Page 41 of So Silent

“We’ll think of a name. Something cool. Ooh, how about K9 Kop?”

“I think they have that too.”

“Damn it. Well, we’ll come up with something.”

She laughed again. Then an idea came to her. “Hey, maybe you actually can help.”

“Oh yeah? Shoot.”

“So our victims all have exceptional hearing,” Faith said. “Think humans who can hear dog whistles.”

“Dog whistles?”

“Yeah. I’m trying to find a killer who might be connected to all of the victims because of their hearing. I’m convinced that the killer’s luring them to him with some sort of high-frequency sound device.”

“Why not a dog whistle?”

“It might be a dog whistle. I’m just trying to think about how that connects back to our victims.”

“Hmm… Did any of them have dogs?”

“No, but they had neighbors who had dogs. That’s what led us to the connection, actually.”

“The dogs all freaked out when the murders were committed.”

“Yeah.”

“Well… I don’t know if I can help you figure out a killer other than that it could be anyone who owns a five-dollar dog whistle. But you might get a lead if you have PD help you.”

“Help me with what?”

Have them put out a public service bulletin to call the police if citizens hear or see dogs behaving strangely. Then, the police follow up on any calls that seem legit. It's a bit like using a sledgehammer to pick a lock, but if the door opens either way, does it matter if you pick the lock or smash the door?"

A grin spread across Faith’s face. “I guess not. Damn, babe. That’s actually a good—”

The sliding balcony door interrupted her. She turned around to see Michael staring at her. His expression wiped the grin from her face. “Faith, there’s been another murder.”

The glow in Faith’s heart went out instantly. “God damn it.”

“What is it?” David asked. “Faith, are you okay?”

“Yeah. I mean, no. I mean… there's been another murder."

“Oh God. I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah,” she said, her shoulders slumping. “Me too. I have to go.”

She hung up and pressed her palm to her face. She allowed herself two seconds of emotion, then pulled her hand away and said, “All right. I’ll get dressed.”

This was a crushing blow, but she was determined to follow David’s advice. She wouldn’t dwell on her own disappointment. She would focus on finding their killer.

And just like with every killer before, she would find them. No matter what it took.

Chapter Twenty

Once more, the pattern Faith had observed was challenged by a crime scene. Rather than kill the victim in an even more public place than a neighborhood street, the killer had stabbed her in her own garage.

In a way, that was another form of escalation. He had broken into her house. He had entered Rebecca Wells’s unlocked studio, but entering someone’s home was somehow more personal, at least from Faith’s perspective.

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