Gavin nodded. He thought about Bella sitting around making phone calls and not being in actual danger, but he should have known her better. 

"Okay... well Twin Anchors is closer, so why don't we go there first... should still be enough time to get to the parents after."

The cab ride was quiet again, but Gavin rested his knee on Bella's knee and drummed his fingers absentmindedly. He had to focus to avoid thinking about Evelyn. Every time he closed his eyes he saw her on the table. His hand clenched Bella's knee hard for a second before he let go, and he apologized with his eyes. After a few minutes, they pulled up to The Twin Anchors. The place was almost empty; apparently it had just reopened after the police had torn the place apart looking for "clues". The workers all pointed Gavin and Bella toward the owner, and the owner didn't want to talk- well, until he saw Gavin's badge. The standard questions revealed no clues, but Gavin finally got to the one he was hoping for.

"There's a suspect. A guy, maybe a little small. He might have sat in the back, watching."

"Mack, that's about half the guys who come in here-"

"He was also describe as "snake-like". Something about his eyes... facial expressions."

The owner paused. 

"Yea... there was a guy like that. Few nights in a row before Joan died. You think he's the guy?"

"He's our prime suspect so far."

"Huh. Yea, I guess that'd... I'm pretty sure he might have liked her. Jesus, you think he's the guy huh? Yea."

"Call me if you think of anything else. Writing my number down here."

Gavin glanced at Bella, wondering if she had any other questions for the owner.

Bella leaned on the bar, "Every restaurant and tavern in town has regulars, those folks who notice as much if not more than the staff if only cause half-the-liquored-up bastards are paranoid of someone seeing them ordering specials ... well, I'd like to get a word with some of yours.  Especially if any of them might have had a word with our suspect."

"Also, there's a chance our guy might have been driving a vehicle.  The number of homeless in the city has gone through the roof since Black Tuesday, any chance you can tip us off to a few we might talk to?  Maybe some folks who hang around looking for tossed out scraps after hours?  I'm kind of hoping they saw him get into a cab or drive off in a vehicle we might get a bead on.  After all, not everyone nowadays can afford a decent ride."

"Oh and one more thing... any chance you know where I might pick up White Owl cigars around this neighborhood?"

The owner nodded. 

"I can give you two or three regulars numbers, sure. Couple people come in every night. Didn't see anyone talkin' the fella there, but sure. As for the homeless... well, we don't have too much of a problem here in this part of the city. Had a, uh, business arrangement- although now those people are gone, so who knows? I suppose I've seen a couple guys around. You could always check around."

He shrugged at the last question.

"There's a few smoke shops, but I think lotsa stores have 'em. I've seen them around... one of the bigger brands, right?"

Bella glanced to Gavin when the owner went to get the phone numbers for them, "Don't know if one of the regulars will know anything, but... can't hurt to ask, right?"  She gave him a small smile.  "We need to remember to tell Rubix's people to reach out to this guy when we're done here.  Marie's old protection rackets are gonna get scooped up by someone, might as well be the Good Boys."

She stood up and considered heading outside to look around for any homeless who were making this neighborhood their home.  But the thought of rushing outside alone, now, caused her some hesitation.

Chicago had briefly been her home in what now felt like another life.  It hadn't been that long since Marie had died but ever since that night, the Windy City was almost alien to her.  All the heart and soul seemed bled out from this place and now with this monster who had butchered Evelyn and Joan roaming the streets ... well, he only made it worse.  The sooner she and Gavin could get to the bottom of this mystery and get home, the better.

"Once we get the numbers... that's really all I can think of here.  You still wanting to head to Joan's parent's next?"

Gavin nodded.

"You wait for those... I'll go out back and see if I can find any homeless guys..."

A few minutes later, Bella emerged with her information to find Gavin leaning against a lamppost.

"I found a couple- no one was around that night. I guess Marie's operation used to really discourage them from showing up in this neighborhood, so that might be a dead end. Still worth asking. Ready to head to Rochelle?"

The car ride over was quiet. Gavin drove, glad for the opportunity to distract himself. If they were in a rush somewhere, he had no qualms about letting "Hot Rod" drive, but they weren't in much of a rush now. He started speaking his thoughts as he thought out loud.

"When I first saw the paper, I figured this was a one day trip. A mob hit connected to Marie going down- maybe someone trying to muscle in on her old businesses. I figured we'd show up, find the trigger-man, handle him, and be out before our heads hit the pillow. But this? Different story. Might be here a few days, at least..."

"We'll find who did this."  She told him, not doubting for a moment what she said.  "Aurora is in good hands, we'll take as long as it needs to get the job done."

