A Change of Worlds

Book 5 of the Killian Kendall Mysteries

By Josh Aterovis
Copyright 2026

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Chapter 21

A scene from a horror movie greeted me as I burst into the clearing right behind Jacy. Wisps of fog swirled around the still figure of Elyse, who was bent over something lying in front of her. She was weeping, the only sound to be heard in the eerily still forest.

Our sudden arrival caused the mist to shift, revealing a body sprawled on the ground. I recognized Bridget Foxwell, her brightly colored, striped tank top marred by a dark stain. The sight seemed so surreal that, for a moment, I wondered if this was all actually happening or if I was still caught in the dream world.

Something moved in my peripheral vision, snapping me back to reality. I spun around to find Susan Urban standing off to one side, arms crossed tightly across her chest, watching Elyse with a concerned expression.

"What happened?" I asked her, professionalism taking over.

"I don't know. We just got here and found Bridget like that."

"We need to move away. We may have already destroyed important evidence."

I carefully walked over to Elyse's side and knelt next to her to study the body.

Bridget looked even worse up close. Judging by her color alone, I suspected she was already dead.

"Elyse, can you go over and stand with Susan?" I asked softly.

She kept crying as if she hadn't heard me.

"Jacy, will you give me a hand? Maybe help her up?"

Jacy pulled gently on Elyse's arm, but she yanked away.

"It's all my fault," she wailed, her hands hovering over Bridget as if unsure what to do.

I looked sharply at Susan, who just shrugged helplessly.

"Elyse, don't touch her," I said. "This wasn't your fault. Please go with Jacy and stand over there by Susan."

She shook her head no. "It is my fault. I need...I need to do something."

"There's nothing you can do. Go with Jacy. Please? I need to check on Bridget."

Jacy once again tried to pull Elyse away. This time she allowed him to help her to her feet. He led her over to Susan, where she collapsed against the other woman and continued to sob.

I looked back down at Bridget. Although I didn't want to touch her, I needed to feel for a pulse just in case she was still alive. I pressed my fingers against her neck. Her skin was cold and damp to the touch. She was dead, and most likely had been for some time. I pulled my hand away and wiped it on my jeans, desperately wishing I could wash it. I studied the dark stain on her chest. A small hole in the center of the stain looked like a gunshot wound to me. Unfortunately, I'd had some experience with those.

"Shouldn't we report this?" Jacy asked nervously.

I nodded and pulled out my phone. The police dispatcher asked me to keep everyone at the scene until the first officers arrived to take over.

I decided to take a quick look around before the police cordoned off the area. Bridget was lying a few feet away from the pit where the skeleton had been found. Unlike in the vision I’d had earlier, the tarp was pulled back. It was obvious the grave had been looted again, for the bones were disarranged, scattered around the pit. Dirt had been mounded in one corner of the neat rectangular hole.

"Killian?" Jacy called.

I quickly rejoined him and the two women. Elyse had calmed down and was now merely sniffling. Her face was flushed and tracked with tears, her eyes puffy and red-rimmed.

"The police are on their way," I said. "What happened, Elyse? Why were you saying this is your fault?"

"Because it is." Her voice was devoid of any emotion, as if she had gone numb. I suspected shock was setting in. "Bridget stopped by my office yesterday to ask what was happening with the project. I told her nothing had been decided yet and then asked if she'd mind stopping by the site to see if the equipment was okay. Since I hadn't been out in a few days, I was a little worried about everything. She said she'd give me a call after she'd checked. When I never heard from her, I just assumed she was being her typical scatterbrained self, always forgetting to do things she was asked to do."

Elyse stopped and drew a shaky breath before continuing. "When I still hadn't heard from her by this afternoon, I tried calling her to make sure she hadn't gone last night and failed to let me know. She didn't answer her cell phone, so I called her home number. I spoke to her mother, who hadn't seen her since yesterday. Mrs. Foxwell said it wasn't all that unusual for Bridget to stay out with friends overnight, so she wasn't too concerned.

