Evil Within

CHAPTER 30

Sophia sat in her car, gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white. The gruesome murder of Greg Harper haunted her. His bloodied uniform, the disbelief in his lifeless eyes—it was too much. She couldn’t stop replaying the scene in her mind. The killer was escalating, and time was slipping through her fingers.

She glanced at her phone. No missed calls. No messages. Luna had been ignoring her since morning, and the silence only added to Sophia’s mounting anxiety.

“I don’t have time for this,” Sophia muttered to herself. She grabbed her phone and dialed Andrew.

“Andrew here,” his voice came through after the second ring.

“Have you retrieved the footage from the drive-thru and surrounding areas yet?” she asked, her voice clipped and urgent.

“I’m working on it. The drive-thru has a clear timestamp of Harper’s last stop. I’ve also requested footage from two nearby gas stations and a street-facing shop. Should have something within the hour,” Andrew replied.

“Good,” Sophia said, exhaling sharply. “We need to find anything—anything—that gives us even the faintest trace of this monster.”

“What about Luna?” Andrew asked cautiously.

“I’m going to her house now,” Sophia said firmly. “She’s ignoring my calls, and I’m done waiting. We need her.”

Andrew hesitated. “Sophia, don’t push her too hard. She’s scared, and I don’t blame her. This case is consuming all of us.”

“Don’t lecture me, Andrew,” Sophia snapped, though her tone softened almost immediately. “I know what I’m asking of her, but we’re out of options. She’s the closest we have to understanding this guy. If I don’t convince her, more people are going to die.”

Andrew sighed on the other end. “Alright. Just be careful. Let me know what she says.”

“I will.”

Sophia ended the call and tossed the phone onto the passenger seat. The weight of her decision pressed down on her as she drove through the quiet streets. The curfew had emptied the town; the eerie silence was suffocating. She glanced at the houses she passed, their windows glowing warmly against the winter chill. Each one held families, children, people who trusted her to keep them safe.

She couldn’t let them down.

When she pulled up outside Luna’s small, tidy house, she killed the engine and took a moment to steady herself. She grabbed her coat, bracing against the cold as she approached the door.

Sophia knocked firmly, the sound echoing in the still night. She waited, her breath visible in the frosty air. No response.

“Luna!” she called out, knocking again.

A shuffle sounded inside, followed by hesitant footsteps. The door creaked open just enough for Luna’s face to appear, her expression wary.

“Sophia,” Luna said, her voice barely audible.

“Luna, we need to talk,” Sophia said, her tone softer than usual.

Luna’s eyes darted around nervously before she stepped back, opening the door wider. “Come in,” she said reluctantly.

The warmth of the house enveloped Sophia as she entered. It was modest but cozy, with books and papers scattered across the table—a clear sign of Luna’s attempts to distract herself.

“Why are you ignoring my calls?” Sophia asked, cutting straight to the point.

Luna crossed her arms defensively. “I’m scared, okay? My brother called earlier. He’s worried, and I don’t want him finding out about us working together. If he does, he’ll drag me out of town, and then what good will I be to you?”

Sophia sighed, nodding in understanding. “I get it. I do. But we don’t have the luxury of time anymore. The killer is escalating, and now he’s targeting the people who are supposed to stop him. If we don’t act now, it’s only going to get worse.”

Luna’s expression softened, but fear still lingered in her eyes. “What do you want me to do?”

“Help me understand him,” Sophia said, sitting down at the edge of the couch. “I need to know what makes him tick, why he’s doing this, and how we can stop him. You’ve shown a unique perspective before, and I believe you can do it again.”

Luna hesitated, her hands trembling slightly. “Sophia, I’m just a college student. What if I’m wrong? What if I lead you in the wrong direction?”

Sophia leaned forward, her gaze steady. “You won’t. You’ve already given us more insight than we’ve had in months. I’m not asking you to be perfect—I’m asking you to try. We don’t catch him without you, Luna.”

After a long silence, Luna nodded, her resolve hardening. “Alright. I’ll do it. But if my brother finds out—”

“We’ll deal with it,” Sophia interrupted. “Right now, the only thing that matters is stopping this killer.”

Luna swallowed hard but didn’t argue further.

