Page 6 of Carnival Shadows

Settling into the chair at my desk, I open my laptop and start digging. If Eden Love wants to play reporter, I’ll investigate her back. It doesn’t take long to find her website, all sleek design and perfectly polished headshots. Her bio reads like a damn resume—degrees in journalism and psychology, awards for her podcast, and guest lectures at universities.

There’s something off about the way she smiles in her photos. It’s too practiced, too controlled, like a mask she’s carefully constructed to hide what lurks beneath.

I scroll through her social media next, but it’s more of the same: Curated posts about her latest episodes, stylized photos at crime scenes and courthouses—nothing real, nothing giving any honest insight into her—past or present.

She’s good at this game, I’ll give her that, but I’ve been playing it far longer than she has.

I lean back in my chair, considering my next move. If she wants an interview, maybe it’s time to give her one, but on my terms.

A slow smile spreads across my face as a plan forms. Ms. Eden Love thinks she’s in control here but has no idea what she’s stumbled into. And by the time she figures it out, it’ll be too late.

Game on, little hunter. Game on.

5

REMY

Ilean against the wall of Tyson’s office the day after my run in with Eden Love, arms crossed as Lars paces the cramped space.

“We can’t have this bitch sniffing around,” Lars says, running a hand through his dark hair. “Taking photos, asking questions.”

“Eden Love.” Phoenix’s voice crackles through the laptop speakers. He prefers not to leave his den unless forced, more so since he met Tilly, preferring to join meetings virtually. “Her podcast Shadow Stories has a pretty big following. She’s good at connecting patterns.”

“The forum’s gone now,” Phoenix continues. “I wiped it clean. But she’d already found the connection between our routes and the missing people cases.”

Tyson drums his fingers on his desk. “She won’t stop asking for an interview with the crew for her podcast. Says she’s doing a feature on carnival life.”

“Deny it,” Lars snaps. “We can’t risk?—”

“No.” I push off from the wall. “Let her interview. We feed her what we want her to hear and keep her close where we can watch her.”

“Remy’s right,” Tyson says. “Better to guide the narrative than have her digging on her own. Phoenix, dive deeper into Eden. I want to know everything about Ms. Love.”

“Already on it.” Phoenix’s typing echoes through the speakers. “Her podcast focuses on criminal psychology. She’s got credentials—a degree in forensic psychology, consulting work with law enforcement. Still, there’s something off about some of her correspondence with inmates.”

I smile. Of course, there is. I saw it in her eyes that day—she’s not just studying the darkness. She’s drawn to it. Wants to touch it. Taste it.

“I’ll handle her interview,” I tell Tyson.

The others might see a threat to eliminate. I see potential.

“Why you?” Tyson’s eyes narrow, studying my face. “You never volunteer for this kind of shit.”

I push away from the wall, stretching my shoulders. “Because I know her type. The ones who get too close to the edge, desperate to understand the monsters they study. She’s not here for a story about carnival life.”

“No?” Lars crosses his arms.

“She wants to understand the darkness.” I tap my temple. “But what she really wants is to feel it. To know what it’s like to be the predator instead of analyzing it from a safe distance.”

Tyson leans back in his chair. “You sound pretty confident about that assessment.”

“The way she watched me working. Clinical at first, then...” I remember the shift in her eyes when our gazes met across the fairground. “Something changed, like a mask slipping.”

“Speaking of our curious reporter,” Phoenix’s voice crackles through the speaker. “I can see from the security feed that she’s in the main tent right now, hoping for that interview.”

A smile tugs at my lips. Perfect. “Then we shouldn’t keep her waiting.”

“Remy.” Tyson’s voice stops me at the door. “Don’t play with this one too long. We need her managed, not entertained.”

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