Page 11 of I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell

My eyes catch on the clock on the stove, its neon-green numbers sending me to my feet. “I have to go. If you need anything at all or hear more, please let me know.”

I’m nearly out the door when Amelia’s worried voice stops me. “Be careful, alright? If some sicko really is out there…”

She trails off, but I know what she means. It’s a dangerous time to be a woman.

But isn’t it always?

• • •

When I get to work, news of Krystal’s disappearance has already hit the office. The vibes are bleaker than usual. Debra is still out, and Krystal’s cubicle is empty.

I’m numbly going through my mundane morning tasks when Ted clears his throat.

“Sorry,” I say, realizing he’s been standing in front of my desk. “What’s up?”

Ted gives me a pitying smile. “I know you and Krystal are close. If it’s too hard to be here, you can head home for the day.”

It’s a kind offer, but can’t come from him. Luke would need to approve it.

But I haven’t seen Luke all morning. His door is firmly shut, blinds closed.

As if reading my mind, Ted turns to address the room. “Hey, everyone, smidge of an update. Luke had to take some unexpected time off and asked me to fill in until he gets back. He’s not sure when, but hopefully, for all our sakes, it’s not too long.” The joke falls flat, earning crickets. “In the meantime, I’m your guy!”

He jabs his thumb into his chest and nods at everyone as he walks back to his desk, like he’s the mayor and not just a stand-in. Everybody returns to their work, but something itches at me. Where would Luke need to go so unexpectedly? And to leave Ted in charge, of all people? It feels like a personal offense.

Something from all my googling last night brims on my mind. It was about how demons can get territorial. I tilt my screen away from wandering eyes and try to recall the site. It takes a few searches and changing up my keywords before it pops up.

Monsters and Mayhem, the site is titled. Everything to know about what lurks in the shadows.

I click on the article I was reading last night, wondering if our IT guy pays attention to our search history. Each sentence puts me more and more on edge.

“Some demons are known for being territorial. They blend in better than the rest and can even live entire lives with families and children among us. If their existence feels threatened by a smaller demon, they’ll eradicate it. They’ll do whatever it takes to keep up the ruse.”

I stare at the paragraph for so long my eyes blur. On Friday, Luke clearly knew what he was doing. But I never questioned how he knew what he was doing. It’s not like Exorcism 101 is taught in management school. What if the reason he knew how was because he’s a demon himself?

Demons feed on misery, I recall, pulling up another article from a different site. Death, despair, guilt, grief, you name it. It’s a delicacy.

Amelia said the police are trying to link Krystal’s and Poppi’s histories with addiction to their disappearances. But what if they’re looking too closely at it? Maybe it’s not about their addiction at all and just the fact that they both lost someone. If the common thread is women dealing with grief and survivor’s guilt, that would also make Madeline’s disappearance make sense.

If Luke is the culprit—which means he’d be a demon—then that means he could have exorcised Debra because she was a smaller demon on his turf, and now he’s preying on grief-stricken women because he’s…hungry?

Jesus.

“So what do you think?”

I jump a foot, exiting out of the tabs like my life depends on it. My job status might.

“What do I think of what?” I ask Ted.

“Are you staying the rest of the day?”

I already forgot about that offer. If I go home, I’m just going to sit there and spiral even harder. I want to look for Krystal, but I don’t know where to start.

Except maybe I do.

“No,” I say to Ted. “I need to do one more thing and then I’ll head out.”

“Sounds good.” He pats the edge of my desk. “Don’t forget to clock out.”