"Youcouldaskourcaptaily."
"YouthinkIhaven''''''''ttried?"Hertonesharpened."Hehunguponme—saidithadnothingtodowiththecase."
Lustillheldagrudgeagainstherforseizingallthetapesinthesilverringandcool-earringcase;itwasnowonderhisattitudetowardherwasice-cold.
Junexhaledsoftly."Alright.I''''''''llseewhatIfindinthearchives."
Usingtheexcuseof"studyingpastcases,"JuotherecordsroomandpulledJulian''''''''sfile.
Oheclerks,gngattherequestslip,askedoffhandedlywhattherewastostudyinaroutinesuicide.
Junonlychuckledtwioexpnation.Everyonekhesonofsomeonehigherup;noonedaredpressthequestion.
Lu''''''''sreporthadomittedthehewomanwho''''''''dbeenwithJulianbeforehisdeath.Buttheinalfiletoldadifferentstory—everydetailwasthere.Fingerprintsonthedoorknob.Footprints.Photographsofthestaffbreakroomandthehauntedhouseitself.ADfromsemeopsy.Andmore.
WhenJunsawReya''''''''sfootprints,theoversizedbeare,aerJulianhadwrittentohis"Esmeralda,"thearminsidehimshriekedlikeafirebell,ringingthroughhisskull.
SoReyahadnotmerelybeenJulian''''''''scolleague.Andthatyoungmanwiththescarredfacehadnot,asthereportsobndlycimed,simplychosensuicidebecausethehauntedhousehadclosed,leavinghimdestitute.
NowonderLu—alrecise,alwaysunpromising—hadsubmitted,forthefirsttimeinhiscareer,areportthatwasambiguous.
Nowoheentiresquadkeptsilentaboutthehauntedhousecase.Itwasn''''''''tonlybecausethemanager''''''''sarsonandcorpse-burningfollowedsoquicklyafter,demandingalltheirtimeandattentionforthevictimsinthosephotographs.
Butwhatdiditmatter,knowingthatReyaandJulianhadbeeangled?OherewasnowaytotieJulian''''''''sdeathtoher.Evenifsomeonehadseeogetheriaffbreakroom,ithadnocausallinktohisfall.
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