Page 18 of Girl, Deceived

Ella leaned closer to Kathleen’s midsection, a chaotic mess of ripped tissue and displaced organs. The cuts on her body were neither precise nor methodical like Jessica's. Instead, they seemed chaotic, frenzied, as if the killer was under a different kind of urgency or mindset.

‘Different. Two distinct killing methods,’ Mia muttered, her gaze fixed on the mutilated body.

‘Very different,’ Doctor Weller agreed. ‘While Jessica’s injuries suggest a more methodical approach, Kathleen’s mutilation is... passionate. Impulsive. The marks are everywhere, but none seem to have a specific intention like Jessica’s did.’

Ella studied the numerous slashes on Kathleen's body as she recalled the Pinhead mask left behind at the scene. ‘Multiple cuts to her chest, shoulders, hips. More than just evisceration.’

Doctor Weller sighed, looking somewhat perplexed. ‘That's the thing. While it was undoubtedly a knife that performed the amateur surgery, the other wounds don’t match any standard knife, blade, or any surgical equipment. The depth and width of the cuts vary considerably, suggesting an improvised or unique weapon. Additionally, some of the marks seem... torn, almost as if the weapon had barbs or was serrated irregularly.’

Ripley, who had remained silent until now, stepped closer. ‘Could it be a custom-made weapon?’

Ella mingled fiction with reality, recalling horror scenes she hadn’t seen in years but could never forget. There was only one conclusion to be here.

‘Possibly. Cause of death was excessive blood loss from a ruptured celiac artery, but these additional wounds were created whilst Miss. Carter was still alive. But what implement he used…’

‘Hooks,’ Ella interrupted. ‘He used hooks.’

Ripley and Mia both turned to Ella. ‘Hooks? What makes you say that?’ Ripley asked.

Ella took a deep breath, grounding herself against the nightmare image in front of them. ‘Think about it. The torn and ragged appearance of the wounds. The randomness. The differences in depth. And not to mention, Hellraiser.’ She motioned towards Kathleen's torn body. ‘All of it is suggestive of the use of hooked implements that could be dragged across the skin.’

‘Hellraiser?’ asked Doctor Weller.

‘Don’t ask,’ said Ripley.

‘As in, the movie?’

Ella nodded, not wanting to give too much away, even to someone affiliated with the case.

Doctor Weller tilted his head then ran a gloved finger over one of Kathleen’s shoulder wounds. ‘I have to say, the idea hadn't occurred to me, but it makes sense, especially given where she was found.’

Ella wasn’t sure she heard the doctor right. ‘Huh? Where she was found?’

Weller reached for his notes. ‘It says here Miss Carter was discovered in the old cabins along Huntington River.’

Ella's brow furrowed. ‘What's significant about those cabins?’

Doctor Weller looked up, adjusting his glasses. ‘I'm not sure if you're familiar with the history of those cabins, but back in the day, they were part of a film set. I might be showing my age here, but a film was shot there in the eighties. The production wrapped up, and the cabins were never destroyed. Instead, they've just been left there, decaying over time. A relic of a past era.’

The revelation hit Ella like a tidal wave, an unexpected jolt that momentarily took her breath away. For a brief moment, the noise in the room faded, and she was adrift in a sea of connections, piecing together fragments that she hadn't even realized were related. Every bone in her body told her that this was a significant breakthrough. The cabins, the specific, deliberate killing methods, and the connection to a world of cinematic terror. It wasn't just about making a statement – it was a perverse form of artistry.

Ella spun to her partner. ‘We need to see those cabins.’

Ripley nodded fast. ‘Could be something there. Killers who are dead set on murdering in a specific location will go to great lengths to make it happen – and that sometimes involves mistakes along the way.’

Doctor Weller added, ‘It’s not exactly common knowledge, just a nice bit of trivia from us old timers. It was just a B-movie horror film if memory serves me correctly.’

Ella was fired up, ready to go, one step closer to understanding this killer’s game. She nodded, grateful. ‘Right now, Doctor, all we have are pieces of a puzzle. But, thanks to you, we might just have found a corner piece.’

CHAPTER EIGHT

Ella hesitated for a moment at the entrance. The afternoon sun hung low, casting long shadows over the nameless cabin, one of three dotted along the Huntington River bank.

Time had weathered its wooden planks, and the overgrowth had swallowed most of the pathway leading up to it. The image of Kathleen's mutilated body was still fresh in Ella’s mind, and the thought of stepping into a place of such fresh death filled Ella with a range of emotions, from the empathetic to the angry.

Mia nodded encouragingly at her. Ella gripped the rusted handle and pulled. The door almost dropped off its hinges.

Inside, the dimly lit cabin smelled of age, dampness, and a metallic hint of dried blood. Ella's flashlight beam moved across the room, revealing the blood stains that had soaked into the wooden floor.

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