bythosetwomenjustthreedaysafterthatargumentwithMadeline.
TherewerefourvideosofCssmateA,spanningroughlyamonth.JustwhenMadelinehadstartedtobelieveshehadescapedandthenightmarewasover,thosetwomen"summoned"heragain.
ThepatternwaschilliimeMadelinewasassaulted,shewouldhavesomeinexplicableflictwithacssmatewithinadayortwo.ThethreeirlswhounwittinglytriggeredMadeline''''''''s"ndmiuallybecamethethird,fourth,andfifthvictimsiobeharassedbythetwodeceasedmen.
MaybeCssmateAwasn''''''''tsomeoneMadelinedeliberatelyledintothattrap,butthatmonth-longgaphadgivenherabrieftasteofrelief.Shehopedthatifanirlcouldsatisfythosetwomen,shemightfinallybefreefromhumiliatioimeanewgirlwasvictimized,Madeliobreathealittleeasier—untiltheydraggedherbacktothatsmall,grimroom.
AndtheamusementparkemployeeMadelinehadfoughtwithstweek?Shemighthavebee.
Juntookadeepbreath,feelingacoldchillcreepthroughhischest.
Hekhatemployee.Ifshehadtrulyfallenvictimtothosemonsters,CaptainLumightneveragainbeabletoleadwiththesamesteadyposure.Hemighthaveleftafewmoremarksonthosecorpseswithhisownhands.
EveryoheteamknewhowmuchLucaredaboutReya.Whentheyfirstsawthevideoatthecrimese,Lu—normallyunshakableinanysituation—haddispyedrare,intensefury.Throughoutthisiigation,hisfirlsfaroutweighedhisfotheprimaryobjective:tragdownthekiller.
Junstoodatthedoor,eyesfixedontheendofthecorridor.MadelinewaswalkingbackwithhercssmatesafterP.E.,herfaceflushedfromexercise,glowingwithyouthfulvitalityandjoy.
Thankheaventhosetwometotheirgraves.
Yettheidentityoftheirfinalvictimremainedagapingwoundinthecase.