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.