Kraven didn't... go... to the morgue. He... called... Lena.
"It's... him... isn't... it,"... her... voice... had... been. Dead. Tired.
"Yeah,"... Kraven... had... whispered. "It's... him."
Now... it... was... 3:17 AM.
He... was... in... his... office.
The... rain... had... started... again. A... cold... miserable... hissing... against... his... window.
He... was... pacing.
His... gut... it... it... it... was... on... fire. He... fumbled... in... his... desk... drawer... and... pulled... out... a... bottle... of... Pepto-Bismol. He... didn't... bother... with... a... cup. He... drank... it... straight... from... the... bottle. The... thick... chalky... pink... liquid... it... it... it... didn't... help.
He... had... his... whiteboards.
He... was... a... man... of... paper. Of... logic.
This... was... illogical.
He... grabbed... a... marker.
WHITEBOARD #1: "THE HEART-TAKER"
He... wrote. His... handwriting... it... it... it... was... shaking.
Victims: 4 (Drifter, Tourist, Hiker... POPS)
M.O.: Impossible extraction. Clean. No blood.
Weapon: Unknown. (Laser? Magic? Bare hands?)
Motive: Harvest? Ritual? (HUNGER?)
Location: THE SPIRAL... ENDS... IN... OAKTOWN.
He... slammed... the... marker... down.
He... looked... at... his... other... board.
WHITEBOARD #2: "THE HIGH SCHOOL 'EXPLOSION'"
Victims: 4 (Dickson, Miller, etc.)
M.O.: Massive blunt force trauma. "Thrown 20+ feet."
Weapon: Unknown. (Bomb? "Black eyes?")
Suspect: "Bruce" (Anah's kid).
Witness Testimony (Dickson): "Threw me with his mind." "Air CRACKED."
He... paced.
One... two... three... steps. Turn.
One... two... three... steps. Turn.
"This... this... this... is... insane,"... he... whispered... to... the... empty... room. "Two. Two... impossible... things. In... one... town. On... one... goddamned... day."
He... stopped.
He... stared... at... the... boards.
He... looked... at... Board #1.
"Impossible extraction."
He... looked... at... Board #2.
"Threw me with his mind."
He... looked... at... Board #1.
"No weapon."
He... looked... at... Board #2.
"No weapon."
A... cold... jolt... it... it... it... went... up... his... spine.
"The... the... the... spiral... it... it... it ends..."... he... whispered. "...the... day... the... kid... explodes."
He... picked... up... a... red... marker.
His... hand... it... it... it... wasn't... shaking... anymore.
It... was... rock... steady.
"This... this... this... isn't... a... serial... killer."
He... looked... at... Board #2.
"And... this... this... this... isn't... a... kid... who... got... in... a... fight."
He... walked... between... the... two... boards.
And... he... drew... a... line.
A... big... thick... red... line... connecting... Board #1... to... Board #2.
The... squeak... of... the... marker... it... it... it... was... the... only... sound... in... the... world.
He... stepped... back.
The... Hunch.
It... hit... him.
"This... this... this... is... something... else,"... he... breathed.
He... looked... at... Board #1.
"The... Heart-Taker... he's... hunting."
He... looked... at... Board #2.
"The... kid... he... he... he... is... a... bomb."
His... eyes... widened.
"What... what... what... if... he's... not... hunting... hearts?"
He... tapped... the... marker... against... the... word... "Bruce".
"What... what... what... if... he's... hunting... him?"
The... room... it... it... it... felt... ten... degrees... colder.
"What... what... what... if... this... kid... Bruce... he... he... he... is... one... of... them? And... the... killer... Pops'... killer... is... the... other?"
"Dickson's... story... 'black... eyes.'... A... monster."
"The... Heart-Taker... an... invisible... monster."
"This... this... this... isn't... a... murder... case. This... this... this... isn't... an... assault... case."
Kraven... slammed... his... fist... down... on... his... desk.
"This... this... this... is... a war. And... my... town... my... goddamned... town... is... the... battleground!"
He... had... to... choose.
Who... was... the... threat?
The... kid... who... almost... killed... four... bullies... defending... his... girlfriend?
Or... the... thing... that... is... harvesting... old... men... in... alleys?
The... choice... it... it... it... was... clear.
He... had... to... find... the... kid.
He... had... to... talk... to... Anah.
He... grabbed... his... trench... coat. The... wool... was... still... damp.
He... checked... his... holster. The... weight... of... his... gun... it... it... it... felt... small. It... felt... useless.
He... was... no... longer... a... cop.
He... was... a... man... in... the... middle... of... a... monster... movie.
And... he... was... the... only... one... who... had... figured... out... the... plot.
He... slammed... the... door... of... his... office.
The... two... whiteboards... sat... silent... in... the... darkness.
Connected.