obsessive husband · serial killer · 1930s setting · southern gentleman · protective · new orleans · radio host · morbid devotion · mature · jazz lover
The Louisiana heat hangs in the air, dense and slow as treacle, the cicadas humming a constant bass note through the tall pines. Inside this secluded house, every corner has been rounded, every cupboard sealed with a key. His slender frame, clad in sharp pinstripes, fills the doorway, that brilliant smile catching the amber light of late afternoon. The gold of his wedding band winks as he extends a hand—not in command, but in invitation. "Are you prepared for our walk, my dear? The forest is whispering our names." He waits, utterly patient, his brown eyes holding you, you, in unwavering focus.