Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 75195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Through her research, she hoped to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying causes of serial killer behavior and ultimately find ways to prevent it.
“How was the art showing?” She pressed the remote.
I grinned. “Very hot.”
The TV turned on.
Scarlett went to our recordings on the menu and pressed play, but muted the TV. “Speaking of hot.”
Instantly, fire blazed on the screen. Then, a news correspondent stepped in line of the camera view.
Behind him, the object still remained ablaze while fire fighters hosed it down.
I stepped over to the couch. “What is going on?”
Taking a deep breath, Scarlett started talking rapidly. “It’s so crazy and gruesome. They found a woman in the middle of downtown’s shopping square, naked, secured to a metal platform by wire and set on fire by some remote control mechanism in the platform.”
“What the hell?” I turned to her. “Are you serious?”
“I am.” Scarlett widened her eyes. “The news footage was horrifying. As you can see, the flames are so intense. They completely engulf her. It took them hours to put it out.”
“Oh my God.” I turned away from the TV. “Are you telling me that the fire on the screen is a woman being burned alive?”
“Well. . .she’s dead now, but yes.”
My heart raced. “Oh God.”
“It’s a serial killer.”
“Scarlett.” I held up my hand. “Don’t even put that energy out there in the universe.”
“I get it, but with all the showmanship. There’s no way this will be his only victim.”
My stomach twisted.
“This is someone sending a twisted message.”
My bottom lip quivered. “To whom?”
“I have no idea, but I am about to be up all night looking into this.” Scarlett raised the remote. “Let me show you some of the footage—”
“Hell no.” I headed off to my bedroom. “I would like to have no nightmares this evening.”
“Well. . .the footage is a bit disturbing.”
“I want no parts of that.”
Here I had just seen breathtaking sculptures of women rising from the flames of desire, and now I would have an unimaginable, cruel, and inhumane reverse reflection of that same image in my head the rest of the night.
Wait.
I paused in the hallway.
Naked women and fire at the art showing, and now the a woman was burned alive. That’s an odd coincidence.
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
Just a weird. . .coincidence.
Suddenly, something rubbed against my leg.
“Ah!” I jumped back and looked down. “Oh. I’m sorry, Freud.”
Slipping his long body against my leg, our cat purred.
I let out a long breath. “Are you hungry?”
The purring increased.
“Must be.” I turned around and hurried to the kitchen. My thick and fluffy white kitty trotted behind me, swishing his shaggy tail back and forth.
We’d discovered Freud hiding on our fire escape one night. Back then, he’d been a little kitten. I had no idea where his mother was or what had happened to him.
We brought him inside, gave him milk, and have taken care of him ever since.
I entered our kitchen, opened the blue cabinets under the sink, and yanked out food. “Here you go, buddy.”
Scarlett strolled into the kitchen. “I’m telling you. This is a carefully planned intentional act of violence.”
“Could you not?” I carried the bag of food over to his bowl. “You’re completely terrifying me.”
“Come on, Nova. I listen to your sex stuff all the time. Listen to my stuff.”
“You listen to my stuff because studies on sexuality and kinks are a lot less horrifying than serial killers.”
“Still, you’re my bestie.”
“Fine. I’ll listen.” I groaned in annoyance. “But, if I have a nightmare, I’m sleeping in your bed.”
“And I will let you hold my teddy bear, Gordy.”
“Fine.”
“What I want to know is why would this killer set the victim on fire tonight.”
Chills ran through me.
Scarlett leaned against the counter. “What was it about this night? Is it due to childhood trauma? Does this date mean something to him?”
I tried not to think of the woman burning alive. The pain. The fear. The all-consuming horror of it all.
Scarlett continued, “Is it a message to someone in particular? Is it just because it’s Friday? And how long was he watching her? Did he follow her home? Lay under her bed while she slept? Did he—”
Someone knocked on the door.
I shrieked.
Scarlett jumped.
Jesus!
Slowly, I got ready to grab a sharp knife from the drawer closest to me.
But then, our security guard Raymond’s voice sounded from the other side of the door. “Sorry, to bother you so late ladies, but Mrs. Williams received a package.”
Oh.
I cleared my throat. “Coming.”
Scarlett grinned. “Package? Delivered at night?”
I went over to the door and opened it. “Thanks, Raymond.”
He held a huge black box in his hand. A gold bow sat on top of it. “The guy that brought this over rode in a Bentley Mulsanne.”
Scarlett came over. “A what?”
“Mulsanne. It’s a prestigious car. Super impressive.” Raymond handed me the huge box. “Handcrafted and customizable. He kept the vehicle red on the outside, but it was all black on the inside. Very nice. The chauffer wore a suit and even had a hat.”