his head in his hand. “I think whoever did this knew at least the daughter and is still in town. The funeral’s today. I bet he’s going to be there. He wanted her to be a part of him, and I don’t think he can resist watching her family in pain over it.”
“S houldn’t be a problem. Stay as long as you need to. Have fun.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
He went down to the dining area of the bed and breakfast. Several people ate eggs and bacon with cereal and bagels. He took a bagel and a cup of coffee and left without speaking to anyone.
Eating outside on the porch steps, he stopped several times to enjoy the air. Not a hint of exhaust to it. No chemical smells from factories pouring pollutants into it day and night. Invigorated, he remembered from his undergrad Intro to Philosophy class that when Friedrich Nietzsche grew ill later in life, he traveled to the Alps. Nietzsche thought fresh air and sunshine could induce healing.
He finished his breakfast and drove down to the Sheriff’s Office. Suzan was pulling up as well, and they walked in together. She still held the knives from yesterday, and as they entered she handed the baggies to a deputy named Nolan.
“Package them and send it to the state crime lab,” she said.
“Yup. Um, what’re they lookin’ for?”
“Anything. Prints, blood analysis, whatever info they can give me. And take a picture of them. Then head down to Mike’s Pawn and see if he remembers selling knives like that to anybody. Check the Wal-mart, too.”
“You got it.”
Suzan wore a dress and heels. Her hair was styled, and she was wearing make-up. Not a lot, but enough to be noticeable. Though in her mid-forties, she appeared far younger. And the way she looked now just cut a few more years off. It stirred desire in Mickey, and he had to push it back down and out of his conscious thoughts.
“You look nice,” he
“The knife’s old,” Mickey said. “Look at the nicks in the handle. This was his knife, not something he bought just for this.”
She placed it in the bag. “You think there’s anything else around here?”
“ I don’t know. I’ll take the other side again.”
Mickey called it a day when the orange sun began to set behind white and blue mountains. They’d searched for hours without food, water, or rest. He’d found an old tire, and she’d spotted a switchblade, but the edge was too dull to cut bread, much less flesh. It probably wasn’t related to this case. Something teenagers left behind. But just in case, they put it in another baggie and brought it along.
They walked back to her Tahoe , and Mickey collapsed into the passenger seat. He’d missed his meds and on top of it felt like he might pass out at any moment. In a cold sweat, he checked his pulse; his heart was beating at nearly 160 per minute.
“You wanna look at the Hennleys ’ house?” she said.
“I’ll do that later , if that’s okay.”
As they drove, Suzan glanced to him and back to the road. She was silent a long while before speaking. “You know, my aunt died of breast cancer. I’ve seen it before. The brave face. You don’t have to be that way with me.”
“It’s not cancer.”
“What is it?”
“I’m HIV positive.”
“Oh, wow. Hey, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.” She cleared her throat, and a lengthy silence ensued. “So, what do you think?”
“When are they burying the family again?”
“Tomorrow at noon. ”
Mickey thought about visiting a graveyard , and it tightened his guts. Still, it was the one place from which almost no sexual sadist could stay away. They wanted, maybe even needed, to see the pain their actions caused the victim’s family.
“I’d like to be there.”
“You can if you want, I guess. What for, though?”
“Just a hunch.”
16
“I’m staying an extra couple days.”
“What for?” Kyle said.
Mickey sat on the edge of the bed , his head in his hand. “I think whoever did this knew at least the daughter and is still in town. The funeral’s today. I bet he’s going to be there. He wanted her to be a part of him, and I don’t think he can resist watching her family in pain over it.”
“S houldn’t be a problem. Stay as long as you need to. Have fun.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
He went down to the dining area of the bed and breakfast. Several people ate eggs and bacon with cereal and bagels. He took a bagel and a cup of coffee and left without speaking to anyone.
Eating outside on the porch steps, he stopped several times to enjoy the air. Not a hint of exhaust to it. No chemical smells from factories pouring pollutants into it day and night. Invigorated, he remembered from his undergrad Intro to Philosophy class that when Friedrich Nietzsche grew ill later in life, he traveled to the Alps. Nietzsche thought fresh air and sunshine could induce healing.
He finished his breakfast and drove down to the Sheriff’s Office. Suzan was pulling up as well, and they walked in together. She still held the knives from yesterday, and as they entered she handed the baggies to a deputy named Nolan.
“Package them and send it to the state crime lab,” she said.
“Yup. Um, what’re they lookin’ for?”
“Anything. Prints, blood analysis, whatever info they can give me. And take a picture of them. Then head down to Mike’s Pawn and see if he remembers selling knives like that to anybody. Check the Wal-mart, too.”
“You got it.”
Suzan wore a dress and heels. Her hair was styled, and she was wearing make-up. Not a lot, but enough to be noticeable. Though in her mid-forties, she appeared far younger. And the way she looked now just cut a few more years off. It stirred desire in Mickey, and he had to push it back down and out of his conscious thoughts.
“You look nice,” he
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