Sloan hesitated, tilted her head. As if on cue the distant thump of a helicopter could be heard.

“That’s our chopper and that’s your answer,” she said.

At that moment the rear door opened. A young Mountie entered. Keys chimed on his utility belt and his radio chattered as he walked with a sense of urgency toward the front, up the stairs onto the stage to Sergeant Sloan. He whispered in her ear and passed her a folded piece of paper. She read it without expression, tucked it into her jacket pocket, nodded her thanks, then resumed.

“Okay, that’s it. Get your assignments from the people at the table at the back. The next case-status meeting will be here at fifteen hundred hours. The last thing I’m going to say is that this case is solvable and we will solve it.”

Fifteen

Cielo Valle, California
Present day

A clear blue sky above a farm located amid rolling green hills outside of Stockholm, Sweden.

Pastoral. But looks can be deceiving.

Ben Grant studied the picture on his monitor, then clicked to a video of the scene taken by Swedish police.

The remote farm was located near an ancient burial mound. Beneath the barn was the underground dungeon. Intense light from the camera illuminated the sweating stone walls and the glint of metal clasps and the chains fastened to them. Rats scurried across the earthen floor, disturbing human rib cages and skulls.

In this new Swedish case that had emerged a few months ago, a husband and wife, both surgeons, had befriended drifters, offering them a home at the farm, convincing them that they were being rescued. Instead, the doctors eventually imprisoned them and performed medical experiments on them before killing them. One of their earliest victims was Michael C. Dillman, a tourist from Iowa. So the story also had a US connection.

The information was in the latest stories Ben’s publisher had sent him to consider for a book. Ben’s reputation among law enforcement had helped the publisher secure the confidential video. The Swedish case had potential but it was gruesome, much like the recent case in Germany about a cannibalistic serial killer who had operated a butcher shop.

Also on the list of considerations: an older case from Canada, and two more recent US cases. They were all strong, Ben thought, when his phone vibrated with a text from Kayla.

Want to get pizza for dinner?

She often texted him when he was in his office working.

Sure, he responded. Is Emma good with it?

She is. I’ll order the usual.

Less than an hour later, Ben was enticed to the kitchen by the mingled aroma of baked pepperoni, mushrooms, onions and cheese.

“How did your day of girl bonding go?” Ben put two slices on his plate.

“Good.” Emma passed around drinks and napkins.

“We had fun,” Kayla said. “I got some clothes.”

“Great.”