Page 64 of Evidence of a Folktale

“Storm the front desk with fans,” Griffin said.

“There was no DNA on the letter,” Bel continued. “The envelope was a peel and seal, and even though it was handwritten, there were no prints. Techs are running a handwriting analysis, but without something to compare it to, we won’t get an ID.”

The sheriff cursed. “So, we have nothing.”

“So far? No. But the killer attacked Rossa and Roja at night,” she continued. “Miss Monroe hasn’t left the bed-and-breakfast after work since she visited me, so we need to change tactics. We need to bait him at night.”

“That’s out of the question.”

“But—”

“I said no, Emerson. I’m not letting you or Miss Monroe die on my watch. Having you shadow her on set is one thing. Feeding you to the wolves will never happen.”

“But we’re getting nowhere,” Bel said. “Thankfully, we’ve had no more deaths, but we’re at a standstill.”

“Maybe not,” Olivia interrupted for the first time since she’d entered the office. “Lina called. She ran tests on the fur found during Ellery Roja’s autopsy. It was canine.”

“Canine?” Griffin repeated. “So we’re looking for someone with a dog.”

“Probably not,” Bel said. “The bodies were clean.Noprints, no defensive wounds,notrace evidence. The killer leftnothing butblood, the red cloak, and those little boxes, yet suddenly there’s dog fur present? The Wolf,” she said, and the office fell quiet as the realization sank in. “It was The Wolf. I think he’s telling us he’s responsible.”

“No new letter.No new murders. Do you think The Wolf’s gone?” Taron asked as she mimicked how Bel drew her weapon. “Or are there too many cops on set?”

“He’s still here,” Bel said. The case had grown cold over the past few days, and The Wolf had returned to his silence. “The murders were leading to something. He isn’t done. He just hasn’t found a way to reach you yet.”

“Because I don’t leave the bed-and-breakfast?” Taron asked, making a big show of practicing her gun draw before they started shooting the next scene. “Gwen and Ellery died because they were alone in the middle of the night. We should try walking around in the dark.”

“Trust me, I presented that idea already, but my boss shot it down,” Bel laughed.

“Oh well. I just feel useless. We’re doing all of this for nothing.”

“You’re still alive. I wouldn’t call that nothing.”

“True. I just meant—” Taron screamed as Officer Rollo appeared out of nowhere and yanked her violently against his chest. She beat against him, her fists pounding his torso as she fought to free herself, and Bel’s fingers instinctively twitched closer to her sidearm when an earsplitting crash shattered the silence.

“Oh my god!” Bel leaped backward as a light crashed to the ground right where Taron had been standing. If Rollo hadn’t pulled her out of the way…

“Are you okay?” Bel sidestepped the debris as the entire cast and crew turned their alarm towards the trio.

“Yeah,” Taron’s voice shook as she clung to the handsome deputy. “That light almost killed me. You saved my life.” She flung her arms around Rollo’s neck.

“Just doing my job, ma’am,” Rollo said as he peered at Bel over the top of the actress’ head. Bel noddedherthanks, and the man shrugged as if he hadn’t heroically rescued THE Taron Monroe from being crushed to death.

“It’s him,” Taron sobbed as she released the officer to grab Bel’s hands. “It was The Wolf.”

“The Wolf?” Bel scanned the set for Eamon, but she couldn’t find him. Thank goodness Rollo had been close instead. “But how did he sneak ontosetand tamper with the lights without anyone noticing?”

“It was him,” Taron insisted. “He tried to kill me.”

“With a light?” Bel asked. “I doubt it.”

“He can’t kill me like Gwen and Ellery because I never leave the bed-and-breakfast, so he did this.” Taron gestured to where Rollo was helping clean up the crash. He was certainly the man of the hour. He’d saved the actress and was knowledgeable enough to handle the set lights. And he was gorgeous. Bel needed to steer Taron away from him before she started trying to date Violet’s man.

“This was just a careless accident,” Bel said, Orion Chayce suddenly popping into her mind. His mishap landed him in prison, and while he might not be the guilty party, the only people who could’ve killed that technician were crew members. Similarly, if this falling light wasn’t an accident, the only way The Wolf could’ve gained access to it was if he belonged on set.

“Oh my god, my dear!” The director Warren Rouge rushed for Taron, ushering everyone to the far wall while the crew handled the mess, and the lighting technicians banished the helpful Rollo back to his guard post.Seemedthey didn’t want to accept responsibility for any more accidents his lack of expertise might causedespite the fact thatheapparentlyknew what he was doing. He obliged the techs, though, and with a nod at Bel and another checkup on the actress, he left to resume his post at the outside perimeter. He must havecome insideto use the restroom and noticed the light’s precarious position. Eamon was unexpectedly absent, so without Rollo’s heroics, more than glass would need to be cleaned up. Unless…

Bel backed away from the swarming crowd, a horrifying idea growing roots in her brain.

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