Page 8 of Haunted By Sin

While it was true the owner of the establishment had the right to request a subpoena for such evidence, the owner or manager could also hand over the footage of their own volition. There was no harm in asking for such a favor. While Bit could have easily accessed the footage through unlawful means, the two of them had an unspoken pact to only do so under extreme circumstances. Even then, she trusted him not to leave behind any evidence of such transgression.

"You'll want to speak with Jason Bracco." The bartender's attention shifted when a woman at the end of the bar called out his name. Chip raised a hand that he would be with her in a moment. His interest in the conversation was evident, and it was obvious that he wanted to hear more about why consultants with the FBI were interested in the bar’s clientele. "Jason only works the weekend, though. You can find him here tomorrow night. As for security cameras, I'm sorry to tell you that you're out of luck. This place is seasonal, and the owners never bothered to install a system."

"You weren't here last weekend?"

"Oh, I was working alright," Chip replied wryly after reaching behind him for two large white paper bags. He set them on the counter in front of Brook and Theo. "Not a lot of people prefer seasonal work, so it's hard to get reliable bartenders. But the incident you're talking about happened on a Saturday night. This place is crowded on the weekdays, but the weekends are even worse. All I saw was Jason trying to reason with a guy who had too much to drink. Jason and a couple of other customers helped the guy to the parking lot."

"You let the guy drive home?" Theo asked as he didn't bother to hide his skepticism. "Drunk?"

"No, no, it wasn't like that. There are always a couple of drivers parked in the lot. They do a reliable business here. I’m confident that Jason took the guy's keys and handed them to a driver," Chip replied, clearly not wanting to get one of the other employees in trouble with the law. "This might be a tourist spot, but it's still a small town. People take care of their own around here."

"So the man who Jason helped to the parking lot was a regular?"

"I didn't recognize him," Chip said with a slight shrug before taking two Styrofoam cups off a stack next to a fountain machine. He pulled the red and white lever. "Like I said, you'll want to talk to Jason. Wish I could have been more help. Is there something going on that we should know about?"

It wasn't like Chip would be kept in the dark for long about why a private investigative firm had rented out a lake house. Still, Brook was always leery of giving out too much information. She monitored his movements as he began to fill the other cup with Barq's root beer.

"We'll be back tomorrow to speak with Mr. Bracco." Theo pulled a ten-dollar bill from his pocket and stuffed it in the tip jar. He then grabbed both bags off the counter. Chip made sure the to-go cups were secure before sliding the cardboard cupholder across the hard surface. Brook snatched two straws from the container prior to picking up the drinks. "Have a good night."

It was impossible to miss Chip's smile at the hefty-size tip. A lot of customers didn't tip when picking up takeout orders, but there could be a chance that they would need more information in the immediate future. Mary Jane Reynolds had mentioned Crestlake Bar & Grill as one of her regular weekend hangouts, and there was no better place to sit back and observe one's next victim.

"Depending on where one sits on the back deck of our rental, I bet we have a clear view of the pier," Brook murmured as she fell into step beside Theo. Her black platform pumps were louder against the wooden planks than Theo's running shoes. "It's a public place."

"I'll set up some cameras tonight." Theo nodded toward a couple passing them. "Do you believe the unsub will try to make contact with Mary Jane Reynolds a second time?"

"We don't know that the unsub made contact at all," Brook pointed out as they continued to walk toward the parking lot. There was a small trail that led to the rentals around the lake. "The confrontation with the male subject last weekend was odd enough that it stood out in Mary Jane Reynolds' mind. We can't ignore the run-in, but it stands to reason that the unsub uses the months in between his kills to monitor his victims' routines. If Mary Jane Reynolds decides to frequent this particular establishment in the coming weeks, we're in the perfect place to monitor those in attendance."

"Are you thinking of bringing in outside help?" Theo asked as they stepped off the pier. The path was wide enough that both of them could walk side by side. "You mentioned that the local police assigned an additional patrol car to the area, but is that enough of a security measure?"

"Mary Jane's sister is staying with her for the time being," Brook said as she lifted her face to the evening breeze.

The delicious aromas of the bar and grill hung heavy in the air, and Brook hadn't had a chance to eat during the day. Once she had some sustenance, she would use the rest of the evening hours to dive into the profile.

"If the time comes that we feel Mary Jane Reynolds from Crestlake, Michigan is the unsub's next target, we'll make sure a team is in place. In the meantime, once you have the name and photograph of the inebriated male subject who bothered Mary Jane last weekend, I'm going to need you to make the two-hour drive to Mount Pleasant. We need to re-question the families and friends of the previous victims. With any luck, you'll find something to tie all three cases together before the unsub can claim his next victim."

Chapter Five

Sylvie Deering

May 2024

Thursday — 10:02 pm

The full moon glimmered in the night sky, hanging low and heavy over the serene lake. The reflection danced on the water's surface while a cool breeze rustled through the trees. It was as if nature had paused and taken a deep breath, which was the exact peaceful ambiance that Sylvie had needed this evening. She relished the sound of crickets and the flashing lights of the lightning bugs.

Life was a beautiful thing.

Sylvie reached for the hot cup of tea that she had made before settling comfortably in one of the loungers on the back deck of the rental house. She had dimmed the glowing screen to make it easier to read the pages of text that hopefully held some answers to the list of questions regarding the case. She lightly blew on the surface of her favorite beverage while scanning the statements taken from family members and friends of the victims.

The testimonies taken had detailed the lives cut brutally short, but nothing in the depictions gave any indication that someone new might have entered the lives of the deceased. Brook’s initial profile suggested that the unsub monitored his victims for months. If the unsub hadn’t inserted himself into their lives, someone should have noticed a stranger keeping such close tabs on these particular women.

The soft shush of the sliding glass door cut through the numerous conversations of the crickets. They didn’t seem bothered by the noise, either.

Bit stepped over the threshold with a throw blanket in his hand. His grey knitted hat, crafted by his sister, covered most of his blonde hair. He recently had a trim, but the strands still hung well below his ears. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose so that he couldn’t miss the judgment in her eyes.

“I’m fine, Bit.”

It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the team’s concern for her well-being. They were family to her, and she would have acted in the same manner had one of them been stabbed three times in the abdomen. She didn’t deny that the attack had been brutal and life-changing, but every time one of them treated her differently was a reminder that she had let her guard down.

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