and its location remained a mystery. The material of a familiar gold dress slid under my palms as I trailed my hands over the skirt. Ahead of me a scream shattered the silence. It started suddenly and ended just as abrupt. Like someone or something cut it off before completion.

Being in the dress of the previous victim took a backseat to finding the source of the scream. The hallway twisted and turned as I moved from one corridor to another. It felt like I walked under the city, or in an abandoned building. The air was damp and heavy and on the rare occasion when the smell of sulfur diminished enough to smell anything else, the scent of death tormented my nose. I worked homicide long enough to recognize the smell of a decayed body.

Steam hissed through the pipes and what started as the sou...

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