AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The woman didn’t even look at Jojo. Her eyes were locked on mine as she threw her shoulders back and held her chin high. “Hi, I’m Emersyn.” She held out her hand, but I didn’t take it. “I host a podcast called Splintered True Crime. With the anniversary of the murders coming up, and the news about the missing girl, I was wondering if you’d be interested in doing an interview.”
I stared at the woman, Emersyn, my ears ringing at all the information that had come out of her mouth in a flurry of words. My chest constricted around my lungs as one thing in particular stood out.
“Missing girl?” My words were a hushed whisper, as if saying them out loud would make it true.
Emersyn’s expression was determined. She placed her palms on the counter and leaned forward. “Look, I know you’ve been through hell. I’m sure the last thing you want to do is talk to me, but yes, there is a missing girl in Ember Hollow. A girl who hasn’t been getting any attention, for some reason.”
My skin felt hot as my head spun. “What does this have to do with me?”
Emersyn’s mouth thinned into a hard line. “I think you know. She fits his victim profile. Young. Brunette. Disappeared seemingly without a trace near a college campus.”
I gaped at her. Everything she was saying added up to only one thing, but that couldn’t be true. My head swung back and forth, almost of its own accord. “No. I don’t know what you’re trying to insinuate, but—”
“You know exactly what I’m saying.” She cut me off, leaning in even closer. “And if the reports are true, this girl could still be alive right now and barely anyone knows she’s missing. This case needs the attention it deserves. Attention you could direct toward it.”
My gaze bounced to Jojo, as if she could refute what this woman was saying. Jojo’s eyes were wide and stunned, her cheeks flushed a dark red.
This wasn’t happening. Even if there was a girl missing in Ember Hollow, there had to be some other explanation for it…it couldn’t be because of him.
Shadows crept forward from the recesses of my memory. The man in black from my nightmares flashed in my mind, threatening to drench me with panic. My breath became shallow; my heart hammered against my ribs so hard it hurt.
“I think it’s best that you go now.” Jojo’s voice sounded distant, and I was only vaguely aware of her stepping protectively between Emersyn and me. “You’ve said enough.”
“But this is important,” Emersyn protested, but Jojo shook her head and barreled around the counter, almost shooing the woman away. “If no one knows about her, no one is looking for her.”
“I’m sorry, but it’s time for you to go.” Jojo’s voice was stern.
Emersyn hesitantly stepped back, her face pinched with frustration. She stared at the older woman, and I could only imagine the cold glare Jojo sent her way. The two of them stood there for a beat, but Emersyn seemed smart enough to realize she didn’t have a chance against Jojo. She finally let out a long breath.
“Fine. I’ll go.” Her sharp eyes cut back to mine. “But if you change your mind, you can contact me through my podcast email. Splintered True Crime.”
She took a few more steps back but didn’t turn to leave until I gave her one stiff nod. I didn’t expect to ever contact her, but that seemed to be enough to get her to leave.
I stared after her, even when the glass front door of the shop closed. It felt as if I had been hit across the face with a baseball bat.
The only thing running through my mind was that if there truly was a missing girl, then there was a chance Emersyn was right.
There was a chance, no matter how small, that the Shadow Stalker was back.
8
Reid
“Rise and shine, little brother!”
I startled awake at the booming voice, half falling out of my chair. My eyes popped open wide, gazing wildly around the room as I tried to orient myself in the sunlight streaming through the window. A tall, burly guy stood in the doorway of my office, sipping a cup of coffee with a mischievous grin on his face.
“August?” I croaked, voice raspy from sleep. “What are you doing?”
My brother, the one closest to me in age, cocked an eyebrow. “I think the real question is, what are you doing? Did you sleep here?”
I massaged a knot in my neck, stifling a wince. I’d been at the Hearthstone office since yesterday afternoon and had apparently fallen asleep sometime in the early morning hours. The surveillance footage was still on my computer screen, frozen. The one I’d watched hundreds of times by this point.
“I can’t help but feel like I’m missing something,” I mumbled, scrubbing my face with a hand.
August’s heavy footsteps echoed against the barren walls of my office as he approached my desk. I still felt like a new addition to the security company my brothers had started over ten years ago, though I’d worked here for three years. I hadn’t done anything to make this office feel like mine, even when it seemed like I practically lived here.
August set his mug on the desk as he leaned down to stare at my computer. He was a couple of years older than me, but he already had a few lines around his mouth and forehead. They creased even further as he frowned.
