Page 20 of Girl, Haunted

‘This is where Gregory Van Allen was killed,’ she said.

Redmond nodded. ‘Yup. Stabbed in the stomach.’

Ella eyeballed the dark stain on the floor like it was a riddle scrawled in blood. The Screamatorium had probably seen its share of fake gore over the years, but this was the real deal. Gregory Van Allen had bled out here, alone in his own house of horrors.

‘How did our killer get Van Allen in here?’ she asked. ‘Is it normal for the owner to come strolling through – alone?’

‘According to the guy who found the body, yes. Van Allen always did one last sweep of the place before closing up.’

‘Who was this guy?’ Ella asked.

‘Name’s Jeremy, an admin worker here. Before you ask, he’s got a solid alibi.’

Luca, always the details man, was busy cataloging the room's half-assed decor. ‘Props are cheap, but big enough to hide behind. I’m just wondering how our killer managed to isolate Van Allen and leave no witnesses.’

‘Yeah, Van Allen was a cheapskate when it came to props, but he apparently blew his budget on actors. Guys in masks who’d chase the punters around. All that kind of stuff.’

The gears in Ella's head started turning, grinding out a theory. ‘Okay, so there’s our first port of call. Those actors must know that Van Allen sweeps the rooms before leaving, so maybe one of them hid in here and ambushed him?’

‘Didn’t even have to hide,’ Luca added. ‘Could have just stayed late for whatever reason.’

‘We’ve got a list of the actors back at the precinct. Haven’t had a chance to interview them all yet.’

Luca, meanwhile, was frowning at the ceiling like it had just insulted his mother. ‘Guys, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the Chamber of Reflections have a distinct lack of cameras?’

Ella followed his gaze, scanning the exposed rafters. ‘It had some, they just weren’t turned on.’

‘Well, I’m not seeing a single camera in here at all. Didn’t see any on the way in, either.’

He was right. No cameras, no witnesses, no watchful eye keeping tabs on the goings-on inside the Screamatorium.

‘No, the admin guy said there’s no CCTV in here. Said there wasn’t any point because they never had any trouble.’

Ella wasn't buying what the sheriff was selling. Her gut was doing cartwheels, the kind that suggested something was rotten in the state of Oregon. Even libraries had CCTV these days.

‘Hold the phone,’ Ella said. ‘You’re telling me that Van Allen, a man who made his living by making people crap their pants, didn’t put up cameras in here?’

Sheriff Redmond, to his credit, managed to look only slightly offended. The man had the poker face of a seasoned gambler, but Ella could see the cracks starting to form. ‘I’m just relaying what Jeremy said. Don’t forget, this isn’t Chicago or New York or wherever. Some people are old school around here.’

‘It does seem odd,’ Luca added. ‘Van Allen has people in masks running around, potentially getting physical with strangers. Without cameras, the guy could drown in lawsuits if something went wrong. Or if an actor went too far.’

‘Maybe that’s exactly why hedoesn’thave cameras,’ Redmond said.

Ella couldn’t put her finger on it, but eighteen months of working beside Ripley had taught her to catalog every scene – murder scene or not – as though it was a magician’s stage. If something seemed surplus to requirement, there was usually a reason for it.

And right now, she couldn't tear her eyes off that stupid monkey with the flashing eyes.

And the porcelain doll. And the pumpkin mannequin. And the John Wayne Gacy face. They all seemed unnecessary additions. Misdirection. It was like finding a Rolex in a dollar store.

‘Sheriff,’ she said, ‘mind if I take a look at this little monkey over here?’

‘Go ahead. Forensics team have been and gone.’

Ella gloved up, made her way over to her new primate friend. Up close, the thing looked even weirder. Matted fur on top of thin plastic, held in two parts with tiny screws. Maybe it wasn’t the animatronic marvel she’d first thought.

She turned it to face the wall for a second, and the light in the eyes died out.

Another spin back in her direction, and they glowed red once again.

---