Page 55 of Shhh…It’s A Killer Story

"So that's her name."

"Sweet girl."

He smiled to himself.

"Been around this town since she was knee-high. Writes those horror books that keep terrifying half the book club."

"I've never actually read one."

"You and me both."

He chuckled.

"But Helen swears they're brilliant."

"Helen?"

"My wife."

"She says Seraphina has the sweetest soul she's ever met."

I thought back to yesterday. Garden gloves, flowers, ceramic gnomes and talking to herself.

"...She's certainly memorable."

Walker laughed.

"That's one way of putting it. You know if Max ever gets out..."

He pointed toward me.

"...he'll probably end up in her garden."

"Why?"

"Because she spoils every animal that wanders onto her property."

He opened the door.

"Be careful. She tends to care too much and then…you'll never get him back."

The door clicked shut behind him. I stood there for another moment, staring at the photographs but my eyes drifted, almost involuntarily, toward the window. Across town… Someone everyone trusted was probably watering flowers again whereas someplace else… Someone no one suspected had stolen eight women without leaving me a single fucking answer.

I hadn't even made it halfway through the second interview transcript when my office phone rang. Not the casual ring that meant someone wanted paperwork signed or coffee stolen from the break room. This one rang once. Stopped. Rang again immediately. Urgent, I reached for it before the second ring had finished.

"Reed."

"Detective, Dispatch."

The woman's voice was tight. Professional but underneath it there was something else.

"A hiker called it in about seven minutes ago. Blackwood Forest. Approximately three kilometres east of the old logging trail."

I was already standing.

"What did they find?"

"We're not sure."