His Death, Her New Beginning

irens, a constant wail that h

had everyone locking the

the fourteenth

me just aft

police. There's been an in

said another word

inside me, a vacuum where fe

our penthouse was a chaotic mes

cordoned off

od in their pajamas, whi

y husband..." My voice broke,

ective Mark Johnson, his fa

offer co

s tired eyes seemi

eam cut thr

s head s

use, a figure stood silhouetted against

stood there, a dark shap

forward and si

et and final, a sickening thu

n, sterile crime scene, a gra

ine shock rip

I grabbed the detecti

s time, streame

my mother-in-law a broken

picture of a woman

Johnson di

't comf

my hand on his arm, t

steady, cutting throug

did t

fr

eemed to st

caught in

ispered, my

his eyes drilling into me. "The other thirt

't a qu

a sta

unexpected, it almost knoc

ot part of

ed to see past th

ard knot of fury

er, was looking at me

st, a ver

back as if I' d been burned. "My husband... my.

e, pitching it wit

oice shaking. "I was at my sister-in-law's house. All

he other o

locked on me, inte

hisper. "I've been on this case from the beginning. Thirteen victims before t

inty was

ll I hadn't expec

n't gu

w some

hts, with the scent of death hanging in th

ame w