I took the final swig of my coffee and headed for the coop. I fed the girls and collected their eggs, leaving the basket just outside their enclosure to grab when I finished my morning chores. I made my rounds in the greenhouse, paying special attention to the seedlings I’d started that would soon be ready for planting in the larger outdoor garden. Our growing season wasn’t long, so I made the most of it, fitting as many things as possible in the rows of soil.
I headed out of the slightly stuffy greenhouse and towards the water. I hoped I could convince Brody to take the first kayak trip of the season. If we were lucky, we might spot a few orcas and some other creatures. He’d seemed a bit skeptical about taking out the skinny watercraft, but I had a feeling I could bring him around, even if it took a little bribery.
I walked down the worn path, hopping over the familiar roots and rocks. Just as I was about to turn to head down to the beach and the boat shed, my steps faltered. Something was on the dock. I started towards it without thinking, jogging down the steps. When my feet hit the planks of the dock, I froze. The form was familiar, too familiar.
I screamed. My feet tripped over each other in a battle to get away from the sight that seemed to draw closer. But I couldn’t right them. I couldn’t do anything but scream.
38
Brody
A scream pierced the air. One that spoke of sheer terror. My steps faltered for the briefest of moments as if they were still headed towards the studio as planned, but the rest of my body was already moving towards the sound that had sent birds soaring into the air.
A million and one thoughts flew through my mind as I ran down the path. Not a single one taking hold as my gaze jumped from the ground in front of me to the water and back. I had to keep myself from tripping over one of the exposed tree roots or logs. But I had to get to Shay. As fast as my legs could carry me.
I tore out of the woods and down the steps to the dock. She was scrambling up the steps and wound up to level a punch to my gut before recognizing it was me and stopping herself.
“What is it? What happened?”
She jolted as I wrapped my arms around her, my eyes and hands searching for injuries. Her arm shook as she pointed towards the end of the dock. I froze. Another crumpled form lay on the wood. I slowly pushed to my feet, trying to get a better view.
I knew the image in front of me too well. Except it belonged on a canvas, not in real life. At first glance, the woman looked like she could pass for Shay. Dark brown hair, petite frame. But her eyes were too clouded over with death to tell if they had been hazel. Some sort of vine wrapped around her body, the same way I had painted Shay in the greenhouse. But the vine around this woman’s neck wasn’t a sign of vitality. It was how she’d been killed.
Her neck was mottled with deep bruises that stood out in contrast to her pale skin. I had no idea if the woman had been fair in life as Shay was, or if death had taken her natural hue. But beneath her pallor were a number of stab wounds. I fought the bile that crept up my throat and turned back to Shay.
She was staring towards the end of the dock, but her focus seemed hazy as if she were looking but not really seeing. I stepped between her and the body, crouching low. “Come on. We need to get out of here.”
Shay nodded woodenly as I guided her away from the body. She trembled as she moved, and anger flooded my bloodstream. Shay was one of the strongest people I knew. A normal person would’ve collapsed under the weight of what she’d been through. But Shay had always stood strong amidst whatever storm came her way. To see her shaking now broke something in me, releasing a potent mixture of rage and concern.
As quickly as possible, I guided Shay up the steps and towards the studio. Once we were inside, I locked the door and set the alarm, then guided her towards the couch that had been delivered just days ago. I wrapped a blanket around her shoulders as if that could ward off all the memories I knew were likely flashing through her mind.
She sat frozen on the leather cushion, her gaze still with that hazy quality to it. I pulled out my cell phone and hit Parker’s contact. It rang twice before he answered. “Raines.”
“Parker, it’s Brody. I’ve got a dead body on the end of my dock.”
Parker let out a litany of curses. “I’m on my way. A team will be just behind me. Are you safe?”
“We’re in the studio, locked up tight. But I didn’t see anyone.”
“Okay. You stay right there until I come get you.”
“Understood.” For the first time in my life, I wished I’d had training with a firearm. Maybe it was time to look into that. I was sure there must be a range on Shelter where I could learn the basics.
I crossed back to the couch, slipping my phone into my pocket. I eased down next to Shay. “Parker’s on his way.”
She let her grip on the blanket loosen, the material falling from around her shoulders. “Did you see the stab wounds?”
“I did…”
“They’re just like mine, Brody. On her torso and right arm. Nowhere else.”
Everything in me froze. I couldn’t manage to get a single word out.
Shay looked towards me, but her eyes were as empty as I’d ever seen. “What if it’s him? What if it’s Michael?”
“There’s no way…” But what were the chances that this victim who looked so much like Shay would have the same wounds? “We have to tell Parker.”
“I know.” She was silent for a moment before speaking again. “I’m sorry I lost it. I just—”
I framed her face with my hands. “You have nothing to apologize for.”
“I’m not weak.”
“Nothing in me thinks you are.”
Her hands gripped my forearms. “I studied self-defense for years, completed firearms training, did so much therapy I lost track, all so I’d be ready if something bad happened again. Instead, I lost it. I could barely focus.”
I swiped my thumbs back and forth across her cheeks. “You looked like you were about to level me with an uppercut before you realized it was me. You handled yourself better than you think.” I struggled to get the words out, thinking about what might’ve happened if the killer had still been there. I swallowed in an attempt to clear the tightening in my throat. “What you saw…it was horrific. Give yourself a little grace.”
Shay let her head fall forward so that our foreheads rested against each other. “What’s happening?”
“I wish I knew.” But all I could think about were the stab wounds. The ones so similar to Shay’s. The woman who looked as if she could’ve been her sister. I wrapped my arms around her, needing to know that she was safe and breathing.
I wasn’t sure how long we stayed like that before a knock sounded on the door. “It’s Parker,” a voice called from outside.
I reluctantly released Shay and pushed to my feet. She followed. My gaze swept over her face. “You okay?”
“No. But I’ve made it through worse not being okay.”
I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “We’ll get through this, too.”
“We will.”
I crossed to the door, disarming the alarm and flipping the deadbolt. When I pulled it open, I was greeted by a pissed-as-hell Parker. He was usually good at hiding his emotions, but the set of his jaw alone gave him away today. “Thanks for coming.”