Page 50 of Once Broken
CHAPTER TWENTY
Hayes’ mouth dropped open at Riley’s sudden announcement.
“Lucy Morgan—the next victim?”he echoed.
“That’s right,” Riley told him.
Hayes’ chair scraped against the floor as he shot to his feet, any skepticism about Riley’s theory vanishing in the face of a potential third victim.He snatched his cellphone from the desk, already punching in a number as he strode toward the door.
“I’m assembling a team now,” Hayes called over his shoulder.“Go ahead and use whatever resources you need here in the office.I’ll be back once I have officers mobilized.”
The door swung shut behind him, his voice carrying down the hallway as he barked orders into his phone.Riley and Ann Marie exchanged a look.They understood that minutes might be the difference between finding Lucy Morgan alive or adding her name to their victim list.
“We have to assume we’re already behind,” Riley said.“Our killer has been methodical, precise, and is moving fast.”
Ann Marie nodded, moving to Hayes’ abandoned computer and sitting down at the keyboard.“I’ve been thinking about the pattern.Veronica Slate was killed in a re-creation of a scene fromThe Night Walker,directed by Weston Black in 1954.Crystal Keene’s killing was like a scene fromThe Broken Window,directed by Chip Raines in 1957, who we now know was actually Weston Black working under a pseudonym.”
“There’s a chronology,” Riley agreed.“The killer is working through Black’s filmography in order.”
“Which means the next murder scene...”Ann Marie paused.
“Would come from Black’s next film afterThe Broken Window,”Riley said, finishing Ann Marie’s thought.
“Yes—Shadows at Dusk,released in 1958.”Ann Marie said, peering at the screen as she typed.“Directed by Weston Black under the name of Chip Raines.It was his last film before being permanently blacklisted.”
Ann Marie quickly navigated to a film database, searching for“Shadows at Dusk, 1958.”The page loaded, revealing a black and white poster showing a silhouetted figure standing in what appeared to be a church doorway, a shaft of light cutting across the darkness.
“Film noir with religious overtones,” Riley murmured, reading over Ann Marie’s shoulder as she scrolled through the synopsis.“A detective investigating a series of murders in a small town discovers corruption within the local church.”
Her eyes skimmed the text, searching for any scene that might serve as inspiration for their killer.
Ann Marie tapped on the screen and read aloud: "Most controversial was the film’s climactic scene, in which the female lead—played by Patricia Nelson—is strangled on the altar of the church sanctuary by the corrupt minister.The brutal sequence, with its sacrilegious setting, caused outrage among religious groups and was partially censored in some markets."
“The altar of a church sanctuary,” Riley repeated, a chill settling in her stomach.She glanced at Ann Marie.“That’s where our killer is taking Lucy Morgan—if she isn’t already dead.”
“But which church?”Ann Marie asked the practical question.“Atlanta has hundreds of churches.”
Riley’s mind was racing now.“It would need to fit specific criteria.It needs to resemble the church in the film.It needs to be accessible, but private enough that the killer could bring Lucy inside without being seen.”
“We should pull up images from the film,” Ann Marie suggested.“See if we can match the church interior to any local churches.”
“Good idea, but that could take hours,” Riley said, running a hand through her hair.“We’ll need Hayes to help us narrow our search of churches, but he’s got his hands full at the moment.In the meantime, we need to check out another important angle.”
Ann Marie tilted her head.“Weston Black’s descendants.”
“Exactly,” Riley nodded.“This revenge is personal—recreating scenes from Black’s films to punish those connected to the people who destroyed his career.If we find his descendants...”
“We might find our killer,” Ann Marie finished.She turned back to the computer, working at the keyboard.“I’ll see what I can find.”
Riley watched as Ann Marie navigated through various databases, her skills as a researcher evident in the way she quickly accessed records and cross-referenced information.Riley felt a jolt of hope.While Hayes was busy organizing his search team, she and Ann Marie might be able to identify their suspect.
“Weston Black died in 1965,” Ann Marie murmured, eyes fixed on the screen.“He had one child—a daughter named Myra, born in 1950.”She continued typing, pulling up additional records.“Myra Brooks, née Black.Married Clyde Brooks in 1985.They had one child, a daughter named Sarah, born in 1990.”
Riley felt a flicker of recognition at the name.“Sarah Brooks?”
“Yes,” Ann Marie confirmed, still scanning the information.“Clyde Brooks died in 1995.Myra Brooks died in 2010, which leaves Sarah Brooks as Weston Black’s only living descendant.Why does that name sound familiar?”
Riley snapped her fingers with realization.“Yesterday, when Gillian Sinclair was showing us around the studio...”
