Well, well, well. That was unexpected.

The place they were heading to wasn’t anywhere near the city. It was one of those quiet coastal strips, almost like a forgotten summer village. The kind of place people only remembered when the weather got warm. Right now, though, it felt abandoned. The roads were narrow, barely wide enough for a single car to pass comfortably, let alone two. On my left, rows of houses stretched out one after another, each with its own little yard. On my right, the sea rolled in, gray and restless under the cloudy sky.

We had passed through here once before, back when we were heading to Carrie’s summer house. That was probably the only reason it felt even remotely familiar now.

"So... this is where he comes," I muttered, slowing the car as I scanned the houses. "You sure this is the right place, Cora?"

"Yes," she replied with a firm nod. "I put Esme’s earbuds in his car... hid them under his seat. Yesterday, I tracked the GPS signal, and it led here."

I frowned slightly. "And you’re sure he didn’t just come here for some business or something?"

"I’m... sorry," she said quietly. "But this is the only lead I have."

I exhaled through my nose. "Good as any, huh?"

She leaned forward a bit, pointing. "There. On the left."

Every house lined the left side of the road, but the one she pointed out stood out immediately. A small iron gate separated it from the street, and behind it...

"Damn," I muttered under my breath.

It wasn’t just a house. It was huge. A four-story structure, easily towering over the others nearby. The front yard was a mess, though. Grass had grown too tall, tree branches were scattered across the ground, and whatever landscaping had once been there had clearly been abandoned.

There was a pool too, visible from the road. Empty. Dry. Filled with leaves and debris like it hadn’t been cleaned in months.

"Someone’s not big on maintenance," I murmured.

I didn’t slow down too much as we passed it. The last thing I needed was to look suspicious. I kept driving like I didn’t care, like I didn’t even notice it.

After a couple of minutes, a small roadside motel came into view. It looked old, like it had seen better decades and never bothered to update since. The sign above it flickered faintly, one of the letters completely dead. To the side was a wide, open dirt lot serving as a parking area. Only four cars were scattered across it.

A few plastic sunbeds were arranged near the front of the building, all empty, slightly dirty, and tilted at awkward angles like no one had touched them in ages. The whole place had that tired, forgotten look to it.

"Good enough," I said, turning the wheel.

I pulled into the lot and brought the car to a stop. The engine hadn’t even fully died before someone approached.

An older woman walked straight up to my side, moving faster than I expected. She was thin, hunched slightly forward, with deep wrinkles carved into her face like they had been there forever. Her gray hair was tied back in a loose, messy bun, strands escaping in every direction. She wore a faded floral dress under a worn-out cardigan, and her slippers dragged slightly against the dirt as she walked.

Her eyes, though, were sharp. Way too sharp for someone who looked like that.

"Uh..." I opened the door and stepped out, raising an eyebrow. "Hello?"

"Fifty bucks for parking," she said flatly.

I blinked. "Fifty?"

"Fifty," she repeated without hesitation.

"That’s robbery," I said. "You serious?"

"Call the cops," she shrugged, completely unfazed. "Fifty bucks."

I stared at her for a second, then exhaled slowly. Between the lack of sleep and everything else piling up, I didn’t have the patience for this.

So I didn’t argue.

I used Hypnotize.

Her eyes shifted immediately, taking on that faint mix of pink and purple. Her posture slackened just a little, her expression going blank.

"I already paid you, right?" I asked calmly.

"Y-yeah..." she replied, voice softer now.

"Good," I said. "Then we’re done here. Shoo."

"Of course."

I let the effect fade. She blinked a couple of times, rubbing her forehead like she had just forgotten something important, then turned and slowly walked away without another word.

Great. Another point toward Monster. Fuck me. But I didn’t care.

Cora stepped out of the car and came up beside me, glancing at the woman before looking back at me.

"What did she say?"

"Eh, nothing. Just paid the parking fee."

I shut the car door and looked back toward the road we came from, where that massive house sat somewhere behind us.

"You have the cameras?" I asked.

Cora nodded, patting her pocket. "Got them."

"Good," I said, taking a breath. "Then let’s not waste time."

She gave a small nod.

Together, we started walking back toward the house, the quiet sound of the sea and the wind filling the space around us.

The walk back felt longer than it actually was, not because of the distance but because of the tension building in my chest with every step. The sea to our right moved in steady waves, and the wind carried that cold, salty air across the narrow road. When the house came into view again, it looked even worse up close. The iron gate was rusted in places, slightly bent, and the yard behind it was a mess of tall grass and fallen branches. There were no lights on, and from the outside, it could easily pass as abandoned.

"It looks empty," I muttered.

Cora didn’t immediately agree. She was already scanning the structure, her eyes moving from one window to another, then toward the corners of the property. "Maybe," she said quietly, "but I wouldn’t assume that."

Neither would I.

I stepped closer to the gate and tested it lightly. It was locked, just as expected. I glanced at Cora and jerked my head upward. "We go over."

She nodded without hesitation.

I grabbed the top of the gate and pulled myself up. The metal was cold and rough against my palms, and it gave a faint creak under my weight that made me pause for a second. I stayed still, listening carefully, but nothing followed. No footsteps, no voices, nothing except the wind brushing past the property.

I swung my leg over and dropped down on the other side as quietly as I could. Cora followed right after me, moving more lightly than I did, barely making a sound when she landed. We both crouched instinctively and stayed still for a moment, listening again.

Still nothing.