Lucianhadcursedthe"BeautySlayer"tenthousandtimesover.Societywasalreadyshortonresources,andthislunatichadgoneandwipedoutsomeofitsbrightest,mostbeautifulyoungwomen.Topstudents,goodfamilies,flawlessfaces—gone.Ifevenoneofthemhadbeenspared,Lucianwould''vetakenherhomeandtreatedherlikeagoddess.

        Ifheevergothishandsonthatbastard,hewouldn''tshowmercy.Hell,ifhehadthechance,hewouldpullthetriggerontheexecutionhimself.

        Butafterthat,the"BeautySlayer"vanished.

        Lucianandhisteamtriedeverything,evenbaitinghimwiththeirmoststrikingfemaleofficers,butthekillerneverresurfaced.Thevictims''families,friends,andcolleagues,noneofthemknewwhothegirls''lastcompanionshadbeen.Theyhadsimplylefthomeforschoolorworkandneverreturned.

        Thecasewentcold.Tenyearsofdustgatheredoverthoseforty-ninenames.

        Atleastnomoreyoungwomendiedatthatmonster''shands.Still,whilethekillerhadstoppedstealingsociety''sbest,Lucianhadn''tfoundawomanworthsettlingdownwithhimself.

        Theonlythingthe"BeautySlayer"hadeverlefthimwasReya.

        ***

        Thatday,Lucianhadbeenthelastoneleftatthecrimescene.

        Therewasn''tmuchlefttoinvestigate.Theseniordetectiveshadalreadydonetheirwork.Thebodyjusthadn''tbeenmovedyet,supposedlysohecould"gainexperience,""applyhisknowledge"and"contributetothecase."

        Thetruthwaslessglamorous:thecoronerwasstuckintraffic,sotheylefthimtheretobabysitthecorpse.

        Thegroundwasamess,trampledwithfootprintsfromgawkingvillagers.EvenSherlockHolmeswould''vebeenuselesshere.

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