Gwen's Cold Blood Murders

The Second Victim

By the time Carter and the sheriff arrived at the Turner house, the scene was already chaotic. Cody's parents were frantic, shouting at officers, their voices hoarse with fear. A few of the neighbors stood nearby, exchanging worried glances, their eyes flickering nervously as the flashing lights of the squad cars lit up the street.

Carter tried to keep his composure as he approached the Turner family. Cody's mother, Laura Turner, was sitting on the porch steps, wringing her hands, tears staining her face. When she saw Carter, she stood up, her eyes desperate.

"Detective, please—my son... he was just here, he was playing video games, and then... then he was gone," she sobbed, clutching a blanket to her chest. "I don't know what happened. I called out to him and he didn't answer. The door was locked from the inside... but he wasn't in his room. Please, you have to find him!"

Carter took a deep breath. "Ma'am, I need you to stay calm. We're doing everything we can. Did anyone see anything unusual? Anything at all?"

Laura shook her head. "Nothing. Just... just that. The door was locked, and he was gone. No sign of struggle, no forced entry."

Carter turned to Sheriff Meadows, who had been silently observing. "We'll need to search the house and the area around it, too. Let's start with the yard."

They moved quickly, canvassing the surrounding neighborhood, but there were no leads. The missing boy hadn't left the house in any visible way, and there were no signs of a struggle. Nothing that suggested the boy had been taken by force. As the night wore on, Carter grew more and more uneasy. This wasn't just a disappearance—it was an echo of the same pattern. Another child taken, without a trace.

By the time dawn's light began to stretch across the sky, Carter knew what he had to do. He had to go back to the cemetery. He had to find out more about Blackwood.