Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Detective Sawyer Reed's phone rang, jolting him from a deep, dreamless sleep. He groaned, reaching blindly for the phone on his nightstand. The harsh glow of the screen blinded him for a moment, and he blinked rapidly to clear his vision. When he finally opened his eyes again, Sheriff Dare Jensen’s name swam into view.

Sawyer tapped the button and held the phone to his ear. “Reed.”

"Sawyer, we've got a murder downtown.” Dare's voice was tight with anxiety. "Meet in the alley next to the Italian restaurant. Looks like it might be Lindsey Gill.”

Sawyer bolted upright, the last remnants of sleep vanishing. "On my way.”

He ended the call and swung his legs over the side of the bed, mind already focusing on the night—or morning, as the case might be—ahead. He dressed in record time, and forgoing coffee for the time being, grabbed his badge, gun, and keys, then dashed out the door.

The cool night air slapped his face as he stepped outside, but he welcomed the jolt to his senses. The streets were empty, a small blessing of small-town life—no traffic to slow him down. He navigated the familiar roads quickly, the only sound the purr of his car's engine and the faint hum of the tires as they spun along beneath him.

As he approached the scene, the red and blue lights of patrol cars bounced off nearby buildings, casting eerie shadows in the dark. He parked behind Dare’s familiar SUV and hurried toward the alley, his pulse quickening. The air was thick with the scent of dirt and refuse, mingling with the more tantalizing aromas garlic and basil that floated from the open doorway of the restaurant.

Cam McCoy was on the sidewalk, questioning a visibly shaken restaurant employee. The young man’s face was pale, his entire body trembling where he sat on the curb in front of the restaurant.

Cam tossed a quick look at Sawyer before turning his attention back to the man in front of him. “Sam, this is Detective Sawyer Reed. Could you please tell him what you just told me?”

The man—Sam—glanced up at Sawyer, his face pale. “I—I found her when I took the trash out for the night. I wasn’t really paying attention, and… I tripped over her.”

His face took on a green tinge as he swallowed hard. “I didn’t mean to. I was tired and it’d been a long day, and...”

He trailed off, and Cam offered a kind smile. “I understand. Do you happen to remember what time this was?”

“A little after one. I—I called the cops right away.”

Sawyer studied the man. “Is that normally when you take the trash out?”

Sam nodded. “We close around twelve on Fridays, but it takes awhile to get everything cleaned up—especially the kitchen. I usually drop the trash right before I leave.”

“Where do you park?”

The man gestured in the direction of the alley. “Behind the building.”

At the end of the alley, it opened into a small gravel parking area beyond. “Is that where all the employees park?”

Sam nodded. “Yeah. The side door locks behind you when you leave, so I usually just head out and go straight to my car.”

Sawyer glanced around. "Did you hear or see anything unusual tonight? Anyone hanging around the alley?"

The young man shook his head vehemently. "No, nothing. I just came out to take the trash and... she was there."

“Thanks, Sam.” Cam dipped his chin. “We’ll let you know if we have any more questions. Do you need a ride home?”

Sam stood, looking slightly less shaken than before. “N-no, I think I’ll be all right.”

He cast a quick look down the alley then, with a small shudder, turned away and headed around the back of the building to retrieve his car.

Sawyer turned to Cam. “We’re sure it’s Lindsey Gill?”

Cam straightened, his expression grim. "Victim is female, early- to mid-twenties. No ID on her, but the description matches.”

Fuck. Sawyer felt a cold knot form in his stomach. "Any other witnesses?"

Cam shook his head. "Not so far. We're checking into the other businesses in the plaza, but most closed down early. Sam was the last employee to leave.”

Sawyer and Cam ducked under the crime scene tape and joined Dare where he stood just a few feet away from the woman sprawled facedown next to the dumpster.

Sawyer’s gaze swept over her pale form, completely nude from head to toe, her skin filthy and mottled with grime and blood. “Jesus.”

The sheriff glanced over at him and nodded. “Someone did a number on her.”

Dark streaks of blood stood out in the harsh light of the fluorescent work lamp that had been set up at the mouth of the alley. Bruises and lacerations covered her body, evidence of a prolonged and vicious assault.

Dare crouched down and, using a gloved hand, gently brushed the woman’s hair away from her face. The extent of her injuries became more apparent. Her face was swollen and bruised, almost unrecognizable.

