Page 114 of Kiss of Deceit

“I know. You’re safe now,” I murmured, attempting to comfort her while also inspecting everyone’s body language, looking for any tells. This murderer was cocky and boastful. It would fit his profile if he inserted himself close to the crime scenes. I would bet money that someone in this crowd was the killer.

I caught sight of Kole across the street, his gaze stuck on the bloodied message in the snow.

Two tonight. Three tomorrow.

My mind was whirling between the present and everything I learned about Kole only twenty minutes ago. What a fucking night.

I turned my attention back to the victims. Both were men who I didn’t recognize, and from how the locals were reacting, I was guessing they weren’t interns. They were in the middle of the street, both propped up against each other’s backs with their heads rolling to the side. A blade was buried in each of their hearts. But from how much their clothes were blood-soaked, I had a feeling they were both stabbed many times. Other than the message, the snow was white and pristine, meaning they’d been murdered somewhere else and put here. Just like Jillian’s murder.

“I’m scared, Dani.” Hallie’s voice trembled. “Three. Does that mean he’s going to kill again? I work alone. What if?—”

“He won’t touch you,” I promised, hugging her back.

“How do you know? He could have been watching me tonight.”

She pulled away from me, wiping tears from her cheeks. I grabbed her shoulders, squeezing gently before she worked her way into hysterics again. It had taken me five minutes to calm her when I first got here.

“We will make sure you’re never alone in the café,” I said, meeting her gaze. “Everything will be okay.”

“I hear people are talking about a buddy system.”

I glanced up to see Miles approaching, concern etched on his face.

“Buddy system?” Hallie sniffed, eyeing him curiously.

He laughed, though it was missing humor. “Yeah, like in grade school. No one goes alone.”

“I work alone,” Hallie argued, new tears forming. “Everyone else has jobs. No one has time to make sure I’m safe.”

I bit my tongue, wondering how I missed all the signs of how odd this town was. I’d only seen Hallie at the café and never questioned not seeing other employees or who even owned it.

“Hey,” Miles said gently, giving her a comforting smile. “I’m still not back to full time because of my injury. I can stay with you in the mornings. I’m sure Dani will be busy at the station, but I bet she’ll hang out when she’s not working.”

I nodded, even though I wasn’t sure how much free time I would have. If I wasn’t working, I had every intention to search Kole’s newfound laptop. He had pictures and information on everyone in this town. More than what Harry had. Maybe I’d seehim. Or at least I could convince myself it wasn’t my monster I saw that morning. Knowing that this town is full of criminals made it so much more plausible that it could have been him.

“Dani, come here,” Susan ordered in her usual brisk tone. She and Harry were both looking at me as I said goodbye to Hallie and Miles.

Kole strode forward, stopping at my side when I reached Susan. She frowned at him, making it known she wasn’t happy he was involving himself. Harry smoked his cigarette, his gaze staying on the two bodies.

“We’re implementing a curfew,” she informed me. “Everyone in their homes by sundown unless going to and from work.”

“And my bar?” Kole questioned.

“Closes at sundown,” Harry grumbled, shooting a glare at Susan. “I’ll buy a couple bottles from you so I can drink in peace at home.”

“What’s going on?” Riggs’s loud voice came from the crowd. “Come on, Sheriff. Give us some information.”

“I’m too old for this.” Harry sighed before tossing his cigarette into the snow and stomping on it. He stepped forward, putting his fingers in his mouth and whistling to get everyone’s attention. “Starting now, there is a curfew in effect. Everyone needs to be in their homes by sundown unless traveling to work. If you have to travel at night—or in the day—you need to be withone other person. No one goes anywhere alone. No hunting for the time being, and all trails are closed.”

Shouts of disagreement filtered through the frigid air. Susan clicked her tongue in annoyance as Harry shushed everyone.

“It’s not permanent,” he tried placating everyone before his tone turned grave. “We all know what happens if this continues and the murderer is not found.”

The arguments died out, and I looked around the crowd, noticing most had faces of understanding. The only confused ones were the interns. My eyes darted to Kole when I felt his knowing stare on me. They’d shut this entire town down if the killer wasn’t caught.

“Do you have any suspects?” someone yelled.

“I think it’s an intern,” another voice interjected. “Everyone who has died is from this town.”