Page 63 of Line of Sight (Second Sight #4)

DAN SAT in Gary’s car, a plastic cup filled with water in his hand, while the uniformed officers and forensic guys paddled back from the island in an inflatable boat they’d brought with them. He watched, fascinated, as they took molds of the tire tracks.

The sight of that black body bag being lifted from the boat and carried to the ambulance sent a wave of cold crawling over his skin.

Whoever did this has no regard for human life.

He glanced up as Gary walked toward him. “Hey.” Dan half raised his hand.

Gary crouched next to the open door. “You doing okay?”

He managed a halfhearted shrug. “Not really, no.” Then he spotted a familiar figure heading their way. “And here we go,” he murmured as Del Maddox joined them, Riley close behind him. Del’s clothing lay hidden beneath his white suit, his hands gloved, his mask in one of them.

He came to a halt in front of Gary. “Okay. Do you want the good news or the bad news?”

Gary blinked. “There’s good news?”

“For the victim, yes,” Del said in a dry tone. “He didn’t die here. He was killed elsewhere. And for what it’s worth, my first impression is that he was already dead when the killer skinned him.”

Riley stared at him. “So that wasn’t done here?”

Del shook his head. “There isn’t a drop of blood anywhere. The killer would need time, surgical instruments…. This was neatly done, by the way. Your killer is no amateur. No, he did this someplace else, then brought the body here.” Del frowned. “But why here? Why to this godforsaken place?”

“He told us to do our homework—well, he certainly did his.” Dan pointed to the scene before them. “He found an abandoned amusement park with an island.” He rolled his eyes. “It had to have that, right?”

Del’s frown deepened. “I don’t understand.”

“He took two fictional murders and… blended them,” Riley explained. “The setting is from Strangers on a Train , and the murder is from The Crucifix Killer , although….” He pushed his hair back from his face.

Dan stared at him. “Although what?”

“There’s also a skinning scene in American Psycho . So maybe three murders for the price of one.”

Gary gazed out toward the island. “What I don’t understand is why didn’t he kill Greg and make it appear like a suicide, the way he did with Amy?”

“That’s easy.” Dan drank a little water to refresh his dry mouth. “He’s sending us a message. He isn’t done yet.” He peered at the evidence bag in Riley’s hand; it contained Greg’s phone, which had been found near the body. “Del, how long do you estimate he’s been dead?”

“I won’t know for certain until I get him on a slab.”

“The reason I’m asking is because he sent us a text a few hours ago.”

Del snorted. “Okay, that much I can help you with. I’d say that was doubtful, unless it was his ghost. I’d hazard a guess it’s been at least twenty-four hours, maybe closer to thirty-six.”

Gary’s eyes were bright. “Then the message came from the killer. It was definitely Greg on the phone Tuesday.”

Dan nodded. “All we need to know now is why he called.”

Riley expelled a breath. “Yeah. Was it his idea—or the killer’s?”