She looked at Gavin beside her, driving, and wondered if this was how he felt hunting down Garret.  It wasn't exactly the same, but both Elias and Evelyn had suffered horribly inhumane torment on some level... and she had thought Elias dead for six months.  She'd buried a body for Christ's sake and the memory of that pain still marked her subconscious to this very day... Gavin's kidnapping had taught her that.

"I want you to keep talking to me through this..."  She said softly.  "Not constantly or about useless shit, you got a lot on your mind and you're good at what you do without distractions from me; but when the time comes I'll need to know what it is you want me to do."

Maybe she didn't need to spell it out, but Gavin did have a lot on his mind so she continued, "You came along with me on a dangerous mission for revenge once, and you nearly got yourself killed to make sure I could sleep soundly at night after what that bastard did to Elias.  You knew what it meant to me to be the one who ended it.  I never questioned that.  If you had gotten up those stairs without being shot, I know damn well who's gun would have put a slug into that bastard, even if we never discussed it explicitly.  Will and his white hat might not have been able to understand and let me do it... but I always knew you did, you understood me."

She put a hand on his leg.  "I do too.  Like you were for me... I'm here to make sure this doesn't go sideways and that you walk away having done whatever needs doing.  I'm your cover, a face if you need it, a sounding board for all the shit that's likely rolling around in your head right now... or just your concerned wife... all of it.  I'm that.  And when it's done, no matter how it ends, I'll help with whatever that looks like too."

She's silent for a moment before adding, "I just... wanted to make sure you had some time with your own thoughts before I threw the obvious down onto the table in a ... well, a somewhat lame ass attempt to make sure you didn't miss it amidst all the other bullshit coming at you right now.  I don't want to be a distraction.  I just want to be ... whatever it is you need right now.  So... yeah.  That's it really.  You'll tell me, when the time comes... what it is you need from me, okay?"

Gavin focused on the road as he drove.

"There's just not much to say right now. I have... feelings. I'm... angry. But right now talking about how I feel would be a distraction. We've got a good plan so far and we'll communicate to make this happen."

He glanced at her.

"But you don't need to talk too much to help me. I appreciate you being here. If I need something, I'll tell you. For now, just do your thing."

They drove in silence for a few minutes until Gavin turned off the highway.

"I figure you should take the lead talking to Joan's parents. I think you'll seem nicer. I can come in and be the bad cop if I have to... but I don't think it'll be necessary."

Upon arriving at the address given Bella asks Gavin one thing before they get out, "Sometimes being authentic helps... people share more if they think you're doing the same.  Will that be an issue?"

"What do you mean? Talk about Evelyn as your friend and be sad? That's fine."

Bella simply nodded.  Really, the reasons behind her logic weren't worth digging into.  Either she'd be right about who these people were and Evelyn's story would help make them feel identifiable to these grieving parents, or it would fail utterly and they'd be out little.  There would be no faking at being Joan's friends that was for sure.  Evelyn was their only hope.  

"Alright... let's go talk to the family then."  With that Bella will get out and go knock on the door.

As they waited for someone to answer, Gavin kept his hands in his pockets, "Worst case scenario, I just pull the badge. I could even do that to start if you think it'd work better?"

"No.  Looking around this place, combined with them telling the roomate what to tell the cops, I'm going to guess they're worried about their daughter's image and what people will say about her... good people that is.  The only reason people from places like this lie to or withhold from cops is usually shame... or criminal ties.  Either way, being agents won't help here.  We're far better off to play up being in the same boat as them... friends who've lost someone tragically.  Just be yourself."  Bella whispered.

"That's... really bad advice"  

The door opened before Bella could respond.

"You sound like Tara."

A middle aged man with a great deal of sadness evident in his face answered the door.  "Yes?"

Bella quickly refocused, "Mr. Douglas?"  Bella tilted her head to the side ever so slightly, waiting for a physical or audible confirmation that the man was who she guessed him to be - Joan's father.

"Yes, I'm Mr. Douglas. Who are you?"  His eyes narrowed.  "Reporters?"

"No."  Bella immediately offered.  "Far from it.  I'm Isabella Byrne and this is my husband Gavin."  Bella gave Gavin a reassuring smile as she knew using their names wasn't going to be his favorite thing to have done.

Bella looked back to the man.

Gavin used his smile to cover his annoyance.

"What do you two want, then? I don't want to be rude, but my wife isn't well and we have many, many people who disturb us. Reporters, mostly."

"That is the last thing I want, I assure you.  You see, a few days ago we lost someone who was very dear to us under circumstances similar to those which took your daughter, Joan.  And... while I'm no police officer, my husband and I are people of means which I hope will bring justice for both your family and ours.  I promise not to take too much of your time and nothing we speak about has to be disclosed to anyone else... but you might be able to fill in some blanks for us that could help us find the man who did this and see that he pays for his crimes."

Mr. Douglas nodded as he let them inside.

