Page 8 of Crown of Death
He nods. “The victim was decapitated. Covered in bruises. Body heavilydamaged.”
“Here, in Greendale?” Igape.
“Yes,” Eli says. His breathing is hardly labored, even though he’s talking. “Again, police have no idea who did it. They’re getting worried this is a serialkiller.”
I swear through my heavybreathing.
That’s terrifying. A serial killer, right here in mytown.
Suddenly, Eli slows, and I blast past him for five steps before I realize. I stop, looking back at him, and see him standing in the middle of thesidewalk.
“I think you should move back home with your parents,” Elisays.
And despite how ridiculous his statement just was, the look on his face is deadserious.
“The first victim was found less than three hundred yards from your home,” Eli says, steeling his look, because he knows how I’m going to react in just a minute. “He’s obviously targeting women, women who were alone. And he seems to have taken a liking toGreendale.”
“So your solution is that I just pick up andmove?” I say, my tone quickly transitioning over to mocking. “That I just tell my boss, ‘sorry, this is too scary. I’m going to run home to the protective arms of mommy and daddy’?” I give a huff of a laugh. “That’s ridiculous,Eli.”
His gaze doesn’t soften. Doesn’t show any signs that he’s kidding. “You saw that woman, Logan. You saw what this person is capable of. Would you risk that the next body in the basement of your funeral home is yourown?”
I take a step forward and feel my blood turn hot. “Oh my… You’re… You’re serious about this. That because two women werekilled-”
“Yes,killed, Logan,” he interrupts me. “Brutally.”
“That I just uproot everything.” I look at him in annoyance. I shake my head. “How much of a dainty, defenseless girl do you think Iam?”
“It is not about that Logan.I-”
“I…I can’t believe you’re being serious about this,” I say, looking sideways at him, my brows furrowed. “Don’t you think you’re over-reacting just alittle?”
“No,” he says, his face stone still. “I reallydon’t.”
I huff another disbelieving laugh. And I step forward, past him, back in the direction ofhome.
“Logan,” he says, following after me. “I know it seems a little extreme, but trust me, I’ve seen situations like this before with my work. And the very last person you expect could be this psycho’s next victim. I won’t risk that the next woman to lose her head might beyou.”
I look to the side, glaring at him as he quickly follows me. “I don’t know who the hell you think you are that you can just tell me to change my life at the snap of your paranoid fingers,Eli.”
Like I slapped him in the face, he stops, looking at me through sliteyes.
“I’m…” he stammers for a moment. Something Eli never does. “I’m your friend, Logan. I’m just looking out foryou.”
“That’s not actually your job, Eli,” I say. I fix my eyes on the sidewalk in front of me, refusing to look at him. “You’re not my father. You’re not my brother. You’re certainly not my boyfriend. So keep your nose in your own damnbusiness.”
“Logan,” he says, his tone growing a little more desperate. “This is a dangerous situation. You can nearlyseethe alley where the woman was killed from your dining room window! Please, just considerthis.”
We round into the parking lot of my building. And I stop suddenly, turning on him. “I think you need to go home, Eli. I am a grown-ass woman, and I decide what is best for me. Notyou!”
I’m huffing, like I just ran three miles. My hands are on my hips, and I look around, anywhere but at Eli, because my insides are all twisted scrapmetal.
I’ve never felt so betrayed. Sohurt.
And from someone who matters somuch.
“Logan,” he says, his voice a little breathy and taken off guard. “I…” But he doesn’t complete thesentence.
“I’mnotleaving,” I say, finally meeting his eyes, and I hope he can see in them that I’m serious. And mad. “You should go home, and I don’t want to see you for awhile.”