Page 34 of Let Her Live

"How so?" Jake asked, finally looking up at her.

"He had a gash on the back of his skull that the others didn't have.I've theorized that the killer was shorter and likely smaller than Hank. The other men were of smaller stature too, so maybe he didn't feel the need to knock them out the same way he did with Hank."

Jake frowned. "I'll need to create a profile for this guy based on this little tidbit, but it's not much."

Fiona shook her head, her heart heavy. "I wish I had more."

Jake offered her a smile. "You're doing great, Red. At least you're coming up with ideas." He sighed. "I haven't found anything. But I was thinking, maybe we could talk to some locals, or even the police force, and see if they know anything. Maybe they've heard rumors, or something like that. Something not available online."

"That's a good idea. It could give us something."

Jake started the car and began driving them through the town. "But first," he said, "we should really grab some lunch. I'm starving, and I can't think anymore."

Fiona had to agree; they'd been hiking around in the heat all morning, and she was more hungry and dehydrated than she'd realized.

They stopped at a small diner on the outskirts of town, the kind of place where everyone knew everyone else's name. The air conditioning was a welcome relief from the scorching heat outside, and the smell of frying bacon and sizzling pancakes made Fiona's stomach growl.

They sat down at a booth and were quickly greeted by a waitress with a friendly smile. "What can I get ya'll?" she asked, holding a notepad and pen at the ready.

Jake ordered a bacon cheeseburger with onion rings, and Fiona opted for a grilled chicken salad with a side of sweet potato fries. They both ordered sweet tea to drink.

As they waited for their food, they went over what they knew about the case so far. They talked about the similarities between the victims, the lack of evidence, and the frustration they were both feeling.

"I just can't shake the feeling that we're missing something," Fiona said, twirling her straw in her glass.

Jake nodded. "I know what you mean. We need something that ties all these victims together, something that the killer is fixated on. I really feel like this animal angle is where it's at, but if we're wrong, then it's just more wasted time."

Their food arrived, and they dug into their meals with gusto, both grateful for the respite from the case. Fiona savored the flavors of her salad, the crispness of the lettuce perfectly complemented by the sweetness of the sweet potato fries.It was nice to have a break for a moment, although as she ate and her energy returned, the weight of this case lingered over her again like a heavy, oppressive blanket. They had a killer to catch, and they were running out of time. His timeline was fast, and another victim could be targeted at any moment.

CHAPTERSEVENTEEN

He sat in the woods, safely hidden behind the trees, a pair of binoculars up to his eyes so he could see the road more clearly. He had spotted the turtle crossing the road as he'd been driving, and every instinct in him had told him to pull over, grab the poor thing, and help it across the road.

But the gods told him otherwise.

"Leave it,"they had said."A righteous person will stop, like you wanted to. A worthy sacrifice will merely run it over."

"But the turtle—"

"Sacrifices,"they had snapped."We need more sacrifices."

And who was he to argue with someone as powerful as them?

Now, it was up to him to scope out and see if this was fated to be.

If someone did run over the turtle, a careless mortal, then he would have his next sacrifice. He lamented for the turtle, but he trusted the gods' wills.

He stayed there, watching and waiting as cars zoomed by on the road. He had been waiting for hours, his patience tested with each passing minute. Just as he was about to give up, he saw a car racing towards the turtle.

His heart skipped a beat as he watched it approach, bracing for the inevitable.

But then, something unexpected happened. The car suddenly swerved, barely missing the turtle and coming to a stop just a few feet away.

He could see the driver, a young man, getting out of the car, running towards the turtle and picking it up carefully.

But then another driver hopped out—another young man.

"What the hell did you stop for?" the other young man said. "You should've crunched right through it!"

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