He gazed at her, marveling that he’d helped produce such an amazing person. He’d always known she was special. From the time Maggie was a baby, Liv would say that their little girl had a “special edition” heart. It filled his own heart with pride to see that she’d never changed. It was the great mystery of parenting: Who would these little people become? Would the predictions you made when they were babies come true? Were their personalities forged by the age of seven, as he’d read somewhere? Would the morals you tried to instill stick? Or would there be a twist in the story? One fitting of those crime novels Liv loved so much.

“You’re not crazy,” Maggie said, intruding on his thoughts.

He had another surge of emotion. He loved this girl so much. He thought of the pills he’d jammed into his mouth. How could he have considered …

“Before we go on the trip,” Maggie said, “I need you to watch something.” She drew her laptop from her bag and placed it on the counter. “And if after you see it, you still think we should go, I won’t say another word.”

Evan was intrigued. “Of course, sweetie. What is it?”

Maggie tapped on her laptop. A video came up. She clicked play and Evan’s heart was in his throat at the image on the screen.

Charlotte. Alive. Standing in front of a cluster of computer monitors. Her outfit was familiar. Then it hit him. She was wearing the same sweatshirt as Maggie.

Then Charlotte spoke: “Dad, it’s me. I know it looks like Charlotte, but it’s me. And if I can do this in Toby’s garage, whoever called you could too.”

Excerpt from

A Violent Nature

Season 1/Episode 9

“The Smasher”

INSERT – LOCAL NEWS FOOTAGE

A reporter stands in front of razor-wire fencing surrounding a prison.

REPORTER

Bobby Ray Hayes pled guilty to killing seven women, a deal prosecutors took to give the families closure. But questions remain about whether the Smasher had more victims. The prison wouldn’t allow me to meet with Hayes in person, but they permitted us to talk by phone. Viewers are warned that what you’re about to hear is highly disturbing and not suitable for younger viewers.

CUT TO the reporter sitting in an office in front of a speakerphone.

HAYES (O.S.)

You want to know what I did to them?

REPORTER

No, I wanted to talk about whether there are other victims.

HAYES

When I was ten, my mom’s boyfriend would take me up to the old warehouse by the train tracks in Plainsville. Mom was real happy ’bout it, like I finally had a father, you know?

REPORTER

Was this Travis Fegin?

HAYES