"At that point I started to get a bad feeling. I decided to come down to check on things myself, but I didn't want to do it alone, so I called Susan." She wrapped her arms tightly around her sides and started to shiver. "Susan couldn't leave right away, and when we finally got here—" She nodded jerkily towards Bridget's body. Tears began to fill her eyes once more. "We found her."

She stopped and gulped a few times, then lost her tenuous control. "This is my fault," she choked out. "If I hadn't asked her to come down here, she'd still be alive!"

She burst into tears again as Susan shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.

"Did you touch anything when you arrived?" I asked Susan.

She shook her head. "The first thing we noticed was how the pit had been disturbed, so we were being careful not to move anything. Then Elyse saw Bridget. She screamed and ran over to her, but I don't think she actually touched her. She just sat there and cried. I was trying to figure out what to do when I heard someone running towards us. I thought it might be the killer and was about to hide when he came charging in with you on his heels." She nodded towards Jacy.

Jacy seemed extremely on edge. He kept looking over at the disturbed grave and glancing nervously around.

"Maybe you should go back to the house so you can lead the police in when they arrive," I suggested to him. The police had just been at the site earlier that week, but he obviously needed something to do.

He wasted no time in fleeing the oppressive weight of the site.

I called Fletcher to let him know what was going on. Lily answered and promised to stay there until Jacy and I could get back.

With nothing else to do or say, the three of us fell into an uneasy silence. The wait seemed like an eternity, although the police actually arrived quite quickly, carrying large flashlights and led by Jacy. The first officer on the scene wasted no time in taking charge. He rounded up the four of us — Jacy, Elyse, Susan and me — and sent us back to the house escorted by a uniformed officer to wait for the detective in charge of the investigation.

About fifteen minutes later, a scowling Kaplan pulled up in an unmarked car. Our escort approached him and, after speaking to him for a few minutes, pointed in our direction. Kaplan looked over at us, his expression darkening even further when he spotted me. He nodded once, then followed the officer into the forest without another glance in our direction.

We cooled our heels for a good twenty minutes before he reappeared. His mood did not seem to have improved. He stalked over to our group and glowered at me for several moments before saying, "I'll speak to you all one at a time to get your statements. Kendall, you can wait to go last."

"Sergeant Kaplan," I said quickly. "If you don't mind, I'd like to have a word with you first."

He glared at me for another moment before giving me a grudging nod. "Alright, then. Let's hear what you have to say." He jerked his head toward his car.

"Well, Kendall, you're right in the middle of things — as usual."

"It's not my fault this time, I swear. You can ask Jacy Elliott and Fletcher Snyder. I was with them when we heard a scream. Jacy and I left Fletcher and ran towards the scream. When we got to the clearing, we found Elyse Pike and Susan Urban. Elyse was crying over the body of Bridget Foxwell, and Susan was standing off to one side. I moved Elyse away from the body, checked for a pulse, then called nine-one-one."

Kaplan rubbed his face wearily. "Great. So any evidence that may have been left has been contaminated. What were you doing in the woods anyway?"

"We were, uh, taking a stroll with Fletcher. The doctor told him to walk every day for his heart." I didn't want to go into the meditation lesson with Kaplan.

"And you heard a scream?"

"Yes."

"And, of course, your first instinct was to run towards it."

I shrugged.

He shook his head. "I'd really rather not have to investigate your murder. Do you think you could start showing a little caution? The next time you hear someone screaming in the woods, maybe call the police first?"

"Fletcher was calling the police already. My gut reaction when I hear someone screaming is to respond. She could have been in trouble."

"Yes, someone could have been killing her — and you could have been next on the list. Look, Killian, I'm not asking you to ignore people in need, just to think before you act."

"I'll try to slow down and think first from now on."

"Yeah, you do that." He sighed. "Why do I feel like we both just wasted our breath?" He held up a hand. "Don't answer that." He consulted his notebook. "The victim had no identification on her. What did you say her name was?"

"Bridget Foxwell."

"You're positive that's her?"

"Yes."

"You knew her?"

"I met her briefly when I started investigating the thefts, then interviewed her after Healy's murder. She was part of the archaeological team and a student at Pemberton."

