Lakewood: The Copycat Killer

Most towns carry secrets, including fishing towns. Some secrets are lost at sea or in the Great Lakes as many ships wrecked in the treacherous waters. Those secrets stay buried in a watery graveyard. Unfortunately, small-town secrets don't stay buried.

Malia
I lifted the lid on the storage box. Dust flew everywhere as I rifled through the folders and paperwork.

"Which cold case are we working on now?" Damon asked me.

I pulled out a manilla folder and flipped through it. "Most of the cases are petty thefts. I'm searching for a clue to the person who attacked me." I replaced the file and put the lid on the box.

"I figured you would want a break from violence."

I glanced at Damon. He smirked. I shook my head. The irony in his comment was ridiculous.

I carried the box back to the metal rack and read descriptions until my eyes landed on one in particular. I pulled the box and brought it to the table, then set it down. After removing the lid, I pulled out a file and opened it.

"Let me guess. Another petty theft case."

"No." I read through the reports. "It's about the Lakewood Serial Killer."

Damon's brows raised. "I forgot about that case. It had so many twists and turns."

My brows knitted as I read through the reports. Dad was meticulous with this case. He detailed every fact down to the clothing and victims. Then something caught my eye.

"Damon, do you remember the phrase curiosity killed the cat?"

"Yeah, people would say it to keep people from snooping. Why?"

"No reason." I shook my head.

I've been trying to figure out why the person who attacked me had said that phrase. It had bothered me since that night.

It's not like my life has made sense for the past ten years. After graduating from the police academy, I threw myself into my work, leaving little time to date. I had no interest in dating anyone since Luka.

I sat down in a chair and removed the contents out of the box, then read through the paperwork. I wasn't aware that this information would lead me to an actual case and an encounter with The Lakewood Serial Killer.

******
Luka

The drive took me ten hours from Chicago to Lakewood with the time change. I pulled into the driveway, got out of my car, and stared at my parents' house. Ten years change so much but nothing at all.

The front door opened as I grabbed a bag out of the backseat and walked towards my mom.

She stepped out onto the porch. "Luka." A smile curled upon her lips.

"Hey, Mom."

We hugged.

She pulled back and looked at me. "It's been a while."

"It hasn't been that long. You, Dad, and Niko had visited me in Chicago."

"But not often since you were always working." Mom raised her brow.

I rolled my eyes. "Chicago has more homicides than Lakewood. The last homicide Lakewood had was ten years ago."

Mom sighed. "It was a rough year."

I nodded, then hugged her again. We entered the house so that I could get settled before Dad came home.

People thought I left because of my past, but that wasn't the truth. I had an opportunity to make a difference after what happened. I met so many people who lost love ones because someone murdered them. The sorrow and anguish they felt were the same when Dad discovered my birth mother was a serial killer. How does one become a serial killer? It was a question that lingered with me.