Steve stayed up all night connecting the pieces of the case.
Everything was finally starting to line up.
Sue had been married to Keith until Keith's death.
Then she ended up with John — Keith's best friend.
Eric turned out to be one of Keith's connections from years ago, someone Keith used to sell drugs to. The pattern was building, but slowly.
There was one detail Steve still couldn't understand.
The star carved into every victim.
Keith.
Eric.
Sue.
All had the exact same star cut into their skin — carved after death. But Steve didn't know why. Or what it meant.
And Jose…
Jose was still missing.
---
Jose's world was fading in and out.
He was tied to a chair, barely conscious, bleeding badly.
Every time he opened his eyes, he saw more blood.
More darkness.
He wished the woman would just kill him already.
Whoever she was, she never showed her face.
Never used her real voice.
She kept him near death but never allowed him to die.
His IV bag hung beside him, slowly draining something into his arm. He realized it was making him sleep. Making him weak. Making him helpless.
---
Meanwhile, Courtney tucked me into bed and brushed hair from my face.
"Don't worry about Arron," she said. "He'll be home before you know it."
"I know," I whispered. "Honestly, I'm more nervous about the dance with Mark."
Courtney smiled. "We'll go shopping this weekend while Mark's at his grandparents' house."
Mark wasn't Courtney's biological brother.
He had been adopted as a baby and knew his whole story. When he turned eight, his grandparents were given regular weekend visits, and they had stayed close ever since.
Mark was okay with everything.
He loved his family — real or adoptive — and they loved him back.
---
Meanwhile, Arron was settling down for bed in his hospital room when the doctor walked in.
"Good news, Arron. You're free to go home as long as someone comes to pick you up. Everything looks good. You just can't drive with that leg."
Arron nodded. "I'll make some calls in the morning."
But all night long, he worried about who he could call.
Courtney was busy.
Mom wasn't answering.
Sue… he didn't know she was gone.
And the only person available —
the only one who wasn't tied up with something —
was John.
Arron hated the idea of it.
But he needed to get home to Courtney.
He needed to get home to me.
The next morning, Arron called John.
John answered on the first ring.
"Alright," he said. "I'll be on my way."
Arron told the nurses and the doctor, and they said he could stay in his room until his ride came.
But a bad feeling twisted in his stomach.
He texted Courtney:
John's coming to get me. Just wanted you to know.
Courtney replied:
Okay. Stay safe. I love you.
---
Courtney shouted for us to hurry up so we wouldn't be late for school. Mark ran down the hallway just as I stepped out of the bathroom.
"I have an appointment today," Courtney said. "So you two need to be on time."
Mark frowned. "Are you okay?"
"Yes," she said quickly. "Just a checkup."
Courtney dropped us off and drove to her appointment.
Mark turned to me. "Let's go find Beth."
But no matter where we looked — hallways, cafeteria, classrooms — she wasn't there.
A sick, cold feeling filled my chest.
"I hope she's okay," I whispered.
But she wasn't.
Beth and her dad, Matt, were missing.
No one had seen them.
No one knew where they went.
Steve was at his desk when the call came in.
Another disappearance.
Another family torn apart.
He decided to start the search near the woods where Sue and Eric had been found.
If the killer had taken Beth and Matt too…
They were running out of time.
---
Meanwhile, John pulled into the hospital parking lot to pick up Arron.
And Arron, still weak, still healing, had no idea…
he had just made the worst decision of his life.