Page 24 of Forensics of a Fable

“Take your time.”

“Wolf is my youngest,” she started, patting the Shepard’s head affectionately. “He has too much energy, but it works out since I’m training for a marathon. We run every morning on these trails, but halfway through our workout today, he dragged me in a different direction. That’s when I found the cabin.”

Bel’s stomach clenched. “Did you go inside?”

“No, but the structure is crumbling. I saw the body through the slats, and I called the station immediately.”

“Do you always run this far from town?” Bel asked. “These trails are secluded.”

“No. We normally jog where that hiker was killed, but with a bear on the loose, I figured here was safer.”

“Did you see anything unusual this morning? Other people? A car, maybe.”

“No,” Portia answered. “It was still dark since I usually exercise before work. All I know is Wolf noticed the body, and then I called 911.”

“Where is your car?”

“Down the trail a bit.” Portia pointed toward the squad cars barreling up the hill. “This is as far as you can drive, but there’s a nice lookout about a quarter mile down. It’s the easiest place to park.”

Griffin nodded and motioned for a deputy to double-check Portia’s statement.

“I wish I could be of more help,” she said as Gold approached, the sheriff speaking low to catch Bel’s partner up. “If Wolf hadn’t alerted me, I wouldn’t have known that old hunting shed was up here. All these State Parks are so big.”

“State Park?” Bel asked, hoping this actually was a park and not the Reale Estate.

“Um…” Griffin paused. “I think so, but I’ll get the station to double-check.”

“Thanks.” Bel turned back to the vet and shook her hand. “Thank you for your time. A deputy will take your official statement, and we’ll be in touch if we have any more questions.”

“Thank you, Detective.” Portia stepped toward the waiting deputy as the techs moved up the hill. “I’ll see you at your dog’s appointment.”

Bel nodded, patting Wolf’s soft head before walking to the crumbling structure.

“A second one?” Gold whispered as she fell into step with her partner. “And so soon after the first? I don’t like this. You don’t think we have a…” she trailed off.

“I hope not,” Bel answered. “I really hope not.”

The detectives paused as the deputies established a perimeter, donning protective gear while they waited. No one spoke beyond what was necessary, and when the techs signaled they were ready, Bel stepped forward and swung the crumbling door wide.

The hunting cabin was a single room, forcing their focus to the scene dominating the space. Just like Alana Drie, a young woman dressed in a vintage nightgown sat at a table. A half-eaten bowl of porridge sat before her, and Olivia gagged softly at the sight of the spoon still sticking out of the thick breakfast. But that wasn’t what caught Bel’s attention. It wasn’t Jane Doe’s unharmed skin or brown hair. Her clean feet or the lividity that peaked out from beneath her nightgown. No, the sight that captivated Bel and rooted her to the floor was the furniture. Furniture that, unlike the first crime scene’s too-large pieces, was impossibly small, making the victim look like a giant.

“A girl too small.A girl too big,” Gold whispered. “We didn’t interrupt a ritual, did we?”

“No.” Bel shook her head as the horror of their new reality dawned on her. Both girls dressed and posed exactly the same, the only difference the furniture. Furniture too large and now too little. There was a pattern, an intention, a design. The killer had planned for this. The only question was, had he planned more?

“Morning, Detectives,” Lina Thum said as she settled beside them. “Good God.” She cursed, leaning forward without stepping into the cabin. “The smaller furniture almost makes this worse.”

“I know,” Gold whispered.

“I see lividity peeking out from the sleeves of her nightgown.” Lina looked pointedly at Bel. “She died in that chair.”

“After you.” Bel extended an arm, and Thum moved inside. “Can I have everyone’s attention?” Bel shouted as she faced the surrounding teams. “Much like the first scene, this cabin’s floor is a mess. We’re going to walk single file to ensure we don’t disturb any potential evidence. I’ll ask you to do the same. The less transference, the better, and I want us to catalog everything. Once was a phenomenon, but now there’s a pattern. We need to find who did this before they strike again.”

The crowd nodded their understanding, and the detectives waited for Lina’s official declaration of death before they slipped inside.

“Would you?” Bel pointed to Jane Doe’s left arm since the only person permitted to touch the body was the medical examiner, and Lina obliged her, gently pulling back the nightgown’s sleeve.

“Just like Alana Drie,” Thum said as a small puncture wound came into view.

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