CHAPTER TWELVE
Still wondering whether it would be more dangerous to shut her twin out of this case or to bring her into the investigation, Jenna drove toward her mother’s house. Could her twin’s visions truly be connected to this killer who had staged a murder scene to resemble a fairy tale?
“You're quiet,” Jake observed, breaking the silence.
Jenna exhaled slowly. “Just wondering if I'm making a mistake about confiding in Piper.”
“She's stronger than you think,” Jake countered. “I've seen how far she's come since she first returned home.”
“That's just it. She's made progress, and I don't want to jeopardize that by throwing her back into darkness.” Jenna turned onto Sycamore Lane, the street where she'd grown up. “The last time she followed her voices, she almost got killed.”
“But she saved a life in the process,” Jake reminded her. “Besides, this is different. She'll be with us the entire time.”
Jenna wasn’t entirely convinced. They arrived at her mother’s house, and she pulled into the driveway behind Frank's truck, cutting the engine.
“Whatever happens,” Jake said, “we're in this together.”
The warmth in his eyes helped settle something for Jenna. She reached out and took his hand for a moment, grateful for his presence. Then she turned her mind back to their visit and got out of the car.
As they approached the front door, Jenna saw that it was open.
The sweet, buttery aroma of cookies baking wafted through the air.
Jenna felt an unexpected tug of nostalgia—how many times had she and Piper rushed home from school to that same smell?
She pushed the door fully open and saw her mother standing in the hallway with a dish towel in hand.
“I heard your car,” Mom said. “Frank's been filling us in.”
In the living room, Frank sat in an armchair by the window, his weathered face brightening as they entered. Piper perched on the edge of the sofa, legs tucked beneath her.
“Jenna.” Piper rose, crossing the room to embrace her twin.
“Hey, Piper,” Jenna murmured, squeezing her sister before stepping back. “How are you holding up?”
“Better now that you're here.” Piper offered Jake a smile. “Frank says that what I said before was actually useful.”
“Sit down and relax a little,” Mom suggested. “I'll bring in some coffee. The cookies will be ready in a few minutes.”
Jenna settled onto the sofa with Piper beside her, while Jake took the adjacent armchair. Frank remained in his spot by the window, his solid presence a comfort in the room.
“So,” Frank said to Jenna, “you're thinking of bringing Piper in on this case.”
“Yes. But first, she needs to know exactly what we're dealing with.”
Piper straightened, her eyes bright. “Tell me everything.”
Mom returned with a tray of mugs and Jenna reached for one, letting the heat seep into her palms. She took a deep breath and began describing finding Claudia Kingsley's body in the woods behind her house, the way it was hanging, the wolf features, and how there were vultures circling above.
“It was just like you said,” she continued.
“Later we went to see Leith Walsh at her bookstore. She showed us that the killer wanted it to look like the wolf from an original Grimm’s fairy tale.
Not the Little Red Riding Hood we’re familiar with, where nobody got badly hurt.
In the old one, the wolf swallowed both the grandmother and the girl alive, but they were cut from its belly. ”
Mom's face had gone pale. “That's... horrific.”
“It is,” Jake agreed. “And deliberate. Every detail was arranged to match the old version of the story—not the sanitized version most people know.”
“The wolf's belly,” Piper whispered, her voice distant. “That's what I saw in my vision. And the vultures circling.”
“Exactly,” Jenna confirmed. “You were right about the vultures showing us where to look. That's why we're here. Your vision described elements of the crime scene before we even found the body.”
Frank leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “The question is whether that was a one-time thing or if you might be... tuned in to this situation somehow.”
“You think I could help find the killer?” Piper asked.
“It's possible,” Jenna said cautiously. “Your sensitivity —it might pick up on something we're missing.”
Mom set her mug down with a sharp click against the coffee table. “I don't like this. Piper's still recovering.”
“Mom,” Piper said gently, “I want to help. If my... ability... can stop someone else from being hurt, how can I not use it?”
“It's too dangerous,” Mom insisted. “What if you're drawn into a bad situation?”
