Page 40 of In Her Wake
Jenna’s pulse quickened as connections began forming.The magazine in her hands suddenly felt heavier, more significant.She turned back to the cover, studying Kevin’s smile, the lighting that highlighted every detail of his features.
A theory began to take shape in her mind—not yet fully formed, but gaining coherence.There was something here, something important about how the killer selected and studied his victims.
“Jenna?”Jake’s voice pulled her from her thoughts.“You look like you’ve just had a revelation.”
She glanced up, aware that Morgan, Spelling, and Jake were all watching her with varying degrees of curiosity.The idea forming in her mind wasn’t ready to be shared, not yet—it needed more clarity, more connections.
“Maybe,” she said carefully, holding up the magazine.“I think this might be important.”
Morgan frowned.“The magazine?How?”
“I’m not sure yet,” she admitted, tucking it under her arm.“But I’d like to take this copy with me, if that’s alright.”
Morgan looked as if he might object, but Spelling intervened.“I think we should give Sheriff Graves some latitude here,” he said.“Her insight has proven valuable in the past.”
Jenna caught the slight narrowing of Morgan’s eyes, the hint of suspicion there.He didn’t trust her methods, never had.But with Spelling backing her, he merely shrugged.
“Fine.Take it.Just keep me in the loop if you find anything relevant.”
“Of course,” Jenna agreed, her mind already connecting dots that had been scattered before but were now beginning to align into a pattern she could almost see.The idea wasn’t fully formed yet, just a theory taking shape in her mind.
Jenna and her colleagues stepped out of the office into the gym.As Morgan and Spelling began to confer with other members of the team.With Jake at her side, Jenna walked over to the mannequin sitting on the weight bench.She stared again at the mannequin, its glassy eyes staring into the mirror.Jenna felt that she might be getting a glimpse of the mind behind this meticulously crafted horror.And her idea of who their killer might be began to come into clearer focus.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Jenna turned back to thePowerCore Magazinein her hands and flipped through the feature article on Kevin Torres.The missing fitness trainer smiled back at her from each professional photograph—captured in perfect form.Something about these images nagged at her, a connection taking form in her mind.She glanced up at the mannequin sitting on the weight bench, its glassy eyes staring blankly into the mirror, and felt the first pieces of the puzzle clicking into place.
“Jake,” she said quietly, keeping her voice low enough that Morgan and Spelling wouldn’t hear from where they conferred with the evidence techs across the gym.“Look at these photos.”
He moved closer, peering over her shoulder at the magazine spread.“Professional quality.Good lighting, multiple angles.That’s what your friend Liza said would be needed for someone to create these mannequin faces from photos.”
“Exactly.”Jenna ran her finger along the bottom of a particularly striking image of Torres demonstrating proper form for a shoulder press.“Perfect reference material.”
She flipped back to the article’s title page and pointed to the byline.“Marcus Langley, freelance writer and photographer based in Pinecrest.He wrote the text and took the photos.”
Jake pulled out his phone, already typing the name into a search engine.“Let’s see what else Mr.Langley has been up to lately.”
Jenna continued examining the magazine while Jake worked.The article portrayed Kevin Torres as a local fitness visionary, highlighting his numerous athletic achievements—marathons completed, powerlifting records, CrossFit competitions.The text and images worked together to present Torres at the absolute peak of his professional life.
“Jenna,” Jake’s voice interrupted her thoughts.“You need to see this.”
He held out his phone, displaying the results of his search.The screen showed a professional website for Marcus Langley, featuring a portfolio of his recent work.Near the top was a startling thumbnail image—Marjory Powell, smiling confidently in her navy blue blazer.
“Coincidence?”she murmured.
Jake tapped the thumbnail, bringing up the full article.“Keys and Closing,an online real estate magazine.Feature story on Marjory Powell after she sold the Thurman estate—a property that had been on the market for over two years.”
“The commission was a career highlight,” Jenna said, remembering both Harry Powell and Darla Fenwick had said about Marjory’s recent success.
“There are plenty of photos here,” Jake observed, scrolling through the article.“A professional headshot, a couple shots of her with the sold sign in front of the property, and lots of others.They’re high quality, professionally lit, and the headshot shows a lot of facial details.”
“Enough reference material for a very skilled artist,” Jenna muttered.
Jake looked up from the phone, meeting her eyes.“So both victims were the subject of feature articles by the same journalist-photographer, both at career high points, both recreated as mannequins after their deaths.”
“And both articles appeared recently,” Jenna added, checking the publication date on thePowerCore Magazine.“Torres’s piece came out just last week.When was Marjory’s article published?”
Jake checked the website.“Three weeks ago.”
