Page 127 of A Curse On Black Lake
“I came to apologize. I was an ass. I’m sorry, and I know you were only trying to help. But please don’t tell me you did this to your garden?”
“What? No, absolutely not. When I got home it was like this,” she says and gestures to the shredded, uprooted plants. Some I think were set on fire and then deliberately put out.
All I see is unadulterated rage.
“Who would do this?” I ask her.
“You keep asking questions I don’t have the answers to,” she mumbles and takes a stuttered breath.
“No, I don’t know what I’m going to do. It’s going to take months, if not years, to get the same yield.” Eliana isn’t looking at me, so I assume she’s talking to the Spirits.
Getting to my feet, I walk around the garden to assess the damage, and it’sbad. So bad it could put her out of business. Many of her herbs were pulled from the ground, tossed to the side as if they were weeds. Her vegetables are all uprooted, in the middle of producing. Then there are a few intermittent plants left untouched, almost like he’s teasing her.
My stomach drops as I come up on her beloved flower garden. Some plants are left intact, but the roses are almost all shredded. Whoever did this took the time to use scissors over most of the flowers, leaving only a few standing. This is one cruel, sick bastard.
She’s not safe here.
Scanning the surrounding area, I don’t see anyone, but my investigative senses are tingling because this is personal, and someone like this would want to be here to watch the fallout.
If the perp was willing to destroy property like this, I can only assume they’re escalating. Someone who goes from watching to gifting is getting bolder. He’s making a point to get closer.With the garden, he’s communicating directly to Eliana, and he’s angry. But why?
What are the chances that someone who is willing to do all of this is also willing to kill? The psychology fits, but there’s no hard evidence, and never has been, from what I can remember. But maybe that’s what we’ve been missing all these years.
What if his process is longer because it starts with stalking? If it is, then it would make sense how he can operate in plain sight with no one the wiser. No one can link the two. He’s not only patient, but intentional with his marks based on the ways bodies have been found. The way the bottle of perfume was wrapped, the careful nature of destruction in this garden feels eerily similar, almost curated, like the women he kills.
This is all a hunch, conjecture, and won’t keep the Sheriff from investigating me for murder, even if he’s the one hiding in plain sight.
Daisy comes up to me, and I walk her to the small paddock Eliana has for Winnie to let her roam around.
I go back to Eliana, who’s still on her side, curled into herself. She’s shattering before my eyes, and I’m partially responsible. She gave me her trust, and I broke it because I couldn’t deal, and I wasn’t here to help her through this mess.
Dropping down to my knees, I reach for her, and she leans away.
“I don’t want you here,” she whispers.
“I’m not leaving you, so what can I do to help you forgive me? I’m sorry, Eliana. I know I messed up.”
She sniffs and gets off the ground. I try to help her, but she pulls away again.
Standing myself, I follow her into the house and flip the deadbolt behind me.
Eliana collapses into a chair, and I fill a glass of water for her. She takes a sip and avoids my eyes.
“This could put me out of business. I don’t know how I’m going to fix it all.”
“You could call Wyatt and report it,” I offer.
Her face scrunches up like she tasted sour milk.
“As much as I want to throttle you right now, I wouldn’t do that, and I don’t know what it would solve.”
“This has nothing to do with me, though,” I tell her, even though itcould, and we are associated with each other, so they would logically come to me and ask questions. But if reporting it will help catch this guy, then she needs to do it. I don’t care what it does to me.
“But it won’t actuallyfixanything,” she whispers.
“I know.” I sit down at the table silently begging and pleading for her to give me another chance, to forgive me for being an idiot, to let me be there for her.
“Eliana, I —”
