Page 84 of Nowhere Good

The blinds inside were shut, making the room dark, even in the middle of the afternoon. Carol flicked on the light. It was a clean room—a rug over hardwood, a single bed up against the left wall, a desk up against the right, stacked with books. Seth stepped inside. A floorboard croaked beneath his foot. Maybe it was in his head, but the energy felt charged in here, like the room itself had a pulse.

He approached the desk. The books on top came into view—glossy hardcovers in a neat stack.

Little House on the Prairie.

The Lord of the Rings.

Eragon.

Zodiac.

Zodiac?

Seth frowned and stepped closer, making sure he’d read that right. It was definitely the same Zodiac book he’d read while studying criminal justice. Zodiac, who’d sent cryptic letters to journalists and law enforcement.

He turned back to Carol. “He reads true crime?”

Carol shrugged, clueless. “I didn’t think so. He likes family sagas like Little House on the Prairie and Fantasy books. We have a wide library available on site, though, for all types of special interests.”

“Does that library include books about serial killers?”

Carol laughed, not because it was funny, but because it was ludicrous. “Heavens, no. We don’t keep anything that might upset any of the patients. No murder, assault…” She was visibly shaking now. “If he has books like that, he must’ve gone to the nearest town to get them… he has been going out a lot lately… sometimes for days… but he’s not a prisoner, Detective. He’s allowed to have a life outside Belleville.”

Seth moved closer. He didn’t have a warrant, but Carol didn’t stop him from shifting more Little House on the Prairie novels aside to find another pair of books.

Night Stalker.

Forensics.

Jesus Christ.

He’d been studying.

“Carol, when was the last time you saw Trevor?”

This time, when he looked at Carol, she had tears of realization streaming down her cheeks. She covered her mouth with her hand. “A few nights ago. He took one of the vans and drove off.” She pinched her eyes shut, more tears falling. “Oh, God, please tell me he isn’t the one who hurt those poor girls.”

“Was it a light blue work van?”

“Yes,” Carol croaked. “Yes.”

Seth’s head spun. Carol sobbed, turning away. Seth went to take out his phone, to text Chief Wells, just as his foot brushed against something on the floor. A piece of debris by the rug.

No, it looked more like a shred of wood.

Carol spotted it too. Her face pleaded at him, like she didn’t want to know the truth, but she didn’t stop him when he went to flip the rug up.

The first sentence carved into the floor made his heart sink.

WE ARE FAMILY

The others followed as he kicked back the rest of the rug.

HE WILL COME BACK

HE PICKED ME

IT WAS ME