Jenna assured her. “Piper won't be alone. She'll be with me, with Jake and Frank. We'll keep her safe.”
The timer in the kitchen chimed, and Mom rose automatically. “The cookies are done. We're not finished with this discussion,” she warned before disappearing into the kitchen.
Frank watched her go, then turned back to Jenna. “What exactly are you proposing, Sheriff?”
Jenna met his gaze steadily. “I want to take Piper to Claudia's property—to the crime scene. See if being there triggers anything. Of course, it’s all cleaned up now.”
“A controlled environment,” Jake added, “with the three of us there to protect her.”
Piper nodded eagerly. “Yes. That sounds perfect. I need to learn how this all works. How it can be good and not evil. If I could just... see the place, maybe touch something that belonged to her...” Then her voice trailed off, her expression becoming distant, as if already reaching beyond the visible.
“Piper?” Jenna prompted, concern tightening her chest.
Piper blinked, her focus returning. “Sorry. The voices. They're quiet now, but they're... waiting. Like they know something's coming.”
Before Jenna could respond, Mom returned with a plate of golden cookies, the smell of vanilla and cinnamon filling the room.
“I heard what you're planning,” she said, setting the plate down with more force than necessary. “And I still don't like it.”
“We'll be careful,” Frank assured her, rising from his chair. “And I'll be with them the whole time.”
Mom's shoulders slumped slightly, her resistance giving way to resignation. “Promise me you won't let her out of your sight. Not for a second.”
“I promise,” Jenna said, meeting her mother's worried gaze.
“We all do,” Jake added firmly.
Mom sighed, then straightened her shoulders. “Well, there's nothing I can do to stop you. But I expect all of you to return in one piece.” She added with a stiff smile, “There'll be cookies waiting.”
The drive to Claudia Kingsley's house was charged with a strange energy. Piper sat in the back seat with Frank, leaning forward as Jenna drove, her eyes bright with anticipation.
“Will there still be police at the house?” she asked.
“Yes,” Jake replied, glancing back at her. “We've still got officers processing everything in case there’s evidence we haven’t seen yet.”
“What am I looking for, exactly?”
Jenna caught her sister's gaze in the rearview mirror. “I don't know, Piper. That's what we're trying to find out. Just... be open to whatever impressions you get. But don't force anything.”
“And if the voices start getting loud?” Piper asked anxiously.
“You tell us immediately,” Frank said gruffly. “No heroics. We can just leave whenever you want to.”
Piper settled back in her seat as they turned onto the street where Claudia Kingsley had lived—and died. It was a quiet residential area on the edge of town, the houses set far apart on large properties, many including wooded areas.
Claudia's house came into view—a well-kept home, garden, and yard with the woods visible out back. A patrol car sat in the driveway, and yellow police tape cordoned off the property. Jenna pulled up behind the patrol car and cut the engine.
“Ready?” she asked, turning to look at her twin.
Piper nodded, her expression determined.
They approached the house, where Officer Ramirez stood guard at the front door. He straightened as they approached.
“Sheriff,” he greeted her. His gaze lingered curiously on Piper, clearly noting the resemblance between the twins.
“Ramirez,” Jenna acknowledged. “This is my sister, Piper. She's consulting on the case.”
If Ramirez was surprised, he didn't show it. He simply stepped aside, holding the door open for them. “We’re looking for any evidence we can find inside the house. So far, no luck. Forensics team is still working out back.”
“Thanks. We'll try not to disturb them.” Jenna led the way into the house.
Inside, Claudia's life was frozen in the everyday details—a coffee mug left on the counter, a book splayed open on the side table, a jacket hanging on the hook by the door, all while officers eerily moved about poring over everything, as if in slow motion.
Jenna watched as Piper moved slowly through the space, her fingers occasionally brushing against surfaces, her expression thoughtful.
“Do you feel anything?” Jake asked quietly.
Piper shook her head. “Not yet. It's just... sad. A life interrupted.”
