"Forensics came back with the blood type found on the scene," Lee said, slapping a file on Nathan's desk. "It's a dead end. It wasn't human blood at all. Apparently some birds met their demise near those banyan trees as well as the victims." He fell heavily into his chair, frustration written all over his face. "We're right back at square one. The only evidence we have is eight bodies and a killer who obviously had an MO. Other than that, we have nothing." He let out a breath, his face tense. "Twenty years of rain and wind and straight-up time have washed away any evidence that might have been left by the Banyan Killer."

Nathan leaned back, studying the crime scene photos. His brow furrowed as he looked at each one. "Why did we find them now, Lee?" he asked quietly.

Lee looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Pressing his lips together, Nathan stood, pacing back and forth as he talked. "Hikers go off the beaten path in the forest reserves all the time. Nothing was found for twenty years. Then in a short span of time, two groups of hikers suddenly discover a body?" His eyes narrowed. "All eight crime scenes had something in common. The hand was sticking up out of the ground. Doesn't that strike you as odd?"

"How so?" Lee asked, leaning forward, his eyes trained on Nathan.

"The women were killed before being buried," Nathan said slowly. "The killer dragged them inside the banyan tree and buried them in the soil. He would have been careful to bury them completely. Yet now, all these years later, every single one of them was found because their hand was reaching up?" He shook his head. "Something doesn't make sense."

The furrows in Lee's brows deepend. "What are you saying, Nathan?" he asked, dread in his voice.

Nathan hadn't mentioned his feeling of being watched at the two crime scenes they'd uncovered. He had chalked it up to the situation. Now, however, he wondered if there was more to it. "This is pure conjecture, so take it with a grain of salt. But I think the killer has become bored," he said. "He got away with his crimes all those years ago. He won the game. No one knew what had happened to those women. But now...things are different. Maybe he wants the thrill of the chase again. Maybe he wants to play a game of cat and mouse with the police. I don't know." He paused. "All I know is I felt like we were being watched, Lee. When we found the bodies. My instincts were nearly screaming at me, and I felt more uneasy than I've been in a long time. I think we could be dealing with a psychopath."

As soon as Nathan finished speaking, Bill marched toward them, a look of rage on his face. "This came moments ago," he said through his teeth, tossing a piece of paper at Nathan. "No one saw who delivered it."

Nathan cautiously opened the paper, his breath hitching in his throat. THE GAME IS ON. I WILL STRIKE AGAIN SOON. -The Banyan Killer

"He really is a psychopath," Lee muttered after reading the note. Fear crept into his eyes. "Do you think he will kill again? With the same MO?"

Nathan could physically feel his friend's fear. Lee was worried about Rosemary. If the killer did indeed strike again, several people in their lives were in danger. Rosemary and Faith were both blonde and blue-eyed. This man didn't seem to target children, but a shudder went through Nathan as he realized his precious Cecilia matched the description, as did Hope and Charity Shepherd.

"I hope not," he said, finally responding to Lee. "Maybe he's toying with us." His voice hardened. "This could be a good thing. This man is twenty years older than he was when he first committed these crimes. He's also incredibly arrogant. Sending a note like that to the police station tells us he has no fear of getting caught, but it also says he has a warped sense of justice that says he knows he deserves to be caught." He shook his head. "One thing is certain - this man is playing a dangerous game."

"We need to catch him," Bill said, lips compressed. "If that means we station officers covertly in forest reserves until this man does strike again, then so be it. Somehow, someway, we need to be playing offense, not defense. Make it happen, boys." He stalked back to his office.

Nathan let out a breath. "He's right. We should send several officers to scout the forest reserves undercover. We'll need to employ the help of other police stations throughout the island. I'm going to make some phone calls."

Lee's face was a mask of tension. "I won't be able to sleep until this man is permanently behind bars," he said, sinking his face into his hands.

Nathan reached out, clasping Lee's shoulder. "We'll find him, Lee. He's bound to make a mistake."

"I hope so," Lee murmured. "For all our sakes."


Elizabeth could tell Nathan was on edge. He was quieter than normal with his face set. She'd sometimes catch him staring off into the distance, a pensive look in his eyes. He'd snapped at her earlier in the day, something he rarely did. He had immediately looked ashamed and apologized for his harsh words, but Elizabeth could tell something was bothering him. Just a few minutes ago, he'd nearly lost his temper when he accidentally spilled hot water on his hand. Instead of saying anything, he'd simply stormed from the house, letting the door slam behind him.

