Page 50 of Shapeshifter's Vengeance

I nod, agreeing with her logic. "It’s worth a shot. She might have left something behind in her rush."

Ana, my sister, stands by the door, her expression serious. "I’ll join you. We need all the eyes we can get."

We head out, and the drive to Cassandra's house is silent but charged with anticipation. The place looks untouched from the outside, but as we step in, it's clear she left in a hurry. Drawers were left half-open, and papers are scattered everywhere.

"Let’s get to work," Evelyn says, diving into the search.

We split up, each tackling a different area of the house. I start in the living room, sifting through piles of papers and books. Evelyn heads upstairs while Ana checks the kitchen.

Time ticks by, and the more we search, the more frustrated I get. It feels like a wild goose chase. When I’m about to give up, Evelyn’s voice calls out from upstairs.

"Alexei! Ana! Come here; I found something!"

We rush to the bedroom, finding Evelyn sitting on the bed with a journal in her hands. She flips through it, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"Her last entry was three weeks ago," Evelyn says, showing us the pages. "She mentions a friend, but there's no name."

Ana peers over her shoulder. "An accomplice?"

"Possibly," Evelyn replies. "But there are no other pointers to who it might be."

I think for a moment, then glance around the room. "We should take the journal. There might be more clues we haven't seen yet."

Evelyn nods and tucks the journal under her arm. As we prepare to leave, I notice a piece of clothing draped over a chair. I pick it up, the fabric soft in my hands.

"What do you plan to do with that?" Evelyn asks, curious.

I look at her, an idea forming. "I want Karla to try a locator spell with it. If Cassandra left a trace of her essence, it might help us find her."

Evelyn shrugs. "It's worth a try."

We leave Cassandra's house with the journal and clothing, our only leads. Back at the department, Karla is waiting for us. She has been searching for the dagger without luck. I can see the weariness from her long, unsuccessful day on her face and it motivates me even more to find Cassandra and end the reign of confusion and fear she has had over this town since the first murders.

We exchange greetings, and Evelyn fills her in on our progress. I hand her the piece of clothing and tell her about the locator spell I want her to try.

"I'll need some time to prepare," Karla says, taking the clothing. "But if there's any trace of Cassandra's essence on this, I’ll find it."

Evelyn shows Karla the journal. "Meanwhile, we’ll go through this and see if we missed anything."

Karla nods and heads back to the coven while Evelyn and I return to her office. We sit down at her desk, the journal open between us. We scrutinize every word page by page, looking for hidden meanings or clues.

Evelyn sighs, rubbing her temples. "This friend of hers... it has to be someone we know. Someone with enough power to help her."

I agree, my mind racing with possibilities. "And if they have the dagger, they’re more dangerous than we thought. Something tells me they can even help with the healer part if they were able to help her get such a dagger from the coven unnoticed."

The call comes just before dawn. Another body has been found, and Evelyn and I rush to the scene. I park the car, and we step out into the clearing where the body lies, surrounded by our team and a few onlookers.

Evelyn takes the lead, moving swiftly towards the body. I follow, noting the grim expressions on our colleagues' faces. The victim, a young woman, lies on the ground with the dagger firmly planted in her chest. The sight makes cold blood run through me.

"Evelyn," I say, gesturing towards the dagger. "This has to be the missing dagger Karla mentioned."

She nods, already calling Karla. "We need you here, now. Another body has been found. Yes, the dagger is here too."

Karla arrives swiftly; her expression is as grim as the rest of ours. She kneels beside the body, examining the dagger closely. Her eyes widen as she confirms our suspicions. She pauses for a moment, turning and poking around the body, and she sighs.

"This is the missing dagger," Karla says, her voice tense. "But... it wasn't the cause of death. It was placed here post-mortem. They are trying to throw us off or something."

Evelyn frowns. "Then how did she die?"

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