downstairs. Food and cooking utensils were left out in the dim spaces. Three place settings were on the table with half-eaten portions. Everything in front of him was wrong. Kate always kept a meticulously clean home.
Within seconds of entering the house, Grey’s mind was transported from the bright villa to the darkness of his case files. He was no longer looking at the familiar kitchen and dining room where he had enjoyed countless meals with his friends. He was looking at a crime scene.
“Kate!” yelled Paul, moving toward the stairs. “Caleb!”
“Paul, hold up,” demanded Grey.
“What?” said Paul, glaring.
“We need to wait for Evan.”
“What?” asked Paul, unable to comprehend Grey’s words. “No. Something is very wrong here. I need to find them, Grey. I’m getting a little spooked.”
“Me, too, buddy,” said Grey, trying to stall him. “I’m sure there’s an explanation for this. Do you remember if she said anything about visitors coming over for dinner? Maybe she stepped out for a few minutes.”
“No, she would’ve told me or left a note,” said Paul, moving up the stairs.
“Paul, please let me go first,” said Grey, following but running out of options.
“Oh, dear God. You think…”
Before he finished the sentence, Paul bolted up the stairs. Grey was two steps behind, but it was too far to stop him from turning the corner and running into the master bedroom. Paul didn’t notice the blood trail and smears in the hall, but Grey did.
Paul stopped dead in his tracks when he entered the alien world. His mind told him it was the bedroom he shared with Kate, but his brain couldn’t process the scene in front of him. The images were so horrific he could only manage a throaty moan as if the wind was knocked out of his frozen body.
Paul didn’t feel Grey’s arms wrap around him in a tight grip as he spun him away from the bloodbath and back into the hall. He forced Paul down to the ground and yelled for Evan at the top of his lungs. It seemed an eternity later when Evan came running up the stairs.
“Jesus Christ, Grey!”
“Hold him down, Evan,” said Grey, out of breath. “Don’t let him up. Do you hear me?”
“Caleb!” cried Paul, fighting Grey’s hold. “God, please, no! My baby!”
“They’re in there, Evan,” said Grey with a slight tremble in his voice. “Don’t let him up and don’t look inside. I need to go in and check them.” With his hands free, Grey flipped open his cell phone and disappeared into the bedroom.
*****
Ten miles from the Freemans’ home, Police Chief Tony Hill was sitting in his office with a local resident, taking her complaint. “Mrs. Habersham, I absolutely agree with you this is a serious matter, but I’m not sure how we can identify the dogs in question.”
“Well, don’t you boys have a DNA lab?” asked Mrs. Habersham.
“Um, yes, ma’am, we do,” replied Chief Hill. “But it’s in Miami and we’d have to take samples from every dog on the island for comparison. It’s a very expensive process, and we don’t have that kind of money in our budget.”
“Well, then I’ll pay for it,” said Mrs. Habersham, becoming frustrated. “Do I have to remind you I play bridge with the Senator’s wife every other Monday?”
“You already did, ma’am. Twice.”
“I didn’t pay four million dollars for my house and private beach to step in dog crap on my morning walk, sir. I want to know what you’re going to do about it.”
“Yes, ma’am, I promise I’ll exhaust every possible –”
“Chief Hill,” interrupted Officer Parker. “We have a situation.”
“I’ll be out in a minute, Parker.”
“Sir, we have a possible double signal five.”
“Signal five? Are you sure?”
“9-1-1 just took the call from a man identifying himself as a federal agent. He’s at the scene now, sir.”
“Excuse me, Mrs. Habersham. I’ll be right back.”
Chief Hill walked out of his office with Parker and
Within seconds of entering the house, Grey’s mind was transported from the bright villa to the darkness of his case files. He was no longer looking at the familiar kitchen and dining room where he had enjoyed countless meals with his friends. He was looking at a crime scene.
“Kate!” yelled Paul, moving toward the stairs. “Caleb!”
“Paul, hold up,” demanded Grey.
“What?” said Paul, glaring.
“We need to wait for Evan.”
“What?” asked Paul, unable to comprehend Grey’s words. “No. Something is very wrong here. I need to find them, Grey. I’m getting a little spooked.”
“Me, too, buddy,” said Grey, trying to stall him. “I’m sure there’s an explanation for this. Do you remember if she said anything about visitors coming over for dinner? Maybe she stepped out for a few minutes.”
“No, she would’ve told me or left a note,” said Paul, moving up the stairs.
“Paul, please let me go first,” said Grey, following but running out of options.
“Oh, dear God. You think…”
Before he finished the sentence, Paul bolted up the stairs. Grey was two steps behind, but it was too far to stop him from turning the corner and running into the master bedroom. Paul didn’t notice the blood trail and smears in the hall, but Grey did.
Paul stopped dead in his tracks when he entered the alien world. His mind told him it was the bedroom he shared with Kate, but his brain couldn’t process the scene in front of him. The images were so horrific he could only manage a throaty moan as if the wind was knocked out of his frozen body.
Paul didn’t feel Grey’s arms wrap around him in a tight grip as he spun him away from the bloodbath and back into the hall. He forced Paul down to the ground and yelled for Evan at the top of his lungs. It seemed an eternity later when Evan came running up the stairs.
“Jesus Christ, Grey!”
“Hold him down, Evan,” said Grey, out of breath. “Don’t let him up. Do you hear me?”
“Caleb!” cried Paul, fighting Grey’s hold. “God, please, no! My baby!”
“They’re in there, Evan,” said Grey with a slight tremble in his voice. “Don’t let him up and don’t look inside. I need to go in and check them.” With his hands free, Grey flipped open his cell phone and disappeared into the bedroom.
*****
Ten miles from the Freemans’ home, Police Chief Tony Hill was sitting in his office with a local resident, taking her complaint. “Mrs. Habersham, I absolutely agree with you this is a serious matter, but I’m not sure how we can identify the dogs in question.”
“Well, don’t you boys have a DNA lab?” asked Mrs. Habersham.
“Um, yes, ma’am, we do,” replied Chief Hill. “But it’s in Miami and we’d have to take samples from every dog on the island for comparison. It’s a very expensive process, and we don’t have that kind of money in our budget.”
“Well, then I’ll pay for it,” said Mrs. Habersham, becoming frustrated. “Do I have to remind you I play bridge with the Senator’s wife every other Monday?”
“You already did, ma’am. Twice.”
“I didn’t pay four million dollars for my house and private beach to step in dog crap on my morning walk, sir. I want to know what you’re going to do about it.”
“Yes, ma’am, I promise I’ll exhaust every possible –”
“Chief Hill,” interrupted Officer Parker. “We have a situation.”
“I’ll be out in a minute, Parker.”
“Sir, we have a possible double signal five.”
“Signal five? Are you sure?”
“9-1-1 just took the call from a man identifying himself as a federal agent. He’s at the scene now, sir.”
“Excuse me, Mrs. Habersham. I’ll be right back.”
Chief Hill walked out of his office with Parker and
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