See You in the Dark

You don’t have to go there.

Brazhin approached the black patch of open water that marred the flawlessly white surface of the lake—and still had time to be surprised that the ice, so thin, could easily bear a person’s weight. The ice didn’t crack even when Brazhin dropped to his knees in front of the open patch.

Don’t look into it.

But Brazhin had already peered into the abyss—and saw what he was supposed to see. A woman’s body. It seemed the woman was floating in empty space, not in water.

And she was dead.

Strangled—judging by the strangulation groove on her neck. Brazhin was sure the killing didn’t happen here, that he was dealing with victims somewhere else. Somewhere no one could disturb. The killer wasn’t in a hurry and was extremely careful. So you wouldn’t find an end to it. At least Brazhin didn’t get any closer to the solution by a single inch, while time kept moving relentlessly.

The woman in the lake was the fifth.