I shove the headless body into the flowing streams of the Black River. Suddenly, the moon shines an eerie beam down on the trail of blood floating behind the corpse, changing the colour of the water from murky blue to crimson red.

A single drop splashes onto my face. And in an instant, I'm staring at the mirror in my bathroom. I search for my face in the reflection. But all I see is a black void where my face should be. I pull off my hood, revealing the drop of blood, rolling down my cheek like a bleeding tear.

I wipe it off with my thumb, wash my hands, and exhale. There's one last thing I need to dispose of when the sun comes up: the severed head in my backpack...

My phone started vibrating on the kitchen counter.

I didn't want to stop reading, but I set the book down on the couch and got up to answer the call. But by the time I got there, the phone had stopped ringing. I knew it was Laura because of the ringtone, so I called her back.

"Hey," I said when she finally picked up.

"Give me two seconds," she replied, "I'll call you right back."

Then she hung up. Which usually means she doesn't want to talk to me in front of whoever's around.

I walked over to the window, opened the blinds and admired the view. The fog was still hanging over the city, but it wasn't as dense as it had been earlier. Being on the thirty-fourth floor made the condo seem like it was floating above the clouds. The perks of living in a penthouse, I guess.

My phone started ringing again. I answered and put it on speaker while wandering over to our bedroom.

"Can you talk now?" I asked.

"For a little while," Laura said, "we've got company over."

"Company? Anyone I know?"

"Well, Audrey's here and so is Jon."

"How are your beloved sister and her boyfriend doing these days?"

"Fiancé," she corrected.

I took off my shirt, throwing it on the floor at the foot of the bed. "Did you just say your sister was engaged or did I not hear you right?"

"No, you heard that right."

"When did that happen?"

"About an hour ago."

"Don't tell me he proposed at the house."

She sighed. "We were having tea in the sunroom when he came in, got down on one knee and popped the question. He got her quite the rock—"

"Mummy and daddy must be very pleased," I interrupted, "especially since one of their daughters went for the rich—I mean the right sort of guy. Did they acknowledge that we're married this time or are they still pretending that isn't a thing?"

"Yes to the first part," Laura said, "and for the second part, they've decided to take a different approach."

I set the phone on the bed as I stepped out of my shorts. "Why do I get the impression that I don't like where this is going?"

I could hear Laura breathing, but she wasn't saying anything.

"Baby? Are you still there?" I asked.

"Spencer's here."

"Spencer? As in your ex?"

"No. Spencer, the pool boy," she quipped, "of course, it's my ex."

I shook my head. "I have half a mind to fly out there tonight—just to see the looks on their faces when I show up."

"As much I'd love that," she began, "you really shouldn't."

"Why is that?"

I picked up the phone and walked into the bathroom to turn the shower on.

"I can handle Spencer," Laura said.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you don't have to worry—shit!"

"What?"

"Someone's coming. I have to go, but I'll call you later. I love you."

"I love you too." The words had barely left my mouth when the line went dead. I just wish you were here. I stepped into the shower and hoped it would help clear my head.

When I walked out of the bathroom, the rain was beating on the window. A fitting addition to this dismal day. I threw myself into the empty bed, and the thoughts came flooding back.

I trust her. It's her parents and Spencer, who I don't trust. We don't have to live in this place. It's nice, but it's not worth it. I make enough for us to not need anything from them, especially when all they do is hold it over my head. And in a few weeks, I'll be able to pay for Laura to go to Oxford if she still wants that.

Eventually, I figured if I kept dwelling on those thoughts, I'd soon find myself at the airport. So, I got up, threw on a pair of sweats and went back to the living room. I turned the TV on, hoping to find something to take my mind off Spencer drooling all over my wife for the next couple of days.

I flipped through a few channels before settling on the news. The segment was about the decapitated body they'd found in the river yesterday.

"And now we will go over to East Valley Police Station to hear from Lead Detective, Elijah Hamilton for an update on this developing story," the anchor said.

He looked a bit young to be the lead on this case. But his radio-deep voice made him sound very competent.

"Good evening," Mr. Hamilton began, "I know I speak for everyone when I say that these are dark days for our city. But I would like to assure the public that we are doing our absolute best to keep everyone safe. As of today, there will be increased patrols throughout the city. And this will continue throughout our investigation.

At this time, the identity of the victim is still unknown. If anyone knows of any missing persons who fit the description of the victim, we urge you to contact your local station. That's all the information we have at this time. We will update the public as soon as we know more. Thank you."

They went to commercials shortly after the detective finished speaking, and following the break, the interview with Katherine Wells began.

"Katherine Wells is a senior journalist at the Western Herald," the anchor began, "she covered the Head Hunter Murders ten years ago. Katherine, it's nice to have you with us this evening."

"Thanks for having me," Katherine replied.

"So Katherine," the anchor said, "is there any doubt in your mind that the recent murder is connected to the story you covered a decade ago?"

"Absolutely not. The only people in this city who seem unsure about that fact are the police force. But I can't say I'm surprised given how well they handled the first three murders. And until they can catch the monster who's responsible for this senseless violence, none of the young men in this city will be safe. I don't care how many officers are roaming the streets."

"Do you think we will see multiple murders before the investigation is over?"

Katherine shrugged. "I hope not, but again, I wouldn't be surprised."

She was trying to sound reassuring, I could tell. But the truth was written all over her face; she believed there would be others. And I did too. My hands suddenly felt cold.