CHAPTER EIGHT

 

The funeral was held at the Bluffs Bay Cemetery on a warm, sunny afternoon. Detective Dennis Cramer came with his wife, Melody, to pay his respects to the latest victim of The Woods Strangler. It was the least he could do for Sophia Pesquera, since he was unable to help her in life and there was no guarantee he could in death.

But he had to try.

And that meant showing up at the funeral as both a resident of The Woods and a police detective, bent on solving a case that had given him nothing but headaches.

He put his arm around his beautiful Australian wife and felt her trembling.

“It’s okay, honey,” he said.

She sniffled. “How many women have to die, Dennis?”

“Hopefully, no more.”

“She didn’t do anything to deserve this,” Melody said.

Melody wept openly and Dennis pulled her closer. “I know,” he said tenderly.

Dennis imagined what it would be like if it was his wife or daughter being buried instead of Sophia Pesquera. The thought unnerved him.

That was why he had his officers fanned out observing everyone at the cemetery. It wouldn’t be the first time a killer attended the funeral of his victim, admiring his handiwork under the guise of being a mourner.

If this man was so bold, Dennis could only hope that he would lead them straight to his door. Then they could haul his ass right into a not-so-comfortable jail cell where he belonged before another funeral took place in The Woods.