at her room, and I’ll go down with Ms. Lipkin to question the others in the house. I might learn something. Who knows? Maybe one of the residents knew Lisa Summers.” Ramirez looked from Trent to Erica. He winked at Erica and followed after Ms. Lipkin back down the stairs.
Erica knew she was staring at the door handle as if it were a snake ready to bite her. But she couldn’t help it. She was still exhausted and didn’t think her body was energized enough to see any glimpses and dissect them with a focused mind.
“Don’t touch anything.” Trent ordered. “I will not have another episode of you passing out on me. Got it?”
Her stomach churned and she nodded. There was no way she wanted to see until she was no longer dead tired. Besides, her emotions were too worked up over Trent’s words.
Chapter Four
Trent held the door open. Erica walked into a very messy room. She scanned the piles of clothes on the bed, shoes all over the floor, and books laying everywhere.
“Wow. And they say men are pigs,” he joked.
“I thought the saying was men are dogs?” She took careful steps in her trainers. Keeping her hands at her sides, she avoided touching anything. Her first impression was that Gina was a busy girl. She walked over to the dresser. A photo of the victim was on the mirror. She was dressed for a masquerade, though she held her mask off to her side. Two tall guys stood to either side of her. Another two men were right behind her. Only one of the men wore a mask.
The masked man had his face turned away. Erica couldn’t make out his features, but the silly face Gina made filled her with sadness. What a terrible end for such a lively girl. Sticky notes littered the frame of the mirror. All seemed to be appointments, dates, and things to do. The notes were written in a kind of shorthand that only the writer would understand. Gina had used initials for names.
“Hey, I think I found something.” Trent called out from the other side of the room.
Erica turned to her left. He stood there with a journal or appointment book. She quickly made her way to his side and was a few steps away when she tripped over a pair of heels. Trent reached out to steady her at the same time she moved to grab his hand. Instead of his hand, she grabbed hold of the journal. In a flash, she watched the last moments of Gina’s life play out like a horror movie scene. Because the victim’s energy was at the highest at the moment of death, it was one of the first things that came to her. She saw it all just as Gina had.
At first Erica was confused over what she was seeing. Loud music played, and she couldn’t hear herself think. It was some kind of dark room. A musty smell filled her nose, almost like a wet cellar or a basement. The unfinished room had bad lighting, visible pipes, and drywall mid-construction. The coldness of the room made her shiver. That’s when she looked down at her body.
She was strapped to a bed that was positioned in an angle. Tight belts bit into her skin, holding her down. She didn’t know why she was naked, but panic started building inside her. A sound made her turn and squint into the darkness. A tall, dark, covered figured watched her. He was big, wearing dark jeans and a hoodie. Gina’s vision was blurred. Erica knew Gina had been drugged, but it wasn’t until then she realized how heavily.
When he shifted, she blinked and squinted harder, but the view of him grew fuzzier. He held something in his hand. A scalpel. Gina’s heart started beating so fast she thought she was going to throw up. Fear took over and made it even harder to think clearly. The hooded figure laughed when she started screaming to be let loose. She struggled against the binds holding her in place, but it was no use. He’d strapped her so tight she couldn’t even feel her arms or legs.
The figure moved closer, lowering his head by her ear and whispered, “You’re going to regret your choice.”
He sounded excited. As if he
Erica knew she was staring at the door handle as if it were a snake ready to bite her. But she couldn’t help it. She was still exhausted and didn’t think her body was energized enough to see any glimpses and dissect them with a focused mind.
“Don’t touch anything.” Trent ordered. “I will not have another episode of you passing out on me. Got it?”
Her stomach churned and she nodded. There was no way she wanted to see until she was no longer dead tired. Besides, her emotions were too worked up over Trent’s words.
Chapter Four
Trent held the door open. Erica walked into a very messy room. She scanned the piles of clothes on the bed, shoes all over the floor, and books laying everywhere.
“Wow. And they say men are pigs,” he joked.
“I thought the saying was men are dogs?” She took careful steps in her trainers. Keeping her hands at her sides, she avoided touching anything. Her first impression was that Gina was a busy girl. She walked over to the dresser. A photo of the victim was on the mirror. She was dressed for a masquerade, though she held her mask off to her side. Two tall guys stood to either side of her. Another two men were right behind her. Only one of the men wore a mask.
The masked man had his face turned away. Erica couldn’t make out his features, but the silly face Gina made filled her with sadness. What a terrible end for such a lively girl. Sticky notes littered the frame of the mirror. All seemed to be appointments, dates, and things to do. The notes were written in a kind of shorthand that only the writer would understand. Gina had used initials for names.
“Hey, I think I found something.” Trent called out from the other side of the room.
Erica turned to her left. He stood there with a journal or appointment book. She quickly made her way to his side and was a few steps away when she tripped over a pair of heels. Trent reached out to steady her at the same time she moved to grab his hand. Instead of his hand, she grabbed hold of the journal. In a flash, she watched the last moments of Gina’s life play out like a horror movie scene. Because the victim’s energy was at the highest at the moment of death, it was one of the first things that came to her. She saw it all just as Gina had.
At first Erica was confused over what she was seeing. Loud music played, and she couldn’t hear herself think. It was some kind of dark room. A musty smell filled her nose, almost like a wet cellar or a basement. The unfinished room had bad lighting, visible pipes, and drywall mid-construction. The coldness of the room made her shiver. That’s when she looked down at her body.
She was strapped to a bed that was positioned in an angle. Tight belts bit into her skin, holding her down. She didn’t know why she was naked, but panic started building inside her. A sound made her turn and squint into the darkness. A tall, dark, covered figured watched her. He was big, wearing dark jeans and a hoodie. Gina’s vision was blurred. Erica knew Gina had been drugged, but it wasn’t until then she realized how heavily.
When he shifted, she blinked and squinted harder, but the view of him grew fuzzier. He held something in his hand. A scalpel. Gina’s heart started beating so fast she thought she was going to throw up. Fear took over and made it even harder to think clearly. The hooded figure laughed when she started screaming to be let loose. She struggled against the binds holding her in place, but it was no use. He’d strapped her so tight she couldn’t even feel her arms or legs.
The figure moved closer, lowering his head by her ear and whispered, “You’re going to regret your choice.”
He sounded excited. As if he
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