CHAPTER NINTEEN: TORTURED

Kevin left the hospital without informing Mrs Lena—or the Inspector. He made sure not to mention anything about what Landry had said to either of them, especially Lena. He was more worried about how she would react to the news.

When he arrived at the park, he spotted a small crowd that’d gathered. Heart pounding against his ribcage, he shuffled towards them, eyes bulging as he got closer. He struggled to move past the throng. As he walked up to the front, his hair stood on end when he saw Mirabel’s body, lying naked in her pool of blood, her face hideously disfigured and burnt. She had multiple stab wounds on her chest and several cuts on her face.

Kevin felt a cold shiver go down his spine, his body trembling, his knees buckling. His lips were shaking as tears escaped his eyes, sliding down his cheek softly. He looked down at her little face.

It wasn’t supposed to end like this.

Mirabel’s face was bruised and covered with great blotches. Her thighs and abdomen had been lacerated.