Jennifer Lynne is a homicide detective working on one of the most horrific serial killing cases New York has seen in the last decade. When she and her partner get a lead on the suspect, they catch him with his seventh victim. But things go south and...
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Inky blackness. It pulses around me, a melancholy beat playing in the background. I wonder if I should bother fighting it anymore. I used to struggle against it oozing in, but I've lost the strength.
It feels good now.
A deep, rich red begins to seep inside, blending into the black. It swirls and sings. I want to reach out to it, to pet it, to feel it. It must feel better than the numbness.
The phone rings, bringing me crashing back. The haze in my eyes lifts, revealing a dense fog. It hovers over the wet grass as rain softly falls. I blink to clear my vision as I reach for my cell.
Drake's smiling face greets me.
"Jennifer?" He says the moment I answer. "Jennifer, where are you?"
I glance around. "Why?" I ask as if it's a strange request. He sounds so concerned.
He sighs heavily. "I need to know where you are right now." As he speaks, the whispering grows louder. It flows over his voice, trying to confuse me. Trying to distort my thoughts.
"I'm at Devil Lake,"I tell him, my voice sounding casual.
"Jenny, Joey is missing. We can't reach him, and people around here are saying he was last seen leaving with you."
My eyes flicker to the grass. Below the fog, Joey lies face up. His hand pressed against his chest and his eyes open, unmoving. The blood trickles from his chest, painting the grass. I chuckle to myself as the song from Alice in Wonderland floats in my head.
Painting the roses red...
"Are you there, Jenny?" Drake asks, but I don't answer. "Listen, your family voiced their concerns to me. About you. I just want to help." After a beat, he adds, "I'm on my way. Don't go anywhere."
He hangs up before I can say, "There's nowhere else for me to go."
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In the distance, I see a figure emerge from the clouded fog. I take an uneasy step back, lifting the gun in my hand, aiming ahead. As they step through, I see a badge glint.
