You stare at the pins on the bulletin board in front of you. Thirty dead. All by the hand of a mysterious killer you’ve so far failed to unmask.

“It’s like they’re taunting me,” You mutter to your assistant, Leon. “Like they’re leading me through some kind of merry dance.”

Thirty mutilated bodies, marked by the killer’s signature X etched into the forehead. So many desperate families hiring you to investigate the scene and bring the killer to justice, only to be disappointed.

“Where do you think they’ll strike next? There has to be some kind of pattern, right?”

Leon says, ever the hopeful spirit. It almost makes you laugh, how he thinks that this killer would be so stupid.

“I’ve checked in every single crevice. The only way the deaths are linked is the X in the forehead.”

Leon studies the photos of the crime scenes, his fingers tracing over the symbol etched into a woman’s face. Marge Lebanon. A thirty-five year old mother of three. She was a lawyer. You don’t even have to glance at her file to know her story. You know all of them, having looked through every single file up and down until the words blurred together.

“Maybe they’re closer than you think. You’ll find them eventually. I know you will.”

Leon reassures, turning away from the photos to give you a pat on the shoulder.

“I’m heading out. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

He calls as he walks past you to grab his coat. As he’s walking out, you see something fall out of the pocket, but just as you’re about to tell him, the door closes, leaving you all alone.

You stare at the object for a few seconds, a pearl necklace with a silver pendant in the middle. The thought of Leon carrying around something so feminine almost makes you laugh, but any thoughts of laughter leave your mind as you study it harder.

You pick up the necklace, turning to the photo of Marge. She has the same necklace in the photo. Identical down to the flower carvings in the pendant. You feel the blood leave your face as you drop the necklace, hands trembling.