Chapter 1
One year after our wedding, I found eight phones hidden in my husband Justin Lynch's attic. Each one belonged to a missing girl.
The last phone belonged to my sister, who had been missing for six years.
When the truth finally surfaced, I realized the gentle doctor I had married was a serial killer who preyed on his girlfriends.
And I was number eight on his list.
*****
Vanessa crouched on the floor, dragging the last cardboard box over to her.
It had been a year since her wedding, and this was the first time she had gone to the attic.
Justin once said the attic was full of junk and that he'd clean it up when he had time off, but he was always called into emergency surgeries on his days off.
With nothing else to do, Vanessa figured she'd surprise him by getting it done herself.
Inside were some old books and magazines, and at the bottom was a dark brown leather suitcase.
Vanessa pulled at it and felt how heavy it was. The clasp was an old brass one with no lock. She hesitated for a couple of seconds, then opened it.
Seven phones were lined up neatly at the bottom. There was an envelope beside them.
Vanessa picked it up, and a dozen photos slid out. The girls in them were smiling happily, with backgrounds like restaurants, beaches, and amusement parks, all classic date spots.
Vanessa froze.
She recognized the girl in the top photo.
It was Molly. She was a new intern who started three months ago and sat right next to her. They often had lunch together.
Last week, Molly suddenly quit, saying something urgent had come up back home. She left in such a hurry that she didn't stay for dinner.
On the back of the photo, there was a line in Justin's handwriting: [Molly. Day 7.]
Vanessa set the photo down and picked up the phone on top.
The screen turned on without a password. She opened the photo album, and it was full of pictures of Molly eating, sleeping, and shopping.
The last photo was taken last Wednesday. Molly was lying on a bed, eyes closed, as if she were sleeping.
The last WhatsApp message was from Justin: [Sleep. Everything will be okay tomorrow.]
It was sent at 11:47 p.m. last Wednesday.
Molly didn't show up for work the next day.
Vanessa felt a chill run down her back.
She set the phone down and picked up the second one.
The album was of another girl, short-haired, smiling with dimples. The last photo was again on that same bed. The last message said, [Sleep. Everything will be okay tomorrow.]
It was sent four months ago.
Vanessa went through those phones one by one. Seven girls, seven different faces, but every single one had the same final message.
On the last phone, the photos were from two years ago. The girl had long hair, standing by the beach, and smiling back at the camera.
Vanessa's finger froze on the screen.
It was Naomi Lewis, her elder sister.
Naomi had gone missing six years ago and had never been found.
Vanessa didn't remember how she got down from the attic. She only remembered putting everything back as it was, locking the case, and then sitting on the living room couch until night fell.
*****
When Justin came home, Vanessa was in the kitchen, cooking.
"You're home earlier today," Justin said, wrapping his arms around her from behind and resting his chin on her shoulder. "What are you cooking? It smells amazing."
"Grilled pork chops," Vanessa replied. "Your favorite."
Justin kissed her ear. "You're the best wife ever."
Vanessa's grip on the pan tightened. She remembered Naomi's last post before she disappeared six years ago. [Finally found the right one.]
The photo showed two shadows stretched long in the sunset.
Vanessa had never seen who that "right one" was.
"What are you thinking?" Justin asked.
"I was thinking about you," Vanessa said, turning off the stove and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Justin, will you always treat me well?"
Justin smiled, leaned down, and kissed her. "Why would you ask something like that? Of course, I will."
His lips were soft, and his eyes were gentle.
Vanessa closed her eyes, feeling his hand gently stroke her back.
Those hands had once held a scalpel, and they had also held other women. They cooked for her, and sent other women messages like, [Sleep. Everything will be okay tomorrow.]
*****
After dinner, Justin headed off to the hospital for his night shift.
Vanessa said she was tired and went to bed early.
As soon as the door closed, she immediately got up and opened her laptop.
Molly was still in her WhatsApp contacts. Vanessa sent her a message: [Molly, how's everything back home?]
Half an hour later, there was still no reply.
Vanessa checked Molly's WhatsApp status. No updates all day.
Vanessa bit her nails, fixing her gaze on the screen.
She remembered the day before Molly left the company, when they were chatting in the lounge. Molly said, "Vanessa, my boyfriend said he's taking me to meet his parents next week. I'm so nervous."
"How long have you two been dating?" Vanessa asked.
"Three months," Molly replied with a smile. "He treats me so well. He's a doctor, and he's super gentle."
Vanessa remembered telling her, "A doctor? Good. It's a stable career."
The next day, Molly didn't show up for work.
Vanessa opened a search page and typed in "local missing people".
She scrolled through the results, but Molly wasn't there. She searched for Naomi, too, but nothing came up.
When Naomi disappeared six years ago, Vanessa had called the police. They said that since Naomi was an adult and there was no evidence of foul play, it wasn't treated as a criminal investigation.
After that, the case was quietly dropped, and no one followed up on it.