My body stills, the trauma taking hold and I have to remind myself I’m not there, he has no control over me. In fact, the bastard is dead.

Footage of an alley with yellow police tape across the entrance flashes on the screen as the anchor recaps how a call came in from a concerned citizen. By then, Mr. Hunt, a husband and uncle to three children, had been dead for hours, his body found early in the morning.

I swallow thickly, my heart racing. And the flash of who I thought I saw yesterday outside of my office comes to mind. Thump, thump, it’s hard to hear over the pounding in my chest.

The broadcast cuts to a press conference led by the local police chief.

He looks down at his notes, blinking in the bright lights. “We’re prepared to announce to the public that several recent homicides appear to be connected. The manner of death⁠—”

Thump, thump, thump. I cling to the glass of wine, not daring to take my eyes off the screen.

Lots of cameras flash. People shout questions. The police chief repeats several times that he can’t give out certain details of an active investigation.

“One more question.” He points into the crowd of reporters.

“Thank you, sir,” a man calls from the reporters off-camera. “Does the police department have reason to believe that these homicides might have been committed by the same individual? In other words, are we looking for a serial killer?”

Chills run down my spine and panic runs through me.

“That’s certainly a possibility,” the police chief answers.

It cuts back to the anchor, who’s joined by her co-host, and they immediately pick up the thread. People must have been working at top speed behind the scenes at the station, because nobody suggests going back to the segment about the food truck.

Serial killers are guaranteed to get more attention after all. Pictures of famous serial killers in history flash up on the screen. The anchors compare the local homicides—the information they have, anyway—and discuss things the public can do.

“Keep your doors locked,” the first anchor says. “If you see suspicious activity near your home, please call and report it. Staying vigilant is the best way to stay safe.”

“The best thing we can do,” her co-host says, “is to stay alert. Have the police informed the public of any connections between the victims?”

“Not as of this broadcast, no. That information would certainly represent a turning point in the investigation. Even if no suspects have been taken into custody, a solid connection between the victims would point law enforcement in the direction of⁠—”