Ben slammed the book closed and tossed it roughly on a nearby table, which itself was laden with numerous historical works and archival manuscripts. He’d been going through the material for weeks now, searching for the one clue that would tell him what was really going on and give him some insight into the murders that had been occurring around town. His gut told him there was a pattern, a reason it was all happening, but if one existed, he still could not see it.
His search would go on, though. He was determined to find out why the Sykes family had targeted Cape Willington and what their ultimate goal was.
As his gaze scanned the desktop, he caught sight of the letter, stuffed into a cubbyhole off to one side. It was the third one he’d received in as many months. But it had been no less confounding than the first two. There had been only a couple of lines:
There’s danger for you and your girlfriend if you stay, it said. Get out while you can.
It was unsigned, but he had a good idea who it had come from. There had been no specific threats yet, in any of the letters—nothing he could take to the police. But even if there had been—or might be in the future—he wasn’t sure he would. This wasn’t a matter for the police to sort out. This was his mystery. And he would pursue it himself.
He’d thought of telling Candy several times about what he was doing, bringing her deeper into his theories and fears. But he didn’t want to worry her right now. Besides, after all that had happened to her over the past two years, he didn’t want to burden her with the knowledge that this could just be the beginning.
He let out a deep breath, got up to put another log on the fire, and returned to his desk.
Just another book or two, he told himself, and then he’d give up for the night.