Theiigationwaswindingdown.
Thebodyhadbeentransportedbacktothestationho.Preliminaryinterviewswithparkstaffandwitnesseswereplete.Thehauntedhousestoodsealedoncemore—thistimewithheavierbarricades,itspnnedrenovationsindefinitelysuspended.
Luorderedhisteamtopackup,yethelingered,uoshakethegnawiwistinginhisgut.
Reyawasmissing.
Hecaughttheamusementparkmanagermid-rant,themanmoppinghisbrowashemutteredaboutruinedbusinessandbadpublicity.
"StillnosignofReya?"Lu.
Themanagerexhaledsharply."Isentpeoplelooking.Whoknowswhereshewanderedoffto?She''''''''sneverbeenamodelemployee.Doeswhatevershewants,neverlistens.Juststweek,shegotintoascreamingmatchwithsomekid."Heshookhishead."Damnshamethishadtohappenonmywatch."
Lu''''''''sjawtightened.
Ashadowflickeredacrossthemanager''''''''sface."Wait—youdon''''''''tthinkshedidit?Killedthatguyandran?"
Lusaidnothing.Withacurtwave,hedismissedthemanandstrodeoutofthemakeshiftaer—thepark''''''''sstaffcafeteria,stillheavywiththesmellofstalecoffeeandfriedfood.
Logically,heknewheshouldn''''''''tdismissReyaasasuspectht.Butleapingtoclusionsnowwouldbejustasreckless.
HecursedMoxiunderhisbreath.
Ifonlyshehadn''''''''tindulgedReya''''''''sstubbornrefusaltocarryaphone.Whatkindofpersondidn''''''''thaveohesedays?Eventheelderly,evevendors,evenkidsbarelyoldenoughtoread.Everyonewasreachable,traceable,tetheredtothegrid.
Butnother.Neverher.
Lustoodalohedesertedamusementpark,thedistanthumofidlemaerytheonlysoundiillnightair.Hisgazedriftedupward,followingtheskeletallinesofpowercablesagainstthedarkskybeforesettlingonanearbyutilitypole.
"Youhavesurveilncehere?"heaskedabruptly,asiftofirm,turningtothemarailingbehindhim.
Themanagerwipedhisglisteningforeheadwithahandkerchief."Yeah,indoorandoutdoor.Youknowhowitis—nocameras,noproof.Ahingsg,guesswhoendsupfootingthebill?"
Lushothimasharplook.Themanquicklyswallowedtherestofhispints.
"Yourteamalreadypulledallthefootage,"headdedhastily.
Ignhim,Luresumedwalking,hisbootsscuffingagainstthewindingpathwaysthatcoiledbetweeridesandshutteredgamestalls.Hiseyesflickedupwardeveryfewsteps,singforsecuritycameras.Soonenough,hefoundhimselfbaearthehauntedhouse.
Thepolicetapefppedinafaintbreeze,abrightyellowbarrieragainstthegrimsewithin.Nearby,thefadedgrayfacadeofthecastleattraloomed,itsfaux-stonewallschippedahered.
Lu''''''''sattentionshiftedtoanarrowalleywedgedbetweewostructures,barelymorethanagapinthearchitecture,half-swallowedbyshadows.
"Doessurveilncecoverthat?"Hepointed.
Themanageredhisneck,squinting."Hardtosay."
Hegesturedtowardastreetmpacrosstheway."There''''''''sacameraonthatpole,but..."
Lutookastepforward.Thealleyexhaledadamp,metallicchill,untouchedbythesicklyglowoftheoverheadlights.Hewasabouttomovedeeperwhenhisphonebuzzedviolentlyinhispocket.
Moxi''''''''snamefshedonthes.
Becauseofthesuspiciousnatureofthedeath,thebodyhadbeeotheforensicsbearly.WhileLuhadbeentiedupwithback-to-baterviews,preliminaryresultswerealreadyingin.
"...Theleginjuriesaresistentwithpressionfractures.Biteraltibiandcalealbreaks,whichalignwiththeinitiassumptionthathendedfeet-first."
Luwasstillindoubt,"Fallingfromthesedfloorcouldbreaklegs,sure.Buttodiefromit?That''''''''sastretch.Didhehithishead?"
