Page 56 of Once Hidden
Once they were seated—Riley and Ann Marie on the sofa, Rich in an armchair, Dana perched on a wooden chair she’d pulled in from the dining room—Riley began carefully.
“Ms.Beaufort, we’re investigating a series of crimes that may be connected to delivery drivers in Virginia.”She watched Dana’s face, looking for any sign that she already suspected something.“Have you received any unusual communications lately?Any threats or concerning interactions?”
Dana frowned.“No threats, exactly.But...”She paused, considering.“There was something odd this morning.I almost didn’t think anything of it.”
Riley leaned forward slightly.“Go on.”
“When I went to get my mail, there was something in my mailbox that I don’t remember ordering.”Dana stood up.“Let me show you.”
She disappeared into another room and returned a moment later, holding something small between her thumb and forefinger.She placed it on the coffee table.
It was a magnetic chess pawn, black and gleaming.Small enough to fit in an envelope, to be mailed, to be delivered.
“At first I thought maybe it was part of a promotional thing from one of the subscription boxes I deliver,” Dana explained.“Companies do that sometimes—include little extras for the drivers.But there was no note, no packaging.Just this, sitting alone in my mailbox.”
Riley felt a chill.Timothy had told her about the killer:First and foremost, he’s a chess player.
Her eyes met Ann Marie’s, and she could see her partner had made the same connection.Chess pieces.A game of strategy.A game where pawns were sacrificed first.
“May I?”Riley asked, reaching for the piece.
Dana nodded.
Riley picked up the pawn, turning it over.It was heavier than it looked, magnetized on the bottom.The kind that would stick to a metal board for travel games, that some people might carry around with them to use wherever they are.
“When exactly did you find this?”Riley asked.
“This morning, around seven.I always check my mail first thing.”Dana frowned.“Why?What does it mean?”
Riley knew the answer to her question: Tony Bartlett had already made contact with the woman he expected to be his final victim.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Sheriff Rich peered over his glasses at Riley.Holding up the small metal object, she said, “It’s a pawn.For a chess set.”
“But why was it left for me?”Dana asked.
Ann Marie spoke up.“We’re afraid it was left by a very dangerous man that we’re tracking.He’s angry about a package that didn’t get delivered five years ago.”
Dana frowned, as if sifting through memories.“I remember something about that,” she said slowly.“Someone made a huge issue back then.Because someone died, wasn’t that it?But no one came to me about it.”
“The one who complained back then,” Riley explained, “has been striking out now.He’s attacked three delivery drivers and killed two of them.”
Dana’s horrified expression showed that now she understood why they were there.
Sheriff Rich hastened to reassure her.“Ms.Beaufort, I promise you, we’re not going to let anything happen to you.We’ll have officers stationed at your home, and we’ll suspend your delivery route until we’ve apprehended this individual.”
Riley studied Dana Beaufort’s face.The resemblance hadn’t registered immediately, but now it seemed impossible to miss—dark hair touched with early gray, similar build, even the shadows around their eyes told parallel stories of hard-earned resilience.It was like looking into a funhouse mirror, one that reflected not a distorted version of herself, but rather a glimpse of who she might have been had life taken a different turn.
“No.”Riley’s voice cut through the room, sharper than she’d intended.“No,” she repeated, softer this time, her mind assembling a plan even as she spoke.“If we pull Dana from her route, we lose our best chance of drawing him out.”
All eyes turned toward her, looking startled.
“He’s watching her schedule, her movements,” Riley continued.“He’s made his plans—the chess piece proves that.If she suddenly doesn’t show up for work, he’ll know something’s wrong.He’ll disappear, regroup, maybe even accelerate his timeline or change targets.”
“So, what are you suggesting?”Sheriff Rich asked.“We can’t use Ms.Beaufort as bait.”
“Not her.”Riley stopped pacing and turned to face them.“Me.”
