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A red Ford F-150 was parked in the driveway next to a gold Ford Taurus with public plates--Brian’s department-issued vehicle That told me that he was most likely at home, since I knew the pickup was his personal vehicle But a shiver went throughto capture the fleeting sense of unease that had drifted by aze fell on the door and my eyes narrowed It was pulled ht and it was ajar approxirabbed love box, then returned to the door, clipping the holster onto un at the ready position I couldn’t see any sign of forced entry Maybe he just didn’t pull the door all the way shut? I wanted to believe that, but the continued sense of unease nagged atbehind the jamb "Brian?" I called "It’s Kara Gillian"

Silence Not even the brush ofawfully quiet I gave the door a soft kick to push it open all the way, then took a quick peek in

It tookAt first my mind insisted that he’d fallen asleep on the floor in front of the TV Then it finally processed the thick pool of blood surrounding hirief and horror knotted my throat I wanted to rush in to see if he was still alive, but I forced myself to use proper caution There was no way to knohat had happened, and I sure as hell didn’t want to end up like Brian I edged in cautiously, scanning and covering the area with my Glock as I fumbled my phone out of its holder with the other hand and dialed 911

"This is Detective Gillian; I have an officer down Brian Roth I’m at his residence" I rattled off the address I barely heard the dispatcher’s acknowledgh to see that there was no way Brian was still alive Not with the skull pieces and brain matter spattered across the floor and wall "Fuck Be advised that--fuck It’s a 29" A signal 29 was a death It was easier to say, inif the scene was safe

"Unknown I’ll need backup units to clear the house" I continued to scan the living roo my best not to disturb any possible evidence A piece of paper in the lanced down at it Then I read it again when I realized what it was, disut

I never meant to kill her It was an accident I loved her We just liked to play I’m so sorry

I looked sharply back at the body and saw the Beretta by his hand "Shit Looks like a suicide," I said "And I think he killed his wife"

The dispatcher said soaze stayed locked on Brian’s body as a wave of nauseating horror slahthat I rong about what I was sensing

But I wasn’t wrong I could see the arcane fragnawed bone Brian’s essence had been consuhly as the nutrias’ had been consumed by the deht Then, no No That’s not possible I disaze stayed locked on Brian’s body as my mind whirled It wasn’t possible I had dismissed it I was sure of it

Then what had consumed Brian’s essence?

Doubt clawed at ht of Brian’s body The note His wife Focus on that now, instead of the horror that I was faced with I tried to remember his wife’s name and failed I’d met her a few times, but we’d never had ain

They liked to play … Shit That i sex play

It was risky, but I went ahead and did a quick sweep of the house There was always a chance that she was still alive I kneouldn’t be able to live with myself if it turned out that I’d sat back and waited for backup while she slowly strangled or bled out or soht she was dead

But I couldn’t find any sign of her I returned downstairs to Brian, unable to bring ed hole where his essence had been torn away Had the deh the portal? And would it have fed on a human?

I shook my head sharply None of that made any sense Even if the demon had somehow slipped my control, the place where I’d dismissed it was an hour’s drive from here But they’re fast, and it could have beaten you here

But why? I asked ain in a mental wail Why the fuck would it coically consider possibilities Perhaps the ilius had been drawn by the feel of the violent death and had escaped my control to consume Brian’s essence after death had loosened his body’s hold on it Or perhaps there was soness to die so the essence easier to consume I had no idea if that could be true There was much that I didn’t know about the demonkind

My mouth felt as dry as the Sahara as I tried to co thatsirens distracted

I stepped outside just as twoup the driveway, and I felt a sudden spas about the demon It suddenly slammed home that a fellow officer was dead Soun against his head and pull the trigger I scrubbed at my face as two officers rushed up, di

"I did a quick sweep to see if I could find his wife," I heard , "but the house hasn’t been properly cleared" Good, the professional part ofwhat needed to be done I could fall apart on the inside and no one would know it I looked past them to see Crawford’s stout forlanced back to the officers "Please take care of it I need to tell Sarge"

The two officers acknowledged uns at the ready Just because there was a suicide note didn’t mean it was a suicide, and there was always that outside chance that a bad guy was hiding souish in Crawford’s eyes as he ca harshly "Kara, is it … is he …?"

My throat tightened up and I gave a jerky nod His face cru on to control just as hard as I was

"Looks like he shot hied croak "But that’s not all"

His expression was a brittle ht be dead too?"

"That’s what the note says," I said, then I shook my head "But I did a sweep and I couldn’t find her"

We fell silent in shared grief and pain until the two officers came back out a few minutes later "Anyone else inside?" Crawford deht and eyes haunted "No one else," one said "House is clear"