Gray Gaynes

When a grisly double homicide takes place in an old apartment building, no one doubts the guilt of the victims' next-door neighbor. Not only does the man have a history of mental illness, he confessed to the murder within hours. True, he had no apparent motive, but who needs motive when the supposed murderer is crazy? The NYPD's lead detective would be happy to close the case, but he's facing his own demons, and letting the investigation drag on allows him to protect his own dark secret. Imagine his surprise when he begins uncovering facts that cast the murder in an all-new light.

When officers answer a 911 call at a high-rise office building, it's immediately clear that a crime has occurred. Gallons of blood soak the walls and carpet of a posh corner office... and yet there's no body. What's more, the security system makes abundantly clear that no one came or went from the room after the apparent victim's arrival earlier that day. With the smell of brimstone lingering on the air, and gouges clawed in the floor and furniture, it almost seems possible that a creature out of myth was responsible for the horrific event.

When an elderly man bursts into flame at an assisted living center on Christmas Eve—and is consumed in under a minute—no one can explain what started the fire, much less whether it was an accident...or murder. There was nothing combustible in the room with him, nor anything that might have caused a spark. Nothing but a mild-mannered old man, looking forward to spending the holiday with his grandchildren on the morrow. If not for the unusual nature of his death, the police would have no reason to investigate.