AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Had the wind caught it?
She felt a faint shiver now. She approached the window cautiously, listening to the soft whistle of the wind creeping past the pane.
As she got closer, she noticed something glinting in the moonlight on the windowsill. She leaned in to get a better look, her fingers reaching out to touch it when a sudden noise made her jump.
It was a low growl coming from the darkness beyond the window. Candace froze, her heart hammering in her chest as she tried to identify the source of the sound. Was it an animal? A person?
She took a step back, her hand slipping from the windowsill as she reached for something, anything to defend herself. Her fingers brushed against a heavy handheld vacuum cleaner, which she kept by a hall table, and she gripped it tightly, ready to swing if necessary.
The growling grew louder, more insistent, and Candace’s blood ran cold as she caught sight of two glowing eyes in the darkness. They were yellow and feral, and they seemed to be staring straight at her.
She relaxed, staring at the creature on the forest fringe.
It was just a wolf.
She recognized itssleek, muscular form and the sharp, pointed ears. A wave of relief washed over her, and she chuckled softly at her own paranoia. "Just a wolf," she murmured, watching as it padded away into the night.
As she closed the window and locked it, she couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered within her. She knew it wasn't just the vandalism or the wolf that had her on edge. She felt like she was being watched, like someone was waiting for her to let her guard down.
Candace decided to take a warm shower to calm her nerves. She walked down the hallway towards her bathroom, still clutching the vacuum cleaner. She paused for a moment, listening for any sounds out of place, but everything seemed normal.
She turned on the shower and let the hot water wash over her, the steam filling the room and relaxing her tense muscles. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to drift away, but the nagging feeling of being watched still lingered in the back of her mind.
As she got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself, she heard a faint noise coming from her bedroom. It was barely audible, like the sound of something brushing against fabric. She held her breath, listening intently, and heard it again.
She tiptoed down the hall, her heart pounding in her chest, and pushed open the door to her bedroom.
That's when she saw it - a tall, dark figure standingonher bed.
For a moment, she didn't even react, the scene was so bizarre. She even blinked curiously, like some night-time owl, as she tried to make sense of the unfamiliar sight.
A man was in her bedroom, standing on her bed and staring straight at her. And he had something glinting in his left hand.
"Welcome home," said a voice.
And then the dark figure surged, leaping at her out of the shadows, its movements swift and predatory. Her heart seized in terror, adrenaline surging through her veins as she screamed, the sound raw and primal.
With the primal scream still echoing through the room, Candace tried to turn to run.
But the exhaustion of the day with clients and then the evening at the hospital hung heavy.
The tall, shadowy figure came charging at her, surging through the hallway like a wraith.
She turned to run, the scream lodged in her throat, but she knew it was far, far too late.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The first glimpses of moonlight streaked the horizon, casting long shadows across the precinct through thick, bullet-proof windows. In a dimly lit interrogation room, Rachel sat hunched over a stack of financial records, her fingers drumming against the tabletop as she intently scanned the documents. Ethan stood at her side, his brow furrowed in concentration as they analyzed the second victim's file.
"Hey, look at this," Rachel said, tapping a line item on one of Candace's bank statements. "Multiple payments to a fertility treatment center?" She glanced up at Ethan, who leaned in to get a closer look.
"Interesting," he murmured, his eyes narrowing. "Do you think it could be related to the case?"
"Maybe," Rachel replied, her mind racing with possibilities. She remembered the hospital issues Jack's wife had faced and wondered if there was a connection. "Jack's wife had some pretty serious health problems, didn't she? And now we find out that Candace's been visiting a fertility clinic?" She shook her head, uncertainty gnawing at her. "It feels like too much of a coincidence."
Ethan rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his family-oriented nature shining through as he considered the implications. "If Candace was having trouble conceiving, it could explain her visits to the clinic. Maybe she was trying to get out of the lifestyle… wanted a family or something. A ranchhand? Someone who fell for her? Shit… But what about Jack's wife? Was she also struggling with fertility issues?"
"Hard to say without more information," Rachel admitted, her frustration mounting. "But it's definitely worth looking into. If there's a connection between the two victims and their hospital visits, it might give us a lead on who's targeting them."
