Page 133 of Mine To Hunt

There is a shift in the silence on the other end. "You’re making assumptions."

"Am I?" I reply. "Because the last time you followed this exact pattern, the girl’s name was Mily, was it?"

The silence becomes immediate and heavy. When he speaks again, his voice is quieter. "That case is sealed."

"Cases don’t disappear just because the court closed them." I say calmly. "Patterns remain."

"You’ve been digging." He says.

"I’ve been paying attention."

His tone turns colder. "You’re playing a dangerous game."

"I’m identifying repetition."

"You think you understand me."

I let the silence stretch before answering. "I think you’ve grown comfortable."

"You’re trying to provoke me." He says slowly.

"Maybe I’m trying to see if you still act." I reply. "Or if you’ve settled into just watching."

His breathing changes slightly, irritation slipping through the control.

"You don’t know what I’m capable of."

"Maybe." I say. "But I know your habits. Isolation. Psychological pressure. You follow the same steps every time."

"You’re talking too much for someone hiding behind a phone and a mask. Why did you call me at all?"

I let the silence stretch before answering.

"Because I already know where she’ll be this weekend."

Before he can respond, I end the call abruptly, cutting off any chance for him to retort or probe further. The silence that follows feels satisfying because I know the seed of doubt and curiosity has been planted, and he will take the bait without realizing the trap it leads him into.

~

It is the weekend, exactly as I predicted. From my laptop, I watch Iris’s location move slowly across the map through theGPS signal I have been monitoring. The small dot confirms what I expected.

She is heading toward the countryside, toward Mily’s house. The file I planted did its job. Curiosity led her exactly where it was meant to.

I do not leave right away. Moving too soon would risk interfering before the situation unfolds the way I need it to. Martin thrives on control and dominance.

The call I placed earlier was designed to provoke that instinct. If my understanding of him is correct, he will not ignore the challenge. So I wait.

Nearly an hour passes before I finally start the engine. By then he should already be moving. I drive toward the countryside with quiet focus and park far from the house, hiding my car behind a line of trees where it cannot be easily seen from the road. From there I have a clear view of the property without exposing myself.

Evening slowly begins to settle, the light fading into a dull twilight. I remain in the car, watching patiently.

After some time, a figure appears near the road. Martin. He stands too still, too deliberate. Even from a distance, his posture feels wrong. People who belong somewhere move naturally within their surroundings. He does not. He watches the house.

I stay where I am, observing him carefully. When Iris finally steps outside, his body shifts almost immediately. The change is subtle but obvious once you see it. He begins following her at a distance as she walks toward the bus stop.

I still do not move. The situation needs to develop further. The deeper he commits, the less likely he is to retreat.

Soon, exactly as expected, Iris notices him. Her pace quickens. Then she runs toward the wooded trail nearby.