Page 21 of Shattered Sanctuary

“Well, at least their families will have closure,” Kaely said. “Although, I’ve never thought closure was everything it’s cracked up to be.”

“I agree.” Erin stood up. “Let me take our plates into the kitchen. Then we’ll talk a little more about the photos.” She paused for a moment before saying, “I’m hoping you’ll do your... thing. You know, your way of profiling. The one you told me about?”

“Maybe not tonight. I want to go through what we have first. And, I’d like to know more about these victims. After I get that information, I’ll show it to you. Just remember that this really isn’t the way FBI behavioral analysts do their job. It’s a procedure I came up with on my own.”

“I understand. I’m just really interested in seeing...” Erin stopped talking when she heard a noise coming from outside. It wasn’t loud, but it was clear enough.

It was the sound of a woman sobbing.

SIXTEEN

Adrian thew away the cartons of Chinese food from his supper. He’d eaten while going over his notes about the events of the morning. As he walked away from the trash can and headed back to the living room to look for something—anything—that made sense about the murders, he suddenly realized that if anyone had asked him what he had for dinner, he couldn’t have told them. He wanted nothing more than to find the person behind the killings and to bring them to justice. Adrian felt intense pressure to prove he wasn’t just some small-town police chief who didn’t know what he was doing. His decision to come back to Sanctuary had been right. He was happy here, even though he was still single and hadn’t found the woman he was waiting for. He felt confident God had someone for him, although he sometimes wished He would hurry up.

He sighed loudly, causing his dog, Jake, to raise his head and stare at him.

“Sorry, pal. Go back to sleep.”

These murders... He saw them as an attack against the town he loved. A threat to the peace and strength he’d foundhere. This mystery had to be solved. The town and its citizens were counting on him. He had no intention of letting them down.

He poured another cup of coffee and had just sat down again when the phone rang. Erin. When he answered, she sounded somber but concerned.

“What can I do for you, Miss Delaney?” he said.

“Sorry to bother you again, Chief,” she said. “I know we just spoke a few minutes ago.... This might sound a little nuts, but there’s something in the woods. I-I’ve heard it twice. At first, I thought I was imagining it. But tonight, Kaely heard it too. And we both saw something.”

“You heard and saw something in the woods?” he repeated slowly. “I’m not sure what you mean. You know we have all kinds of animals out here, right? Including bears?”

There was silence on the other end of the phone until he heard Erin clear her throat. “It’s not a bear. Look, last night and tonight I heard something that sounded like a woman crying. It was loud enough for us to hear it from inside the cabin. Tonight, Kaely and I both looked outside. There was someone... someone standing near the tree line in front of the cabin. We couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman. The person wore something like a long, dark cloak. But it... it glowed. Kaely wanted to go outside to check it out, but I stopped her. I was afraid it might be dangerous. Maybe connected to the killings. That’s why I’m calling you. Just in case.”

Adrian felt a flash of irritation. Did they think this was funny? Two sophisticated women jerking the chain of the local police chief? But as soon as the thought entered his head, he dismissed it. The women he’d met today wouldn’tdo anything like that. They were both serious and professional.

“I don’t know what you saw,” he said. “If you think you’ve seen the Woman in Watcher Woods, I can guarantee you that you’re mistaken. There’s no such thing. It’s a stupid story concocted a long time ago, based on a terrible tragedy.”

“We realize that,” Erin said sharply. “I mean, I’m not sure if ghosts are real, but I seriously doubt that they stand around outside, trying to get attention. My first reaction was that someone is playing a joke on us. But with what happened not far from here, it’s certainly not funny, and there’s a slight possibility it could be something more serious. As I said, that’s why I called you.”

Although Adrian rather doubted that what they’d seen and heard had anything to do with the serial killer, if it was someone playing a joke, it needed to stop.

“Is this... person still there?” he asked.

“Not the last time we looked. We were watching her when she suddenly disappeared.” She sighed dramatically. “Yes, I know how that sounds too, but that’s what happened. Could you please send someone out here? See if they can find anything in the woods that proves somebody was out there? Kaely and I came here for rest and relaxation. Not to be the victims of some kind of practical joke.”

Adrian had no intention of sending one of his officers out in the cold this late to follow up on aghost sighting.“I’ll come and check things out. To be honest, any sightings we’ve had of the Woman in Watcher Woods have been from teenagers having fun or tourists who have had too much to drink.”

“I can assure you that Kaely and I haven’t been drinking,” Erin snapped. “If we hadn’t actually seen someone out there, we wouldn’t have called.”

“I understand,” Adrian said. “I didn’t mean to imply anything. If you say you saw something, I believe you. And you’re right. After finding a body in the woods, it pays to be careful. Don’t leave your cabin. I’ll be there soon. Please make sure all your doors are locked and don’t open them for anyone except me. Okay?”

“All right,” Erin said, her voice shaking slightly.

Instantly, Adrian felt guilty. She really was nervous. He said good-bye and hung up. Then he got his gun, put it in his holster, and grabbed his jacket. Jake whined and cocked his head to one side, making it clear he wanted to come with him. At first, Adrian started to say no, but Jake had spent a lot of time alone today. A ride in the car would do him good.

“Okay, you can come, boy,” he said.

Jake’s ears straightened up, and he rewarded Adrian with a wide smile. His fluffy golden retriever’s tail thumped loudly on the floor. Adrian smiled at him.

“Wanna find a ghost?” he asked.

He might as well have asked him if he wanted a thick, juicy steak. Jake’s joy was just as exuberant. On his next day off, Adrian vowed to spend some quality time with his best friend. It had been a while since they’d gone for a hike or even a long car ride into Edgewood where his friend Martin lived. Martin’s dog, Fancy, and Jake were great pals, and he hadn’t seen her in a couple of months. He’d call Martin tomorrow and set something up.

---