Page 6 of Haunted By Sin

"Not even from social media?" Brook pressed for clarification.

"Not that I know of," Mary Jane responded with a sideways glance toward her sister. "Cindy?"

"I don't think so, but you're now up to..." Cindy paused to access information on her phone. "Two million, one hundred, and six thousand followers. I suppose we could do a search for your name. I never thought of that."

"Cindy, do you help handle your sister’s social media?"

"I couldn't do it without Cindy's help," Mary Jane interjected with what appeared to be sincere appreciation. "She helps with the lighting, the editing, and scheduling of all my posts."

Cindy's fingers were currently typing away on her phone.

"Mary Jane, have you noticed anything out of the ordinary lately?" Brook asked, not concerned in the least that something would be overlooked during today's meeting. Sylvie would ensure that all the details were uploaded into the firm's shared software program. "A car parked outside of your home? Someone outside your place of business who shouldn't be there? Unusual phone calls?"

"No. Nothing like that." Something must have jarred Mary Jane’s memory. She frowned before glancing up at her fiancé. "Adam? There was that incident at the bar last weekend."

“Bar?” Brook asked, hoping for more clarification.

“We like to go to either the Crestlake Bar & Grill on the pier or the local pub in town on the weekends. Sometimes on a Thursday, too. Both are local hangout spots. Fun ones, too,” Mary Jane replied as she refocused her attention on Brook. “Crestlake Bar & Grill is an outdoor establishment located on one of the piers west of town. The place is relatively upscale for a seasonal stomping ground, so I wasn’t expecting some guy to make a scene.”

"The guy was drunk, MJ." Adam crossed his arms and widened his stance. He addressed Brook and Sylvie with the rest of his response. "We went out last Saturday night. Some guy couldn't hold his liquor, and he was hitting on every woman in the place. A friend and I made sure he was escorted to the parking lot."

Sylvie confirmed the name of the establishment before following up with more questions about their daily, weekly, and monthly routine. Brook kept an eye on Cindy, who had interrupted to say that there were three followers named Mary Jane Reynolds. The team was already aware of those three individuals, but there was no need to point that out. Those particular women just so happened to live in different states.

"Mr. Bouras, did you know any of the victims?" Brook asked, widening the circle. "You mentioned that you travel a lot for your job. Could the victims be clients of your company?"

"I didn't know the other women," Adam replied before recognition hit. "Are you suggesting that I—"

"No, I'm not suggesting anything," Brook reassured him as she pulled out a business card that she had tucked in the pocket of her blazer. "We're merely trying to establish a connection. Locating a starting point is critical to connecting the investigations. As far as we are aware, the victims didn't know one another. The few similarities we have found are weak, such as two of the women liked to cook and followed some of the same groups on social media. Two enjoyed frequenting wineries, two were into jogging, two preferred cats over dogs, and two were avid readers. All different correlations, leading us back to square one."

"I prefer Pilates, love wine, don't have pets, and I tend to stream movies and shows over reading," Mary Jane offered up with a slight shrug. She rubbed her chest subconsciously, causing the material of her blouse to shift with the motion. "I know you probably think that I only posted that video to get more followers, but I'm honestly terrified that someone might try to kill me. You said it yourself—three women named Mary Jane Reynolds have been murdered in the past seven months. What if this psychopath doesn't like the name Mary Jane Reynolds? What if he has a hit list and is working his way across the state? The country?"

Brook had already drawn the conclusion that Mary Jane was truly frightened for her life. It was also evident that she didn't mind the benefits that came along with posting said video. Whether the publicity made the team's job easier or more difficult remained to be seen.

The next twenty minutes were spent discussing potential security measures that Mary Jane could implement into her daily and nightly routines. Brook also emphasized that additional patrols in the neighborhood were not a guaranteed solution but could serve as a deterrent. Brook assured Mary Jane that they would keep her updated on the progress of the investigation, as well.

"In the meantime, please reach out to me if you can think of anything odd that has occurred over the past couple of weeks," Brook said as she gestured toward the business card that she had placed on the coffee table. "The same goes for you, Mr. Bouras and Miss Reynolds."

Brook had included both Mary Jane's fiancé and sister in the request. They both nodded their agreement as Brook and Sylvie stood to take their leave. Brook could sense the vibrations coming from her phone, but she made no move to answer the call. As Mary Jane guided them toward the front door, a framed document on the wall in the middle of several framed photographs caught Brook's attention.

She remained silent until she and Sylvie had made their way through the throng of reporters. It appeared as if most of the neighbors had made their way back inside their homes. The camera crews were still hoping the viral sensationalist would emerge from her residence to make a formal statement.

"Mary Jane Reynolds is adopted," Brook announced as she closed the driver’s side door. The interior of the SUV had warmed up comfortably from the morning sun. "There was a framed certificate on her wall, along with family photographs. Considering that Cindy resembles her sister and she was also in the pictures celebrating the event, it stands to reason that the two of them were adopted by the same parents."

"Mary One was adopted." Sylvie tucked her purse on the floor before retrieving her cell phone. "I'll check on the other two victims. Maybe we missed something. It would be nice to catch a break this early in the case."

Brook agreed with Sylvie's sentiment, but they technically already had a fortunate insight regarding a pattern in the investigation. Should the murders turn out to be connected, there were approximately three months in between each killing. Such calculations left the team with a mere two months to track down and capture the unsub before another innocent life was taken.

Chapter Four

Brooklyn Sloane

May 2024

Thursday — 6:57 pm

The evening air at the pier was cool and refreshing, unlike the heavy humidity that probably settled over the area in the summertime. A gentle breeze carried the enticing scents of fried seafood and sun-warmed wood, causing one's stomach to rumble in anticipation of a good meal. It was the stunning view that made for a perfect evening—the way the sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden glow over the water and turning the lake into a never-ending expanse of shimmering light.

Brook walked alongside Theo, their strides attuned to the rhythmic creaking of the dock beneath them. Arden had managed to secure them an Airbnb for the next couple of weeks, and it couldn't have been more suitable to their needs. Tucked away just a few properties down from the pier, the lake house provided a sense of seclusion without sacrificing convenience. With ease, they could stroll a short distance to access food and drinks.

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