"Was there any indication she knew something about what happened to Healy?"

"No. Not in the least. She didn't come across as the most observant person. I doubt she was an intentional target."

"What do you mean?"

"She was probably a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. From what Elyse Pike told me, I suspect she stumbled across the looter in the act, and he panicked and killed her."

"What exactly did Ms. Pike tell you?"

"I'm sure she'll be able to explain it better when you interrogate her," I said, before briefly outlining the story Elyse had given me.

"And the other woman? Urban?"

"Elyse said she asked Susan to come with her."

He nodded. "Okay. I'm not done with you yet, but I need to get statements from the other three. Stay over there until I'm finished." He pointed in the opposite direction from where Jacy, Elyse, and Susan were being held.

While I waited for him to call me again, I thought about Bridget and what White Deer had told me. He'd said that death was in the air and the killing wasn't over. Sure enough, Bridget was dead. A chill ran down my spine as I recalled he'd also warned that I too might end up among the dead.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't even hear Jacy approaching until he was right at my side. I jumped when I noticed him.

He gave me a weak smile. "Sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up on you."

"Not your fault. I was a million miles away."

"Thinking about the murder?"

"Yeah, among other things."

"So what's your take on it?"

"The murder?"

"Yeah."

I leaned back against the squad car next to us. "Assuming what Elyse told us is accurate, it looks like Bridget came down to the site, caught the looter by surprise, and he shot..." My voice faded out as a sudden thought occurred to me.

"What?"

"Bridget was shot," I began.

"Right"

"Healy was stabbed to death."

"Yeah. So?"

"Well, either the killer switched methods or there are two killers."

"He couldn't very well stab Bridget with the knife he used to kill Healy," Jacy objected. "The police have it."

"True. But if the killer had a gun, why did he stab Healy?"

"The killer used my knife to kill Healy and then left the murder weapon at the scene of the crime, which makes it seem like he was trying to frame me. Maybe the killer usually carries a gun, or he started carrying one after that."

I shook my head. "Everything you said makes sense, but it's all guesswork."

Jacy frowned. "I don't buy that there are two killers. That would be too much of a coincidence."

We fell silent, and a few minutes later Susan walked over. Kaplan spent a little longer with Elyse than he had with the rest of us, but eventually she too joined us.

Kaplan spoke to another officer briefly before coming over as well. "Okay. Ms. Urban, Ms. Pike, and Mr. Elliott, I'm finished with the three of you. I have your names and contact information if we need to get in touch with you. You're free to go. If you ladies need a lift back to your car, one of my officers can take you. Just speak to the fellow over there." He indicated a uniformed officer waiting by a cruiser. "Mr. Kendall, I'd like another word with you."

Elyse and Susan wandered toward the police car, but Jacy hesitated, as if unsure of what to do.

"You go on inside," I told him. "I'll be in later."

He nodded and left.

I turned to Kaplan. "So...?"

"They corroborated your story," he said.

"Did you think I made it up?"

He ignored my question and asked one of his own. "What's going on with your investigation? Have you turned up anything interesting?"

"I guess that depends on your definition of interesting. I still have to interview the tribe's council members, and I'm working on a few leads I've come across, but I haven't really uncovered anything yet."

"You've found nothing that would help us with this murder?"

"Not that I'm aware of. Do you know anything more about what happened here?"

"Not much so far. From what we can tell, the body was out here overnight, which jibes with the story we got from Pike. Single gunshot wound to the chest. The M.E. will have to confirm it, but I'd guess she died pretty quickly. It looks like the bullet went right through her heart. Either the killer is a good marksman or awfully lucky.

"We found her car on the other side of the woods. The doors were unlocked, and her purse was on the front seat, apparently undisturbed. We'll probably be out here all night and half the morning looking for evidence, but after everyone trampled all over the site, we're not expecting much."

"Do you think it's the same killer?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Do you have any reason to think it's not?"

"Just the different methods: Healy was stabbed, while Bridget was shot."

He shrugged. "Doesn't mean much."

