She carefully took Doctor Tuttle’s head with her and the dollhouse. I didn’t tell her about the letter he had left behind—my morbid instructions. I couldn’t let them stop me. The only concern I had was Angela’s life and what I hadto do to preserve it.
I had been restless almost the whole night—thinking about thisDollhouse Killerand if they had a connection to the Xmas Day Butcher. I thought about how my brother and I had played with dolls in Mercy’s Light. Someone had been watching us—someone had been keeping track of us. The more I thought about it, the more I believed that the Xmas Day Butcher was someone from my past—coming to destroy me.
Maybe it was Colton Kilhouser, or maybe it was someone else.
I decided to make myself a hot chocolate in my kitchen, something sweet in a futile attempt to calm my nerves.
I wrestled internally with the idea of having to kill Mayor Hamonte. I didn’t even know how I’d be able to get close to him like that. It was madness. I contemplated telling Detective Castillo the entire dark truth, but that’d be the death of Angela and me.
I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. The Xmas Day Butcher had me cornered, and there was no getting out.
Castillo had mentioned that she needed to visit her mother after dropping off Doctor Tuttle’s head and the dollhouse in evidence. She was worried about her after I’d told her about the threat against her life.
She said her mother was a bit frail and wanted to make sure that the Butcher wasn’t going after her in an attempt to draw her out.
I was so sick and tired of staying home, the snow falling all around me, the white blur of nothingness blanketing the entire town. I hated remembering the horrid nightmares of the night before.
I wanted to get out of the house.
So, I left. I zipped up my coat, slipped on my boots, and left my home.
I trudged through the snow along Coldview Street—a one-way road that stretched outside the town square, towards Castillo’s neighborhood.As I walked along the snow-lined path, I felt someone following me—watching me, but every time I turned around—I saw nothing.
I’m losing my damn mind.
Castillo’s place was in the oldest part of Whisper’s Creek, where the houses were wrapped in decaying porches, with old street lamps flickering the whole night. But to be fair, all the houses in Whisper’s Creek were like that or beginning to look that way.
I knew I had arrived when I saw Castillo’s police cruiser parked in the driveway of a one-story home, snow piled up on the rooftop.
Castillo’s mother answered the door.
“Hi, Ms. Castillo,” I said, giving her the softest smile I could manage. “Is everything alright? ”
She squinted up at me, her voice dry. “Not really, but I’m not dying yet, so there’s that.”
She looked very much like her daughter, just older, shorter, and with a few more wrinkles.
I managed an awkward chuckle. “That’s good to hear. What happened?”
She ushered me inside, letting out a heavy sigh. “Someone broke in and stole some documents from Juana.” The house was darkexcept for the glow of a TV in the back bedroom. The place looked normal, but Castillo’s desk near the front window told a different story.
There were drawers open and papers scattered. The place looked ransacked. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“She’s in the back,” Ms. Castillo said, shuffling toward the kitchen. “She’s upset.” Right on cue, she came out and looked at me in surprise. “Lenny? What are you doing here?”
I shrugged awkwardly. “I wanted to make sure you were alright. I see they broke in.”
She came around and inspected her desk. “Yeah, they took some documents from me. It’ll be fine. I’m just glad my mom’s okay.”
I nodded. “Right, of course.”
My gaze stayed locked on the desk. “Did they take anything specific? Something classified, maybe?”
She waved a hand, not looking at me. “No, nothing like that.”
I stepped closer. She was acting suspiciously, like theyhadtaken something specific—something she didn’t want to get out.
What are you hiding, Castillo?