The twins had looked confused by their father's display of emotion and abrupt departure. Cecilia crawled into Elizabeth's lap while Arianna made her way to the door. "Dada! Dada!" she called, looking out the screen toward the street.

"Daddy will be back soon, Arianna," Elizabeth said, cuddling Cecilia close. She hoped her words were true.

They were. Nathan came back after half an hour, looking much calmer. He settled on the floor to play with the twins as Anthony woke up from his nap, demanding his mother's attention. The next few hours were spent in their living room as Nathan and Elizabeth tended to their children. After dinner, he helped with bathing the twins while Elizabeth nursed Anthony. Once the children were in bed, Nathan looked at Elizabeth.

"Sit on the front porch with me?" he asked, reaching a hand out to her.

Elizabeth nodded, taking his hand and letting him lead her to the porch swing. The summer breeze wrapped them in its warmth. They sat for a few minutes in silence, enjoying the quiet and the night air.

"I owe you an apology," Nathan said finally. "I know I haven't been myself lately."

Elizabeth studied him. "I had a feeling something was going on. Do you want to talk about it?"

Her husband sighed, pulling her closer. "I wish I could, Elizabeth. It's related to a case at work. A very disturbing case." He was silent for a full minute. "I can't talk about it, but I want you to promise me to be extra careful and vigilant until we catch the person we're looking for. Can you promise me that?"

"Of course," Elizabeth said, a tremor going through her. "Is our family in danger?"

Nathan paused. "I don't think so," he said slowly. "I'm more concerned for other people we know. But I still want you to be careful. Just be aware of your surroundings, and if anything strikes you as the least bit suspicious, either get away as fast as you can or tell me what's going on."

"I will," Elizabeth promised.

Relief filled Nathan's face. He didn't say anything else, but cupped her cheeks in his hands and kissed her. It nearly felt desperate, as if he were venting his fears without realizing it. Elizabeth slid her hands behind his neck, gently stroking the hair near his collar, hoping her touch was comforting. Nathan responded by kissing her more fervently. They indulged in their kiss for some time, and when Nathan finally pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers. "Thank you," he whispered. "I needed that."

She smiled before nestling her head against his shoulder. "My pleasure," she replied, a note of teasing in her voice.

Nathan chuckled before settling an arm around her. They sat together in contented silence, listening to the waves crashing against the beach and inhaling the scent of summer flowers. Elizabeth quietly prayed that Nathan would find the strength he needed for the task ahead. She wasn't sure what he was facing, but if it had him this rattled, it must be something big.

She would do everything she could to support him through it.


A week later, Nathan casually lounged on a bench in Halele'a Forest Reserve, a newspaper in hand. He wore khaki shorts and a red checkered shirt, with sunglasses and a baseball cap slung low over his forehead. His gun and badge were carefully concealed. He held a newspaper in hand and for all intents and purposes was perusing it in fascination. A book sat by his side in case he needed it for appearances later. Behind the dark sunglasses, he studied all the people coming and going from the park, searching for anyone who might be their killer.

It was a long shot, he knew, sitting in the reserve and just waiting for something to happen. But he'd had a sense that the killer was about to strike, and he'd learned long ago to trust his instincts. He couldn't say what brought him to Halele'a rather than one of the other forest reserves, but he went with his gut.

Hours passed without event. Nathan began to wonder if he should head back to the station. Only a stubborn determinedness kept him in his seat for the next hour.

A movement to the right caught his eye. Two people were walking down the path, laughing and talking. One was a man in his mid-forties. With his dark curly hair and sparkling green eyes, he was the type of attractive that most women easily swooned over. The woman with him certainly seemed to be doing so, though there was no way she was over the age of twenty-five. What gave Nathan pause was her appearance. She had long blonde hair, pulled back into a ponytail, and bright blue eyes. Unease built in Nathan's gut. She looked familiar. Too familiar.

Something nagged in the back of his mind. One of the victims they had unearthed was Jessica Morris. She'd been the only missing woman to leave behind some family - a daughter named Vanessa who was five years old at the time.

This young woman looked a lot like the pictures he'd seen of Jessica Morris. There was nothing about the couple walking past him to indicate that the man was the Banyan Killer. For all appearances, they were a happy pair walking hand in hand down the path. But once again, Nathan's instincts were on high alert. He casually set down his book and followed them with his eyes.

