Luledtheteambacktotheamusementpark.
Hestoppedattheintersecapturedinthesurveige,eyesliftingtothecameraperchedhighonautilitypole.Followingitsaracedthenarrowalleyleadingtowardtheemployeebreakroom.
Justbeyondthecamera''''''''sblindspotsatabench,theexactspotJulianhadbeenstaringatiage.
Aotherofthelittlegirlseeniage,someoneinabearmasehadbeensittingonthatbenchatthetime.Herdaughterhadexcitedlywaohugthe"bigbear",butburstintotearswhensheglimpsedamanwithburnscarsonhisface.
Thewomanrecalledthatthepersoniumehadremovedthemascothead,revealingayoungwomahatsamewomanhadthendisappearedthroughadoorattheendofthealley,apahemanherdaughterhadfeared.
Lu''''''''sthoughtstangled.AmongallthephotosshowntothewithemotherhadinstantlyidentifiedReya.
Ithadalreadybeenfirmedthedaybefore:nootherstaffmemberhadwornthebeare,whichmeantReyawaslikelythestpersonJulianhadseenbeforehisdeath.
Julianwasdead.Reyahadvanished.Ifshewasn''''''''tfleeingoutofguilt...thenshecouldalreadybeinseriousdanger.
ThesearchforReyahadnowmovedbeyondtheamusementpark''''''''sjurisdi—itwasofficiallyapolicematter.
ManyseniorofficershadknownReyasinceshewasachild.Astheimplicationssankin,theweightofthemomeledoverthemalllikeaheavyfog.
Theforensicsteamdeliveredtheirreportoprintsfoundoutsidetheemployeebreakroofact,eventhepark''''''''sershadedit,leavingavisibleyerofdustundisturbedontheground.
Threedistisoffreshfootprintsstoodout,interspersedwithsmudgedimpressionslikelymadebytheoversizedfeetofamase.
ObelooamareadmatchedtheshoesrecoveredfromJulian''''''''scorpse.Thestridepatternsuggestedhehadehebreakroomatasteadypacebutstumbledonthewayout,mirrwhatsurveilncehadcaptured.Moxisuspectedhemightalreadyhavebeenshowingearlysignsofaheartattack.
Theothertwosetsweresmaller.Oleftpleteprintsbothenteringaingthebreakroom,suggestingsomeonehadgoneinandebackout.Thesedset,however,onlyshowedarail,nosignofarahesewerepreliminarilylioReya,likelymadeaftershehadremovedthemaseinside.OfficershadalreadybeendispatchedtoLu''''''''shometoretrieveanotherpairofhershoesforfirmation.
Lustaredatthedoor,hisbrowsdrawntight.Hecouldn''''''''tuandwhyReyawouldhaveehebreakroomwiththatdisfiguredman.
Briancrouchedbythewide-opendoorway,carefullyphotographingthedoorknobnowdustedwithfingerprintpowder.
Risingtohisfeet,hereported,"It''''''''satwist-typeknob.Freshprintsosidebelongtotwoindividuals.Judgingbythesize,likelybothfemale.Ontheinside,wefouim''''''''sprints.Lookslikeheopehedoorhimselfonthewayout."
Heflippedapageonhisclipboard."Fibersfromtheatchthosefouhthevictim''''''''sfingernails,andtherearevisiblecwmarksonthecushions."Hehesitated,histoneshifting."Also..."
Lu''''''''spatienceworethin."Alsowhat?"
Brianclearedhisthroat,clearlyunfortable."Wefoundfreshsemenstainsonthesofa.SampleshavealreadybeeforDNAanalysis."
Foralongmoment,Lusaidnothing.
Thenewshitlikeapunchtothegut.
Reya.Hetriedtorecilethegirlhekhwhathe''''''''djustheard,butthepiecesdidn''''''''tfit.Eventhoughshewaslegallyanadult,inhismindshewasstillthatquiet,wide-eyedchildgingtohissleevewhehundershookthewindows.
Alltheseyears,she''''''''dnevermentionedanyboys.Noschoolcrushes,note-nightphonecalls,nohalf-heartedliesaboutdatingorevenafavoredcelebrity.Iftherehadbeensomeoneinherlife,surelyitwouldn''''''''thavebeensomeonelikeJulian.
Lukerthantocastjudgmentonthedead.Butinthismoment,logicgavewaytosomethingfarmoreprimal.
Hewasn''''''''tjustapolicecaptainfaganunfoldingcase.
Hewasamanstrugglingtoacceptthepossibilitythatthegirlhehadsworntoprotectmighthavebeenhurt—used—bysomeonewhoshouldneverhavebeennearherinthefirstpce.
Theragethatroseinhimhadnothingtodowithduty,ahingtodowithlove.
"Anysignsofastruggle?"Luasked.
"ly,"Brianreplied.
Luarrowedhiseyes."Whatdoyoumean,''''''''ly''''''''?"
Briaated."Therewerergedragmarksonthefloor,likelyleftbythebeareafteritwastakenoffandtossedaside.Thecwmarksonthecouch...theyweremadebyJulian.Basedontheanglea...herobably..."Hetrailedoff,clearlyunfortable.
Ludidn''''''''twaitforhimtofinish.Hepushedpastandsteppedintotheroomhimself.
Evidencemarkersdottedthecouchlikequietaccusations.OnegncewasenoughtomakeitclearwhyBrianhadhesitanted.
Inhismind,Luhadpicturedsomethingviolent—Julianfhimselfoheirbodiespressedalongthelengthofthesofa,cwmarkshearmrestsverticallyasshefoughtback.