"So assuming the two killings are connected, that narrows the focus of my investigation a little. They almost have to be related to the looting."

"We try not to make assumptions in my business. Just let the facts speak for themselves. Of course, we're short on solid facts in this case."

"Will you be watching the site now?"

"We don't have the manpower for that, but in addition to ourselves, we've got the sheriff's department and the state police patrolling the area. We've asked them to check up on any vehicles they see parked on the side of the road."

I frowned, remembering White Deer's warning. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Yeah. Stay out of trouble."

"I don't go looking for trouble, you know."

"And yet it always seems to find you."

I sighed. He was right

"So, are we all finished here?"

"I suppose. Be sure to let me know if you find anything pertinent."

"Don't worry. You'll be the first person I call."

I started walking away, but he stopped me. "Oh, and Killian?" I turned back. "Your friend Jacy isn't out of the woods yet. Unless he has an airtight alibi for the time of the girl's murder, he's still a suspect."

Fletcher, Jacy, Lily, and Nikki were waiting for me when I went inside.

"What did he say?" Jacy demanded before I'd even sat down.

"I can't go into details — not that there really are any aside from what you already know."

"Jacy told us the girl was murdered," Fletcher said.

"There's little doubt of that."

"She was shot?"

I nodded.

"When?" Lily asked.

"Sometime late yesterday afternoon or evening, most likely."

"I don't remember hearing anything," Fletcher said with a frown.

"You're far enough away that I doubt you would hear a gunshot."

Nikki shuddered. "Could we be in danger here?"

I shrugged. "I don't really know. I wouldn't think so. It looked to me like Bridget surprised the looter and he shot her. I do suggest you stay away from the dig until the killer is caught, however."

"The police aren't going to be guarding the site?" Lily sounded quite indignant.

"I asked Sergeant Kaplan the same thing. He claims they just don't have the manpower."

"How many more people have to be killed before they find the manpower? How much more of our cultural heritage has to be stolen?"

"They're doing the best they can, Lily," Fletcher admonished gently.

"Are they?" she shot back.

"If the police aren't going to watch the site, maybe we should," Jacy spoke up.

We all turned and gave him identical blank stares.

"What?" I asked.

"Why don't we take turns staking out the clearing? You and I can just switch on and off."

"No way!" I exclaimed at the same time as Fletcher said, "It's too dangerous."

"Before you argue, think about it. The idea has actually been running around my head for a few days now. This isn't some spur-of-the-moment scheme."

"Fletcher's right," I objected. "It's too dangerous. Two people have been killed already."

"It really wouldn't be that dangerous if we got there early enough, hid, and just observed. I'm not talking about trying to catch anyone, only identifying the looter."

I looked over to Fletcher, who frowned deeply. He met my eyes, but I couldn't read his expression.

"What do you think?" I asked.

He slowly shook his head. "I don't like it, but..."

"But?"

"It may be a necessary evil."

"Great, I'll take tonight," Jacy said with satisfaction.

"Wait," Fletcher added. "I'll only agree to this if you promise not to reveal yourself. You'll stay hidden no matter what happens."

"I promise," Jacy said quickly.

Fletcher turned to me.

I held up a hand. "Scout's honor."

Fletcher raised an eyebrow. "Were you a Scout?"

I gave him a sheepish smile. "Uh, no. But I promise."

"I could take a turn too," Nikki offered. She received a dirty look from Lily for her effort.

"That's okay. I think two of us can handle it, especially if we're taking turns. And there's really no need to start tonight. Sgt. Kaplan told me they would be out there pretty much until morning. The killer isn't going to come back while the woods are lit up like midday and police are crawling everywhere. I think you can wait until tomorrow night."

"That makes sense," he agreed.

I glanced down at my watch. "I'd probably better go," I said. "I need to stop by my office and write up some notes."

"I'll walk you out to your car," Jacy offered.

"Thank you so much for dinner," I said to Fletcher and Lily.

"You're certainly welcome," Fletcher answered with a distracted smile. "Anytime."

