Page 32 of In Her Fears
Jenna felt a chill run down her spine.“Which means there’s a possibility we’re looking at another murder tonight—and potentially another after that.But we still don’t know how they’re selected.”
Melissa’s eyes widened slightly as she absorbed this information.“So you need to act fast.”
“Agreed,” Spelling said.
Silence settled over the lodge as they processed the direness of the situation.
“I’ll contact Chief Morgan,” Spelling said finally.“He needs to know that Holbrook’s murder is part of something larger than just his jurisdiction.”
Spelling pulled out his phone, dialing Chief Morgan’s number.He set the call to speakerphone so everyone could hear the conversation unfold.“Morgan,” he began, his voice firm and direct, “I’ve got Sheriff Graves and Deputy Hawkins on this call, and also the Genesius County coroner.”
“What’s this all about?”
“I need your cooperation on something big.We’ve got a developing situation.”
There was a pause before Morgan’s gruff voice crackled through the speaker.“What kind of situation are we talking about here, Spelling?”
“A serial killer,” Spelling replied bluntly.“Holbrook’s murder likely wasn’t an isolated incident.We have another victim—Alexis Downey.Female, twenty-three years old, found dead this morning in a manner that suggests the same killer.”
Morgan’s voice came back, tinged with disbelief.“You’re saying there’s a connection between Holbrook and this new case?”
“We think so,” Spelling confirmed.“Both scenes were staged almost like performances meant to be discovered.You know how Holbrook was posed.Our latest victim was strangled and suspended from the rafters of an abandoned lodge.Both victims were positioned deliberately.”
“The crime scenes sound different to me,” Morgan said.“Are you sure the killings are connected?”
“I’m sure of it,” Jenna put in.“It appears he’s treating these murders like works of art—masterpieces in his twisted mind.”
A silence fell.Jenna sensed Morgan’s unspoken discomfort with her input—hardly a surprise.
Spelling pressed on, not waiting for Morgan to catch up.“We’re looking at a serial killer who might strike again during this full moon cycle.We need to pool our resources and expand our jurisdictional boundaries if we’re going to stop him.”
Morgan finally spoke, his tone more cooperative now.“Alright, Spelling.What do you need from me?”
“Full cooperation with our investigation,” Spelling replied promptly.“We’ll coordinate efforts between your department and mine to ensure we cover all bases.”
“We need to keep communication open,” Jenna added.“Time is of the essence here, and every detail counts.”
“I’m on board,” Morgan said after a moment’s consideration.“Let’s catch this monster before he claims another victim.”
The call ended with a click.
Melissa rose from beside Alexis’s body.“I need to get her to the morgue.The autopsy may give us more to work with.”
“Of course,” Jenna agreed.“Please call me as soon as you have anything.”
As Melissa’s team prepared to transport the body, Jenna felt the adrenaline that had kept her going ebbing, leaving her light-headed and unsteady.She blinked hard, trying to clear the fog from her vision.
For a moment, the hunting lodge seemed to fade around her, replaced by the endless field of blank canvases from her dream.They loomed in the darkness, floating, waiting for the splash of crimson that would transform them into grotesque art.Again, she detected the smell of turpentine and linseed oil.The woman's voice echoed in her mind: "Find him, before he makes another masterpiece."
“Jenna?You okay?”Jake’s voice cut through the vision, his hand warm on her elbow, steadying her.
She blinked again, and the lodge snapped back into focus—the weathered logs, the dusty floor, the team carefully zipping Alexis into a body bag.
“I’m fine,” she said automatically, though they both knew it wasn’t true.
Spelling was speaking with one of the evidence technicians, his back to them.Jenna took the opportunity to step closer to Jake, lowering her voice.
“I know where we need to go next,” she said, forcing her body to straighten up, to get on with the hunt.
