Chapter 14
“I swear to god, I feel like I’m the one on a TV show,” Griffin said when Bel relayed Lina’s autopsy findings and Taron Monroe’s late-night visit. “And the studio knew about this Wolf guy?”
“Miss Monroe claims they do,” Bel said.
“But they refused to tell us because we might shut down production.” Griffin cursed. “Are we being pranked? Women are dying, yet they’re making us chase our tails so we don’t cost them their fortune.”
“I saw a photo of one of The Wolf’s letters. I was convinced, but then again, we’ve seen things. A letter with words printed darker than others isn’t exactly a smoking gun. I doubt most would take it as seriously as us.”
“Maybe before, but now? We found two women left half naked and torn apart, and they don’t at least warn us that a man calling himself The Wolf might be stalking Miss Monroe. The letter mentioned her death by a red scarf. Rossa and Roja were killed wearing a red cloak. It was signed by The Wolf, and fur was embedded in Ellery Roja’s wounds. These letters should’ve been the first thing we learned about.”
“I agree.” Bel sank to the couch and stared blankly at her boss.
“I don’t know. What do you think?” Griffin asked. “Orion Chayce seemed like our man, but now I’mnot convinced.”
“Honestly, you could argue cases for both men. They might even be the same person. Or they could be two separate crimes. The only thing confusing me is the victims. Chayce might havecauseto kill Roja since he worked on the set design, and she was the costume designer. Their paths probably crossed, but the writer doesn’t fit unless she was physically present during the accident. Then there’s Miss Monroe. She joined the show after Chayce was sentenced, so he has no reason to punish her… unless The Wolf is just a stalker and Chayce is the killer.”
“The red scarf and his signed name keep bringing me back to this The Wolf, though,” Griffin said. “But why would he go after the writer and costume designer? If he’s stalking Miss Monroe, what do the crew members have to do with it? Are they friends?”
“I don’t think so.” Bel leaned against the couch cushion, sinking deep into its softness in the hopes it would swallow her whole so she’d no longer have to theorize why men were hunting women through the Reale Estate. “The letters,” she finally said, her brain putting the puzzle pieces together. “It was threatening without being a threat. The Wolf is smart, at least with how he composes sentences. The prose is lyrical and meaningless until you read the darkened words. Thenit’s aggressive, but only to Miss Monroe. He wants herafraid, but he’s careful with how he inflicts fear. He doesn’t want to get caught, so he hides his meaning, creating more and more terror as time passes. No one believes her, so she’s alone and terrified someone’s stalking her.
“But words eventually aren’t enough.” Bel leaned forward with purpose as the final jigsaw pieces snapped together in her brain. “For almost every criminal, the status quoeventuallyno longer satisfies their cravings. They need more, a larger dose to experience the same high. Following her and then writing his death fantasies lost their spark. He has to act them out now, and because he’s obsessed with her and the show and his wolf persona?—”
“He became the wolf,” Griffin finished for her.
“He became the wolf,” Bel agreed. “Taron Monroe is a detective in a paranormal crime drama. He’s killing people similar to how the show’s monsters murder their victims. Perhaps he believes that if he creates crimes worthy of Monroe’s character, she’ll arrive to work the scenes, and he can swoop in as the love interest. Or maybe he’s taken his stalking to the extreme. He wants her terrified, and what better way to scare someone than to kill women like the wolf you claim you are?”
“So his victims mean nothing except they share the same gender as his intended victim?”
“Yes? No? I don’t know. Chayce is still a good suspect, but a man getting revenge for serving time doesn’t strike me as someone who’d replicate episode scenes. Granted, we’ve seen weirder, but it makes more sense if The Wolf is the one imitating the show’s crimes.”
“I have this pit in my stomach.” Griffin pushed his chair away from his desk and doubled over. “I hate when you make sense. It scares me.”
“The idea of a stalker calling himself The Wolf scares me.”
“I don’t mean to be insensitive, but while Rossa’s and Roja’s deaths are tragic, they aren’t national news. If Miss Monroe is murdered…” He shuddered. “I don’t want to think about that. One of the most popular actresses on a beloved show dies in our town because we let some stalker gut her like a pig. This won’t end well, will it?”
“Not if the producers keep jerking us around.” Bel sank back into the couch. “What do we do from here? We have very little evidence, and too many theories.”
