Spencer Club
The music was still pounding when Hale arrived the next evening,bass shaking the pavement, bodies pressed together inside like nothing had happened.
It sickened him.
A girl had been butchered less than a block away, and the club pulsed on like it was invincible, neon lights painting the walls in pinks and greens. Life didn't pause for death. It never did.
Hale flashed his badge at the bouncer. The man shifted uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact. He had probably already told the uniforms everything he knew, which was nothing.
Inside, sweat and perfume mixed with alcohol. The strobe lights turned faces into masks. Hale's eyes scanned the room, not for fun, not for rhythm, he scanned like a predator, searching for what didn't fit.
The manager, a sharp woman in her forties, led him to her office. She slid a box of security tapes across the desk. "You're wasting your time. Cameras cut out around ten. Whole system glitched. Never happened before."
Ruiz, standing beside Hale, frowned. "That's convenient."
Hale didn't smile. His gut twisted. The Bald Man wasn't just strong, he was deliberate. Smart enough to know where cameras didn't reach. Smart enough to kill in the blind spots.
"Who did she come to meet?" Hale asked.
The manager shook her head. "She walked in alone. Looked nervous. Ordered water, kept checking her phone. After fifteen minutes, she left."
Alone. Nervous. Checking her phone. She had been waiting for someone who never showed. Or someone who was already watching her.
Hale pocketed the tapes anyway, even if they were blank. "If he can shut down your cameras once, he can do it again. Upgrade your system. Tonight."
The manager nodded quickly, fear flashing in her eyes. She believed him
ANOTHER WITNESS
They found her in the alley behind the club—smoking, hands shaking when she realized why they were there.
"I saw her," the girl said. She couldn't have been older than twenty. Makeup smeared, eyeliner smudged, but her voice was steady. "The one who died. She was pacing outside. Looked… scared. Like she knew something bad was about to happen."
"Did anyone approach her?" Hale pressed gently.
The girl exhaled smoke slowly, eyes darting away. "There was this car. Black sedan. Tinted windows. Drove by slow, like… like it was choosing her. She backed up when it passed."
Hale felt his chest tighten. "Did you get a plate number?"