Caroline said, “What about the necklace?”
Bryant nodded, took a swig, and set the cup down on the stone. “It’s evidence now. We ran a quick check at the station. There was an enchantment on it, sure as hell, but nothing that matches any of the local coven signatures. Our consultant”—he said this with a grim smile, nodding at Olivia—“thinks it was a custom job. Probably bought on the sly. Someone with a grudge and a few grand to spend.”
Olivia crossed her legs, robe parting to reveal impossibly smooth skin. “So the killer’s out of town?”
Bryant shook his head. “Not necessarily. We just don’t know. Could be local, could be a tourist, could be someone who passed through years ago and still hates the place.” He looked at Grace, gaze steady. “You were right, by the way. The spell was meant to kill. Took some serious effort to disguise it as a gift, but once she put it on…”
His words trailed off. Grace remembered the way the necklace had writhed, the sound of the chain splitting skin. She tasted bile and marshmallow, and tried to focus.
Caroline frowned. “So, what now?”
Bryant opened the folder, flipped through a few pages. “We’re calling this guy the Holiday Killer. Not creative, but it’s what the press will use. Tommy Briggs at Halloween, Tessa Monroe at Christmas, and, if you believe that damn bird, someone’s lined up for Valentine’s Day. That means we have, what, six weeks?”
Olivia picked invisible lint from her robe. “He’s escalating. Two months apart, now less. That’s classic serial, not even hiding it anymore.”
Anna’s voice was small for once. “Could it be someone we know?”
Grace answered without thinking. “It always is. You don’t kill people for fun unless you care about the result. Otherwise, you just go somewhere else.”
Bryant tried for a smile. “On the bright side, if they keep to the pattern, we’ll have time to prep. Pull in resources. Maybe even bait them.”
Caroline’s laugh was dry. “I’ll bring the fondue set, you bring the crossbow.”
Anna reached for the bottle and poured herself a shot. “All I want for Valentine’s is a weekend without blood on the snow.”
They all laughed, but not much.
Olivia sipped at her cocoa, eyes narrowed. “Is it random, you think? Or is there a reason behind the picks?”
Bryant shrugged. “Tessa was the top of a lot of lists. Enemies, jealous coworkers, even a few ex-lovers. Tommy Briggs, not so much. His file reads like a tragedy, but no one had it out for him. Unless you count the high school principal.”
Caroline gestured with her mug. “Maybe they’re all just… targets of opportunity. Like, whatever makes the biggest splash.”
Grace felt the old prickle at the back of her neck, that sense of being watched not by a person, but by the world itself. She said,“What if it’s not about them at all? What if it’s about us or the town itself?”
They looked at her. The silence had an edge, not sharp, but expectant.
Bryant’s voice was gentle. “You think someone’s sending a message?”
Grace nodded. “If it was just about the kill, it would be easier to hide it. But this? The showiness, the timing… Someone wants attention.”
Caroline put her feet up, gold nail polish gleaming in the firelight. “Honey, you know how many people in this town want attention? Half the population.”
Anna laughed. “And the other half are too busy being disappointed by their kids.”
Olivia raised her mug. “To disappointment, then.”
They clinked glasses. The fire snapped, sending up a shower of sparks.
Bryant closed the folder, set it aside, and fixed his gaze on Grace. “What about you? Any more visions?”
Grace shook her head, and it was the truth. For once, her mind was blank. No omens, no warnings, no sense of what was next. Just the cold and the cocoa and the tiny, clutching fear that this time, she was completely out of her depth.
Bryant seemed to sense this, and covered her hand with his own. His fingers were warm, even through the sleeve.
“Let’s call it a night,” he said. “We’ve all done enough. It’s Christmas celebration time in…” He checked his phone, winced. “Three hours, depending on when you like to wake up. Take the win, for now.”
There was a flurry of motion as the group got up, gathered mugs, and shimmied into their layers. Caroline insisted on a round of air kisses, Anna on a group hug, and Olivia, true to form, managed to slip out the door with nothing but a wave.