“I think we can agree that no matter the theory, the women of this show aren’t safe,” Griffin said. “Two are dead, and Miss Monroe feels she’s being threatened. The killer’s M.O. is consistent on victim choice, at least.”
“Women who work on Aesop’s Files.”
“We’re already stretched so thin. How are we supposed to protect every female cast and crew member when we have two murders to solve and a town bursting at the seams?”
“Miss Monroe is the priority,” Bel said. “And not because she’s a famous actress. Realistically, how long can the killer keep murdering women before something interrupts him? He’s gotten away with it twice, but now that we’re increasing our efforts, it’ll be harder for him to kill. I think Miss Monroe is his next target.”
“That makes sense,” Griffin said. “We’ll focus on her, but if we visibly increase security, The Wolf might panic. He’ll feel like a cornered animal, and predators get nasty when trapped. If he suspects we’re on to him, he could start killing anyone he gets his hands on.”
“I’ll do it,” Bel said. “I’ll work Monroe’s protection detail in plain clothes, and we’ll sell my presence to the public as a police consultant. Shows use them often, and we can feed the fans that narrative. That Taron Monroe wants to perfect her role on Aesop’s Files, so shehireda real-life detective to accompany her on set. Yes, I’m still the police, but as a woman, I’ll hopefully fuel The Wolf’s fantasy, especially if I play up my femininity. If I come across as more friend than protector, he won’t view me as a threat, but as another female to satisfy his delusions. Instead of threatening him with an increased police presence, I’ll become bait, and hopefully, he’ll target me when he makes a play for Monroe.”
“Absolutelynot!” Griffin practically shouted at her. “What’s wrong with you? I am not putting you in the line of fire, especially not after Blaubart. That’s not happening.”
“Where’s Olivia?” Bel asked, ignoring his outburst, even though she secretly loved that he cared so deeply.
“Still trying to track down Gwen Rossa’s final hours.”
“Well, if she were here, she’d agree. She can handle the investigation, and I’ll play the consultant to Miss Monroe. If we can draw The Wolf out, we won’t have to worry about searching for evidence that isn’t there.”
“Did you not hear what I just said?” Griffin gawked at her. “The answer is no. An absolute, resounding, and definite no. We aren’t using you as bait. I don’t care who’s in danger. Your life is more important to me. If that makes me a terrible sheriff, so be it, but you always come first.”
“I know.” Bel stood up and leaned forward, kissing her boss’ forehead. “I come first to Eamon too, and he’s mastered walking through the shadows. He can be invisible when he chooses to be,a fact thatwas made clear when I interviewed the bed-and-breakfast owner. She has no clue what he looks like. All she knows is he’s reclusive.”
“Ha,” Griffin snorted. “I wish he would be a recluse instead of bothering me all the time.”
“You love it.” She reached for her boss’ hand, and he took it, his larger fingers swallowing hers whole. “So, Olivia will take over the case, I’ll protect Miss Monroe, and Eamon will protect me. He’ll have no problem getting onto the sets. His… skills or money will guarantee he can follow me around.”
“I don’t know.”
“You said it yourself; we’re stretched too thin. We need help, and we need someone we can trust. Eamon didn’t kill those girls, and he won’t let anyone harm me. It’s the best plan we have.”
“Would he even agree to it?” Griffin asked, and Bel glared at him with raised eyebrows. “Right, ofcoursehe would.Do youjustbat your eyes and get everything you want?”
“Pretty much,” she teased. “It works on you too, though.” She batted her eyes at him, and he rolledhisin response.
“All right, all right.” He swatted her away. “Fine, we’ll try your idea if, and only if, Eamon can be on set with you at all times. And I mean it, Emerson. I want him glued to your metaphorical hip.”
“I have an idea to sell our story,” Taron Monroe said as she and Bel entered the building. They were scheduled to film inside Bajka’s picturesque courthouse, and both Eamon and Taron had readily agreed to help Bel pose as Miss Monroe’spersonalconsultant.
“We should do a live,” the actress continued.
“A live?” Bel asked, and as they passed through the courthouse’s secondary doors, a hand shot out and grabbed her fingers. She didn’t react as the cool skin caressed hers. Her gaze remained on Taron as the grip held her until the distance forced them apart, and without glancing over her shoulder to see who hovered in the crowd, she smiled to herself. She loved having Eamon work alongside her again. She was a braver cop with the devil guarding her back, and facing the bitter outdoor shoots was suddenly less daunting with him by her side.
