Page 81 of Reclaimed

“Yeah. Old coworker but she moved on from Eve’s around the same time Isla did.”

Silas scratches his chin. “I should talk to her. See if there’s anyone from her old club that she thinks could be capable of this sort of thing. I’m not investigating of course, since it’s outside my jurisdiction, but it wouldn’t hurt to chat and see if anything comes up.”

“I can ask if she’d be up for it.”

“You should ask her if she’s ever seen this before. This isn’t supposed to be public.” He yanks out his notepad and pen from his breast pocket.

The image is a short line ending with an X.

“Is that an arrow?” Corjan asks. “Or maybe like X marks the spot?”

“It’s the only mark he leaves on them. He’s been carving it into their thumbs.”

“You mentioned this before.” I lift a shoulder in a shrug. “It could just be a calling card.”

Silas tears the sheet from his notebook and hands it to me. “I know I did, but she might have a different idea.”

“It looks like a magic wand.” Corjan furrows his brow and squints at the drawing.

“What, you think he’s pretending to be a fucking wizard?” Silas jests.

Corjan doesn’t stop staring at the drawing. “It has five points, like a star.”

A star.

Stella.

Star.

My mind works over the possibility. No. It’s too far out there. “I don’t think so. Why would it be so big on one side if he was going for a star?” I immediately dismiss the notion.

Corjan shrugs. “I’m just trying to help.”

Silas flips his notebook a few pages and jots something down. “It’s not bad. You might be right, Aiden. It might be just his way of leaving his mark on the victims. Something personal to him.”

“Let’s hope it’s nothing more sinister.” I swipe my beer from the bar.

Silas’s radio crackles to life, spitting out a familiar sounding street address.

“Looks like duty calls.” He kicks his stool back beneath the bar.

“What was that?” I half rise as if I’m about to follow him out the door. And if I heard what I think I did, I’m about to do just that.

“Break-in. Cloverleaf Lane.” Silas mutters something into his radio.

“Fucking hell. That’s what I thought you said.”

“Whoa, hold up, Powell. I can’t take you for a citizen’s ride. You haven’t passed a background check.”

“I’m not going with you, Silas. I’m following you.”

“Why?” Corjan stands, ready to run out the door with me.

“Because that’s where Isla lives.”

“Ah, shit. Ruben!” Corjan calls, I assume to close the tab, but I’m already out the door. Hot on Silas’s heels.

“You’re going to get me in trouble, Powell.”

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