eagueshadwives,kids,reasonstostayalive.Luonlyhadthecase.

Heoftengrumbledthathewasborntosuffer.Yetnomatterhowmuchhepined,hewasalwaysthefirsttein.

Apartfromtheendlesssuspedcorpses,theonlythingtyinghimdownwasthestralegirthome.

Reya—hisoruesurprise.

***

FourteenYearsAgo

LufirstmetReyawhileiigatingaserialmurdercaseoskirtsofthecity.

Backthen,hewasjustarookiecop,freshoutoftheacademy,burstingwithnaiveidealism,er,alwaysthefirsttovolunteerfrisliesttasks.

Thevictimale,nakedwomanwithaslender,elegantfigure.Heralmond-shapedeyeswerewideopen,staringbnklyatthesky.

Notornclothing.Nosighiswasn''''''''ttheprimarycrimese.

Lu''''''''sfirstthoughtuponseeingher?

Ifshewerealive,I''''''''daskherout.

Fivearookie''''''''sinappropriatethought,butshehadbeeiful.

Sunlightstreamedthroughthedenseopy,dapplingherskinwithshiftingpatternsoflight.Thestillnessofthecorpse,thevitalityofthesurroundingforest,theterrorfrozenonherface,thewarmthofthebreeze—itwasatradi.

Yethauntinglypoetic.

Theairsmelledfaintlyoflustah.

Shewastheforty-ninthvictim.

Overtenyears,forty-ninewomenhadbeendumpedinthisravine.Allraped.Allkilled.Allfoundaftersexuactivity,somemultipletimes.Yetnosemen,nobodilyfluids,racesoflubrit.

Theer''''''''sverdict?

Deathbyextremesexualeuphoriatriggeringfatalventricurarrhythmia.