“Yes, a social media broadcast where people can watch me live,” Taron explained. “I’ll introduce you as my new consultant and explain how a real female homicide detective will guide my character. The fans will eat it up, and it’ll help portray you less like a guard and more like a set piece.”
“You want to show my face?” Bel stopped walking,catching sight ofEamon leaning against a wall just beyond the set’s commotion.
“I mean…”
“No,” Bel said. “I don’t have social media, and I don’t want my face online. It’s bad enough when I end up on the news.”
“Oh… Okay,” Taron paused. “I just thought it would sell our charade since you believe The Wolf might be more inclined to take the bait if you weren’t a threat.”
“No, it’s smart, but can you do it without me?”
“What about a compromise?” the actress asked. “Go talk to Beau and offer to help him when I don’t need you. I’ll film the live here, and it’ll capture his face and the back of your head. It’ll add to the legitimacy because it’ll appear that I’m catching you hard at work. Besides, Beau loves the attention, so he’ll position himself to be in the shot instead of you.”
“You promise not to reveal my face or name?”
“Absolutely. You’re the only person taking my concerns seriously, and I cried when you promised to help. I’ve been so freaked out by this wolf character, and I’d never post you online without your consent. I realize as an actual cop, you want to keep a low profile.”
“I appreciate that,” Bel said. “Mr. Draven doesn’t know about our arrangement, so I’ll stick to the act when I offer him my help.”
“Sounds good. I’ll wait till your back is turned before I start filming.”
“Thanks.” Bel twisted on her heels and approached the lead actor, smirking as she felt Eamon’s eyes track her. Perhaps this was the real reason he agreed to her scheme. To keep Hollywood’s sexiest actor from stealing her away from him. “Mr. Draven.” She extended a hand. “I’m sure you heard, but for the next few days, I’ll be acting as Miss Monroe’s consultant, but if you need clarification on anything, I’d be happy to offer my expertise.”
“Thanks.” He dismissed her as if he couldn’t possibly learn anything from a woman so attractive. He didn’t care about her brain, just the curves of her body, and Bel had to hide another smirk. Eamon had nothing to worry about. She preferred men who saw her as a human being, not a body. But Beau? He’d have something to worry about if he didn’t stop glancing at her legs.
“But what about the murders?” he asked.
“My partner and the sheriff are heading up the investigation,” she answered. “Trust me, the case is in capable hands.”
“Oh okay, cool.” He smiled, dialing up the charm, and Bel understood why so many women obsessed over Aesop’s Files. His smile was intoxicating… or at least it would’ve been if he hadn’t just lewdly scanned her head to toe. “So, is that a New York accent I detect?” he asked.
“Yes. Born and raised. My dad was the chief of police.” She wondered if that would deter his flirting.
“What’s a big city girl doing in a town like this?”
“Solving murders.” She deadpanned.
“You’re funny. I like?—”
“Hello Mon-hoes!” Taron Monroe blurted behind them as herlivebegan, and Bel instinctively ducked despite her turned back. “I’m here on location, and we’re shooting an explosive episode for all our fans, so make sure you catch up on the previous seasons if you haven’t binged them already. Before I announce my fun news, I’d like to observe a moment of silence for our fallen crew members. May they rest in peace.” She fell silent, and Bel didn’t miss how Beau shifted to get further into the shot.
“Gwen and Ellery will be greatly missed, but we’ll honor them by making this season the best yet,” Taron continued after a few seconds. “And now for my news. You can see her behind me helping Beau walk through his scene, but I have my very own homicide detective on set with me today.She’ll be consulting for the next few days,andhonestly, how cool is this?A real-life female homicide detective. Women like her are why I play such a badass character, so I should probably steal her back from Beau.Usgirls got to stick together. Sorry, what?” She faked being interrupted. “Sure, I’ll be right there… All right, Mon-hoes! Love you all. Wish me and my new detective bff luck. Hugs and kisses!” She endedthelive. “How was that?”
“Good.” Bel rejoined her, thankful to escape Beau’s unoriginal flirting. “Definitelyplayed up the girl power and not the protection aspect. Hopefully, The Wolf was watching and doesn’t consider me a threat.”
“I get why you’re saying that, but that freaks me out,” Taron said. “You’reliterallyhoping my stalker isn’t afraid of you so that he attacks you.”
“It’s part of the job.” Bel shrugged.
“I’m glad I only play a cop because Inever want that to be… part of the job ,” she threw her voice to mimic Bel’s.