He sat in a well worn chair and gestured toward the couch.  "Can I get you a glass of water? I'll tell you anything that you think can help, but I've already told the police everything, so I don't think it'll be much help."

Bella glanced again to Gavin and entered, finding her way to the couch.  She made certain to speak softly so not to trouble his wife.  "Joan's friend, her roommate, wanted me to assure you that she told the cops everything you asked her to share.  She was... very kind in offering me a way to reach out to you as well.  I didn't tell her about our friend Evelyn though... sometimes it's hard to share things with strangers.  In this case, with you, I hope I'm not misplacing my trust but we're running out of good leads.  And maybe something you didn't think was of value could be vital to us."

"Rachel is a good girl. She was a little hesitant about going to the police. Said she wasn't sure of anything. But we told her that it was up to the police to sort things out... Glad to hear that she did talk to them, though. She mentioned someone bothering Joan at work. Said she didn't know anything much about him, but just that it happened."

Bella nodded.  "I can understand her feelings and yours as well.  Do know if Joan was being called on by anyone special?  Seeing a young man at all?  I'm sure the cops asked you about this but... we do know that a man with a similar description paid both your daughter and our friend special attention on the night they were attacked."

Mr. Douglas shook his head. "I don't know of anyone."

"What's the description?"  The voice came from the stairway, and Gavin was so startled he nearly went for his gun.   A woman stood there in a bathrobe.
Bella looks towards the stairs and rises from the couch out of respect for the lady of the house.

"Ma'am."  She said politely.

Gavin rose after a slight delay.

Mr. Douglas looked with concern at his wife, but didn't say anything.

"The man in question, he ... he's described as being rather snake-like... though I'm not sure that's a very telling description.  I suppose since two witnesses used those words, there must be something to it.  Not very old, smoked cigars... clearly didn't make the girls feel very comfortable if this man happened to be the one that Joan's friend mentioned."

Mrs. Douglas stared for a long time.

"He might be a doctor, a surgeon, or connected to the university somehow... does any of that ring a bell for you?"

"There was a boy in high school. A few years ago. He was... obsessed with Joan. Kept coming around here, following her, calling her, until Tom had a long talk with him and it stopped.  We did tell the police about him. The FBI."

"I'm sure they'll look into him... but as I told your husband, we're people of means... we're certainly not beyond the idea of hiring help to get to the bottom of this.  Might I know his name?"

She looked at her husband and started to cry. He went to her and led her back upstairs despite her insisting "It was him! It was him!"

Bella winced slightly.

Mr. Douglas returned a few moments later. 

Bella looks genuinely sad when the man returns, "I'm so sorry."

"Thank you. But what you're saying... my wife is very upset, but she's not... she's not wrong. I remember talking to that young man, telling him he needed to move on. He kept licking his lips. I thought he was just nervous, but a snake..."

Douglas looked down, defeated.

"Maybe I should have done more. I don't remember the name. Her high school yearbook might still be in her room, though. I'll get it for you, if it's there."  

Something in her demeanor changed almost instantly.  "You are not responsible for what this monster has done.  No one can see the darkness in men's hearts before they choose to show it."  The compassionate woman sharing in his sorrow was melting away and a hint of her father appeared behind her brown eyes.  A spark of the woman who once was the Don of her own family and for good reason seemed to peak her head out.  She nodded to him, "You get me that name Mr. Douglas and I swear to you, not only will we find out if he's responsible, but if he's the one who has done this... this man will pay for what he's done to Evelyn and your daughter.  I promise you."

Mr. Douglas glanced up at Isabella. "Thank you."  A few minutes later, he returned with the yearbook and started flipping through the pages. Bella could sense Gavin's tension.

Bella watched calmly as he looked through the yearbook.

Eventually, Mr. Douglas  turned at pointed at a picture. The town wasn't that big, and the graduating class couldn't have been larger than a few dozen.

Bella looked closely at the photo and the name.

Mr. Douglas didn't speak, but he kept pointing at the name as he showed Isabella.

James Paulson.  The photo showed a young man, unsmiling. His face seemed strange- like wide and narrow features had been switched at random.

Gavin stood up and spoke.  "Do his parents still live in town?"

Mr. Douglas shook his head. "Dead, I think. A few years ago. No siblings."

Bella reaches out and puts her hand on his.  "Thank you, Mr. Douglas.  If we find anything... we'll let you know.  Until then, you and your wife will be in our prayers."

Bella stands.

Gavin shook the man's hand and exited quickly.

Bella walks towards the door continuing to speak to Mr. Douglas for a moment, "My husband and I are very private by nature, we appreciate your discretion concerning our visit... but I will be in touch, if we find anything at all that might be of help to you and your family.  Thank you for giving us some hope."

Mr. Douglas looked like he wanted to say something more, but restrained himself and nodded.  "Thank you. Please let us know if anything happens."

