The Collie Murders: A Serial Killer Crime Thriller by Jared Paul Page A

Drew’s voice. She was looking around the room as if she’d walked in on a display at the zoo. Something about the expression on her face was creepy to Cory, but not completely un-Drew-like.
                 
    “I think I have a handle on it.”
                 
    Drew smiled, her white teeth glinting underneath her pale lips. “I know you’ll solve it, Dr. Lance. Who else could do better than you?”
                 
    Cory watched Drew for a second, wondering why she was keeping that smile on her face. She was dressed as she normally was, drab khaki pants with a patterned flower blouse, a white coat draped over her like a superhero’s cape. Drew didn’t look out of place, she didn’t leave an impression. She was like a tree in a park or a piece of crumpled paper on a sidewalk. A thing that went with the picture. The smile though, was eerie.
                 
    “Drew? Is there something I’m missing?”
                 
    The smile left Drew’s face and it went back to the non-expression it was normally plastered with. “Oh, no. I’m sure I’ll have enough to do later, so I should get going.”
                 
    The second Cory was alone again, in a room with two dead women, she let the truth of reality hit her. It was time to let someone else in on what was going on.
                 

CHAPTER 7
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    Old Gary’s face looked like it had been set out in the sun and dried so that it could be sold as an exotic raisin. As Jon studied him, he waited for Louis to find the patience to raise his voice high enough so that communication between the three of them could take place. So far, in the near half hour that they had been trying to find out what the old man knew, the only thing Jon had for his troubles was a bunch of huhs and what’s that sonnys.
                 
    Louis said loudly, “Just give us the security tape from the day before yesterday.” At this point, the man was almost miming.
                 
    Jon took a step back away from the counter where it was obvious Louis was now going to have to barter for the information that they needed, and he let his eyes roam around the room. It was a small shop, almost like a garage with shelves lined with bits of junk someone might need if they were in a bind for nails.
                 
    His feet took him off down a short aisle, where there were several types of wire for sale. Most of the wire was sturdy enough to kill someone with, especially the ones made with metal allo y those were the ones with the tensile strength to really get the job done.
                 
    His cell phone rang and he answered it in an automatic sort of way, as if he’d been expecting it.
                 
    “Hello.”
                 
    “Jon.”
                 
    Jon’s face described his reaction to the sound of Cory’s voice on the other end of the line. It was definitely a switch from just a day ago, where he could have imagined jumping through the phone and strangling her for her emotional stubbornness. The sound in her voice was something that, at least while they had been close, had never been present before. It was fear.
                 
    “What’s going on Cory, are you hurt?”
                 
    “No, I’m okay. Just come to the office as soon as you can. Please.”
                 
    The line clicked and Jon was left standing in the middle of the hardware store staring at his cell phone until the screen light dimmed off. Cory never said please unless she had to or unless, it was something she really wanted and saying please was the only way she thought she would get it.
                 
    Jon moved from the aisle, pocketing his cell as he went, and as Louis was still engaged with Gary, he decided not to interrupt. Why ruin all the progress Louis