He turned to the sheriff instead. “May I see it?”
The sheriff hesitated, scowling at me, then released it with a sigh. “Why the heck not? It’s a murder we’re working on. Some sort of ritual or something. Maybe you can help.” The sheriff waved to Owen, slouching back into his chair.
Owen moved closer as I slowly opened the file, unsure of what to expect.
My hand flung to my mouth.
Gods! Oh, gods!
At the very top of the file was an enlarged crime scene photo. It was Digger, naked and almost unrecognisable, strapped upside down on a wheel. There was something around his neck. The end of a whip, I realised, choking him. In front of him was something written in blood. But the thing that made me want to die, wasn’t the scene showcasing the horrific torture Digger had endured. No. It was the carefully strewn Blue Vervain flowers in a circle around his mutilated body.
The beautiful, delicate flowers looked completely at odds with the gruesome scene it surrounded.
Grayson. Grayson had done this.
Did he not promise me he would make Digger pay?
The sheriff’s voice made me jump. “As you can see it looks like some kind of ritual, but from the looks of the guy, I’d say it was pretty personal too.”
“What does it say?” Owen pointed at the writing on the ground, written in Digger’s blood.
The sheriff quoted the writing by heart, “And you should fear the vengeance of the gods. The wrath, the unforgotten wrath of Rhamnusis.”
“What does it mean?” Owen frowned.
“It’s a passage from the Metamorphosis by Ovid, about—”
“The goddess Nemesis,” I murmured shakily, finishing the sheriff’s sentence.
Owen and the sheriff frowned at me.
“Yes,” the sheriff continued, watching me. “Rhamnusis is another name for Nemesis. She is the punisher of evildoers. She makes sure the scale of justice is balanced.” He pointed to the picture. “See? He’s strapped upside down on the wheel of fortune, and the whip… it’s all symbolism for this goddess.”
“So, this man did something wrong, and this was… justice?” Owen’s eyes kept flicking to me while I just sat there, frozen. My thoughts running wild.
“Seems like it. But what I don’t understand is the flowers. They’ve got nothing to do with the goddess, but obviously a very important part of the ritual. What are they for?” The sheriff scratched at his beard, his eyes narrowing at the picture as he tried to make sense of it.
“They’re… for me,” I heard myself say.
Owen’s head snapped to me, then he snatched the picture off the table, studying it intently.
The sheriff gave a confused laugh, looking at me as if I belonged in an asylum.
“Ava, is this…” Owen didn’t finish his sentence, inspecting my face like he did the picture.
I stared at him, horrified. “The hunter, yes.”
“Jesus.”
“Agent Becket, what the hell are you two on about? Do you know this man?” The sheriff looked at me irritably.
I cleared my throat. “I do, yes. Digger had tried to… rape me.” The word almost lodged in my throat.
The sheriff sat up straight, taking the photo from Owen. “You’vegotto be shitting me.” He appraised the scene again, then let out a low whistle. “Well, I’ll be damned. That would explain why his dick was pulverised by a meat tenderiser. While he was still alive,” he added with a flinch. He stared at me for a long time, then shook his head. “Well, I guess I’m handing this case over to you, Agent Becket. I’ll go get the paperwork ready.”
The sheriff was gone, and Owen hadn’t said a thing. We sat in silence, both hounded by our own thoughts. Finally, Owen turned to me. He let his gaze slip over the photo of Digger’s mutilated body again. “This is pretty fucked-up.” He warily lifted his eyes to mine. I waited for him to voice the thoughts whirling behind his eyes. “And you…” He stopped, shaking his head, deciding not to say it.
But my heart was already squeezing so painfully at the accusation, I couldn’t inhale. I knew what he wanted to say,“And you loved this monster?”
