Chapter 13

Immediately, I grabbed my coat and rushed out, hailing a cab.

I got out in a jiffy and approached the shop.

“Hey, Ariel. What's up?” Daniel asked.

“Yeah, two packets of milk. That’s $5 for both.” He collected the money from the young man in front of him. “Thank you. Hope to see you next time.” He waved as the customer walked out through the glass doors.

I hurried over, breathing heavily.

“I need your help, Daniel.”

“Sure, but first you need to breathe. You look like you were chased by a ghost,” he said, grinning.

I sighed. “This is no joke, Daniel. I can’t go to the station, I need someone I can trust to do this for me.”

“O-okay,” he drawled. “Let me close up first.”

I nodded.

He switched off the lights, flipped the sign to Closed, and led me into the back room.

Sinking into a chair, he looked up. “So, what’s this about?”

I pulled out my phone and played the recording.

When it ended, he stared at me, eyes wide. Our gazes locked.

“Fuck. How did you get into this, Ariel?”

I ran my hand through my hair, my body trembling, not because of SK, but because he had shot someone, and it was because of me.

“Do you know who he is?” I asked.

“It’s a special case we’re working on. Somehow, he manages to slip away every time before we can catch him.”

He hesitated, then asked, “Why don’t you go to James?”

I shook my head, pacing back and forth, my nostrils flaring. “I can’t go to him. I don’t trust anyone.”

“I can trace the call.”

I froze in place, eyes locking on him. “That’s precisely why I came.”

Daniel connected my phone to his computer with a USB. I stood behind him, watching as his fingers flew across the keyboard, entering codes, beginning the trace.

He put on a headset, listening intently.

“What? Did you find anything?” I pressed.

He removed the headset, handed it to me, and replayed the recording. “I tried isolating the background noises. Just focus on what you hear.”

I closed my eyes, listening carefully. When I pulled the headset off, realization struck.

“The park,” Daniel said, almost at the same time as me. I nodded.

“But how do we know which park?” I furrowed my brows.

“The central one. You said he had James’s phone, right? Then it must be within the city. And the only park here is…”

“Central Park.” I gasped, the truth settling in.

Grabbing my coat, I shouted a quick thank you as I bolted for the door.

“Are you sure it’s safe to go there alone?” Daniel called after me.

“I’ll be fine!” I shot back, gripping the doorknob tightly before pulling it open and leaving.

I stopped another cab and went straight to Central Park.

The place was quiet, deserted, it wasn’t summer, so no one was around.

Darkness swallowed the vast expanse. I turned on my torchlight, exhaling shakily. How was I supposed to search the whole park for a serial killer?

It was dangerous, yes. But I had my own plan. SK wouldn’t know I was here. Besides, I could handle myself.

I moved under the slides, then past the roller coaster.

He wouldn’t hide in plain sight. He’d pick somewhere more secluded.

I cocked my gun and headed toward the far side of the park, the abandoned area hidden from view.

Carefully, I crouched behind a barricade, peeking out to scan the place. Empty.

I crept forward, lowering my head, until I spotted a tent, probably used by workers to change clothes.

My heart hammered as I drew closer, reaching out to open it, when I heard sudden footsteps approaching.

I darted back into hiding, chest heaving, breath shallow.

Peering cautiously, I caught sight of someone entering the tent. His face was obscured by shadows, hidden from the moonlight.

My pulse quickened. That had to be SK.

Steeling myself, I gripped my gun and moved toward the tent again.

I pushed the flap open slowly. His back was to me.

Step by step, I closed the distance, then stood tall and raised my weapon.

“Hands where I can see them.” The click of my gun made my threat clear.

He jerked as if to run, but I fired a warning shot. He froze.

“I said, hands where I can see them!” I barked, advancing.

“Don’t move, or I’ll blow your fucking head off.”

He hesitated, lowering his arms as though about to turn. I cocked my gun again.

“Now turn around,” I ordered. “Slowly.”

I watch him turned.

My blood ran cold. My eyes widened.

“J-James…” My voice cracked.

“No, it’s not what you think, Ariel. I can explain.”

I gripped the gun tighter. “Explain what? How you go around killing girls? Oh, please, James. I trusted you.” My voice shook with disbelief.

“I swear, I didn’t kill those girls.”

I stepped closer. “Then do you care to explain what the hell you’re doing here?”

He swallowed hard. My eyes flicked to his hands.

Blood.

Real blood.

I clenched my jaw, cocking my gun, ready to fire. “Was I your next victim? Huh? Is that why you called me?”

He shook his head, still denying everything.

“You got a call too?” he asked, surprised.

I froze for a second, then lowered the gun slightly. “What’s that supposed to mean? Weren’t you the one who called and shot a girl during the call? What did those girls ever do to you?” My heart splintered with every word. To think I once loved him.

All this time, we’d been chasing SK, never realizing he was this close to me.

“Ariel, you have to believe me. I got a call and came here. Look.” He pulled out a phone.

“This isn’t my phone. I was at the bar when the waitress handed it to me aft

er she got a call. That’s when I realized mine was missing. He told me to come here for it, and when I arrived…”

“Go on!” I snapped.