"Noialheme,noskullfractures,nocervicalfractures.Spiact.Causeofdeathwascardiacarrest,butmyocardiumshowsnoischemiaorstructuraldefects.Itlookslike...suddencardiacdeathduetoaprimaryarrhythmia."
Lu''''''''sgazedarkened."Youmean...hewasalreadydeadbeforehehittheground?"
"''''''''truleitout.It''''''''spossiblethecardiacarresthappehatsplitsed.Lossofsciousness,posturalcolpse—hefallsfeet-first,theimpactcrushesthelegs.Thelivormortispatternandbloodpoolingalsosupportthissequence."
"Hewasyoung.Anyknowditions?"
"Couldbeanundiagnosedarrhythmicdisorder,likeBrugadaSyndrome.I''''''''mstillwaitingonthegeiel."
Luabsorbedtheinformatioedsilence.
Moxitihere''''''''sevidenceofretsexuactivity.Seminalfluidihraandprostate—ejacutionlikelyoccurredwithiwominutesofdeath."
Lu''''''''svoicedroppedlow."Sameastheothers?Extremesexualeuphoria?"
"ly."Moxihesitated."Wefoundtraceresiduesoalmucosa,butthepositiondoesn''''''''tmatchthewaxysubstanthedoublehomicide.Bloodworkshowsanabnormadrenalinespike—high,buthalunless..."
Sheexhaled."Unlesspreexistingcardiaerabilitytriggeredfatarrhythmiaduringclimax."
Lufrowned.
"Theproblemis,forehathauntedhousetoptobottom.Nosignsofsexuactivityanywhere.Unlesshefinishedandthencasuallywanderedovertohisdeathspotbeforedroppingdead."
"Strahingshavehappened."
Luwasalreadymoving,hiscoatsnappingbehindhimashehestrodetowardtheparkgates.
"I''''''''mheadingback.Let''''''''sseewhatthecamerascaught."
***
Theamusementpark''''''''ssurveilchy—maybesevebest,withblindspotseverywhere.
Thevictim,JulianChow,seemedtohaveahabitofavoidingcrowds.Afterslippinginthroughthestaffentrance,hevanishedfromthecamerasentirely,onlytoreappearonthefeedoppositethegraycastle.
Hewasdressedingrey,slightlyhunched,ahebackgroundlikeashadow,pletelyunremarkable.
Foranunnervinglylongtime,hestoodperfectlystill,staringatsomething—orsomeone—justbeyondthecamera''''''''sframe.
"What''''''''soverthere?"Luasked,tappingthes.
Briangnceddownattheparkmapspreadacrossthetable."There''''''''sanemployeebreakroominthatdire."
"Breakroom?"Luechoed.
Ons,Juliansuddenlyflinched,asifzappedbyalivewire.Hisleftlegtwitched,buthedidn''''''''tmoveaway.
Achildranpasthim,hermothertrailingbehind.ThelittlegirlgJulianandabruptlyburstintotears.HermotherscoopedherupandsaidsomethingtoJulianbeforewalkingaway.
"weIDthemotherandchild?"Luasked."MaybetheysawwhatJulianwaslookingat."
"Shouldbepossible."Onadifferentmonitor,Damonpulleduptheentraageandstartedfacialreitionalgorithms.
Onthemains,Julianslowlywalkedoutofframe.
Damohefootage.Abouthalfanhourter,Julianreappeared.
Thistime,hewasrunning.Hismovementswereerratic,stumbling.Hepausedforasplitsedieroftheframe,thenveeredsharplytowardthehauntedhouse—andvanishedagain.
"Expandtheseardow,"Luordered."Lookforanyoneelsemovingtowardorawayfromthatareabeforeorafter."
Damonfast-forwardedthroughthefootage.Parkvisitorsstreamedpast,urningtowardthebreakroom.ThenherewoundtoJulian''''''''sfirstappearandscrolledbackward.
Notlongafter,abrownfigureflickeredpasttheedgeoftheframe.
Lu''''''''sstomachdropped."Pause.Rewindthat."
Itwassomeoneinamase.Eventhoughthefigurewasheedgeoftheshot,itwasunmistakable:theewasabear.
Reya.