Page 68 of A New Days Don

I look over at them, pointing in two directions to send them both around the side of the property while I go inside. They nod in understanding, and I head in. There is a yelp, and my pulse spikes as I run through the house, keeping myself to the shadows. As I turn the corner for the hallway, I see why Mila had yelped. At the other end of the hallway is a skull, one that has various fractures and teeth missing, on a pedestal with a note lying below it.

What the fuck?

The house is silent save for Mila’s ragged breaths as she tries to make sense of the vigil sitting in front of us. Why the hell is she showing up to a house with a vigil waiting for her? Someone is playing with her.

That thought alone makes the edges of my vision turn red, but I can’t lose it. Not yet. Not with her here.

Mila trembles, and it takes everything in me not to run up to her and scold her for whatever idiotic move she is making by coming here by herself. I clench my teeth together, my jaw aching and teeth screaming at me to stop before I crack one of them. The muscle along my jawline flicks as something shifts in my peripherals. The fine hairs along my neck and arms stand on end.

I turn my attention from Mila. My gun is poised at the ready as I face the dark room. I won’t leave Mila out here by herself to check on something that could have been a tree branch or an old curtain shifting in the stale air, but I sure as Hell am not taking any chances.

When Adriano appears down the hall, I nod toward the room adjacent to me. He makes quick work, slipping into the room, searching the darkness for anyone who may have followed Mila in here. If someone is here, they would be smart to run before we get our hands on them.

Mila stumbles back, and I shift quickly so she doesn’t realize just how close I am to her. With my gaze on her, I move down the hall and into the shadows of what would have been a family room at one time. Mila backs herself down the hallway, stumbling over her feet before she runs out of the house. Her breathing is ragged as her mind tries to make sense of what was going on in that house. I don’t waste time following her into the night.

Chapter 28

Mila

I stare down at the note I had found several days ago, below a deteriorated skull with pitting and fractures. Goosebumps crawl up and down my skin at the reminder of everything that I have put together in the last seven days. This note did nothing but create more unanswered questions. Whoever T is, they knew that would be the case. They knew it would feed me enough information and enough suspicion that I would start investigating on my own outside the department.

That’s why, after I had run out of the abandoned house, I didn’t bring the note to the station and place it in evidence for this case. I won’t let any evidence get destroyed, not when it leads back to the culprit, law enforcement or not.

When I returned in the morning, everything was cleaned and gone.

No skull. No vigil. Nothing.

I would have sworn I had made it all up in my head if it weren’t for the note and the text I received from T as I walked out of the building.

As if they are my partner in this. As if whoever is messaging me is here to help me solve the crime. As if they have already solved it and are leading me around on a leash, spoon feeding me the information I need to put this to rest once and for all.

That led to my next clue. Another location in Sin City.

This note made it clear that my anonymous texter was up to no good. I don’t know why I even went to the location I was given in the first place. Perhaps it was desperation or compulsion. The need to find out who has been tormenting women in Vegas for over half a decade is too great. Especially when it leads to my own nightmare being put to rest once and for all.

Vicek may be right. I may be too biased and blinded in this case.

Nothing this anonymous person has left for me to find has been helpful to the investigation. Whoever it is, is toying with me. Leading me to Massimo and his warehouse, to the house with the skull, then to another house where another skull lay, with a note about a game below it.

I should have ignored the person and blocked the number, but I’m running this case completely alone from my bedroom because of the suspension. It’s clear they know plenty, and if they want to know random things about me to gain that insight so I can put this to rest once and for all, then I will fucking do it.

When I didn’t respond, T messaged again.

After that message, T sent me a new address and told me to show up that evening.

To get this crumb of information, I told the person my favourite colour. I suppose a crumb for a crumb.

This note was left taped to a dumpster. No skulls, nothing special. So, my assumption was that the skull left for me on the first night was his first murder, and the skulls I have found and sent for analysis were ones that came after.

The next day, I texted:

The following text was a new location, and when I showed up, I swore I could feel several sets of eyes on me. The place was empty. Another abandoned building. This time, it was an old department store of some sort. Yet, even as I looked around the parking lot and through the building, nobody was there with me.

This time, I seemed to have pleased T, because the note came with little knick-knacks, ones I carefully placed into an evidence bag and made sure not to touch. I came prepared this time.

The note was full of riddles mocking me. Nothing is giving me any clear answers. This was the first time I blew up on the anonymous texter. I threatened to stop texting and to report him to my superior.

This made my breath hitch. I never talk about myself, even with Karmin. I try to avoid it. Only Annalese knows some of the darkest thoughts and feelings that I hide behind fake smiles and ‘I’m fine’s. Well… Annalese and now… Massimo.