Page 103 of Coordinates of Death

Mic tapped on her keyboard. “Done, and I’m calling the station.”

Kordell extracted his phone from his pocket. “I’ll advise Aurora.” He realized it was late, but this could be the break they were looking for.

Except Kordell guessed it wouldn’t be.

The Shadow Box Killer was too smart to get caught by an IP address.

After two long days of futile searching for Ginny Davis, and with no clues from SBK, Aurora turned off her cell phone’s alarm, whipping off her comforter. Mic’s find on the dark web had been a dead end. Hill had sent two police officers to the library, but they’d only found a still-warm cup of coffee sitting on a table and evidence of a break-in. They concluded SBK had bypassed the alarm system and entered undetected. Aurora sat on the edge of her bed and cradled her head in her hands. “God, please help me find Ginny today. Keep her safe. I can’t lose her.” You’ve taken my mother, Anna, my dad, and now Ginny. I don’t understand. Aurora couldn’t put her true thoughts into an audible prayer, even though God knew. Saying them out loud just felt wrong. Like a betrayal of her faith. I’m a rotten Christian.

God loves us no matter what, Rory. Even when we have doubts.

Aurora shot out of bed, Ginny’s words tumbling into her brain in stealth mode. Words she had spoken after Aurora confessed recent doubts to her friend. “Thanks for the reminder, God.” She quickly dressed in her uniform and meandered to the kitchen. Time to start another day—hopefully a successful one. But first, she required coffee, and lots of it.

The messages on the dark web had haunted her for the past two nights, robbing her of sleep. Had someone answered SBK’s plea to pay back Kord and Rory? They both suspected Sebastian Roche. If so, what had he divulged?

She noted her digital clock was flashing 12:00. Odd. Had the power gone out overnight? Her cell phone dinged. Aurora dug it out of her pocket, swiping to bring it to life. Ugh! Another text from her father pleading for her to call him. Not happening, Dad. She tossed her phone onto the counter and withdrew a mug from her cupboard. She placed it under the espresso spout and pressed the Start button. While she waited, she parted the kitchen window blinds. Snow hammered the region. Why did she continue to live at the northern tip of Canada when she hated winter? Was God nudging her heart to move? If so, where? She loved her small town of Sweetwood Falls. And right now, she had a duty to protect them from evil. That calling hadn’t changed.

An object sitting on her patio caught her attention, stilling her thoughts. What is that? She hustled to her door and entered the code to disarm her alarm before going outside. The brisk wind slapped her in the face, and she regretted not grabbing her coat, but the rush to study the object propelled her forward. She squatted in front of the box, brushed off the snow, and read the inscription on top.

Open me, Rory

Angst tightened her muscles, and she rose, studying her deck. Footprints led away from the box and across her backyard. The snow hadn’t hidden them, so whoever left the box had breached her locked gate recently. How had the suspect gotten past the constable sitting in her driveway? The entrance to the gate was visible. She barreled back into the house and to her bedroom, unlocked the code to her weapon box, extracting her Glock.

Aurora raised her gun and hurried out her front door, pointing it in different directions. Her antique lamppost illuminated the area, casting shadows, but nothing suspicious. She approached the cruiser, holding her breath.

Constable Rain lay slumped against her headrest.

“No!” Aurora opened the door. “Brianna, are you okay?”

Silence.

Blood dripped down the constable’s face. Aurora placed her fingers on her neck. She was alive. Someone had knocked her unconscious, but how had they got the drop on her, a trained officer? Unless—

She knew her attacker.

Aurora reached for her phone but realized she’d left it on the counter. Ugh. She snatched Rain’s shoulder radio, identified herself and explained the situation before requesting EMS to her location.

“Sending available units and an ambulance, Corporal Hunt,” Dispatch said. “They’re two minutes out.”

“Copy.” Aurora nudged her fellow officer. “Brianna, can you hear me?”

Nothing.

Sirens pierced the early-morning darkness.

One of Aurora’s neighbors bounded down her steps. “What’s going on?”

Aurora’s busybody next-door neighbor didn’t miss anything. “An officer’s been hurt. EMS is on the way. Did you see anyone in our area, Mary?”

“Nothing, but I just got up. Is it that killer again?”

Aurora gestured toward the woman’s door. “Please, for your safety, get back inside. Lock your doors.”

Mary’s lips tightened before she nodded and hustled back into her condo.

Sirens grew louder. Lights flashed through the trees seconds before an ambulance, followed by another cruiser, sped around the corner. The ambulance parked along the road, and paramedics Olivia Rand and Barry Leveen hopped out. The cruiser stopped behind them.

Olivia approached, holding her bag. “Aurora, what happened?”