He nodded. If that was how she wanted it, to put up a facade in front of others and act like they didn’t mean a lot to each other, he’d play along.
But not for long.
"Proceed." He said to Jenkins who led them to a bedroom door.
Stepping inside, the scent of blood hit him like hard like a kick in the gut. The room was a shrine to normalcy – floral wallpaper, a half-finished knitting project on a rocking chair, and a framed photo of a smiling mother and daughter on the nightstand. But none of it could mask the monstrosity of tableau on the bed.
Brenda Marie Beasley lay sprawled on the floral sheets, naked. Rhett eyes squinted at that and confusion warred within him.
Why was she without any clothes on?
"Did the killer kill her naked?" He asked.
Jenkins replied with an unsure tone. "Seems so, sir."
"Was it before or after he killed her?" He stroked his beard.
Jenkins moved closer to the bed and pointed at a blood stain on her chest. "Judging from the blood smeared on her breasts, I believe it was before she was killed, sir."
What the heck?
"C– could she have been raped then?" Asked, Rhett.
If she was raped, that would at least lead them to something– that the killer was a male.
"This is getting more insane by the day." Alistair cursed under his breath.
Insane was an understatement; Rhett thought to himself. Imagine killing a grown woman and stripping her naked too.
He continued to study her lifeless body. Her eyes were open. That was a vacant stare that would forever be etched on her face. Her pallid skin was devoid of any healthy flush.
However, unlike the previous victims who were drained completely, there was still a faint trace of blood clinging to her lips. Did Jenkins miss this?
Or why say she was sucked dry?
Tch. He hated incompetencies.
Rhett knelt beside the body, his gloved hand gently brushing aside a stray wisp of silver hair. "This isn’t a typical drain," Alistair muttered behind him, his voice tight.
"It’s similar to that of the deceased teacher. Rhett nodded a reply.
His gaze scanned the bite marks. They were clean, surgical almost, hinting at a professional or at least experienced killer. But unlike the frenzied attacks he’d seen before, the lack of complete blood drainage was a glaring anomaly.
Once again, this seemed to Rhett like a vampire attack. But that didn’t make any sense.
Vampires don’t feed on wolves, yet the victim, Brenda, wasn’t completely drained. It was a confusing inconsistency.
"I’ll do it."
.
He walked back to the living room. The girl wasn’t wrapped in Isleen’s hands anymore. A soldier was speaking to them, probably asking them to step outside for the investigation to commence without interruptions as the girl’s wails were indeed– loud.
Isleen sensed him the moment he emerged. Her gaze darted towards him and he saw a look in them. One that shouts ’I feel okay and relieved that you are here. I know you will solve this case and protect us all but I don’t want to admit it.’
Isleen was way more into him than even she realized. It was his job to protect her, yes but also to make her see that too. To have her reach that epiphany.
That she trusted and wanted him.
Rhett cleared his throat, forcing himself to maintain a professional demeanor despite the turmoil churning within him.
"Isleen," he began, his voice gentle but firm. "I understand this is a difficult time, but I need to ask her a few questions." He pointed at the young girl beside her – Brenda Marie Beasley’s daughter, he presumed.
However, before Isleen could reply, another figure perched behind her caught his attention. It was Liam. He had the look of a young boy who was disturbed by what he was seeing and hearing as he remained clutched behind Isleen with a fallen face.
He didn’t seem like the talkative little boy that Rhett had formerly encountered. If he was so disturbed, why did he come over here then?
As though it were a reply to his question, unease sparked in his memory. The fleeting figure he’d seen on the wall the night before – the one that had disappeared into Isleen’s window... it came right back to his head while looking at Liam right now.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l
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