The chair next to Venus slides out as she pushes it with her foot, a silent invitation which I take as she hands me a few pictures,
“See the nails are missing besides the index one.”
I look at the picture of the naked dead girl. Her body is blue, pale, it sends chills through my spine and a shiver rakes up my bare arms.
I have never looked at photos of a dead person before. The freckles on her cheeks- dull, I examine the characteristics of what made her- her.
My searching gaze doesn't miss the knife wounds around her upper right arm. One, two, three, four, I count in my mind.
Venus hands me another and I take it. This one is a close-up of her nails that are indeed missing with one nail on her point finger that is stained red, like someone did a piss poor job of removing her nail polish.
“The Church girl was found near water correct? Where was this body found,” I query, my attention trained on the pictures of a girl who probably suffered a painful death.
If there is one thing I am good at is finding a target, been doing it for years.
“Yeah, by the community pool, two minutes away from Saint Nicols. This one was found in the Lake, 'bout five miles North from here,” Knight answers from the opposite side of where Venus, Killer and I are sitting.
Zero walks in the room, and the air seems to thicken, but I know it is just me.
of his boots, the familiar sense of foreboding as his imposing tall moody form encroaches our corner is not
the sheriff, Stacy Ferns, sixteen years old, missin' since last night, parents said she was supposed to be home yesterday 'round nine. Didn't rock up,” Zero
replaying his words, now is when I
a girl named Cassidy. Met her only once at the bus station, I was fifteen, she told
met some slouch, got hooked on his bullshit, and ran away, happens all the time,” After voices my same thoughts, flipping her hunter
be helped as I tilt my head watching that knife, knowing
voice filters through the room as she joins
time, to see her approaching form,
to me and carries on talking, “That girl has never missed church, or had a friend, let alone a boyfriend, especially with Radlyn Ferns as her brother, the guy would castrate any
you get a hold of River?” Venus asks Hannah from over
and I don't even know why I am looking at
when I turn to face Venus's knowing ones. So much for privacy.
stuck at the school, trying to figure out who started the fire yesterday, said
to go back to the last three sites where the girls were found, Zero get Mercy here, can't have anymore deaths in this town, it's already so fuckin' small,”
here, I'll go with her to the girl's house, check if she left anything important behind,” After announces as the scraping of her chair
sound reminding me