“What?” she asked, as if she could see the internal fight in his eyes.

“If I showed you pictures of the missing people, do you think you’d recognize them?” The look on her face made him regret asking the question.

“I don’t know.”

“Can you pinpoint when you had the visions?” he asked and held up his finger. The waitress put the plates on the table and headed off.

Jennifer looked down at her food. “I had three yesterday. One that happened two years ago, one that happened a month ago and one that hasn’t happened yet.”

“You have to eat,” Steve said when she pushed her plate back.

“I’m not hungry.”

“Yeah, you are,” he contradicted. “Try it, you’ll see.” He finished his burger and started on the fries.

Jennifer sent him a skeptical look but picked up the cheeseburger and took a bite. She glanced up at him in surprise as the hunger took hold in earnest. She inhaled the burger and began picking at her fries.

“Tell me about the nightmare yesterday.” He dipped a fry in ketchup and plopped it into his mouth.

“No.” Jennifer pushed her plate away and picked up her soda.

“Ignoring it won’t make it go away.”

When she raised her eyes, he unconsciously moved back in his seat. They were almost glowing they were so green. “You were hurt and bleeding and calling for me. It had you when I ran back into the clearing and it laughed.”

He dropped the french fry back onto his plate as his appetite vanished. “Describe the clearing.”

Jennifer looked around and then back at him. “It was dark and I was being cut up by the brush as I ran away. It was even worse going back, but I made it. The clearing was as ugly and desolate as Paradise Cove is beautiful and lush.” She was quiet. “Mirror image, dark versus light.”

Steve signaled for the waitress to bring the bill and left the money on the table. He had heard enough for one day.

Jennifer was quiet as they walked to the cars.

“What’s on your mind?” Steve asked, seeing the crease between her eyes.

“Nothing really.”

“Seriously,” he prodded.

Jennifer leaned against the driver’s side door of her car. Steve watched her cheeks turn crimson in amusement. “What?”

Jennifer rolled her eyes. “Today,” she began, and looked at her hands. “Had you ever done that before?” She glanced at him sideways.

“I’ve taught quite a few people how to shoot,” he answered. A smile played on his lips.

“That’s not what I’m asking.” She grinned and then suppressed it again.

He raised his eyebrows, questioning her silently.

“The, um, interrogation?” Her entire face was crimson now.

Steve laughed. “No. I’ve never used the handcuffs for…for pleasure.” He grinned and shifted on his feet, feeling a hint of rose color creeping into his cheeks as well. “And I’ve never so thoroughly interrogated anyone.” He glanced around the parking lot. “Have you had the pleasure of that kind of inspection before?” His eyes sparkled as he asked the question.

“No, never,” she said. “Tom wasn’t as creative as you are.”

He smiled in response. He kept forgetting how inexperienced she really was. “I have to go,” he replied, and stepped toward her. “And this conversation isn’t making it any easier.” He leaned down and kissed her gently. “I’ll see you tonight?”

“I’ll swing by on my way back to the apartment.” She unlocked her door. Steve opened it for her.

“Bye, babe.” He closed the door and watched her pull out, the smile on his face fading.

He reached into the car and pulled out the notebook, heading toward the library. He had Indian folklore to look into. There were plenty of books on Abinaqui Indian tribes, but damn few about their folklore. After exhausting every book on the shelf, he took a seat at the computer, logging in with his student ID, and plugged in the tribe name. He scanned the results, stopping on an interesting passage. When he double clicked, the story filled the screen and he read it, digesting, and reading it again.

Palawion, the ruler of the tribe, died near Mirror Lake. But that wasn’t what interested Steve. The Indian chief was a magician, and a powerful one at that. The story eluded to black magic and conjuring of spirits. After his death, any white man broaching the area either disappeared, or was found rambling and bleeding, swearing a monster in the woods attacked them. A monster summoned by Palawion with his last dying breath.

He leaned back in the seat, rubbing his eyes, and glanced at the notebook, flipping it open. The bloody words still graced the page and he grunted, logging off.

Steve headed toward the law building in the hopes of finding his boss. He was no longer sure a human being caused the disappearances.

Chapter 14

Steve walked into the small academic office and closed the door, turning toward his boss.

“What the hell happened to you?” Special Agent Jack Murphy asked, removing his glasses as he rose to his feet. His salt and pepper hair was cut in a close cropped military style screaming Fed, yet when paired with the corduroy patched jacket, it added a scholarly air, allowing him to blend with the rest of the pretentious professor crowd.

Steve’s hand shot up to the side of his face and he winced. Crap, I forgot all about my eye. “Someone got the drop on me. Don’t worry—it had nothing to do with the job,” he said, quickly neutralizing the concern flashing in Murphy’s eyes. He sat in the chair and opened the notebook in the middle. The bloody words leapt out at him. “Murph, can you see anything on this page?” He held the notebook up.

Murphy looked from the blank page to Steve’s face. “Is this a joke?”

“No. Is this page blank?”

“Yes, what’s your issue?”

Steve closed the notebook and leaned back in the chair, shaking his head. “I’m not sure that the fraternity is the origin of our problem.”

“What do you think is?” He leaned forward.

Steve cocked his head to the side. “I’m not sure.” He kept eye contact with Murphy. “That girl was torn to pieces, Murph.”

“I know. I was there.”

“I still can’t fathom a person doing that.” He glanced at the notebook again. “What if it isn’t human?” he asked, meeting Murphy’s eyes.

“We ruled that out. There were no animal tracks, no sign of droppings, and none of the victims found had signs of being eaten. Animals don’t kill for sport. Only men do.”

Steve tilted his head. “That’s what I keep going back to. The freshest kill we found was Amy, yet there was no sign of being foraged by animals. They put her death something like two days before we found her. These forests are full of scavengers. Why didn’t they touch her?” He leaned forward. “Or any of the others that were found?”

Murphy leaned back, his eyebrows scrunched together.

Steve took a deep breath, venturing ahead with his train of thought. “What if it isn’t human…and isn’t an animal?”

“What else is there?”

Steve shrugged. “Nothing that I would have considered before today.”

Murphy leaned forward and took a closer look at Steve. “What the hell are you mumbling about?”

Steve opened the notebook again and stared at the words. “You see a blank page. I see blood red words in the center of each and every page. It makes no sense. I’m not the only one who can see it either; otherwise I would be checking myself into the psych ward.” He flipped the notebook closed and tapped it absently with his fingers. “I’m not sure what we’re dealing with.”

Murphy sunk back slowly. “Maybe you should take some time off.”

Steve glared at him. “I’m not crazy,” he growled low.

“I never said you were,” Murphy answered. “But you haven’t had a break since Peg died.”

“I’m fine.” He stood and began pacing. “But between a girl with visions and a notebook that bleeds words, I’m not so sure what is behind the disappearances.”