Page 100 of Aftermath
She still didn’t budge.
I walked toward her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, trying not to startle her. She flinched and jumped away from me, her hand clutching the necklace she’d worn since dinner with her family.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, seeing the look on her face.
She looked back out toward the water and pointed. I followed her finger and finally saw what had held her attention.
Propped against a wooden pole, right next to the water, was a body. The woman looked no older than Len, her head hung, lifeless.
I left Len and rushed over, immediately checking her pulse. The body was barely cold, but I couldn’t find one. She couldn’t have been sitting there longer than an hour. Blood seeped through her shirt, and I saw the wound that ended her life: one stab straight to the chest.
I rushed back to Len, my hands stained red. I was careful not to touch her, instead leading her back to where I knew the rest of the team stood.
The second Grey spotted us rounding the corner, he hurried over.
“There’s a body,” I said in a low tone.
He signaled to the other two agents to follow while I walked Len back to the car. I drove her straight back to the house and waited for Grey to come with an update.It wasn’t until the sun set and I had Len sitting on the couch with a cup of tea that he finally came.
He knocked on the door before letting himself in. He went straight to the kitchen, away from Len. I followed, double checking she was alright before I did.
She’d barely spoken since we got back, still in shock.
“Another victim,“ Grey confirmed. “We found a ring shoved into her mouth like all the others.”
“Do we know who she is or if she has any connections to the other suspects?” I asked.
“The sheriff’s office ID-ed her, but we haven’t found any connections yet,” Grey answered and shook his head. “Our best option is going to be the footage. We checked, and where she was left is a blind spot without cameras on it. We will have to canvas all of the others in the area.”
I wasn’t shocked. The unsub had been careful and calculated thus far. I doubted they’d leave a body in the open if they thought it would get them caught. No, their motivation was solely to leave it for Len. The killer kept us on the phone long enough for us to find that group of warehouses. They knew we’d be there.
“How is she?” Grey asked, and I was taken by surprise at his question.
“As good as she can be.”
“Keep her close,” Grey said. “Make sure she’s alright. I doubt this unsub is done with her.”
I knew he was right. The killer only seemed to escalate when it came to her.
“Let me know the second you have something from the footage,” I said. “I’ll be here, watching over her.”
Grey nodded before he left, and I returned to Len. She sat with her legs pulled up on the couch, both of her cats beside her.
I sat on the other side, careful not to disrupt the felines.
“How are you?” I asked, a simple question, yet also impossible.
I knew it was more than just a one word answer. The entire case revolved around her; I couldn’t imagine what that felt like.
“I just can’t stop thinking about how that could’ve been me,” she admitted. “All of this is happening because of me. The unsub isn’t going to stop killing. It’s my fault. I said the wrong thing on the phone.”
“No, Len,” I stopped her. “That woman would’ve already been dead before you said that. The unsub is taunting you, trying to get a reaction. I know it’s hard, but you have to try to ignore what they’re attempting to wring out of you.”
“I just can’t stop blaming myself,” she sniffled.
I knew nothing I said to comfort her would help, but I wanted to try anyway. “You are not to blame for the Coastal Killer’s actions. You’re as much a victim as any of the others. They’re taunting you because they couldn’t get to you. They know you’re stronger than they are. Don’t let them take that away from you.”
She set aside her tea and moved closer, cuddling into my side. I wrapped an arm around her, holding her until she fell asleep after only a few minutes, exhausted from everything. Shock was mentally draining on a person.