Butthemarkerstoldadifferentstory.
Theyclusteredonbothsidesoftheseatcushion,leavinganuntouchedspathemiddle—justwideenoughforasingleperson.
Luexhaledsharply,shuttinghiseyes,wrestlinghisthoughtsbadertrol.
Whateverhadhappenedhere,itwasn''''''''tthesariohe''''''''dpreparedhimselffor.
Andthatmadeitallthehardertoface.
"Wasthereathirdperso?"Luasked.
Briannodded."Yes.Basedontheoverppingfootprintsandfingerprints,thethirdpartyarrivedter.Theyonlystoodatthedoorwayafteropeningthedoor."
Hadtheywalkedinohing?WasthatwhatmadeJulianflee?Andifso...wherewasReyanow?
Theprintssuggestedthethirdindividualwasfemale.Thatshould''''''''vemeantReyahadn''''''''tetoharm.Butdespitethelogic,Lucouldn''''''''tshaketheslow,coldcreepofuneasecrawlingdownhisspine.
"It''''''''shighlyuhethirdpersonwasavisitor,"hesaidgrimly.
There''''''''snothingappealingaboutthiser.NovisitorwouldwanderallthewayherejusttotugopenadoorclearlymarkedCastMembersOnly.
HeturnedsharplytoBrian."Ruhirdsetoffingerprintsagainstthestaffdatabase.Everysingleemployee."
Fortuheywouldn''''''''togodoor-to-doorcollegprints.Justafewstepsfromthebreakroomentrance,afainttrailofwheelmarksetchedipoihemtowardalikelysuspect.
Thethirdpersonrobablythatsger.
Itturtheirguesshadbeenright.Soon,theheavilypregnantfemaleerwasbroughtintothestation.
Thewoman,knownamonghercolleaguesasLinisan,hadworkedattheamusementparkforyears.ShewasalsotheonewhohadreendedJulianforthejobinhauntedhouse.
Afemaleofficerhandedheracupofhotwater,keepio."Howfaralongareyou?"
Linisahecupwithbothhands,herfiightaroundthewarmceramic.Hereyesflickeddowntoherbelly,butherexpressionwasbnk,hewarmthorjoyonemightexpeasoon-to-bemother.
"Eightmonths,"shemurmured,almosttoherself.
Iroom,Luwaswatgthroughthemonitor.Withoutlookingaway,heaskedDamon,ingattheputer,"Who''''''''sherhusband?"
Damonrahehousehistrationsystem."She''''''''snotmarried."
Lu''''''''sbrowfurrowed."Thenwho''''''''sthefather?"
Neil,standingnearby,added,"Whenwebroughtheriheparkemployeesmentionedgossip—saidthebabymightbethemanager''''''''s."
Luturnedsharply."Whosaidthat?"
"Wedidn''''''''tcatame,"Neidmitted."Wethoughtitwasjustgossip,sowedidn''''''''tlogit."
Lu''''''''sfrowndeepened."Followuponthat."
Meanwhile,inthevisitationroom,Linisanhadbegunmuttering,hergazeunfocused.Hervoicewassoftaic,likeshewasnarratingtoghosts.
"...Hegrewupinthealleybehindmyhouse.Hisdadworkedoutoftown,neveraround.Hismompyedmahjongdayandnight.Sometimesshe''''''''dtiehimtothetablelegssohewouldn''''''''twander.Oneday,theropemust''''''''veeloose...ormaybesomeoiedit.Anyway,heranoff.Hungry,probably.Andthen—bhtintothebeefnoodlepotontheer.Ipulledhimoutwiththeropehe''''''''dbeeh."
Shechuckledonce,ashort,breathysoundthatdidn''''''''tmatchthestory''''''''shorror.Theedherrightsleeveandshowedtheofficerapatottledscartissue.
"Igotoffeasy.Justthis.Buthim...histracheagotburheysaiditmesseduphisheartandlungstoo.He''''''''sneverbeealkright.Alwayshoarse.Raspy,likeanoldman."
Theofficergentlytriedtoguideherback."Didyouseehiminthebreakroomyesterday?"
Linisan''''''''seyesdartedsideways.Shedidn''''''''tanswer.
Flippingthroughtheheofficerpressedon,"Whydidn''''''''tyoumentionthatyesterday?"
Linisan''''''''slipsmoved,butnosoundcameout.
"Iknowyou''''''''reafraid—afraidwe''''''''llthinkyouhadsomethingtodowithit.Butsofar,there''''''''snoevidenceofacrime.Hidihonlycastsmoresuspionyou."
Linisanfinallylookedather,fase,fiwitgonthecup.Afteramoment,sheexhaledshakily.
"Youalreadyfoundtheroom...youmustknow...youmust''''''''veseen...HowcouldIsayanything?Somethinglikethat...it''''''''stooembarrassing."
Theofficedatherbelly,suppressingasigh.Yhtmonthspregnant,notsometimidlittlegirl.Whatcouldbetooembarrassingtotalkabout?
"Whatexactlydidyousee?"
"Isaw..."Linisanshiftedinherseat,shouldershunched."Isaw..."
Theofficerleanedin,loweredhervoice."It''''''''sjustushere.Youtellme."
Linisanlookedaroundtheroomasifsomeonemightleapfromtheshadows.Thenshewhispered,inavoiceedgedwithunhingeddreadaainty:
"Isawher...drainhimdry."
Hereyeswidenedasshespoke,thehorrorioneunmistakable—asthoughwhatshe''''''''dseenhadseareditselfintoherbrainandwouldneverfade.