They moved through the kitchen to the back door, which stood open to the yard. Two members of the forensics team were going over the backyard. Beyond the neatly trimmed grass, a path led into the woods, marked by more police tape.
“The body was found about fifty yards in,” Jenna explained as they crossed the yard. “In a small clearing.”
Piper’s steps slowed as they reached the edge of the woods. “The air feels different here,” she murmured. “Heavier.”
They ducked under the police tape and followed the path into the forest. The late afternoon sunlight filtered through the canopy above, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
When they reached the small clearing where Claudia's body had been found, Piper stopped abruptly. The tree branch where the body had been hanging was marked with evidence flags.
“This is it,” Jenna said softly. “This is where we found her.”
Piper's breathing had quickened, but her expression remained calm. “Show me,” she said. “The pictures.”
Jenna hesitated, exchanging a glance with Jake. “Piper, these images are disturbing. Are you sure—”
“I need to see,” Piper interrupted, her voice steady. “I can't help if I don't understand what we're dealing with.”
Jake pulled out his phone, swiped through several screens, then handed it to Piper. “These are from before we lowered the body,” he explained.
Piper stared at the screen, her face betraying no emotion as she swiped through the images. Jenna watched her sister carefully, ready to intervene at the first sign of distress. But Piper remained composed, studying each photo with clinical detachment.
“Inside a wolf,” she murmured.
“Yes,” Jenna confirmed. “Just like in the story.”
Piper handed the phone back to Jake, then turned in a slow circle, taking in the entire clearing. She closed her eyes, her lips moving silently as if in conversation with herself.
Frank shifted closer to Jenna. “She okay?” he whispered.
“I think so,” Jenna replied, not taking her eyes off her sister. “She's listening for something.”
Piper had gone very still, her face turned up toward the patches of sky visible through the trees. When she spoke, her voice had changed—dreamier, distant.
“There's snow on the ground,” she said.
Jake frowned. “Snow? It's just October.”
“Everywhere. White and perfect,” Piper continued, as if she hadn't heard him. “So beautiful against the trees.”
Jenna stepped forward cautiously. “Piper? What are you seeing?”
“Snow,” Piper repeated, extending her hands as if to catch falling flakes. “And the sky... so pale it hurts to look at it.”
Jenna realized that Piper was somewhere else entirely, experiencing something none of the rest of them could perceive.
“I've pricked my finger,” Piper said suddenly, looking down at her hand with surprise. “On the thorns. It hurts.”
“There's blood,” she whispered. “Three drops of blood in the snow. So red against the white.”
Piper's body began to tremble, her arms wrapping around herself as if against a sudden chill. “Cold,” she murmured. “So cold.”
Frank moved swiftly to her side. “She's in shock,” he said, shrugging out of his jacket and draping it over Piper's shoulders.
“Piper,” Jenna called, taking her sister's ice-cold hands. “Piper, come back. You're safe. You're with us.”
But Piper continued to shiver violently, her eyes unfocused, seeing a winter landscape that existed only in her mind. “Three drops of blood,” she repeated. “Red as blood, white as snow, black as ebony.”
Jake stepped closer, concern on his face. “We need to get her out of here.”
Jenna’s heart pounded with fear. “Piper, we're going back to the car now. Can you walk?”
Piper blinked slowly, some awareness returning to her eyes. “Jenna?” she whispered, her voice small and confused.
“I'm right here,” Jenna assured her, wrapping an arm around her sister's waist. “Let's go home.”
With Jake supporting Piper's other side and Frank leading the way, they began the trek back through the woods. Piper's shivers gradually continued as they emerged from the forest into the yard, and her expression remained distant, haunted.
As they approached the car, Jenna couldn't shake the unease.
Piper's vision wasn't about Little Red Riding Hood at all—it was something else entirely. Snow, blood, ebony. The elements of another story altogether, one just as dark and full of peril. It seemed vaguely familiar but she couldn’t remember the story.
Snow White, maybe? she wondered.
All she could be sure of was that somewhere in Trentville, a killer was planning their next fairy tale murder.