Page 63 of Shattered Sanctuary

Erin was startled to hear Kaely mention this since it was exactly what she’d thought at one time.

Kaely pushed the phone away from her as if she were finished with it. “I’m missing something,” she said to the empty chair. “You hate the angels, you have a religious background, but not one that had solid doctrine. But you’re smart. I’ve seen killers like you before. You like to play games. And you like attention. So why no letters to the local newspaper or to the police? That element should have shown itself by now. There’s something...”

As before, Erin could swear there was a presence in the room. In that chair. She wanted to look at it, but she was afraid.

“I can see him,” Kaely said, swinging her gaze toward Erin. “He’s a little older. Probably late thirties, early forties. Superior. Thinks we’re stupid. He may be able to hide himself from most people, but we can see him.”

“I... I can’t,” Erin said. “I mean, it’s like I can feel someone there, but I...”

“You’re afraid to look. Don’t be. He can’t hurt you, Erin. This is just a way of profiling that helps you to move your thoughts from paper to the real world.Seesomeone a littleolder. Create a man with a superior countenance. Someone who believes he’s smarter than you.”

“You think he’s killed others? Before Sanctuary?” Erin asked.

Kaely shook her head. “No. I think Sanctuary is the place where he was damaged, and he has to kill here. Although most serial killers have a comfort zone, there have been exceptions to that rule. Robert Ben Rhodes was nicknamed the Truck Stop Killer. He raped and murdered women in different states. And the man known as the Train Man, traveled the rails and killed people in different parts of the country. But this man—he is tied to Sanctuary by something. There’s too much symbolism in the way he kills. He’s not killing for the sake of taking lives. I think he grew up here and is angry about it. Angry at the people who raised him, angry at a town that didn’t protect him—and trying to avenge the person he lost.”

“You said you would expect someone like him to leave messages,” Erin said. “To contact the press. When writingDark Matters, you told me that psychopaths crave attention. They want people to know how exceptional they are.”

“Exactly.” Kaely looked at the empty chair once more. “Where is it? Where’s your message?”

Erin looked at the list of the women that had been found in Sanctuary. “Do you think there might be something special about the order he killed them in?”

“Possibly. Can you read me the list of the victims in order?”

Erin opened her notebook. “The oldest corpse belonged to Willow Abbot. Then there was Annie Squires.”

Another gust of wind shrieked loudly and rattled the windows. Erin had the strangest feeling that something outsidedidn’t want her to say the names out loud.Get a grip, Erin. You’re going bonkers.She purposely refused to look at the chair she knew was empty. Why did she feel that someone sat there, staring at her? She cleared her throat. “The next victim is Terri Rupp. After that, there’s Chloe Banner, the first one found with the angel figurine.”

“I’m still a little surprised that he allowed us to find the first three victims without the figurine,” Kaely said slowly. “Most of the time these killers are so obsessed with their signature, that they won’t allow any of their failures to be discovered.”

“But if there’s a pattern or a signature that we’re missing...”

Kaely nodded. “That would explain it.”

“And then the most recent victim, Hailey Duncan.”

Erin could have sworn she heard something coming from the empty chair. A sound, like a low growl. She looked down over by the fire and realized that Chester was staring at them. He was growling at something they couldn’t see.

Erin swallowed hard. She looked down at the names again. She felt as if the blood in her body had turned to ice. She lifted her eyes to meet Kaely’s.

“I know who it is,” she whispered. “And it’s not Detective Johnson.”

Chester growled again.

“I know who the killer is, and I think I’m the next one on his list.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, the lights went out.

FORTY-TWO

“Sit still,” Kaely said. “The generator will kick on.”

But as they sat in the dark, the only light coming from the fireplace, nothing happened. How long would it take the generator to start?

Kaely looked at Erin, whose eyes were wide with fear. How could she know who the killer was?

“If the generator doesn’t come on soon...” Kaely started to say. But suddenly, the lights flickered back on, and noises came from the kitchen. Obviously, from appliances that had restarted.

“Now, tell me what you’re thinking,” Kaely said to Erin.

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