Der Schädelring: Thriller (German Edition)

of crap, and as long as they can publish that quote-of-the-day, they're happy." Rick pulled a couple of wrinkled clippings from his shirt pocket and read from them.
    "'Police say they are pursuing new leads in the case of a murder victim whose headless body was recovered last week. Investigators now believe the body was dumped into the Amadahee River miles upstream and that it's unlikely the murder occurred in this area.'" Rick looked at Julia over his glasses. "How's that for positive spin?"
    "Not bad. The writer should work in P.R."
    "The writer was the daily's editor. Rumor has it she's a bedmate of the sheriff and a couple of council members, and not just politically, either."
    "Too much information, Rick. My day was hell enough without knowing that."
    "Here's yesterday's. 'Chief Investigator Lieutenant T.L. Snead says—"
    " Who? "
    "Snead. Supposed to be some hotshot detective from the big city. Only been here a few months, though, so the good-old-boy jury is still out on him."
    "Snead." Julia stared at her keyboard, her belly tightening.
    Rick moved closer, taking advantage of the broken eye contact to loom over her. "What's with this Snead? Do you know him?"
    No. It's all a coincidence. Cops don't get transferred just in time for a ritual sacrifice to come bobbing up in the river. Snead didn't follow me from Memphis as an agent of Satan. The devil isn’t stalking my immortal soul, because I’m not sure I even have one any longer.
    Julia ignored the shadowy cloak of panic that hovered at the corners of her mind. "What does Snead say?"
    "He believes identification will be difficult since the body was in the water so long. The skin was too far gone for fingerprints. And without the head, dental records are useless."
    "Gee, that's convenient. It's almost like a forensic expert committed the murder."
    "Or else a bunch of people who are insanely lucky." Rick leaned forward and arched his eyebrows, trying to look sinister. "Or maybe Satan's awesome power is protecting the coven from being discovered."
    For a brief instant, a second face had superimposed itself over Rick's, a face with red eyes and a wide black nose and a goatish beard. A face distorted by evil.
    Julia rolled her chair away. "Don't do that, Rick."
    Rick grinned, but his grin was like that worn by the skull ring, sinister and sick. He tried to laugh but the wind died in his throat.
    Julia stood and walked to the corner of her office.
    Rick started to follow. "Hey, I didn't know you were so jumpy."
    He put out his hand to touch her arm but she jerked away.
    Satan doesn't exist. Dr. Forrest says monsters are only in the mind.
    Oh, but monsters could wear flesh. Daddy. Lucius. Mitchell. The Peeping Tom. The people in the coven who had scarred her for life. And maybe, just maybe, there was a monster inside her, wrapped around her bones, owning her every movement and breath and thought.
    "Hey, I'm sorry, Julia." His hands hovered as if he wanted to touch her or pass her a tissue, anything to ward off an uncomfortable show of emotion.
    "Just leave," Julia said. "I've got work to do."
    Rick backed away, pausing at the door. "Gee, hope you feel better. Guess you don't want to go out to dinner, huh?"
    The worst part was she couldn't tell if he was serious or not. She waved him away, sat at her desk and pressed her palms against her eyes until the bright colors drove away the dark image of Rick's goat face. God, if she was going to start seeing things, she might as well check into the rubber room right now. Visions were the gift of only the blessed or the damned. Which was she?
    Julia finished her articles and went home around seven o'clock. She drove fast, racing the sun because she hadn't left the house lights on. The thought of what might be waiting in the closet filled her with a gut-clenching dread. She arrived at Buckeye Creek Road just before dark. Mrs. Covington was sitting in her front-porch rocker as Julia drove by. The old woman waved her over.
    Julia eyed the apartment building carefully. The Creep could be out on bail and already back at his window, binoculars in hand. The forest was quiet, the trees readying themselves for a long winter's sleep. The mountains were so solid and strong and peaceful that Julia almost convinced herself that everything was normal, that Elkwood was a safe place, and the past was not tiptoeing up behind her with arms outstretched.
    If God existed, he surely would set up his Earthly kingdom in this granite stronghold.