Page 60 of In Her Wake
“Did Alcox tell you anything else in your dream?”Spelling asked as they approached.“Anything that might lead us to his killer?”
Jenna frowned, trying to recall the details that had already begun to fade.“He mentioned something about euthanasia and happiness.Said I should remember those words.”
Spelling frowned.“Euthanasia and happiness?What could that mean?”
“I’m not sure, but—” Jenna stopped abruptly, remembering something else.“He also said his killer was a philosopher.That they had a conversation about philosophy before he was killed.”
“A philosopher who believes in euthanasia and happiness,” Spelling mused.“That’s specific enough to be useful.”
They reached the cabin, where Officer Ford stood at attention, awaiting more instructions.The interior was exactly as they’d left it—the mannequin of Dean Alcox still seated at the typewriter, frozen in its grotesque parody of creativity.
“Officer Ford,” Spelling said, “I need you to retrieve the laptop computer from my vehicle.”
“Yes, sir,” Ford replied, immediately setting off down the path toward where they’d parked.
“Do you think a simple search might yield results?”Jake asked, skepticism evident in his tone.
“It’s worth trying,” Jenna replied.“Those terms together are distinctive enough.”
Ford returned within minutes, the sleek laptop tucked under his arm.Spelling took it from him with a nod of thanks and handed it to Jenna.
“Let’s see what we can find,” he said.
Jenna set the computer on a small table near the cabin’s entrance, careful to avoid disturbing any potential evidence.The device booted quickly, connecting automatically to the State Highway Patrol’s mobile network.She opened a browser and typed three words into the search bar:philosopher… euthanasia… happiness.
The results loaded almost instantly.The third link down caught her eye—a local news article from theOzark Tribunedated four months earlier.The headline read: “Ozark State University Professor Fired Over Controversial ‘Euthanasia of Happiness’ Philosophy.”
“I think we have something,” she said, clicking the link.
Jake and Spelling moved to either side of her, reading over her shoulders as the article filled the screen:
“Ozark State University has terminated the employment of Daniel Greenwich, an adjunct professor who taught in both the Philosophy and Visual Art departments for over a decade.The dismissal comes after multiple student complaints about Greenwich’s promotion of what he termed ‘euthanasia of happiness’ in his Introduction to Philosophy course.
“According to university officials, Greenwich advocated for the controversial position that human life is inherently miserable and people must stop procreating, a philosophy known as antinatalism, which argues it is better never to have been born.More alarmingly, Greenwich allegedly expanded this philosophy to suggest that people should be euthanized at the moment they achieve their greatest happiness, claiming this prevents the inevitable suffering of decline.
“Multiple students reported that Greenwich encouraged them to ‘take matters into their own hands’ by painlessly ending the lives of people who had reached peak happiness and success.When confronted by university administration, Greenwich reportedly defended his teachings as ‘mere philosophical exploration.’
“Dr.Helen Winters, Dean of Humanities, stated that Greenwich’s teachings crossed the line from academic discourse into dangerous rhetoric.‘While we encourage philosophical debate, advocating for actual harm crosses ethical boundaries that cannot be tolerated in an academic setting,’ Winters said.
“Greenwich, who also taught sculpture in the Visual Arts department, has not responded to requests for comment...”
“This is him,” Jenna said, the certainty settling in her bones.“This fits everything we know about the killer’s methodology.”
Jake nodded, his expression grim."He's preserving people at their peak moments of success.Marjory, after her big real estate sale, Torres, after his fitness magazine feature—"
"And Alcox, after completing what he considered his magnum opus," Spelling finished."The evidence fits."
“But where is Greenwich now?”Jenna asked.
Spelling gently moved her aside and took control of the laptop.His fingers moved rapidly across the keyboard, accessing databases available only to law enforcement.“Let’s see if we can track his movements after being fired.”
After several minutes of focused searching, Spelling straightened.“Got him.Daniel Greenwich moved from Pinecrest to Trentville three months ago.He’s renting a house at 715 Cedar Lane.”
“Trentville,” Jenna repeated, a shock running through her.“He’s been operating from our own home base.”
“And considering the timeline, he’s accelerating,” Jake added.“Alcox first, then Powell, then Torres—each one coming more quickly after the last.”
Spelling closed the laptop with a decisive click.“He may already have another victim in mind.We need to move now.”
