Page 71 of Girl, Haunted

Another hand. ‘How d’you he’ll target another haunted house?’

‘Because the haunted house location is a crucial component of his ritual. Last night, we saw him drive a victim to a house just to kill her there. This is the one part of his approach that never changes and never will. Also, I spoke to the killer on the phone and he told me directly.’

A third voice. A woman this time. ‘How are we gonna find this guy? Just hide in these houses until we see someone trying to commit murder?’

Fair question, Ella thought. ‘No. We’ve got footage of this unsub, as grainy as it is. The Sheriff will hand out pictures before you all get going. From what we can tell, the perp is between six-two and six-four. Cropped hair. Local accent with a tinge of something from across the border. Slow cadence when he talks, eloquent and speaks with confidence. If you see anyone matching this description, isolate them immediately.’

‘You want him alive or dead?’ one asked.

Ella sucked in a breath. She thought of how she felt when Austin Creed had been handed the death penalty. Ripley always told Ella that death solved one problem but created another.

‘Alive,’ Ella said. ‘The Sheriff’ll assign you to your teams, and those haunts are about to become your second homes. I want you all to know every inch, every trapdoor, every blind corner. Our killer knows them too. Whatever happens, our guy takes his final bow, and whatever else happens, we are the ones who walk out of those haunts. Our killer will be marched out in chains.’

There was a ragged chorus of assent. Even the rookies, green as new grass, looked ready to take a bite out of crime. Or at least go down swinging.

Redmond unfolded himself. 'You heard the lady. Pair up, and I'll tell you where you're headed.'

And as the bullpen burst into contained chaos, Ella sagged. Just a fraction. Just enough for Luca's hand to feel like the only thing holding her up.

‘Quite the pep talk there, partner,’ Luca said. ‘You talk to all the boys like that?’

Ella smiled, despite the circumstances. ‘You jealous again?’

‘A little bit.’

Ella barely had time to catch her breath before a uniform came barreling through the sea of blues, elbowing past his comrades like a running back gunning for the end zone. He skidded to a halt in front of her.

‘Agents, we got a hit,’ he said.

Ella's heart kicked up a notch. ‘A hit? On what?’

‘The vic's car. Amanda Krafton's. Sheriff had me monitoring traffic cams and, well… Someone just called it in. Meter maid. Her white Camaro’s been squatting on a yellow curb all day.’

Adrenaline flooded Ella's system. This could be something.

‘Where?’ The word came out sharper than intended.

‘Stark Street, just off the town square.’

‘Not a common dumping ground?’

‘Definitely not. Closest parking spot to the shops.’

‘How far from Greygate Manor?’

‘Miles,’ the officer said.

Ella turned to her partner and saw the same fire staring back. This was where Amanda Krafton parked her vehicle before the killer had driven her to her death. That meant she’d walked somewhere in that zone before being picked up.

‘Could lead us nowhere,’ Luca said. ‘Could lead us everywhere.’

He was right. This lead was a coin flip, especially being so close to the haunts opening up.

Fifty-fifty odds.

She’d played worse.

‘Hawkins, you wanna go check it out while I rally the troops?’

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