Start From the Beginning

Chapter 2:

Chapter 2

Saylor

Then:

A month has passed, and another murder has happened. Same situation. A blonde girl was strangled, her body was dumped. No idea what happened. I swallowed hard when I saw that there was a second, geographically close to us. My instincts kicked in and I was trying to create some kind of profile in my head for him, but I didn't like to let anyone know that I did. It was a guilty pleasure of sorts that kept my mind active in the criminal justice world. I was acting on training – trying to stay keen.

I didn't think too much into it after a few days, allowing my mind to travel back to a normal work week. It was Friday and I was at home for the day, since it was too hot and late to get started on anything major. I had Score in the house with me, as I cleaned away, music on and tea brewing on the stove.

I loved my tiny home. It was small, but it was perfect for me. All one level, brick home. It had a grey and white hard wood floor that offset with my white cabinets and black fixtures. My appliances were the matte steel color and added a layer of sparkle to my kitchen that sat in the line of the front door. My house was furnished with grey items and brightly colored blankets that added color pops around. The décor was farmhouse but not in the tacky kind of way, but more so the exposed wood and brick – white wash and shiplap. It was honestly such a comfortable little home.

Walk in the front door and there is my island and kitchen – perfect for four people to be at. To the left was the living room, half bath, and patio. To the right was my bedroom and the master bathroom. The perfectly tiny house that made me feel safe. And today was one of those days that just felt homey. Candles burning as I cleaned, making the space feel new and alive again.

Score was looking at the front door and I stopped cleaning to just watch him. It was as if he was awaiting arrival from someone – at any second someone would be here. I shook my head, writing it off.

Until my phone rang. It snapped my out of my thoughts and I quickly answered it without looking at the caller ID.

"Saylor are you okay?" Major asked.

"Yeah, hi, I am fine. Why what's going on?" I asked my brother.

"I don't know Saylor but I have this odd feeling." He sighed into the phone. Almost as if there was a realease of stress knowing I was okay.

"Tell me Major. We don't hide shit from each other." I tell him, pulling the sibling card out.

"Listen a third girl died recently. The news put a report on about the FBI getting involved now thinking they have a serial killer. They all.. well they all look like you Saylor and it made me worried." He spills.

"Oh wow. I don't even know what to say." I quietly return.

"I know this can't make you feel good but I just wanted to make sure you were okay. We need to keep each other safe." He says back.

"Thanks Major. How is the peanut?" I change the subject.

"Good she is weighing in and sizing in the right percentile, so I assume that all is well. Zoe feels good too, which makes this easier." He giggles. I smile to myself.

"Okay. Good. Love you." And like that, we ended the call. My gut told me that it was something to note, but to not worry about. I didn't need to get myself worked up, but I made the mental note about a third girl dying.

I turned my TV on to the news station and as if they knew that Major just told me the run down, a blonde woman, who called herself Jennifer, came on with an important announcement about the recent murders in our town. She was from the FBI...