“That was pretty good.”
“You sound surprised. You don’t watch the show?”
“No, sorry. My life is endless death and crime already, so I normally just read. I also have my dog, who keeps me busy.”
“Makes sense,” Taron said. “Well, I am a decent actress, so while you’re here to protect me, maybe I canpick your brain. I could learn a lot.”
“Absolutely. As long as it doesn’t become distracting. It’s smart, though. It’ll help sell the lie about why I’m hovering.”
“Okay, now I’m excited… well, not about being stalked, but we’ve never had a female officer consult before. We’ve had male cops on the show, but never women. It feels verygirl-power. Especially since you have a female partner. I love it.”
Bel loved it too until Olivia decided she couldn’t forgive the lies.
“Speaking of girl power, can I ask you about him?” Taron nodded to where Eamon leaned against the far wall. “Why is he here?”
“You’ve been shooting on his property,” Bel half lied. “The producers are letting him watch as a thank you.”
“That gorgeous estate?” Taron asked. “Wow, rich and hot. My type… are you two a thing, though?” She glanced at Bel as if she just realized that Eamon hadn’t arrived at the cabin and sat on the couch with Cerberus because he consulted on cases as they’d claimed. “He kissed your forehead when I followed you to your house, but friends do things like that. Are you friends, or are you dating? Because he’s sexy, but I don’t hook up with guys who belong to other women.”
Bel bit her tongue to keep from laughing at Eamon’s reaction to the actress’ words. He could hear them despite the distance, and he didn’t bother to hide the amusement from his features. It seemed they bothhad the same responseto Taron’s belief that he’dabsolutelyhook up with her despite possibly being in a relationship.
“We’re friends,” Bel said. She couldn’t help herself. She wouldn’t mess with Taron—or Eamon—for long, but this woman had followed her home, witnessed Eamon arrive to protect her, and still assumed she had a shot. Bel liked the actress. She seemed fun and adorable, if not slightly out of touch, and it was understandable that Eamon’s unnatural attractiveness had gotten the better of her.
“Best friends,” Bel continued when he quirked his eyebrows at her answer.
“Oh okay, so you aren’t dating?” Taron asked. “That’s good to know.”
“Oh no. We are very much dating,” she clarified. It was silly, but she enjoyed teasingboththe actress and her boyfriend. It felt so normal, so trivial and ridiculous, and Taron’s cluelessness and Eamon’s mock annoyance brightened the unending death and destruction clouding her path. “But he’s also my best friend. He makes me laugh if you can believe that. It’s why we work. We started as friends.”
“He makes you laugh? But he’s so… well, that’s nice,” Taron said, trying to hide her disappointment. “So, are you two serious?”
Eamon leaned forward, staring Bel down as he waited for her answer.
“He keeps asking me to move in with him, so I guess so.” She winked at him, and he rolled his eyes.
“But you have yourownplace?” Taron looked genuinely confused. “A rich man that looks like that wants you to live with him, yet you still live alone. Girl, you have more willpower than I do.”
“I’ll move in with him eventually,” Bel said. “But I like keeping him on his toes.”
“Is that why he’sreallyhere?” Taron glanced between the couple as she saw their relationship in a fresh light. “Because you keep him on his toes so much that he’s nervous about The Wolf coming after you?”
“That can’t be public knowledge,” Bel said. “We want The Wolf to target me, but if he suspects I’m being protected, he won’t make a move. But yes. I watch your back, and Eamon guards mine.”
“My god, that’s disgusting,” Taron laughed. “That’s too romantic this early in the morning. Girl, you won the jackpot.”
“I like to think so,” Bel said, loving that eavesdropping on them brightened Eamon’s black eyes so beautifully that his predator disappeared for a fleeting moment. Life had certainly not been a lottery winning lately, but in her choice of partner, she’d won. She’d found someone who put her first, who actively communicated rather than bulldozing her emotions to get his way, and who trusted her enough to be vulnerable about the worst parts of his nature. As much as she wanted to smack him for his reaction at the hospital, it was a valid concern. One he thankfully cast aside long enough to listen to her, and now, here he stood guarding her back instead of inflicting irreparable damage on their relationship. Insteadof leaving her unprotected before the wolves. Yes, she’d hit the jackpot.
“And on a work note,” Bel said, “this is good. Girl talk will help solidify that I’m not a threat or a bodyguard. That I’m just another… what did you call them? Mon-hoe.”
