had just moved here from out of state.”
Her pounding heart seemed to freeze a moment. Brooklyn hadn’t been as fortunate as she had been. Madison didn’t know why she’d been spared, but she was thankful. A nudge of guilt crept in also, but she pushed it aside.
“There’s more,” Brody said.
“What is it?”
“There were two other suicides in the county. We thought they were just that—suicides. But it’s now become apparent that they were murders, also.”
All the air drained from Madison’s lungs. “We have a serial killer?”
“I’m afraid so.”
Madison ran her hands over her face. “This is just crazy. I…I don’t even know what to think.”
“It’s a lot to soak in.”
“Why is he targeting you, Brody? Why did he say their blood was on your hands? What aren’t you telling me?”
“I have no idea, Madison,” he ground out. “Sometimes people are just sick. They don’t have rhyme or reason for what they do. Sometimes they’re on drugs, sometimes they have mental problems. Who knows?”
“What now?”
“Now we hope he makes a mistake and leaves some evidence that will help us track him down.”
She looked up at him. “How’d he get into Kayla’s house last night?”
“Just like at your place, there’s no evidence of a forced entry. It seems like he must have had a key. Now how he got that key, we don’t know. There was no evidence of forced entry at any of the victims’ homes.” He exhaled sharply. “In fact, if you hadn’t survived, Madison, we may not have even realized that we had a killer on our hands.”
“Did he leave another note this time?”
“He did,” Brody confirmed.
“And?”
“This has got to stay here, between you and me.” Brody shifted to face her better. “He left the name William. We checked with the County Manager and there have got to be at least forty Williams in York County. We’re in the process of narrowing them down.”
“I see.”
He sighed and leaned back. “So you’re stuck with me all day.”
Madison wondered if what he really meant was “I’m stuck with you all day.” She said nothing.
“What’s on your schedule?”
Her schedule? It seemed like the last thing on her mind at the moment. What did she have lined up? “I’ve got three or four appointments. I’ve got to do some photo shoots. I’m two days behind already.”
“Consider me your chauffeur, then.”
“I feel like you’re more of a babysitter.” She frowned.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Being near you will only help the investigation. There may be some clue we’re missing that I’ll pick up on by talking with you.”
Madison still felt like she was being babysat, but she didn’t argue. Deep inside, she’d feel better if Brody were nearby, anyway.
Maybe, in some kind of twisted way, he was an answer to her prayer.
* * *
“How’s it going staying with Kayla?” Brody asked an hour later as they started down the road.
Madison shrugged. “It’s going fine. I’m glad Kayla opened up her house—it was very kind of her.”
“I’m kind of surprised you’re not staying with another friend by now.”
She glanced over at him. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, you certainly have friends around here yet you’re choosing to stay with Kayla.”
Madison shrugged. “It’s complicated.”
“Explain, then.”
Did she have to? The man had put his life on the line for her. It seemed the least she could do was make conversation with him for the duration of the car ride. Besides, this seemed unusual for him. He usually seemed to prefer quiet. “I grew up around here so, sure, I have friends in the area. But so many of them were friends with Reid and me. When he died…I think his death just reminded them all of how fragile life was. It was inevitable that our relationships changed.” She sighed. “They pulled away, I pulled away…I’m not sure which one exactly. Probably both. I just know that suddenly we weren’t having dinner every
Her pounding heart seemed to freeze a moment. Brooklyn hadn’t been as fortunate as she had been. Madison didn’t know why she’d been spared, but she was thankful. A nudge of guilt crept in also, but she pushed it aside.
“There’s more,” Brody said.
“What is it?”
“There were two other suicides in the county. We thought they were just that—suicides. But it’s now become apparent that they were murders, also.”
All the air drained from Madison’s lungs. “We have a serial killer?”
“I’m afraid so.”
Madison ran her hands over her face. “This is just crazy. I…I don’t even know what to think.”
“It’s a lot to soak in.”
“Why is he targeting you, Brody? Why did he say their blood was on your hands? What aren’t you telling me?”
“I have no idea, Madison,” he ground out. “Sometimes people are just sick. They don’t have rhyme or reason for what they do. Sometimes they’re on drugs, sometimes they have mental problems. Who knows?”
“What now?”
“Now we hope he makes a mistake and leaves some evidence that will help us track him down.”
She looked up at him. “How’d he get into Kayla’s house last night?”
“Just like at your place, there’s no evidence of a forced entry. It seems like he must have had a key. Now how he got that key, we don’t know. There was no evidence of forced entry at any of the victims’ homes.” He exhaled sharply. “In fact, if you hadn’t survived, Madison, we may not have even realized that we had a killer on our hands.”
“Did he leave another note this time?”
“He did,” Brody confirmed.
“And?”
“This has got to stay here, between you and me.” Brody shifted to face her better. “He left the name William. We checked with the County Manager and there have got to be at least forty Williams in York County. We’re in the process of narrowing them down.”
“I see.”
He sighed and leaned back. “So you’re stuck with me all day.”
Madison wondered if what he really meant was “I’m stuck with you all day.” She said nothing.
“What’s on your schedule?”
Her schedule? It seemed like the last thing on her mind at the moment. What did she have lined up? “I’ve got three or four appointments. I’ve got to do some photo shoots. I’m two days behind already.”
“Consider me your chauffeur, then.”
“I feel like you’re more of a babysitter.” She frowned.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Being near you will only help the investigation. There may be some clue we’re missing that I’ll pick up on by talking with you.”
Madison still felt like she was being babysat, but she didn’t argue. Deep inside, she’d feel better if Brody were nearby, anyway.
Maybe, in some kind of twisted way, he was an answer to her prayer.
* * *
“How’s it going staying with Kayla?” Brody asked an hour later as they started down the road.
Madison shrugged. “It’s going fine. I’m glad Kayla opened up her house—it was very kind of her.”
“I’m kind of surprised you’re not staying with another friend by now.”
She glanced over at him. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, you certainly have friends around here yet you’re choosing to stay with Kayla.”
Madison shrugged. “It’s complicated.”
“Explain, then.”
Did she have to? The man had put his life on the line for her. It seemed the least she could do was make conversation with him for the duration of the car ride. Besides, this seemed unusual for him. He usually seemed to prefer quiet. “I grew up around here so, sure, I have friends in the area. But so many of them were friends with Reid and me. When he died…I think his death just reminded them all of how fragile life was. It was inevitable that our relationships changed.” She sighed. “They pulled away, I pulled away…I’m not sure which one exactly. Probably both. I just know that suddenly we weren’t having dinner every
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