29th October, 1939

Outskirts of Ashland, Maine, USA

Chaney's hopes of catching the killer before anyone else died were dashed as he stood before the burnt cabin. Somewhere amongst the charcoal and ash were five, freshly dead men. Siodmak had been right about the woman but it had done him no good, even with his friends help he still hadn't been able to stop her. It was something Chaney didn't understand, how a woman murdered five, hardened men, escaping a burning room without so much as leaving a trace. The dogs had tracked her through the woods until they had lost the scent in a stream. Now he had doubts if they would ever pick up the trail again. She was probably half way to the border by now and by this time tomorrow she would most likely be in another country. So many questions nagged at him without answers and it didn't look like he was going to get any, at least not anytime soon.

"Why here?" he asked Siodmak who was still looking somewhat shaken from the experience. "I mean she never stopped before, always moving, always north. Yet here she has killed twice in this town and stayed over months"

"That's a good question, one that I've been thinking on myself." Replied Carl.

"Why so many? And men too?" Chaney knew his friend didn't have the answers but he asked anyway.

"There is something we are not seeing." Carl replied rubbing his singed head.

"What did you see? Why won't you talk about it?" Chaney asked hoping he wasn't poking a hornets nest by pushing for details.

"This woman has just cut, chopped, broken and burned five men beyond recognition... But no jury in America would ever convict her." Carl mused. "I'm starting to see why my friend was so clammed up about this."

"So what now?" Chaney asked, giving up on getting any more details from Siodmak.

"That something we are missing, has to do with your man, George." Carl answered him. "I say we watch him now, but first I need a drink and the way I see it, we have another thirty days to get one. If we are to meet again, the three of us, next time I wonder... Who will survive and what will be left of them."