''cemetery.Thegoverwouldcutaheftycheck—forthefamilyhedidn''''''''thave.
Eventually,hegotusedtoit.
Noattatsmeanthewasalwaysfree.Noparents,ives,nopressuretocarryonthefamilyline.hometoworryabout,sohecouldthrowhimselfintoeverycasewithouthesitation.
Luhadclimbedtheranksquicklyinhisearlyyears,butaftermakingcaptain,hiscareerftlined.Everyoneknewwhy:noes,nobag.Thiswasasfarashewouldevergo.
Beingahomicidedetectivewasdangerous,exhaustingwork.Butsomeoodoit.Hisoldcolleagueshadwives,kids,reasonstostayalive.Luonlyhadthecase.
Heoftengrumbledthathewasborntosuffer.Yetnomatterhowmuchhepined,hewasalwaysthefirsttein.
Apartfromtheendlesssuspedcorpses,theonlythingtyinghimdownwasthestralegirthome.
Reya—hisoruesurprise.
***
FourteenYearsAgo
LufirstmetReyawhileiigatingaserialmurdercaseoskirtsofthecity.
Backthen,hewasjustarookiecop,freshoutoftheacademy,burstingwithnaiveidealism,er,alwaysthefirsttovolunteerfrisliesttasks.
Thevictimale,nakedwomanwithaslender,elegantfigure.Heralmond-shapedeyeswerewideopen,staringbnklyatthesky.
Notornclothing.Nosighiswasn''''''''ttheprimarycrimese.
Lu''''''''sfirstthoughtuponseeingher?
Ifshewerealive,I''''''''daskherout.
Fivearookie''''''''sinappropriatethought,butshehadbeeiful.
Sunlightstreamedthroughthedenseopy,dapplingherskinwithshiftingpatternsoflight.Thestillnessofthecorpse,thevitalityofthesurroundingforest,theterrorfrozenonherface,thewarmthofthebreeze—itwasatradi.
Yethauntinglypoetic.
Theairsmelledfaintlyoflustah.
Shewastheforty-ninthvictim.
Overtenyears,forty-ninewomenhadbeendumpedinthisravine.Allraped.Allkilled.Allfoundaftersexuactivity,somemultipletimes.Yetnosemen,nobodilyfluids,racesoflubrit.
Theer''''''''s
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