CARNAL

egan to feel like it wasn't

, I'm sure y

I didn't know whether I would come back out. There was a piece of

tairs to the side door. He was almost a foot taller than me and I guessed

k at him as he

at, I came to the conclusion he hadn't layered and he was indeed built like a brick house. I

om his short, chestnut-colored

moment. He had the oddest eyes I'd ever looked int

the back of my throat as

om and I backed away from

walked in. He was the one from the funeral, the on

ed me, as he stoppe

e you do

dsome stranger for

Otto Müller," he

at," the g

ow did yo

nervously

ou," I admitt

and I was convinced in that momen

t what happened to my gra

gure that out, too"

his hand. I noticed the sleeve

e said, shak

" I re

stranger but he walked past me,

rude as killing me would hav

fly into Germa

days ago,

e you saw your grandfa

g to recall. "A f

well," the handsome s

him well

see the body

lying and looked at the t

ng he might still

ce as affirmation

tumbling over the

condition," I

n the yard and he died on the way to

r saw the bod

never saw it. I

n't say

d at the floor in thought. The other man was on the other sid

ou spoke to your grandfat

a moment. "Abo

ing seem o

No, should somethi

from the fireplace to look at me. H

me this has happened," h

sharing this information with

you mean?

in particular-have been reported dead by hospitals and morgu

ween them in

police?

N

rivate inv

at," he replied,

ery specific

esitation to

happened to we foun

es wi

y grandfather could

e other man stared

, I want to help yo

" Jai replied, sup

to Hechingen to

on," I

If something was up, I would

i said

thing you know about your grandfather

at me in deep thought. The eye contact that I mad

ith you,"

elp you

"I think it's time

planted my

o come with you, you shouldn't h

d over what

and anyone else that happens to go missin

ed immediately,

at him in

inancial and health records from the pas

. "I'l g

at five in the morn

I said

n as I backed towards

hat had just occurred. I walked quickly from the cabin into the darkness of

rns made on the trip to the cabin, so

dfather's cottage and it hit me for the fir

ce that I could

up to the door. I thought I saw something move in the cor

ir

ng inside. Waiting for me in my room wa

Mom and Dad

tation,''

have yo

d an eyebrow. "I did

tive

ou thinking?

brushed the snow from his hair tha

u the authority to questi

ath and pinched the

human," h

ook at Jai as he

s, my