eagueshadwives,kids,reasonstostayalive.Luonlyhadthecase.

    Heoftengrumbledthathewasborntosuffer.Yetnomatterhowmuchhepined,hewasalwaysthefirsttein.

    Apartfromtheendlesssuspedcorpses,theonlythingtyinghimdownwasthestralegirthome.

    Reya—hisoruesurprise.

    ***

    FourteenYearsAgo

    LufirstmetReyawhileiigatingaserialmurdercaseoskirtsofthecity.

    Backthen,hewasjustarookiecop,freshoutoftheacademy,burstingwithnaiveidealism,er,alwaysthefirsttovolunteerfrisliesttasks.

    Thevictimale,nakedwomanwithaslender,elegantfigure.Heralmond-shapedeyeswerewideopen,staringbnklyatthesky.

    Notornclothing.Nosighiswasn''''''''ttheprimarycrimese.

    Lu''''''''sfirstthoughtuponseeingher?

    Ifshewerealive,I''''''''daskherout.

    Fivearookie''''''''sinappropriatethought,butshehadbeeiful.

    Sunlightstreamedthroughthedenseopy,dapplingherskinwithshiftingpatternsoflight.Thestillnessofthecorpse,thevitalityofthesurroundingforest,theterrorfrozenonherface,thewarmthofthebreeze—itwasatradi.

    Yethauntinglypoetic.

    Theairsmelledfaintlyoflustah.

    Shewastheforty-ninthvictim.

    Overtenyears,forty-ninewomenhadbeendumpedinthisravine.Allraped.Allkilled.Allfoundaftersexuactivity,somemultipletimes.Yetnosemen,nobodilyfluids,racesoflubrit.

    Theer''''''''sverdict?

    Deathbyextremesexualeuphoriatriggeringfatalventricurarrhythmia.

    Insimplerterms,theyhaddiedatthepeakasm.

    Normally,onlythosewithweakstitutions,likeheartdisease,genitalvascurdefects,oraneurysmswoulddiethisway.Butthesewomenhadbeehy.Nohistoryofexcess.Noalcohsintheirsystems.Nosignsofrestraint.Nosuffocation.

    Whatkindofkillercoulddriveawomansofariasythatshecrossedthethresholdofdeathitself?

    Thethoughtleftashadowintheheartsofeverymaleiigatoronthecase.

    Thevictimsspannedage,background,evendifferentcities.Theirdeathsspannedadecade.Buttheysharedorait:

    Theywereallstunninglybeautiful,withfwlesspaleskin,foundnaked,withoutasinglevisiblewound.

    Themediadubbedthekiller:

    TheBeautySyer.

eagueshadwives,kids,reasonstostayalive.Luonlyhadthecase.

    Heoftengrumbledthathewasborntosuffer.Yetnomatterhowmuchhepined,hewasalwaysthefirsttein.

    Apartfromtheendlesssuspedcorpses,theonlythingtyinghimdownwasthestralegirthome.

    Reya—hisoruesurprise.

    ***

    FourteenYearsAgo

    LufirstmetReyawhileiigatingaserialmurdercaseoskirtsofthecity.

    Backthen,hewasjustarookiecop,freshoutoftheacademy,burstingwithnaiveidealism,er,alwaysthefirsttovolunteerfrisliesttasks.

    Thevictimale,nakedwomanwithaslender,elegantfigure.Heralmond-shapedeyeswerewideopen,staringbnklyatthesky.

    Notornclothing.Nosighiswasn''''''''ttheprimarycrimese.

    Lu''''''''sfirstthoughtuponseeingher?

    Ifshewerealive,I''''''''daskherout.

    Fivearookie''''''''sinappropriatethought,butshehadbeeiful.

    Sunlightstreamedthroughthedenseopy,dapplingherskinwithshiftingpatternsoflight.Thestillnessofthecorpse,thevitalityofthesurroundingforest,theterrorfrozenonherface,thewarmthofthebreeze—itwasatradi.

    Yethauntinglypoetic.

    Theairsmelledfaintlyoflustah.

    Shewastheforty-ninthvictim.

    Overtenyears,forty-ninewomenhadbeendumpedinthisravine.Allraped.Allkilled.Allfoundaftersexuactivity,somemultipletimes.Yetnosemen,nobodilyfluids,racesoflubrit.

    Theer''''''''sverdict?

    Deathbyextremesexualeuphoriatriggeringfatalventricurarrhythmia.

    Insimplerterms,theyhaddiedatthepeakasm.

    Normally,onlythosewithweakstitutions,likeheartdisease,genitalvascurdefects,oraneurysmswoulddiethisway.Butthesewomenhadbeehy.Nohistoryofexcess.Noalcohsintheirsystems.Nosignsofrestraint.Nosuffocation.

    Whatkindofkillercoulddriveawomansofariasythatshecrossedthethresholdofdeathitself?

    Thethoughtleftashadowintheheartsofeverymaleiigatoronthecase.

    Thevictimsspannedage,background,evendifferentcities.Theirdeathsspannedadecade.Buttheysharedorait:

    Theywereallstunninglybeautiful,withfwlesspaleskin,foundnaked,withoutasinglevisiblewound.

    Themediadubbedthekiller:

    TheBeautySyer.