Page 17 of Shapeshifter's Vengeance

By the time dawn breaks, we have a partial match on the driver. It’s not definitive, but it’s a lead we can follow up on. I gather my team for a briefing, laying out our next steps.

“We’re getting closer,” I tell them, my voice steady. “We’ve got a partial match on the driver. We need to follow up on this, see if we can get a full ID.”

The team nods, determination in their eyes. We’re all tired, but we can’t afford to let everyone down.

As we set out to track down our new lead, I feel a glimmer of hope. We’re not there yet, but we’re making progress. And I won’t stop until Alexei is free, and the real culprit is brought to justice.

Chapter 8: The Press Conference

EVELYN

The atmosphere in the department is tense when a 911 call comes in. I listen intently as the dispatcher relays the message, my heart sinking with each word. Another set of bodies has been discovered. This time, the victims are all men.

“We need to move,” I say, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside. “Everyone, gear up and let’s head to the scene.”

The team moves quickly, and within minutes, we’re in our vehicles, sirens blaring as we speed through the streets of Harmony Grove. My mind races, trying to piece together this new development. This set of murders happening while Alexei is in solitary confinement should exonerate him, but I need to be sure. I needed to win his case with a clean sheet and not leave any space for ambiguity.

We arrive at the scene, a remote clearing just outside town. The sight that greets us is gruesome. The men are hung by their legs, their throats slashed. The metallic scent of blood hangs heavy in the air, mixing with the crisp night breeze. I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what’s ahead.

“Spread out,” I instruct the deputies. “Look for anything that might give us a lead. Gloves on and be careful.”

As the team begins their meticulous search, I approach the bodies wondering why the killer chose these particular men. The killer has escalated, and the brutality of the scene is a reminder of the danger we’re facing. I scan the area, and my Luminara senses are on high alert, hoping to catch any trace of supernatural energy. I barely use them, but now I need all the help I can get.

“Sheriff,” Sam calls out, gesturing me over. “We found something under one of the victim’s nails. Looks like a piece of skin. I think he was the only one who fought back.”

I nod, relief mixing with determination. “Bag it and get it to the lab. I want a DNA match as soon as possible.”

He nods and carefully collects the evidence. I take a step back, surveying the scene. If Alexei is in solitary confinement, there’s no way he could have committed these murders. This is the proof I need, but it’s not enough. I have to prove he wasn’t involved at all in the first set of murders.

“Anything else?” I ask the team as they continue their search.

“Nothing significant so far,” one of the deputies replies, frustration evident in their voice.

“Keep looking,” I say. “We need every clue we can get.”

As the investigation continues, I take a moment to text Ana, updating her on the situation. She replies almost immediately, her concern evident in her words. I reassured her that we were making progress and that Alexei’s innocence was becoming clearer with each step.

The sun begins to rise, casting a pale light over the grim scene. The team is exhausted, but we press on, determined to find any hint of the killer’s identity. Finally, I call them together.

“We’ve done all we can here,” I say, my voice tired but firm. “Let’s get back to the department and see what the lab comes up with. Good work, everyone.”

We pack up and head back, the drive silent as each of us processes the night’s events. Back at the department, I handed the evidence over to the lab technicians and briefed the rest of the team on our next steps.

“We need to dig into the victims’ backgrounds,” I say, pacing the room. “Find out if they had any enemies or connections that might point us in the right direction. And keep an eye out for any patterns. This killer isn’t done yet and he’s taunting us. He left this on my car a couple of days back and now I think they are connected. He said ‘Let the Games Begin’, which means he’s leagues ahead of us when we should be ahead of him.”

The team nods and gets to work. I retreat to my office, staring at the photos of the crime scene and trying to make sense of it all.

A knock on the door interrupts my thoughts. It’s Sam, holding a file.

“Lab results just came in,” he says, handing it to me.

I opened the file and scanned the report. The DNA under the victim’s nails doesn’t match anyone in our database. It’s a small lead, but it’s something.

“Alright,” I say, closing the file. “Let’s run this against any recent arrestees or persons of interest. Maybe we’ll get a hit. Also, check in for new arrivals to Harmony Grove, we could be looking at a visitor commit the murders.”

Sam nods and heads out. I lean back in my chair, my mind racing. The killer is careful, but they just made a mistake this time. We have a piece of them, and it’s only a matter of time before we find out who it belongs to.

My phone buzzes with a message from Ana. The set of victims we just found are vampires, and she just confirmed it from the coroner who is a vampire too. This changes a lot of things. First, it was the Luminara witches and now it’s the vampires. Whoever the killer is, they have it out for every one of us in Harmony Grove.

---