Sophia stood, placing a reassuring hand on Luna’s shoulder. “Thank you. I promise, we’ll catch him.”

As Sophia left the house, her mind raced with plans. The killer’s days were numbered—she would make sure of it.

Sophia’s car disappeared into the distance, her taillights fading as she turned the corner. Lucas, standing near the entrance of the Bancroft property, watched her leave, his jaw clenched and his fists tight. He had been on edge ever since the murders began, but seeing a detective—a stranger—leaving his sister’s house without explanation sent his anger into overdrive.

Without a second thought, Lucas stormed into the house, slamming the door behind him.

“Luna!” he called out, his voice sharp with frustration.

In the living room, Luna jumped slightly, startled by the sound of the door. She was packing her bag, preparing to head to the station to meet Sophia. The sudden interruption threw her off balance, and she hurriedly tried to gather her thoughts.

“Luna!” Lucas’s voice came closer, and within seconds, he was standing in the doorway, his expression a mixture of anger and concern.

“What’s going on?” he demanded, his eyes narrowing as they locked onto her. “Who was that woman? Why was she here?”

Luna hesitated, trying to maintain her composure. “She’s no one important,” she replied, attempting to sound nonchalant as she slung her bag over her shoulder.

“Don’t lie to me!” Lucas snapped, stepping closer. “I saw her leaving just now. She’s the detective, isn’t she? Sophia Green.”

Luna froze, her breath catching in her throat. It was no use denying it; Lucas had seen too much. She sighed, turning away from him to hide the conflict on her face.

“Lucas, it’s none of your business,” she said firmly, heading toward the front door.

“None of my business?” Lucas barked, moving to block her path. “How is this not my business? Do you have any idea how dangerous this situation is? A serial killer is out there, Luna! And you’re working with the people trying to catch him?”

Luna’s frustration boiled over, and she dropped her bag onto the floor. “I’m not a child, Lucas! You don’t get to barge in here and question everything I do like I owe you an explanation!”

“I’m your brother!” Lucas shot back, his voice rising. “It’s my job to protect you, especially when you clearly don’t know how to protect yourself!”

“Protect me?” Luna laughed bitterly, tears welling in her eyes. “You left, Lucas. You packed up and went to college miles away while I was left here to deal with everything—alone. You have no right to act like you care now.”

Lucas flinched, her words hitting harder than he anticipated. “I didn’t abandon you, Luna. I left because I thought it was best for both of us. You had Carla. You had support.”

“And you had freedom,” Luna interrupted, her voice trembling. “You didn’t have to look at me every day and be reminded of everything we lost. That’s the truth, isn’t it?”

Lucas stared at her, momentarily lost for words. “That’s not fair,” he said quietly.

“Life isn’t fair, Lucas,” Luna snapped, picking up her bag again. “But I’ve managed just fine without you. So don’t come in here now, pretending like you can just swoop in and take control of my life.”

“Fine,” Lucas said, his tone cold. “Then tell me this—why is a detective visiting you? What are you getting yourself into?”

Luna hesitated, torn between her brother’s anger and the need to keep Sophia’s plan a secret. “I can’t tell you,” she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Can’t? Or won’t?” Lucas pressed.

“Both,” Luna replied, her gaze defiant.

Lucas shook his head in disbelief. “Unbelievable. You’re putting yourself in danger, and you can’t even trust me enough to explain why?”

“You want the truth?” Luna snapped, stepping closer. “The truth is, I’m trying to help catch a monster because I care about this town. I care about the people living in it. And if that means I have to risk something, so be it. But you wouldn’t understand that, would you?”

Lucas opened his mouth to respond, but Luna held up her hand.

“Just go, Lucas,” she said, her voice breaking. “Go back to your college, your life—whatever it is you think is so important. You’ve already left me once. Don’t pretend it’ll be any different now.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Lucas’s shoulders sagged, and his expression softened, but Luna had already turned away.

“Fine,” Lucas said finally, his voice subdued. “But don’t come crying to me when this all blows up in your face.”

Without another word, he stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him. Luna stood there, her heart pounding as tears slid down her cheeks. She wiped them away quickly, grabbing her bag and heading out the door. She had more important things to focus on.

Sophia was waiting, and they had a killer to catch.