who ever killed the girl must have really hated her that's the only explanation I could come up with

for how ugly the murder was and what they did to her body nailed to a post gutted then strangled

for good measure the woman's last moments must have been hell on earth you know you can't be

back here sheriff Finn said walking up to stand next to me not exactly a small guy myself the sheriff

towered above me like an irritable bear woken up before spring I handed him one of the coffees

I'd brought over I'm just doing my part to support local law enforcement Finn snorty

to deputing Myers let you pass the tape no I lied right well don't get too close and if I see

pictures of this in tomorrow's paper I'll drag you into the station and toss you in the drum tag

a solemnly swear no pictures I just wanted to get a look before I started on the article

you're a morbid bastard Tyler sheriff said I shrugged not every day you see I gestured

towards the dead woman something like that yeah Finn waved me off as the town medical examiner

approached I decided not to press my luck Myers lifted up the yellow tape for me as I approached

you said you'd be gone by the time the sheriff got here he is sorry Finn snuck up on me for a guy

that only wears cowboy boots he's light on his feet don't worry I covered for you the deputy grunted

but didn't look convinced I walked a few yards back towards the road then turned around for one last

look at the scene the woman appeared to be in her 30s or 40s face gray from blood loss but still

familiar I didn't know her name but I must have passed her in the grocery store or the post office

at least a couple times a town of less than 3,000 people didn't have a lot of strangers

the post she was on was maybe eight feet tall and stood alone in the small clearing a red ring

stained the overgrown grass and wild flowers at the dead girl's feet there was something so

intentional about the whole affair this was not your typical killing the murder scene seemed to

have a ritual like vibe to it it could be my usual paranoia or maybe I was influenced by the

...