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“Not at first. But that night, one of the victims showed up.”

“Is that the first one since…”

“You can say his name, David.”

“He doesn’t deserve to have his name spoken aloud ever again.”

“Fat chance of that happening. They’re writing a book about him.” A bubble of emotion rose in her chest and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or cry. She let it subside and spoke again. “They’ll turn it into a made-for-TV movie.”

“You sound awfully cavalier.”

It was Cassie’s turn to shrug. “I don’t know how I feel about it. I’ll never forget him, not until the day I die, but I don’t need to be afraid of him either. He’s gone. Maybe my story will help someone else work through their own trauma. Or maybe I’ll inspire the next David Klein.”

“You’re a bigger person than I’ll ever be, Cassie.” David’s chair squeaked and his voice grew quiet again. “That man deserved something worse than a needle in his arm.”

“I don’t disagree. But to answer your question, yes, it was the first new ghost to show up since Novak’s death.” Cassie felt a pang of guilt for her lie, but she hadn’t told anyone about the little boy. Not even David. “And she appeared for the first time af

ter Harris’s visit.”

“Interesting.” He sounded animated. “That’s another point for the idea that your abilities could be tied to knowledge about the victim or the crime. Maybe that ghost or whatever was hanging around Harris and sensed you could help?”

“Let’s not get into your conspiracy theories, please.” A long time ago, she gave up on guessing why she had these abilities. She took another sip of her water, trying to wash the bad taste out of her mouth. “Is there anything else you can tell me?”

David’s silence was too long to be a normal part of the conversation. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter. “All their blood was drained. Each one of these women were bled dry.”

“I’m guessing he did it from the gashes in their necks?”

“You guess right.”

“That lends more credence to a ritualistic killing,” Cassie said.

David blew a gust of air straight into the phone’s mouthpiece. “The person doing this is choosing women for a reason, but he’s not particular about his victims. It tells me he’s not playing out a fantasy with one person in mind.”

“So, he hates all women?”

“It’s possible. The murder is not sexual in nature. If he’s cutting their throats first, he’s not looking to prolong their deaths and make them suffer. Then again, cutting out their hearts is a pretty brutal act.”

“Does that have any kind of significance?”

“Each organ has a certain function or meaning, right? The heart symbolizes love. Or maybe it could have a specific significance to him. But without more information, there’s no way of knowing what his motive is.”

“And the way to get more information is to find more bodies.”

“Not something we’re hoping for.”

“What about where the bodies were found?”

“They were all found in the middle of the woods in different public parks. He could’ve taken them there in the dead of night, killed them, and no one would be any wiser until the morning when their bodies were found.”

Cassie sat upright. “Is there any pattern to the locations?”

“Not that I could tell.” Cassie deflated, but David continued with some hope in his voice. “But humans can’t truly be random. Everything we do is influenced by our behaviors, our life experiences. For example, all the squares in Savannah, or as it pertains to this investigation, all parks within driving distance.”

Cassie nodded. “They live somewhere around here.”

“We know most serial killers are male and the crime indicates this is true. He could be anywhere from in his twenties to his early fifties. Smart enough to get away with several murders and strong enough to carry the bodies around. He’d blend in, perhaps be average or unremarkable, but enough of an outcast that he’s coping with his issues in a less than productive way.”

Cassie finished her sandwich. “The first crime scene is where the most mistakes are made, right?”

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