Sawyer's heart sank as he got his first glimpse of the woman. It took a moment for the pieces to click into place—her disheveled hair, so encrusted with blood and dirt that it looked brown, the once delicate features now marred by violence.

Dare lowered the thick curtain of hair back into place. “It’s definitely her.”

Damn it. Sawyer swallowed hard as a wave of anger and sadness washed over him. Lindsey Gill’s recent abduction from her home had captivated the small town of Brookhaven. The beautiful blue-eyed blonde had worked as a nurse at a nearby hospital, her bubbly personality enriching the lives of everyone she met. For weeks the community had held onto the hope that she would be found alive. But now, all those hopes had been dashed in the most horrifying way.

Over the past month, two other women had been found dead. But their deaths were nothing compared to the brutality Lindsey had suffered. Sawyer shoved down the turmoil swirling in his stomach and focused on Lindsey’s body.

“She was definitely killed elsewhere,” he said unnecessarily.

Dare exhaled a deep breath through his nose. “Let’s see what we can collect. I’ll hold off on letting anyone else back here until you’re done.”

Sawyer tipped his head in acknowledgment, then moved back to his car to retrieve his kit. Cam began to set up evidence markers throughout the alley, and Sawyer moved back toward the dumpster.

While the other victims had been painstakingly posed and cared for, Lindsey’s murder appeared to lack the same methodical precision. From his place near her feet, he studied her. It was almost as if she’d tripped and landed facedown. One arm seemed to be trapped underneath her torso, the other extended slightly away from her body. Her legs were sprawled slightly apart, and blood marred the inside of her thighs.

A shudder of revulsion started low, and Sawyer clenched his molars, pushing it down.

"We need to notify her family," Cam said quietly, pausing in his task of photographing the scene. "They need to know."

Sawyer agreed, but first they had to ensure every piece of evidence was collected. “I’ll take care of it. Make sure we get everything—we can't miss a single detail."

As they continued to work, Sawyer's mind raced. The brutality of the crime, the methodical removal of fingerprints—it all pointed to a killer who was both ruthless and calculated. Someone who had done this before, or at least thought about it long enough to know how to cover their tracks.

Sawyer was momentarily distracted as Medical Examiner Tom Seidel arrived at the scene, his expression grim. He ducked under the crime scene tape, pausing to speak with Dare before moving toward Sawyer. “Detective.”

“Morning, Doc.” Sawyer and Cam watched as he knelt beside Lindsey's lifeless form, his assessing gaze carefully inspecting her injuries.

"Blunt force trauma," Dr. Seidel murmured, his eyes scanning the extensive bruising and lacerations. "She was beaten severely. But I won't be able to determine the official cause of death until I can conduct a full examination."

Sawyer nodded, stepping back to give Dr. Seidel space to work. "Understood. We'll need every piece of information you can get us."

Dr. Seidel continued his preliminary assessment, his brow furrowed in concentration. After a few minutes, he stood up and signaled to the team to prepare Lindsey's body for transport. As the medical examiner's team took over, Sawyer and Cam moved aside, watching in silence as Lindsey was placed into the van, the door closing with a heavy finality.

"We'll come back in the light of day to reassess," Cam said. "We might find something we missed in the dark."

Sawyer nodded, his gaze still fixed on the departing van. "Let's collect what we can for now. I don’t want to lose anything overnight.”

They began methodically working through the crime scene, noting any potential evidence. The alley was scoured for anything that could provide a clue—a piece of fabric, a stray hair, a discarded weapon. Every detail mattered.

As they worked, the first gray light of dawn began to lighten the sky, casting long shadows over the ground. The weight of the case pressed heavily on Sawyer's shoulders, but he refused to let it slow him down. This was his job, his duty, and he wouldn't rest until the killer was caught.

Around five o’clock Sawyer and Cam finally paused, their initial sweep of the scene complete.

"We'll regroup later," Sawyer said, his voice tinged with exhaustion. “I’m going to visit the Gills.”

“Want me to come?”

Cam shot him a sideways glance, but Sawyer shook his head. “I’ll handle it. Why don’t you get some rest, then get started sorting through his stuff.” He gestured toward the collection of evidence. “Maybe we’ll find something in there.”

Cam clapped a hand on his shoulder. “We'll get this bastard."

He sure as hell hoped so. They both knew the clock was ticking. The longer the killer remained free, the greater the danger to the community. And for Sawyer, it was personal. He had to find justice for Lindsey Gill. He wouldn't rest until they had answers—and until the monster responsible for this horror was brought to justice.