Neither person paid him any heed. They were about to reach a bend in the path. Nathan debated the wisdom of standing and starting to walk in their direction. They had mingled with the throngs of people walking the path, but Nathan saw them stop before a bend would take them out of sight. The man whispered something to the woman, motioning toward the trees. She giggled and nodded.

The unease reached a level of dread. Nathan stood quickly, hurrying down the path as the couple disappeared into the trees. He slowed slightly as he reached the spot, realizing that they had taken a marked hiking trail. Willing his heart to slow down, he debated his next move. If this was a couple simply out for an afternoon hike, he was wasting his time in following them. But if it was the Banyan Killer, that young woman's life was in danger.

He needed to proceed with caution. He had no back up and no way to call for help. All he had were his gun and his instincts. Placing a hand on his weapon, he carefully made his way down the trail.

He could hear the couple talking ahead of him. They sounded happy and carefree. The woman was doing an inordinate amount of giggling at everything the man said. Nathan had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. He listened diligently while staying out of sight.

They had walked for nearly two miles when the man pulled the woman to a stop. "There's something I want to show you," he said. "It's about half a mile off the path."

"Okay," the woman agreed, another giggle escaping her.

Nathan bit his lip to catch a gasp. A lightbulb clicked as he realized this was the reserve they had found Jessica Morris in. The tree where they'd uncovered her body was near this path. He bit his lip, now convinced that he was tailing the Banyan Killer. But why was he on such friendly terms with the young woman? Something wasn't adding up.

A short time later, Nathan's heart rate increased as the pair stopped at the same banyan tree where Jessica had been buried. The man turned to face the woman, a sly smile on his face. "This is a very special tree," he said, resting his palm against the trunk.

"It's beautiful," the woman said, her tone flirty.

You're in danger! Stop flirting with a killer! Nathan mentally yelled at the woman. She was batting her eyes at a man old enough to be her father. Nathan grit his teeth, wondering just how long this man had been ensnaring the young woman in his trap.

Movement to the right of the tree caught Nathan's attention. He blinked hard, certain he was seeing things. The man creeping toward the couple was behind the woman. She couldn't see him.

He was an exact copy of the other man.

Twins.

Nathan's hand pulled his gun from his pocket as he recognized what the second man was holding while he crept forward. A metal baseball bat. Nathan's stomach clenched. Quietly, he walked closer, staying hidden behind other trees.

The first man reached out to the woman, trailing a hand down her cheek and speaking in a low voice. The second man tightened his hands on the bat, mere feet from the young woman. He raised it, ready to swing on his unsuspecting victim.

Nathan stepped from the trees. "Police!" he yelled, his voice authoritative. "Freeze!"

All three people momentarily froze from sheer shock, not expecting a demanding voice booming from the trees. The man with the bat recovered first. With a sneer in Nathan's direction, he took up his baseball stance again and started to swing at the woman's head. She screamed.

Without a second thought, Nathan fired his weapon. The man dropped to the ground, but his forward momentum sent the bat crashing into the woman's back. The first man took off running. Nathan fired again. The man stumbled but continued on, disappearing into the trees.

Nathan wanted to run after him, but hysterical sobbing from the ground reminded him that the woman was injured and vulnerable. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed 9-1-1. After talking to the dispatcher and giving his location, Nathan hung up and called Lee, requesting a search unit for the forest reserve.

"I'll explain later," Nathan said, his words clipped. "Come quickly."

"You got it," Lee responded.

Nathan dropped the phone in his pocket and turned his attention to the woman. He discarded his hat and sunglasses, then looked her over. There were no obvious signs of injury, but he had seen the bat hit her. At the very least, she would have a nasty bruise for quite some time.

"I'm Detective Grant," he said, injecting a calm in his voice that he didn't feel. "You're safe now. What's your name?"

"V...V...Vanessa...M...Morris," she replied, her voice shaking. She threw herself into his arms, sobs shaking her entire body.

Nathan closed his eyes. She was indeed the daughter of a previous victim. Had the twins played this game before, pretending to be attracted to someone before the other twin dispatched her with a bat? Was that how the men had lured Jessica to her death? Was that how they had lured all the women to their deaths?

He glanced at the body of one of the twins. Nathan hadn't aimed to kill, but he found he couldn't be sorry that the man was dead. He was responsible for at least eight deaths and had attempted a ninth. One threat had been neutralized.

But a second was still out there. And Nathan knew from experience that wounded animals were the most dangerous.