Sunlightstreamedthroughthedenseopy,dapplingherskinwithshiftingpatternsoflight.Thestillnessofthecorpse,thevitalityofthesurroundingforest,theterrorfrozenonherface,thewarmthofthebreeze—itwasatradi.

Yethauntinglypoetic.

Theairsmelledfaintlyoflustah.

Shewastheforty-ninthvictim.

Overtenyears,forty-ninewomenhadbeendumpedinthisravine.Allraped.Allkilled.Allfoundaftersexuactivity,somemultipletimes.Yetnosemen,nobodilyfluids,racesoflubrit.

Theer''''''''sverdict?

Deathbyextremesexualeuphoriatriggeringfatalventricurarrhythmia.

Insimplerterms,theyhaddiedatthepeakasm.

Normally,onlythosewithweakstitutions,likeheartdisease,genitalvascurdefects,oraneurysmswoulddiethisway.Butthesewomenhadbeehy.Nohistoryofexcess.Noalcohsintheirsystems.Nosignsofrestraint.Nosuffocation.

Whatkindofkillercoulddriveawomansofariasythatshecrossedthethresholdofdeathitself?

Thethoughtleftashadowintheheartsofeverymaleiigatoronthecase.