Page 58 of Hot For You

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Sweet Carilyn,

A special video just for you.

Your admirer,

Firebug

* * *

Heat flushed over her at the way he’d called her sweet and had labeled himself an admirer. Bastard. She glanced at Cody and his eyes were narrowed.

The embedded URL was a YouTube link. “Let me verify the link does in fact go to YouTube,” she said. After she confirmed it, she pulled up the video.

Cold replaced the heat that had burned through her when she saw the title of the video.

You’re next, redhead.

Cody clenched his hands into fists.

The user who’d uploaded it was named Firebug, and it was one of two videos he’d uploaded.

Her hand trembled as she moved the cursor over the play button.

The video was crisp and clear of a Barbie doll sitting on a pile that looked like burnt matchsticks. A flaming match was lowered by a hand with stubby fingers and then dropped onto the little pieces of wood.

Fire whooshed up, encompassing the Barbie. Carilyn stared in horror as the blaze consumed the doll and bile rose up in her throat. As hard as she tried, she couldn’t look away as the flames melted the Barbie, contorting its features, destroying it, and she fought the urge to throw up.

She didn’t know how long she watched but finally the fire died out and a message appeared in place of the ruined mess.

“That sonofabitch.” Cody’s tone was hard, his words a growl as he watched. “I need to call Reese.”

Then on the screen words appeared.

You too will burn, sweet Carilyn Thompson. You will burn.

Her stomach clenched and again she almost retched.

Cody’s expression was one of fury. He hit the play button, studying the video a second time. Carilyn looked away.

“Here. Look at this.” Cody pointed to the screen. “See the ring he’s wearing?”

She squinted at the screen. “A blue stone and two snakes.” She glanced at Cody. “It looks very unusual.”

“I’m going to go after that bastard and make him wish the police had locked him up.”

“You need to leave that to the police.” Carilyn suddenly felt fear inside her that Cody might confront Firebug. “It’s too dangerous to go after him yourself.”

Cody didn’t respond, but his scowl had deepened as he pulled his cell phone out of its holster. He hesitated as he looked at the screen again. “There’s another video uploaded under the same user name.”

Her heart set to pounding again as Cody took the laptop from her and pulled up another video. He pressed play and then they saw an image of a woman gagged and bound to a support beam. A Barbie doll with blonde hair was positioned beside her.

“My God,” Cody said in a rough voice. “That’s Janice Barnhart.”

Skin prickling, Carilyn wanted to ask who Janice was, but instead a scream almost tore from Carilyn’s throat when she saw the woman suddenly engulfed in flame and crying out behind her gag for help. Carilyn clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming.

“Don’t watch.” Cody closed the lid of the laptop.

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