Page 59 of Girl, Undone
This was no longer just about the fear he could instill in others; it was a test of his own cunning and audacity – something he’d need when this whole project came to an end.
He had no intention of staying in Cedarburg or even Wisconsin.Once he had his answers, once he’d addressed the trauma that had plagued his own mind for the past forty years, he was going to set sail for Europe.New name, new role, new life.Then once he was on his deathbed, he’d show the world his groundbreaking work and go down in history as a pioneer.
It was a perfect plan, and the only thing that stood between it was two more test subjects.
For now, though, his focus remained razor-sharp on the task at hand.He watched as the sky turned from gold to crimson.Then, the sound he had been waiting for – footsteps from the other side of the wall.
His heart skipped a beat, then settled into a steady rhythm.He peered through the veil of twilight the figure came into view.
His skin tingled.Each hair stood on end.His pulse broke into a frantic sprint.
It was him.
The moment had arrived.
The figure turned the corner, stepped into the churchyard.The poor fellow was so absorbed in his own world, the sanctuary he sought within the church's walls, that he was blind to the danger that lurked just a breath away.The predator watched.Close enough to smell the figure’s cologne, close enough to taste his presence.
And close enough to strike.
In a heartbeat, he moved.
He lunged from the shadows like an uncoiling spring.His senses flared to life.He clasped his hands around the unsuspecting figure’s mouth and stifled any cry of alarm.The figure's eyelids snapped back, revealing orbs glazed with the sheer glaze of panic, the realization of his peril dawning in the split second before he was dragged back into the darkness.
There was no time to indulge in the euphoria of the hunt and no moment to bask in the triumphant capture.He had to move quickly, to execute the next phase of his plan with the same precision that had brought him this far.
The next experiment awaited.
CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR
The home that stood before Ella was unassuming; too ordinary for the man she suspected held extraordinary secrets.Nestled in a postcard-worthy neighborhood, its facade was as modest as it came.Merely a small structure set against a backdrop of verdant lawns.Ella jumped out of her car, rushed up the small, carless driveway, and hammered on the door.
She waited.
No answer came.
She circled the perimeter and stole glances through the windows.The snapshots of interiors within betrayed nothing but the mundane: a living room frozen in time, a kitchen untouched.The lack of response and absence of any vehicle on the driveway suggested Derek Graham was nowhere to be found.
Ella’s frustration threatened to overflow as she stood before the unresponsive house.She rapped on the door one more time, but her knocks again echoed unanswered.
She considered her options.
Breaking in was tempting, and would be a quick way to quench her thirst for answers.But she knew better.She was bound by protocols that couldn't be ignored even in the face of desperation.The rules were clear: without a warrant or immediate danger, breaking into a suspect's home was off-limits.
As she retraced her steps, her gaze lingered on the windows once more, half-expecting a shadow to move, a sign of life to reveal itself.But the house remained stoic, any potential secrets locked behind doors that would get her suspended if she tried to open.
She couldn’t wait for Derek to return home.It could be hours, by which point there could be another body on the pile.Or he could already be a hundred miles north of Milwaukee, maybe sheltering in some backwater town where nobody would ask his name.
Just as Ella was about to turn back to the car, a voice sliced through the evening air.
‘Excuse me, dear,’ it said, floating towards her from across the neatly trimmed lawn.
Ella spun and saw an elderly woman standing on the edge of a neighboring yard.Her posture was slightly bent with the weight of the years, and the green eyeliner below an ashen-colored mop gave the impression of a woman who still valued appearances.She wore a floral dress, synthetic gloves, and clutched a rusty gardening trowel in one hand.
‘Hi,’ Ella said.‘Sorry if I disturbed you.’
‘You’re looking for Derek, aren’t you?’the woman asked.
'Yes, I am.You're his neighbor?'
