CHAPTER TWO

 

“There’s no evidence the victims knew each other or the killer,” said Homicide Detective Dennis Cramer of the Bluffs Bay Police Department. “All the killings appear to have taken place in The Woods and each time the victim was alone when attacked. The latest victim was attacked in her office. The victims were not sexually assaulted. Given the seemingly random nature of the killings, with the perpetrator picking targets as they become available, the news is not good for law enforcement or the residents of The Woods—”

Selene Herrera was unnerved by the recent murders. When she and her husband Quinn moved there two months ago, they thought it was a safe, comfortable environment—each having previously experienced violence in their lives.

But that all changed when the first killing occurred not long after they had purchased their home in The Woods, an affluent community within Bluffs Bay. The relaxed, peaceful atmosphere had been shattered over the summer with the strangulation murders of several local women.

Selene first heard about the latest victim on the news last night. She had been found lying face down in her office. Like the four previous victims, she had been strangled while apparently putting up little resistance.

Fearing she might become a potential target of this serial killer, Selene had taken it upon herself to bring the community together to try to fight the monster who had left them all on edge.

A sense of outrage and panic threatened to boil over inside The Woods Community Center on this warm Saturday afternoon. While there was heated debate over whether the killer lived amongst them or was a stranger who took advantage of easy entry into the gateless subdivision, most residents agreed that the problem was too serious to ignore or leave to the authorities to resolve alone.

Detective Cramer looked pained as he said, “We’ve gotten dozens of calls with descriptions and other information on possible suspects. We’re evaluating all leads and take each one seriously. I ask for your patience while we conduct our investigation. In the meantime, the best thing any of you can do right now is use common sense to protect yourself. Stay off the streets at night, keep doors and windows locked, and your eyes and ears open for anything or anyone suspicious; and women should not be alone, if at all possible...”

He was interrupted by a boisterous voice. “How can you expect us to be patient?”

Selene watched as Marvin Bonet stood up two chairs over from her.

“Someone is killing our women and you don’t seem to be doing a damn thing about it!” Marvin pointed an accusing finger at the detective.

Dennis’s head snapped back as if he had run into a wall. “Look, I understand your irritation,” he said. “But we’re not the enemy here. The department is working round the clock to stop this killer before he strikes again.”

“Well that’s not good enough,” Marvin persisted. “I think every man and woman here should arm themselves to protect their families.”

“I knew he was going to embarrass me,” Elisa Bonet whispered in Selene’s ear, referring to her husband. “Marvin just had to make a complete fool of himself—and me by association.”

“He’s only expressing what a lot of people feel. We’re all frustrated,” Selene whispered back. She put a reassuring arm around her friend’s shoulders before refocusing on the detective.

“That’s probably the worst thing to do, under these circumstances,” Dennis cautioned. “An inexperienced person with a loaded gun is only asking for trouble.”

Selene watched and listened as the two men went back and forth; each holding his own, before Marvin wisely relented and sat down.

Dennis said a few parting words and then nodded at Selene. That was her cue to take the podium. She rose, standing directly in front of Quinn, who flashed an encouraging smile. They had been married for a little more than two months now and it was the second marriage for both.

Selene’s first marriage had lasted five years. She had been a victim of domestic violence and suffered through the classic battered women’s syndrome. Her ex-husband’s abusive behavior had been blamed on a lifelong drinking problem; then the stress of making bad business decisions. Selene had attributed the battering to her being too stubborn for her own good and not jumping whenever he told her to, causing him to lash out in anger.

Soon it became apparent to Selene that she wasn’t the cause of the abuse—he was. He had long harbored resentment towards headstrong women who reminded him of his domineering mother, who had been abusive towards him. When that was compounded with his drinking and an inferiority complex, it gave her ex more than enough excuses to hit Selene as often as he pleased.

After one serious beating that landed her in the hospital with a concussion and broken ribs, Selene had had enough. She finally got the courage to leave the man she’d once loved while she was still able to stand on her own two feet.

Selene’s prayers for being able to pick up the pieces of her shattered life were answered twofold. One was using her experience to help other abused women when she became the director of a local battered women’s shelter.

The other was when she met Quinn Herrera eight months ago. He’d immediately impressed her as a man of principle and conviction, along with being handsome and charming.

They hit it off right away. Quinn was a bestselling author of mystery novels and nonfiction books on the Pacific Northwest. A year earlier, he had lost his wife tragically in a drive-by shooting that was a case of mistaken identity.

Selene believed adversity had made her and Quinn that much stronger and was the propelling force behind their meeting, falling in love, and getting married. They had both been given a second chance at love and had taken it for all it was worth.

She smiled at Quinn, trying not to show how nervous she was.

He winked and patted her hand lightly. “You’ll do just fine.”

Taking him at his word, Selene strode to the podium.

Selene stood before her friends and neighbors. She had never been particularly comfortable as a public speaker. But with the practice of speaking to women’s groups in the fight against domestic violence, and Quinn’s encouragement, she had become more at ease in the role of speaker. And, in light of the recent wave of murders to hit The Woods, she was determined to do her part to fight a common enemy.

Selene sucked in a deep breath. “Thank you all for coming, especially on such short notice. It’s a tough way to get to know each other better, but circumstances haven’t left us much choice. Everyone here has a responsibility to band together when someone—especially a killer—threatens the safety of our families...”