AllFreeNovel
Share Us
As I blew on my beverage, I stole a glance at his laptop screen. There was a photo of a beach scene, dozens of people sitting on surfboards and kayaks, all arranged in a circle in the brilliant, blue ocean. I’d seen something like this a time or two when I visited Hawaii, just not of this magnitude.
“Is that a paddle-out?”
He nodded solemnly. “It was Piper’s memorial service. Hundreds of people came out for it.”
“She must have been a remarkable woman.”
“She certainly was.”
Silence settled over us as we sipped on our tea and Nikko continued scrolling through more photos. I couldn’t shake the feeling there was a reason he chose today to take a look at these.
And that it was somehow related to what was currently going on.
“What prompted this walk down memory lane?” I asked hesitantly.
He chewed on his bottom lip, a contemplative expression crossing his brow. “It’s probably a waste of time, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about what Agent Curran said earlier.”
“Which part?”
He’d said a lot of things, all of which probably led to my own difficulty sleeping.
“About your ex-husband’s ritual. How he always attended one of the memorial services for his victims, whether it be the visitation, funeral, burial, or reception.”
“And because your sister was possibly attacked by a copycat…or acolyte…you think perhaps he copied this part of Nick’s ritual, too?”
“I don’t think it’s a stretch to consider the possibility,” Nikko responded. “While this person may not have followed your ex-husband’s rituals to a T, he hit all the important stuff. Killed them on the exact date. Made each death appear to be a suicide. Stole a meaningful piece of jewelry as a souvenir to give to you. There’s only one part of Nick’s signature Ethan didn’t bring up. I’m not sure why. Probably because he didn’t know about it, since it wasn’t mentioned in the media or during the trial. Which tells us two things.”
“And that is?”
“One, there’s a possibility this copycat was just as compelled to attend a memorial service as Nick was.”
“And two?”
He pinched his lips together, not immediately saying anything. “And two, this person is either close enough to Nick to know he attended each memorial service, even if it was never reported by the media…”
“Or?”
“Or this person is in law enforcement with access to this kind of information.”
“You don’t think it could be a cop, do you?”
The idea the person behind all these deaths could be in law enforcement made my stomach churn. But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Nick did escape a prison transport vehicle after it crashed, losing the cuffs and shackles and changing into street clothes. All evidence pointed to him having help. What if that help came in the form of a cop? Someone who could steer the investigation in a certain direction?
“I honestly don’t know what to think. Not anymore. Not when we constantly learn something new that makes me rethink everything. All I do know with any sort of certainty is that I trust very few people right now. And my gut. I always trust my gut.”
“And what does your gut say?”
Nikko brought the cup up to his mouth, taking a sip. “It says the answer might be found by looking into the memorials of these latest victims, Piper included. So I’m combing through these photos to see if anyone stands out. Ethan’s going to get in touch with the families of some of the other victims to find out if they have anything that could help. Guest lists. Photos. Stuff like that. I’m not sure we’ll find anything substantial, since I doubt many people are in the habit of memorializing funerals. Which is why Piper’s paddle-out may be the best bet. Our traditions are a bit…different. Memorials are more of a celebration of life than a reminder of death.”
“Have you come across anyone who looks like Daxton Shea?”
“Right here.” He pointed to a blond man standing on the beach, watching the paddle-out.
He wasn’t the only one, many tourists stopping to witness the unique event. But he certainly stood out in his khaki pants and crisp shirt.
“He’d visited Lachlan in the hospital after the attack. Then it appears he stuck around for the memorial a week later.”
“Don’t you find that odd? At the time of Piper’s attack, Lachlan had just been promoted to the majors, right?”
