Page 11 of Lady Killer

While I worked the thick lotion into my nails, I considered what to do.

Inept as I was at friendships, it was clear something was wrong with Autumn. She’d complained about them before, but that didn’t mean she’d told me everything.

And I knew better than most just how much ugliness could be found in a parent’s heart.

With a heavy sigh, I realized my mind had been made up long ago. If there was even a chance her parents were hurting Autumn, that anyone was hurting her, I needed to dig deeper.

Plus, I had that IOU.

I grabbed one of my notebooks and tore out a piece of paper.

What I needed was a plan, and the first step in making a plan was making a list.

I frowned.

Everest had been the one to text me about thethird girl to turn up dead. Glory Van Holt had been found washed ashore with her head bashed in after being drugged and raped, and after the Christmas party, I was increasingly certain that Aaron had been responsible.

So, what is his relationship to the Virgin Sacrifice Killer, and who were the other sheep?

I scratched out the list and started again.

Then there was the million-dollar question—who was the Virgin Sacrifice Killer?

Chewing on my lip, I considered where to start before grabbing my laptop.

Trapped in the hotel room, my choices were limited.

There had been two sheep that night, and wherever Aaron went, Melody seemed to follow. Then there was her reference to “party favors” the night I killed Aaron. She knew about him and the drugs, I was certain of it.

I skimmed over her Facebook profile that hadn’t been updated since she was in high school. Similarly, her IG had died off a coupleyears ago.

TikTok it was.

Alister had been correct; I didn’t use social media much beyond the ghost account I had on TikTok that I used to watch fashion influencers. When your life involved the occasional murder, it was best not to leave a social media trail of your behavior.

Melody was easy to find. We both followed Autumn’s account.

Photos and videos of the pretty blonde filled my screen. Hot girl walks, iced coffees, peppered with the occasional night out. I scrolled back to October, Halloween night.

Sure enough, there was a video of her with Aaron, and several other people, taking shots in their costumes. A couple of them I recognized, and the one man I didn’t had been tagged as the mysterious Jason, Aaron’s roommate.

Coincidence?

I didn’t believe in them, so I added his name to the list of potential sheep.

Reading through the comments, it was the usual.

Looking stunning babe!

I got a fire you can put out.

Get your hot ass over here!!!!

Looking at the video, I spied the microwave in the background of the shot, and zoomed in.

8:59 p.m.

The wheels in my brain turned.

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