Page 55 of Gone in the Night (Detective Morgan Brookes #16)

Yolanda had messaged her new friend, Fairy Rose, earlier.

There had been no reply, but she’d shared her location with her and she hoped she could find her.

The trail she’d hiked along to set up camp had taken her longer than she’d realised.

She had taken hours to get her tent, equipment and camera in the right position to try and capture the new moon as it rose in the sky.

It was getting dark, and she was going to have to start recording soon before she lost all daylight.

She heard branches snap in the distance and paused what she was doing.

Nobody was out here except her; nobody knew where she was except for Fairy Rose who was probably walking towards her and making the noise.

As she positioned herself on her yoga mat she called out.

‘Hey, Fairy, I’m about to start, so if you wouldn’t mind waiting until I’ve finished recording the intro then you can set up your mats and stuff.’

There was no reply, and Yolanda paused. Maybe it was a fox or a badger. Whatever it was, she didn’t have time, she was running out of light. She used the tiny remote to set her camera recording.

‘Hey guys, I made it. Isn’t this something else?

This area is stunningly beautiful. The moon is slowly rising, and the birds are still singing.

It’s the perfect place to do a little new moon yoga ritual and get those affirmations written down.

I prefer to call them my new moon wishes.

There’s something far more magical about fairy wishes, isn’t there?

Talking of Fairies, I have someone I want you to meet soon; Fairy Rose is going to be doing this new moon. ’

Yolanda stopped talking. Looking down, she saw a dark bloom of red spreading across the front of her white yoga bra.

Then an intense pain as the knife that had been plunged straight through her back into her chest was tugged out and pushed in again with far more force.

A small gurgle escaped her lips, and she screamed once before toppling to the side on her brand-new white mat.

Her killer watched from behind, impressed they had managed to sneak up on her so stealthily.

She was dead before she hit the mat. They nodded to themselves then walked over to the camera, switching it off before dragging her body into the small two-man tent that Yolanda had put up less than an hour ago.

They pulled the mat into the tent, collected the camera equipment and walked back along the trail the way they’d come, stopping on the main path to untie the dog that was panting with excitement to see them.

Bending down to pat its head, they kept hold of its lead and walked all the way back to the secluded car park where they’d left the car.

Nothing was going to stop them now, especially now they knew how good watching a person die could be, and this one was even better.

It had all been captured on film for them to watch over and over again in the comfort of their own home.

They sighed as they patted the dog’s head that was sitting next to them in the passenger seat of the car, wondering how long it would be before another influencer decided to tell the world what they were doing and where they were doing it.

They would be watching and waiting, ready to make their next move.

They were always watching; it was what they did best.