I quickly checked a small door next to the bedroom that ended up being a bathroom. The toilet paper was stacked evenly in rows alongside the toilet. I opened the cabinet above the sink and found prescription bottles, over the counter medications for headaches and acid reflux, and a small bottle of mouthwash. All the bottles were lined up next to one another, their labels all pointing precisely outward. On the bottom shelf was a neat row of identical small bottles. I picked one up and inhaled sharply when I read the label. This was definitely The Tri-State Killer’s cabin. All the bottles were ketamine.

With my heart pounding I fumbled the bottle, almost dropping it, but managed to catch it and place it back in the cabinet. Backing out of the bathroom, I spotted another door near it that wasn’t closed all the way, so I pushed it open a few inches wider, making a face at the sight in front of me. The room looked like a large shower, tiled all around with a drain in the middle. If I wasn’t looking for a serial killer the room would seem innocuous, like a room you would find in any hunting cabin where you’d clean fish or store any game you’d shot. But considering my mission the room became menacing, like a good place to rinse off blood or destroy evidence.

A loud pulsing filled my ears, keeping in time with my heart threatening to burst from my chest. I was so close to finding answers, I could feel it in my bones. I ran back to the kitchen and looked around. Something sticking out from the wall caught my eye. A doorknob. I’d walked right past it because the other doors in the cabin were stark white. But not this one. This door was the same wood as the walls, camouflaging it, but with a small brass doorknob that matched its earthy tones. I tried turning the knob but it was locked. I knocked on the door. When there was no response, I pulled the keys out of my pocket and tried a smaller key on the keyring. It slid in but didn’t turn.