The Vampire Obsession

Chapter 20

Evelyn

That night, all the patrol cars of Grimwood surrounded my street and the surroundings of the chalet where I was staying.

Their sirens turned everything into a spectacle of blue and red lights dancing in the dark. The forensic team was preparing to remove the corpse in front of the entrance of the house.

A yellow tape reading “Crime Scene – Do Not Cross” stretched across the steps of my door, where David’s body still rested below my feet.

With my arms crossed and my head lowered, I analyzed the state of the body with Sheriff Alan and Vincent beside me.

“ He has never made more than one victim in a year. Never,” said my dear coworker. “ This is not only a death. It is a message for us.”

Vincent was a complete i***t, however, I had to admit that he was partially right about that.

I pressed my lips tightly against each other, because I could not say a word about the case.

I was the only one who knew the meaning of that death. The truth in the hidden and macabre intentions of the Ripper. That was in fact a homicidal message, and directed straight at me. I did not need to wait for the forensic results to know that that murder had been committed only minutes before the call — or even during it.

What had led David to that bloody end was the simple fact that he had flirted with me.

I contented myself with nodding in confirmation to Vincent’s statement with the most serene expression. However, of course my unusual silence did not go unnoticed by someone.

“ What do you have to say about this, Investigator Cross?” Alan asked, raising a severe eyebrow at me.

“ I think everything is as clear as crystal.” I shrugged casually. “ He doesn’t seem to like police officers.”

“ Are you f*****g kidding us?” Vincent sneered.

“ Watch how you speak to me, Vincent.”

“ Or what? Are you going to send your killer boyfriend after me to slit my throat too?” he mocked. “ And it’s Detective Morgan for you.”

Honestly? Maybe I will do exactly that.

“ Such professionalism.” My laugh came out in a snort and I shook my head from side to side, amused by his exaggerated reaction. “ And I don’t recall hearing you call me Investigator Cross at any moment, only little girl.”

A violent hiss came from my side. Alan stared at Vincent with a look that would make anyone tuck their tail between their legs. Including me.

“ Show more respect to your colleague, Officer Morgan. You are not in the zone with your friends, you are at a crime scene. I would hate to have to kick you out of the operation for misconduct like a brat being expelled from class.” Then he turned to me, practically breathing fire through his nose. “ Now answer the question I asked you seriously, Investigator Cross.”

“ This death is a clear message to me,” I justified. “ It is a provocation to me and to the Grimwood police. It is not like his other deaths, this one represents nothing to him. He didn’t even bother to leave his sign on the man’s sternum, he just tore his throat apart. It is a joke. His intention is to scare us and make us think that he is unbeatable. That he can act at any moment, against anyone. No one in the city is safe. Not even those who are here to protect it.”

“ Even she knows that,” Vincent exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at me. “ We need to remove her from the operation, everything has been unfolding in complete chaos since she set foot in the city. Her arrival made the Ripper unpredictable and now he is killing without precedent and deviating from his modus operandi to provoke us. You know I’m right, Alan. It’s the only way.”

I turned to Alan, expecting him to silence Vincent and ignore him.

But the sheriff hid his expression from us while looking down, hands shoved in his pockets, immersed in thoughtful silence.

“ Alan...” I tried to dissuade him from that idea before it was too late.

“ Vincent is right, Evelyn,” he said, lifting his face and looking straight into my eyes. “ I never should have inserted you into this.”

“ You didn’t force me to participate in the investigation, I joined by my own will. You can’t remove me now. He is out there being reckless and egocentric, sooner or later he will make a mistake and leave some clue strong enough to capture him. I know he will. You can’t remove me from the operation now that we are closer than ever.” I trampled word after word. Desperation corroded my mind, making me lose my composure. However Alan continued without looking at me. It was at that moment that I knew I had lost everything.

“ Alan!”

My voice came out broken like glass shattering on the sidewalk.

“ I’m sorry, Evelyn. But he is committing more deaths now because you provoked him first by coming here and giving that damn lecture. Removing you is the best thing to do. If I don’t do it, more innocent men will die.”

“ Innocent men?” I snapped, shaking my head in total skepticism. Something inside me exploded when I heard those two words.