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Sheila glanced around, searching for any other strange details that might offer insight into the twisted mind behind these murders.Each time her eyes fell on the oak tree, she shuddered, imagining the way the branches may have groaned under the weight of the lifeless bodies.
Finn pocketed his phone and walked back to Sheila, the morning sun casting long shadows across the graveyard.Birds sang their morning songs, oblivious to the grim scene that had played out mere hours before."Find anything?"he asked, scanning the area with a practiced eye.
"Maybe," Sheila said, nodding toward the ancient gravestones surrounding the oak tree."These are the oldest ones in the graveyard.I'm not sure if it's significant, but it caught my attention."
"Good catch," Finn replied, rubbing the stubble on his chin."I just got off the phone with the coroner.He's ready to show us his report.We should head over there."
"Alright," she agreed, her gaze lingering on the worn-out inscriptions as they prepared to leave.But something else caught her eye—bits of bark strewn around the base of the oak tree.She stepped back, looking up at the branches above.In several places, the bark had been worn away, revealing the lighter wood underneath.
"Wait, Finn.Look at this."She pointed at the damaged bark."I think the killer tied the ropes around the victims' throats, threw the ropes over these branches, and hauled them up one by one."
"Whoever did this must be good with ropes," Finn said, his eyes scanning the worn branches above."I mean, look at those knots.The nooses are simple slipknots, but the way he tied the ropes around the tree to hold the victims in the air…he clearly knew what he was doing."
Sheila nodded, her brow furrowed in thought."What type of person would have that kind of experience with knots?"
"Someone with a background in sailing, maybe?"Finn suggested, his voice tinged with uncertainty."Or a rock climber?Hell, I don't know."
As they pondered the possibilities, Sheila's gaze drifted back to the tree, her focus now on the height and breadth of its branches.A new realization dawned on her."Finn, there's something else.If the killer managed to haul the bodies up like that, he must be incredibly strong physically.He'd have to be in great shape."
"Good point," Finn agreed, rubbing his chin."But strength alone isn't enough.Patience, precision...this guy's got it all.We're not dealing with your average psycho here."
"He planned this out," Sheila said softly."Killing four people—that's no easy task, never mind displaying their bodies like this.Whoever this guy is, he's very methodical."
They exchanged uneasy glances, grappling with the somber reality."Considering the pattern," Sheila continued, choosing her words carefully, "we might want to consider the possibility of further attacks on new arrivals to the town—and maybe even other members of Roy's family."
CHAPTER FOUR
Sheila's senses were on high alert as she and Finn stepped through the sliding doors of Coldwater General Hospital.As they made their way down the long corridor toward the morgue, the walls seemed to close in around her, suffocating her with memories of visiting Natalie after she had been shot.
She recalled the beeping of the heart monitor, the unnerving stillness of her sister's body as she lay in the hospital bed, tubes and wires snaking from her motionless form.It was a sight that haunted her dreams, and now it threatened to resurface as they approached the morgue.
The hospital itself was a labyrinth of twisting hallways, cold linoleum floors, and flickering fluorescent lights.The further they ventured, the more unsettling the environment became.It felt to her as if they were stepping into the belly of the beast, a space where hope and warmth were foreign concepts.
"Worried about seeing the bodies?"Finn asked, surprising her.Even though she'd been thinking about her sister, it was true that she was uneasy about seeing the bodies as well.
She took a shaky breath."Is it that obvious?"
"It's common, yeah.We all go through it."
"It's not that I haven't seen a dead body before—I've seen a few now.But the thought of seeing an entire family – two of them teenagers, no less—" She broke off, shaking her head.The weight of the situation settled on her shoulders, dragging her down with every step they took.
"Death..."Finn began, his voice quiet as they continued down the narrow corridor, "it's a part of our job, and it never gets any easier.But over time, you learn to protect yourself from it.To deaden certain feelings."
Sheila glanced at him, taking in the solemn look on his face.In that moment, she could see the weight of every case he'd ever worked bearing down on him.She didn't like the idea of numbing herself to the pain, though.To her, it felt like giving up.
"I think it's important for us to feel everything," she said softly, her eyes fixed on the door at the end of the hallway."To identify with the victims, to understand their fear, their pain...We need to carry that with us so we never forget why we're doing this."
Finn nodded, acknowledging her perspective."That's one way of looking at it.It's just...hard sometimes, you know?It's easy to get lost in that darkness if you don't keep it at a distance."
Sheila was thinking of what to say when they reached the door to the morgue.They pushed it open and entered a cold, sterile room with gleaming stainless steel surfaces reflecting the harsh overhead lighting.A faint, unmistakable scent of decay hung in the air, a constant reminder of the room's grim purpose.
On four gurneys, side by side, lay the lifeless bodies of the Hubbard family.Roy and Jane, still dressed in their nightclothes, stared sightlessly upwards, while the teenage siblings, Max and Lily, were in casual attire.Their faces, once full of life, now held an eerie calmness that sent shivers down Sheila's spine.
"Damn," she whispered, swallowing hard against the lump in her throat."It's just...so wrong.They should be at home right now, laughing, arguing...living."
Finn reached out to touch her shoulder, offering what comfort he could."We'll find who did this, Sheila.We'll make sure they don't hurt anyone else."
As if on cue, Dr.Jin Zihao left a set of X-rays pinned up on a lightbox and approached them.He was a tall man with neatly combed black hair streaked with silver, and sharp, intelligent eyes that seemed to miss nothing.His white lab coat made a gentle swishing sound as he moved.
