Ghost Peppers Chapter 8

Chapter 8

A week had passed since the investigation began, and just as Penny felt the memories of the Carter case beginning to fade, she and Tony received another call. The scene was unsettlingly familiar: a well-kept condo on Hagans Way, a chilling echo of the past crime they’d investigated.

They pulled up to the address, Penny’s heart beating faster than usual. She glanced at Tony, who met her gaze with a grim nod. They stepped out of the car, heading toward the front door where the housekeeper, still visibly shaken, waited with officers for their arrival. The housekeeper's face was pale, her hands shaking as she recounted her discovery. She led them through the front hall, down a corridor with framed family photos, and into the main bedroom.

The scene inside the room had an eerie, sickening familiarity. Steve Williams lay on his back, his hands and feet bound with zip ties, his face slack and eyes half-closed. A monogrammed pillowcase with the letter "E" was propped up beside him, resting in stark contrast against the dark sheets. Penny, stared in shock as she took in the details, mentally cataloging the similarities. Another monogrammed letter, she noted, filing it away as she tried to control the chill creeping over her.

Her gaze shifted, and there was Betsy Williams, lying on her back atop the covers. She was dressed in a light pink lingerie set that immediately seized Penny’s attention. She froze, a flash of recognition stirring within her. It was almost identical to the delicate pink bra and panties she’d tried on only days ago at Victoria's Secret with Jackie. Penny felt a strange, uncomfortable pinch. It was like the crime scene was mocking her.

"Penny?" Tony’s voice snapped her out of her trance. He looked at her with concern. "You okay?"

She nodded quickly. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” she replied, but her tone was strained. She glanced back at the body, a feeling of nervousness settling in.

As they combed through the room with the crime scene techs, Penny couldn’t shake the sense of intrusion, as if someone had reached into her private life and held it up in a twisted parallel.

“Same method as last time,” she murmured to Tony. “Whoever did this wanted control over every detail.”

One of the crime scene techs joined them. “We’ll have preliminary reports by tomorrow morning, Detective Peppers,” he assured her, his tone professional yet respectful.

“Thank you, Lenny,” she said, her voice steadying as she took in the technical details. “Make sure you check for fingerprints on the zip ties, the pillowcase...anything that might give us a lead.”

The tech gave a nod and moved toward the foot of the bed, where he continued to carefully bag and label the evidence.

Just as they prepared to leave the room, Tony’s gaze fell on a box by the dresser. He walked over, picking it up carefully. It was a medium-sized Amazon box, stripped of any label or identifying mark. He held it up with a frown. “Unlabeled. Almost like the Carter scene,” he noted, looking over at Penny.

Penny swallowed, a bitter taste rising in her mouth. “What’s the significance here? Two crime scenes, two unlabeled Amazon boxes… Is someone playing games with us?” she muttered, her voice laced with frustration.

Tony shrugged. “Feels personal. Whoever this is, they’re taunting us. Trying to make a statement.”

Penny walked over to him, peering into the empty box. Her mind raced through a dozen possibilities, each more unsettling than the last. “We need to get this tested, see if there’s anything left behind. Maybe the boxes are a calling card of sorts. A signal,” she added quietly.

“Or a warning,” Tony muttered, shaking his head.

They shared a tense glance, understanding the weight of their growing responsibility. As they walked back down the hallway, Penny’s mind drifted back to Jackie, wondering if she’d even want to share the disturbing details of this case.