“The first thing the hangman did to this woman,” I explained, “was to bind her hands, attach her to a torture ladder, and cut her hair off.” I swallowed hard before continuing. “He then doused her head with alcohol and set it on fire to burn the rest of her hair off down to the roots.”

“Aye,” Felicity muttered quietly as she regained her voice. “And that was only the beginning.”

“He’s taunting me,” I stated as anger began to creep into my voice. “The sonofabitch is telling me what he plans to do to my wife.”

“Jeezus… Goddamnit…” Ben whispered. “And I thought I was takin’ the easy out. So much for breakin’ it to you gently.”

“You couldn’t have known,” I offered with a shrug.

“No,” he returned. “But the note is only half of it.”

“What else,” I asked with a grimace.

“Aww man, Jeez…” He rested an elbow on the table then dropped his head into his hand and closed his eyes. “They ID’d the victim…”

The portent in his voice was unmistakable, and it struck both Felicity and me with no less force than a physical slap across the face. I could almost guess what was coming, and I am certain Felicity could as well.

The ache inside my skull took on the properties of root canal sans anesthetic. I braced myself for the news, not truly wanting to hear it but unable to escape its reality.

“Oh, Gods…” Felicity murmured into the silence between us, audibly broadcasting her dread.

“Yeah,” Ben returned. “Randy Harper. He took out a member of your Coven.”

“Dammit,” I spat the curse. “Isn’t this how I got involved in all this shit to begin with?”

My reference wasn’t lost on him. The first investigation I’d helped Ben with had been the murder of Ariel Tanner. She had been one of my students in The Craft as well as a good friend. Moreover, she had been the priestess of the Coven Felicity and I had since adopted.