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“Correct. If the killer hasn’t perfected their method yet, they’re more likely to leave something behind.”
Cassie knew she was taking a chance with her next request. “Would you be willing to give me the first location’s address?”
The silence stretched on for a beat. And then two.
“The first body we found isn’t necessarily the first person he killed. That person might not be amongst one of the three we have come across.”
“I understand.”
“This is a longshot.”
“I know.” Cassie wouldn’t let him stretch out the moment any longer. “If I can go to the crime scene, I may be able to pick something up. I might be able to help, David.”
He sighed. “I know, I know.” There was typing in the background. Then a deep sigh. “You ready? And remember, you didn’t hear this from me.”
Cassie grabbed a notebook and pen from her desk. “Go ahead.”
Fourteen
As soon as Cassie got off work, she made a beeline for Lamarville Community Park. This was where the first body had been found three weeks ago. There was a chance Cassie could get a read from the site and find some answers.
The gravel crunched under Cassie’s tires as she pulled into a parking spot. The humidity broke and drizzle hung in the air. Only a few people were still out and about, which meant she wouldn’t have many onlookers as she tried to find where the first woman had been killed.
Cassie took a few calming breaths and got out of the car. She didn’t have high hopes she would find anything to latch onto, given that her abilities were spotty at best these days. Regardless, Elizabeth’s presence meant Cassie’s abilities still worked. At this rate, Cassie didn’t know what to expect.
She exited the car and took in her surroundings. As she walked down a path into the trees, all outside noises were swallowed by the forest. There were no cars or laughing kids. Instead, there were chirping birds and singing insects and raindrops hitting the leaves overhead. The crack of a stick echoed around her as a deer took off running in the opposite direction. The sun disappeared behind the canopies above her and a chill breeze made Cassie pull her hoodie tighter around her chest.
She didn’t hate being outside but given her fair complexion and strange ability to attract both living and dead people, becoming one with nature had its own set of variables. Not to mention what a forest like this could keep secret. Dense woods and treacherous land were often a dumping ground for the worst kind of people.
It didn’t take long for her to find the spot David described. There was a beaten path back to where the body had been dumped. Whether it was from the police or mourners, she wasn’t sure. Maybe it was from people who had a morbid sense of curiosity and couldn’t help themselves.
The police had found the body about three weeks ago after a pair of young teenagers playing hooky from school had decided to take a walk through the woods. The scene freaked them out. They called the cops, then left the area, afraid to get in trouble. They’d been tracked down. David had said the officers who went to interview each of them hadn’t given them too much trouble given the circumstances, but they had reiterated how important it was not to try to hide from the police.
Cassie wondered how finding a dead body would change each of their lives. Would they become cops? Doctors? Killers? There was no telling.
People had laid flowers for Hannah Williams in the spot where she had been found, but they were withered and dead by the time Cassie got there. There may have been other mementos—like teddy bears or candles—but they had either been stolen or taken away. There were no other indications of the horror that had been found here.
Cassie felt the crunch of sticks and dead leaves underfoot. The scene was unassuming, to say the least. The body had been removed, and there was no indication that it had been there at all. Biohazard techs would’ve cleaned the site. Rain took care of the rest, washing away any remnants of blood or signs of struggle, so there wasn’t much to look at. The police would’ve already gathered all the evidence there was to find. She wouldn’t kid herself into thinking she was any better at playing detective than Harris or her colleagues.
So, why are you here? She chastised herself.
The wind answered with a sharp gust of air and Cassie closed her eyes against it.
Why was she there? David had said Hannah might not have been the first person this man had killed, despite her being the first body they found. The trees were too dense to navigate with a vehicle, so he had either lured her into the trees or carried her there when no one was looking. But he had covered his tracks and left zero evidence behind.
Cassie opened her eyes. So, why this spot? What was special about this specific location?
Despite dealing with the dead for the last decade, Cassie didn’t know much about ritualistic sacrifices, if that was what this was. Still, she tried to take in the area surrounding the crime scene. She saw many oak trees which, to her uneducated eye, looked ordinary.
Cassie took a few more steps forward as another breeze blew through the trees, carrying the faint smell of blood with it. Was it because she was several steps closer to where the woman had been dumped, or would she be coming face to face with another spirit? Would it be Elizabeth or Hannah or someone else?
Cassie felt her frustration rise. On a good day, the spirit world was cagey. Ghosts appeared when they could, and they did not when they could not. It was as simple as that. But with her abilities on the fritz, she had no idea if she was having trouble tapping into the other side. The idea that she could be surrounded by ghosts and not know was worse than all the horrors she had seen over the years.
Another branch snapped to Cassie’s left and she froze. She wasn’t sure if she should stand still or crouch down to hide. If someone were that close, they would have already seen her, and it wouldn’t make a difference what she did.
Her heart started beating in response to her chaotic thoughts.
The wind rose again, this time bringing in a stronger scent of blood. It must have been concentrated because she could smell it with more ease than she could in the museum, despite the breeze and open air. Were her powers coming back or was the spirit stronger than it had been yesterday?
