There is another dead body. I knew this would happen.
Don Burke prods the body. It has not been covered up like the last one. It is lying down an alley of the CBD. There are still claw marks on it, but they are smaller. Man-sized.
"So what's our connection?" asks Beady. We know that there is one, just not what it is. I know what it is.
Burke is wearing plastic gloves. He pulls the dead man's wallet out of its coat and flips it open. He hands Beady a card. It has a nearly naked woman on it and a name. It is the name of Janette Hastings strip club.
"We can pin him at the club when Ms. Hastings was there."
Janette Hastings is our link. She is being stalked by a demon. I think I know why. He is killing everyone but her, and she's the one that he's threatening. He doesn't want to kill her. She believes that he will, but it is not what he wants. He is feeding on her fear.
When she is no longer any use to him, when she is no longer afraid, that is when he will kill her.
We turn the body over. There are knife wounds on this victim too but they are smaller. It is like everything about this kill has been shrunk down. Killing Tim Bullen was not as important as killing Fred Masters.
We are about four blocks from the strip club. Burke and Beady are here but Owens is missing.
"Where's Owens?" I ask.
"He is still with Miss Hastings," Burke replies. He is too busy inspecting the body to look at me.
A sudden chill has come over me. I have a bad feeling like you will never believe. Janette Hastings is interested in her killer. She wants to know who he is. It will take a big kill, to keep her afraid.
All the men that surround her are dying.
"Shit! Owens!" I make a dash for the car. Burke looks up from the body surprised. Beady takes a second but he figures out what I'm doing. He has a mobile phone in his hand before I am half way to my car. He calls out across the street as I fling open the door.
"Dean. There's no answer."
I could already be too late. Burke and Beady would come with me if they weren't already tied up. They will follow me later. I am on my own. I am about to go face Janette Hastings stalker and I am on my own.
Just me, and both of my guns.
Don Burke prods the body. It has not been covered up like the last one. It is lying down an alley of the CBD. There are still claw marks on it, but they are smaller. Man-sized.
"So what's our connection?" asks Beady. We know that there is one, just not what it is. I know what it is.
Burke is wearing plastic gloves. He pulls the dead man's wallet out of its coat and flips it open. He hands Beady a card. It has a nearly naked woman on it and a name. It is the name of Janette Hastings strip club.
"We can pin him at the club when Ms. Hastings was there."
Janette Hastings is our link. She is being stalked by a demon. I think I know why. He is killing everyone but her, and she's the one that he's threatening. He doesn't want to kill her. She believes that he will, but it is not what he wants. He is feeding on her fear.
When she is no longer any use to him, when she is no longer afraid, that is when he will kill her.
We turn the body over. There are knife wounds on this victim too but they are smaller. It is like everything about this kill has been shrunk down. Killing Tim Bullen was not as important as killing Fred Masters.
We are about four blocks from the strip club. Burke and Beady are here but Owens is missing.
"Where's Owens?" I ask.
"He is still with Miss Hastings," Burke replies. He is too busy inspecting the body to look at me.
A sudden chill has come over me. I have a bad feeling like you will never believe. Janette Hastings is interested in her killer. She wants to know who he is. It will take a big kill, to keep her afraid.
All the men that surround her are dying.
"Shit! Owens!" I make a dash for the car. Burke looks up from the body surprised. Beady takes a second but he figures out what I'm doing. He has a mobile phone in his hand before I am half way to my car. He calls out across the street as I fling open the door.
"Dean. There's no answer."
I could already be too late. Burke and Beady would come with me if they weren't already tied up. They will follow me later. I am on my own. I am about to go face Janette Hastings stalker and I am on my own.
Just me, and both of my guns.