“My fans made that up,” Taron laughed. “I hated it at first, but Idecided to embraceit.”
“Pick your battles.”
“Exactly,” Taron said. “Okay. Hopefully, girl talk works… even though I don’treallywant it to. I don’t want The Wolf coming after us like he did Gwen and Ellery.”
“Thanks for today,” Taron said as Bel dropped her off at the Bajka Bed-and-Breakfast. They’d spent the entire day filming at the courthouse, and what started as an act had turned into Bel genuinely helping the actress. Miss Monroe had her celebrity flaws, but she was a spongewhen it came tolearning. She absorbed every tip Bel offered, and by the end of the shoot, they looked almost identical standing side by side.
“You’re welcome. It was fun.”
“It was,” Taron said.
“I’ll stay until you get inside, and a squad car will be stationed in the parking lot all night,” Bel said. “Don’t leave the inn. If you need to go somewhere, ask an officer to escort you. And I mean it. Don’t even walk outside to smoke or make a call or cool down.”
“I don’t smoke.”
“Great. You have no excuse to leave then.”
“I vow to lock myself in my room.” Taron crossed her heart in a promise.
“Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“See you.” The actress fled the car and raced through the cold to the front door. The moment she locked herself inside the inn, an expensive truck rolled up beside Bel’s SUV, the direction facing the opposite way so the drivers could speak.
“Did you notice anything?” Bel asked.
“Other than Beau Draven staring at your legs in ways that begged me to gouge out his eyes?” Eamon asked. “No.”
Bel cursed. “We’ll find something. We have to… right?”
“I hope so. Even though I’m there, I still hate using you as bait.” He reached across the divide, and she took his hand.
“I’ll be fine. I can fight.” She winked at him. “But seriously, thanks for being there. I love having you around on cases. I feel invincible.”
“Well, you aren’t, so don’t get cocky,” Eamon laughed. “But I agree. I like being with you, and not just to keep you safe. I love watching you work. I never loved any of my jobs. Well… I enjoyed the first one, but that’s because I was bornfor bloodshed. Everything else has been about making money, but you live and breathe your job. Seeing you help the cast today reminded me why I can never ask you to stop being a cop, even if it puts you in danger. You were brilliant to watch.”
“I love you,” Bel blurted, unable to keep the words inside her after that speech. “Ireallylove you.”
“Am Iactuallyyour best friend, or was that a tease for Monroe’s sake?” he asked.
“Of course you are. Why would you question that?”
“Well, you have Violet and Olivia.”
“I do, but you’re more than just my boyfriend. Disturbing past aside, I don’t just love you. I like you. I have great friends, but you’re the best of them.”
“So, Ireallymake you laugh?” he asked.
“Surprising, I know.”
“Making people laugh is not something I’ve ever been guilty of.”
“Yet we have fun. Like when you threw me on your back and raced through the jungle.”
“So we could find a black marketsurgery.” Eamon smirked.
“Exactly. Fun.”
“Thank you for talking sense into me.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Your death turned me irrational. I couldn’t function, but seeing you work today made it clear. I belong wherever you are.”
“Hey.” She rubbed his hand with her gloved fingers. “It’s cold. How about you take me home, and we pretend we live together?”
“I’d like that.”
“And whileyou’reat it, forgive yourself for that hospital conversation. You were trying to take care of me. Plus, you thought I died. Trust me, if you died, I’d be worse. I’m serious. Nothing is allowed to ever happen to you because if you die, I’ll lose it. You at the hospital would be downright sane compared to me.”
“Well, I’m not dying on you, nor am I leaving. I also plan to keep asking you to live with me.”
“Hey.” She withdrew her hand back into her car. “I said we could pretend. Don’t push your luck.”
“Fine. It was worth a?—”
“Detective!” Taron’s voice ripped through the air as she launched herself out of the inn’s front door and bolted across the parking lot, Belbarelyable to get out of her SUV before the actress skidded to a halt.
“Detective,” she sobbed, her voice shaking and muscles rigid, and that’s when Bel saw the paper clutched in her hands. “It was left at the front desk for me. No name, no stamp, no return address.”
“So it didn’t come in the mail.” Bel stole the letter from the terrified woman and opened it, a pit widening in her stomach. “Which means someone personally dropped it off.” She unfolded the note, and her eyes caught on the signature even though shealreadyknew who’d penned it. The Wolf was in Bajka.