After I'd exchanged goodbyes with everyone, Jacy and I left the house. Police were still scurrying around outside like ants whose hill had been disturbed. It was fortunate that no one had blocked my car.

"So what's next?" Jacy asked.

"I thought you wanted out of the investigation."

He shrugged. "I said I didn't want to go on interviews anymore, and I don't. I was just wondering what your next move will be."

"I need to talk to the council. I've neglected them too long."

Jacy frowned. "I really don't think it's anyone on the council."

"What makes you say that?"

"The desecration. I honestly can't imagine any of them doing that to our ancestors' graves, no matter how much they want the excavation shut down. Not even Wallace would go that far."

"That fits my hunch, but I still need to talk to them, just to cover all my bases. Plus, I haven't yet heard back from Professor Howard."

"Who?"

"She was a friend of Professor Healy's, a sort of mentor from what Elyse told me. Healy had jotted her name in the margin of his desk calendar, so I thought it might be worth getting in touch with her. When I called, however, I only got her voicemail. Maybe I should try her again."

"Well, if there are any new developments, let me know. Otherwise, I'll plan on staking out the site tomorrow night. I'll get back to you with a report Monday morning."

"Okay, just please be careful. Don't do anything stupid."

"Don't worry. You heard me promise Fletcher."

I sighed. "Yeah, but I've also seen how things can change in an instant. Just...be careful."

He frowned. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Have you had some sort of premonition?"

"That's not my area of expertise," I protested with a smile I didn't quite feel.

Jacy's eyes narrowed. "Killian—"

"Honestly, Jacy. I don't have premonitions — at least nothing solid enough that I would call them that. I just have a bad feeling about all this..."

Once again, something stopped me from mentioning White Deer's vague warning or my creepy dream.

"Okay. Don't worry. I'll be fine. I'm not going to take any undue risks. I'm just going to hide and watch. You know how quiet I can be in the forest. No one will know I'm there unless I want them to. I'm more worried about you."

A chill ran down my spine, but I shrugged it off. "What do you mean?"

"You're not exactly silent when you move through the trees. And you're the one having the bad feeling."

"I'll be fine. Besides, after tonight, the killer might figure it's not safe to return. As for the bad feeling, it's nothing. I don't think..."

"Try not to let it get to you. You'd better get going if you want to stop by your office. I'll talk to you Monday morning, if not before."

"Okay. Thanks, Jacy — for everything."

"No problem, Kill. See ya."

As I drove away, something niggled at the back of my mind — something I felt was important but couldn't quite put my finger on. It bothered me all the way to the office, where I was finally able to push it aside.

I sat down at my desk to carefully record the events of the day in my notebook, along with my impressions and possible future courses of action. I jotted a reminder on my calendar to call Professor Howard and visit the council on Monday.

I was about to lock up and go home when I remembered to check our voicemail. The first message was from a former client who had a question about his itemized bill. I made a note to call him back on Monday as well. The second message was from one of the insurance companies we often worked for, saying they had a new case for us if we had the time. I scribbled another note. Monday was filling up fast.

I was still writing down the name of the insurance agent when the third message started. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and my pen stopped moving as muffled sobbing filled the air. I wondered if it was the same person as before. The crying continued for several seconds, then either the message cut it off or the caller hung up.

Suddenly, the empty office felt very creepy.

I dropped the pen on my desk and hurriedly left. I was down the stairs and in my car with its doors locked just a few seconds later, my heart pounding in my chest.

Why did the crying caller freak me out so much? Somehow, my previous idea that it was only a potential client too scared to talk just didn't seem likely anymore.

Driving home, I once again reviewed the events of the day. I was so distracted I almost didn't see the reflective eyes on the side of the road. I stomped on the break, slid to a halt, and waited while a buck and his doe calmly crossed in front of me. They were both the typical white-tailed deer so common on the Shore, but they still made me think about White Deer and his warning.

As I watched, a sudden realization hit me. When White Deer had warned me of more death to come, Bridget had already been dead for almost a full day. He couldn't have been referring to her.

That meant someone else was going to die before this was over — and I could be that someone.

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