Page 112 of Corpse Roads

Enzo braces his hands on the breakfast bar. “I traced it myself using ANPR cameras. Dispatched local police to an industrial site and found the van burnt out, no sight of the perp.”

“Girl’s body was left inside,” Hudson says with a shrug. “No carvings, as far as we can tell. Autopsy will confirm.”

“So it’s not our killer,” Theo surmises.

“Doesn’t look like it.” Enzo shakes his head. “That’s not the reason we’ve been searching the streets of London for you.”

Stepping forward, Kade pulls an iPad from his leather satchel and places it in front of us. I lean closer. There’s a photo of a printed note on the screen.

Harlow,

‘Let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.’ James 5:20.

Come home.

With love,

Your father.

I fight the urge to smash Kade’s iPad to smithereens. “What the fuck is wrong with this sick son of a bitch?”

“That was delivered to HQ, which as we know, is publicly listed property registered to Sabre.”

“Pastor Michaels knows Harlow is with you,” Kade highlights.

Enzo’s expression is dark. “Exactly. It was posted so we can’t trace it. No fingerprints or DNA.”

“A dead end then,” I grit out.

Enzo replies with a stony nod.

“Why would he break his silence now?” Theo asks.

“He’s been laying low, waiting to see if Harlow would lead you straight back to him,” Brooklyn guesses with a shrug. “Now, he’s ready to play again.”

“I should’ve found him.” Theo stands and almost falls over in his drunken state. “Now he’s coming for Harlow. It’s my fault.”

The coffee has done little to sober him up. Before anyone can answer, Brooklyn storms straight up to him and smacks him around the head hard enough to send his glasses flying.

“You are the most frustrating genius I have ever met, and I agreed to marry that work in progress over there.” She gestures towards Kade, exchanging grins with his tattooed brother.

“Hey, you’re marrying me too.” Hudson sticks his hand in the air like a school kid. “I earned the title of favourite fiancé fair and square, blackbird. Don’t fucking leave me out like that.”

“Hud,” she growls at him. “Shut up. One infuriating male bastard at a time, please.”

“Jesus Christ,” Kade curses as he packs his iPad away. “We’re doomed at this rate.”

Wading through the thicket of disgruntlement, Enzo turns on Theo. The pair stare at each other for several loaded seconds.

“You’ve been working this investigation for months, alongside every other job we threw at you.” Enzo looks exasperated. “No one has tried harder than you.”

“Not hard enough.”

“Killing yourself won’t catch this killer,” he offers, lowering his voice. “And it won’t bring her back.”

Theo looks away. “I know. I’m sorry for what I said.”

“Yeah,” Enzo echoes. “Me too.”

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