Page 124 of Mine To Hunt

She doesn’t answer immediately.

"I don’t want to discuss this over the phone." She says after a while. "It’s not something I feel comfortable explaining like this."

"I can meet you somewhere." I offer quickly. "A public place. Wherever you feel safe. I’ll come to you."

There’s hesitation in her next breath.

"I don’t go into the city much anymore." She says. "I moved away for a reason."

"I’ll travel." I say without thinking. "Distance doesn’t matter."

"You don’t even know where I live." She replies quietly.

"Then tell me." I say. "Please."

Her silence this time feels heavier. I start to worry I have pushed too far.

"You really believe it could be the same person?" She asks slowly.

"Yes." I whisper. "Or someone who learned from him. Either way, I need to understand what I’m dealing with."

Another pause. Then, "If I agree to meet you," she says carefully, "it won’t be in a crowded cafe."

"That’s fine."

"It will be here." She continues. "I live in the countryside now. It’s quiet. Fewer people. I feel safer here."

I hesitate only for a second. "I’ll come."

She exhales softly, as if she has made a difficult decision.

"Alright." She says. "Write this down."

I grab a pen from my purse, my heart pounding.

"17 Willow Creek Lane." She says slowly. "Ravenwood Hollow. It’s about forty minutes outside the city, past Briarfield. There’s only one road leading in. You won’t miss it."

I write every word carefully.

"This Saturday." She adds. "Come around two in the afternoon. And don’t tell anyone where you’re going."

A chill moves down my spine at that last part.

"I won’t." I say quietly. "Thank you. I know this isn’t easy."

"We’ll see." She replies. "Just… be careful on your way here."

The call ends.

I stand there for a moment, staring at my phone. For the first time in days, I feel something different mixed in with the fear. It is small, but it is there. A sense of possibility.

The rest of the afternoon passes slowly. I complete my tasks, respond to emails, update drafts. On the surface, everything appears normal. But my thoughts keep drifting to Mily. To what she might tell me.

When my shift finally ends, I leave the building. I remain alert as always, scanning my surroundings. But beneath the fear, there is now something else, a quiet determination. I’m no longer completely in the dark.

Chapter 38

Her