Page 85 of Can You Take It?

Well, that was a whole lot of nothing. Part of me was really hoping Izel was just another victim, not an accomplice or something worse.

Colton is still looking at me, clearly expecting an explanation. I owe him one, but the words are stuck in my throat. Instead of giving him the answer he’s waiting for, I just hand him his phone back.

“Rick?” Colton presses, but I’m already turning my attention back to the files, and thankfully he lets it go.

I start comparing the cases. The weapon of choice in all four cases was a knife. Not exactly groundbreaking in the world ofserial killers, but it’s a start. A commonality that screams for attention.

I dive into the Slasher case file, scanning through the details. The wood identified as the handle material catches my eye – snakewood. A rare, distinctive type of wood that narrows down the possibilities. But here’s the thing – I don’t have the wood samples from the other three cases to compare side by side.

My fingers tap against the desk. Except for Izel what is that one thing that ties these cases together? The knife, yes, but there has to be more. A pattern, a motive, something that links the victims beyond the brutality of their deaths.

I’m engrossed in my investigation, wrestling with the threads of the Ghostface Striker case, when Emily bursts into my office. She thrusts a laptop into my hands.

“Rick, you have to look at this,” she says.

I raise an eyebrow, taking the laptop from her. As my attention shifts to the screen, my eyes lock onto a Facebook memorial page for Angie Swayer. The image that greets me sends a shock through my system, freezing me in place.

“What the fuck...” I mutter under my breath.

Chapter 24

IZEL

I twist off the cap of the water bottle and take a long swig, the cool liquid offering a temporary reprieve from the maelstrom of Luna’s emotions swirling around me. She’s still tied to the chair, but I had to take the sticky gag off to feed her. Of course, she wouldn’t shut up about the dead body in her car.

“You should really work on your survival instincts, Luna. Screaming at the person who has you tied up isn’t exactly a smart move,” I say, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

Luna glares at me. “You’re making a big mistake. Richard and the others will figure this out. They’ll come for me.”

“I want them to,” I say, crouching down to her level.

Luna’s face pales. “Why?”

I pause, considering how much to reveal. “Because the only way I can take care of Liam is if they're occupied chasing ghosts in Hollowbrook.”

Luna’s eyes widen in fear and realization. “What are you going to do to Liam?”

I don’t answer. Instead, I stand up and start pacing, pulling out my phone to review the footage Martin sent me. Luna’s eyes follow me.

“Why is Richard going to Hollowbrook?”

“How did you even find a dead body to distract him?”

I ignore her by focusing on the screen in front of me. The footage shows Liam sitting in a diner, nursing a cup of coffee. Soon, he’ll be off doing whatever odd jobs he can find to survive. After his sister’s death, he spiraled into a cycle of drugs and alcohol. No one is willing to hire him for a steady job, so he takes what he can get. His life is a mess, and it’s all because of me. And that’s why I couldn’t let Richard press charges. Seeing him rot in jail wouldn’t fix anything—it would just be another piece of my guilt to carry. I’m already drowning in it.

“Why the hell is there a dead body in my car?”

Finally, her incessant questions get to me. I feign nonchalance, not in the mood for a heart-to-heart with Luna.

“Oh, just a little something I thought you’d appreciate.”

“Whose dead body is it?”

I take a moment, letting the weight of the silence settle before responding. “Someone I want found. Someone your father failed to save.”

Luna’s teeth grit in frustration. “He didn’t mean for that to happen, and you know it. He wasn’t a monster,” she argues.

“No, Luna, I don’t know. Who’s to say your father wasn’t actually involved?”

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