Chapter 291
“Huh. Finn squinted his eyes, a mix of disbelief and amusement dancing in them. “You’ve got some nerve, don’t you? Most folks would be puking their guts out at the sight of a half–eaten corpse, and there you are, pregnant and all, not even flinching?”
Swallowing hard, I managed a nervous chuckle. “I didn’t dare look that way, to be honest.”
Finn snorted, his voice taking on a darker edge. “Foebe, you’re not as innocent as you pretend to be..”
I sucked in a sharp breath. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’m gonna catch the bastard myself, Finn replied, sidestepping my question like he was making a solemn vow.
He was dead set on catching the killer. He believed the killer was Caleb.
“So, you think Caleb is the mastermind behind the serial murders, avenging Phoebe Caldwell? So the victims are all somehow linked to Phoebe, bullied her, or messed with Caleb and Carter, right?” I looked at Finn for confirmation.
Finn didn’t respond, but his silence was as good as an affirmation.
“And Phoebe… why would she end up dead at the hands of a serial killer? Who killed her? Caleb? But why?” I found Finn’s theory hard to swallow.
“Because he’s a madman! Obsessed with a love he couldn’t have! Because Phoebe stopped loving him!” Finn gritted his teeth. “He once said nothing in this world is permanent, not even the stars above us–they’re always shifting. No one can be someone else’s forever unless… unless you find a way to freeze time, to preserve youth, and hold on to the one you love.”
Finn believed that Colin killed Phoebe to preserve her love, like some kind of twisted trophy.
“By that logic, the Phoebe you speak of should be trapped forever below, caged in a glass display, his and his alone, not hastily left for the cops to find and put on public display,” I countered.
Finn’s brow furrowed in irritation at my challenge. “Semantics.”
“Deduction has to be rooted in fact, Finn. There’s no such thing as a perfect murder or a perfect victim, right?” I took a step back and turned to leave.
It was a moment before Finn spoke again. “The mastermind behind these murders is either Caleb or Carter. Unless Carter is still alive, Caleb is our prime suspect.”
My stride faltered. Why did it have to be one of them?
“I know better than anyone how dangerous those two can be. It’s a blessing one’s gone. If they were both alive, they’d kill without leaving a trace for the police to find…” Finn muttered under his breath.
I nodded, understanding that, in Finn’s mind, without the intellect of Caleb or Carter, no one else could have orchestrated such meticulous killings.
“The victim profile has changed, which means the orphanage sequence is out the window. Melody’s under 24–hour protection from Dexter, making it hard for the killer to make a move. They must be starting fresh…* I pondered aloud, then paused and turned back to look at Finn. “If the killer sticks to their M.O., they’ve already got their next victim lined up by the time they dump the first one. Time’s running out…”
We had little time to find the next crime scene before
was lost.
If Colin were here, maybe we’d have a shot at finding it before the next victim expired. But Colin was locked away in a mental institution. “Go find Caleb,” Robin urged, striding over in his traffic cop uniform, clearly having rushed here straight after his shift, insisting that Finn
seek out Colin.
“Officer Robin, maybe you should stick to directing traffic. Just because you need backup doesn’t mean I do,” Finn retorted with a smug
sneer.
Robin’s face flushed with the urgency of the situation. “We’re talking about a human fe here! We can’t afford any mistakes, not even a
second!”
His eyes were bloodshot with desperation.
“Robin, I don’t need your lectures,” Finn shot back, voice cold as ice.
Gasping for air, Robin moved closer, attempting to grab Finn’s arm. “Finn, I know you’re capable, but we’re running out of time. From the body’s discovery to the next death, we’ve got less than twenty–four hours. We don’t have a moment to waste!”
10:39
