Page 27 of Silent Prey

What was the meaning of these animal parts? What was the killer trying to communicate?

“He likes to use the parts of animals native to the area,” Finn mused, crouching down next to the macabre offering. “Could be some kind of twisted tribute.”

Sheila nodded. Her mind, however, was on other mysteries. She bent over the body, examining Diana’s throat. No bruises. Her hair was wet, however, and her mouth was crusted with salt, suggesting she’d been drowned.

Just like two of the other victims.

“He’s back to his regular MO,” she murmured. “The strangling was probably an aberration—something went wrong, and he was doing his best to adjust.”

She peered along the beach, where she could see two pairs of long, loping strides: one barefoot, the other clad in sneakers.

“He chased her down,” she said softly.

“Must have been quite a runner,” Janice said. “According to Miss Morales’s friends, she was a college track runner. Used to run this trail for practice."

Sheila nodded, her eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Maybe this wasn’t just about control. Maybe he wanted a challenge.”

Finn nodded, his eyes glinting in the flashlight's glow. "He's evolving," he observed grimly. "His confidence is growing."

Sheila turned her attention back to Janice. “Did you find an antelope carcass nearby, by any chance?” She was thinking of the dead badger they’d discovered not far from Bethany Cole’s body.

Janice shook her head. “No, nothing like that. We did an initial sweep of the area before you arrived, but we didn't come across any signs of a recent kill."

Sheila sighed in frustration. The lack of immediate clues was troubling—it suggested the killer was getting better at hiding his tracks.

“Make sure nobody touches the heart until the ME gets here,” Finn said. “There’s no telling what we might learn from it.”

Janice nodded. “Of course.”

Sheila scanned the forest, wondering where Diana had first encountered her killer, before she started running. “You said two of Diana’s friends reported her missing?”

“That’s right,” Janice said, carefully avoiding the body with her eyes. “They were hiking together, the three of them. The other two are Haley and Lena. Haley was an intern with Diana at Saint Ives, where Diana worked.”

“Where are they now?” Finn asked.

“Back at the station, giving their statements. They were pretty shaken up, and understandably so.”

Sheila nodded, her eyes still scanning the forest. They would need to head back and question the two friends right away, while their memory was still fresh.

“We’re gonna head over and talk to them,” Sheila said. “Let us know if you find anything else.”

Janice nodded, her eyes softening. “I hope you find whoever is doing this, because until you do…nobody’s going to feel safe on this island.”

“And I’m sure he knows it,” Finn said grimly.

As Sheila and Finn walked away, following the winding path back through the wilderness, Sheila thought of the animals the killer had used with his victims so far: a snake, a badger, a bighorn sheep, a pronghorn antelope. Each animal bigger than the last.

But what in the world was the significance of that?

***

A cloud had settled over Sheila by the time she and Finn reached the ranger station where Diana’s two friends, Haley and Lena, were sipping tea while a ranger finished typing up the official report.

I sure hope they got a good look at the killer, she thought. In her heart, however, she doubted the killer would have made such a careless mistake. The more Sheila learned about him, the more convinced she became that he was the most dangerous of killers: ruthless but under control at the same time.

The ranger station was a simple, rustic building, its wood paneling blending with the surrounding trees. Inside, it was warm and illuminated by the soft glow of several lamps. The ranger in charge, a scruffy fellow missing two fingers on his left hand, nodded at Sheila and Finn as they entered.

“You the two deputies working this investigation?” he asked.

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