Right. He’d always liked to watch those old retro broadcasts about spaceships and aliens.
Eliana sighed. “Luci isn’t here, and we have no way to tell if she ever was because there’s nothing personal. Just this stuff.” She waved a hand at the mess all over the room. Gowns and cups. And something else.
One of them wasn’t completely white.
She went over and lifted the gown, holding it up. A ring of red stain had dried to a dark, crusty color in the middle of the material.
“Someone was bleeding.” Carlos straightened, frowning. “This is a crime scene. I’m going to call it in, and we need to search every building. Find out if there’s anyone still here.”
Eliana dropped the gown, and it fluttered to the ground. “Where is Luci?”
“That’s what I intend to find out. But I can do it alone. You don’t need to be in danger if I run into any trouble.”
Eliana shook her head. “I want to help.”
He was already walking to the door.
She followed after him to the little alcove between the room and the front door. He stilled. Something hit her, but she couldn’t see it.
Her nerve endings pulsed and danced.
Then everything went black.
INVESTIGATORS IDENTIFY PATTERN IN ‘RAVEN KILLER’ CASE
Anchorage Daily Chronicle — May 21
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — As the so-called “Raven Killer” investigation intensifies, private investigators Kenna Banbury and Oliver Jaxton have reportedly identified what they believe is a critical geographic pattern linking the known murders.
A fourth victim was confirmed Monday near Wasilla, discovered in a wooded area less than half a mile from a seasonal hunting cabin. As with the previous victims, the body was carefully positioned with hands folded and a carved raven token placed between the palms.
Sources close to the investigation say Banbury and Jaxton have been mapping the crime scenes against historic land-use records and abandoned properties.
“They’re not random,” Banbury reportedly told troopers during a briefing. “The killer is choosing transitional ground—places where wilderness meets roadway. Liminal spaces.”
Jaxton has been consulting with local woodworkers after forensic analysis determined the tokens were hand-carved from Sitka spruce, likely using specialized tools. Subtle tool marks suggest experience—possibly a craftsman or outdoorsman.
Authorities are also investigating a decades-old missing person’s case from 2028 after Banbury uncovered similarities in symbolic staging.
The investigative team was last seen traveling north toward a remote region outside Talkeetna late Wednesday, following what one official described as “a promising lead.”
Chapter Nine
Awolf howled in the distance.
Eliana spun toward the sound, and her denim jacket slipped off one shoulder. She shrugged it back on, feeling the bumps of the embroidered flowers on the collar. The ones she had learned how to do herself, thanks to Grandma Amara helping her pick out colors at the craft store in Cheyenne.
It was way better to think about that than try and figure out which way to go.
Eliana turned around, looking for the trail. She didn’t hear the wolf again. All she could see were trees and grass. Which way was she supposed to go?
Cabot leaned against her leg. The old mutt followed her everywhere, even out here. Now she seemed wary. Ears pricked, listening.
Eliana reached down and ran her fingers over the dog’s head, feeling her wiry fur. Reassuring herself that she wasn’t alone.
She was supposed to be on an adventure, but now she was just cold and hungry. And lost. All that remained from the snacks she’d brought were empty wrappers in her backpack,and she’d finished her book half an hour ago, just before it got too dark to read.
“Hello, little girl.”