Bella will quickly depart to join Gavin in the car.  Speaking once inside.  "Standard manhunt, but if the cops are looking for him he's not likely to be anywhere he pays rent or has his name signed to something otherwise the bastards would have him already.  So... where to now?"

Gavin sat behind the car gripping the wheel.

Bella spoke in Italian to Gavin, "Look at me, Wolf."  She knew he wouldn't understand but hoped that her speaking another language would snap him out of whatever place he'd gone internally.

"I don't know what to do. What I WANT to do is find his place in the city, if he has one. If Douglas is calling the cops right now, then there's a chance we can beat them there. And I don't want to see this guy get arrested.  I'm fine.  The doctor thing... we could check hospitals, doctors offices, medical supply buildings... schools... that would take forever."

"You're not fine."  She said softly.  "And that's okay.  That's why I'm here.  We're going to find him.  That man isn't calling the cops... he knows what we are, and he's hoping like any father would that we find him before the cops do.  I mean... think about it... no good father in his right mind wants to see the man who butchered his little girl go to prison.  He wants that bastard as badly as you do... but he lacks the means and know how to do it.  You and I are that man's only hope of the kind of justice he and his wife deserve.  He'll protect us... he won't turn us in."

"Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe he'll wonder in the middle of the night if we're really capable, and decide to call the FBI to be safe."

"Guess you'll have to just trust me on this one... and if I'm wrong, I don't think we've done anything illegal... yet.  So far as the man knows."

Gavin shrugged, "Did you take the phone book from the bar? Most criminals don't put themselves in the phone book, but this guy wasn't a criminal two weeks ago. If he had an apartment in the city..."  Gavin turned the key, bringing the car to life, and began driving back.  "I think it's at least worth looking into."

"You know, with how young that guy is... he's probably not a doctor yet.  I mean, doctors go to school for a long time, but the medical school - I bet they keep ether on hand too.  He might be a student.  Both are solid leads.  No harm in checking both."

"Getting later, though. It's 6 now... doubt most schools would be answering the phone. Or have offices open."  Gavin glanced at Bella.  "Right?"

Bella smirked, "How much do you love me?"

Gavin narrowed his eyes, "Wait what did I do?"

Bella laughs.  "Not you... me.  When I use to live in Chicago.  The first big thing I did for Marie and my Dad.  I took over board of education for the City of Chicago.  I still know a lot of people in those circles.  You wouldn't believe the kind of cash they're hustling from the federal government. Anyway... I bet one of my contacts might know someone who can get us information on who is enrolled in higher learning institutions."

"Is there an office? Or do we just get to a phone ASAP?"

"If you get me to a phone, I'll make a couple calls.  They'll have to do some running around to dig up the details... or ... we cut out the middleman and we break into the school offices and take a peek into the file cabinets ourselves.  Places do have security but it's not a bank or anything so sophisticated.  Most of the time it's guys paid minimal amounts who spend most of their nights listening to radio shows rather than walking the halls."

"Whatever you think is faster"

"One or two security guard operations at best... and I hate to say it, that might be faster even than the alternative.  It's a long shot though, it's still possible he got the ether from an illegal source... though honestly that shit would be noticed and this young man hardly looks like the sort who has deep ties into our community.  So... my money is on medical student."

Gavin nodded.  "Okay. We'll head back in and let you do your thing here. Want the radio on or off? I don't care- your pick."

"On."  Bella said, hoping the music would distract Gavin from his own dark thoughts.  It probably wouldn't... but a girl could hope.

Chicago Medical School opened in 1912, not terribly long in the way of Universities and higher learning institutions, but that hardly mattered for the purposes which Bella and Gavin Byrne had planned tonight.  Nearly every training doctor and nurse in the city walked the grounds of this University - and one building held the information for all of them.

"One guard doing rounds,"  Gavin whispered as Bella worked with her picks to manipulate the lock on the building's service door.  She knew it was probably the most secure lock, but it was also the door that was the least visible from any direction and with all the illumination on campus they had to be careful.  "One inside from what I could see through the windows.  Do you need me to..."  She could hear the impatience in Gavin's voice.  

"No."  She said firmly.  "I've almost got it... just... keep an eye out and let me work.  It's been a while since I've done basic B&E okay?"  Just as Gavin was starting to say something she felt the lock slide out of place.  She sighed contentedly.  "Just like old times."

Gavin went in first and Bella closed the door gently behind her.  Up and down halls they went until they finally found a door conveniently labeled, 'Records.'

"Damn it."  She muttered softly noting the lock.

"I've got this one."  Gavin was squat down and working before Bella could protest, so instead, she went to the end of the hall to watch.    Gavin cussed several times and she was sure she heard a metallic twang that usually indicated a broken pin.  She knew how frustrated he was and worried he might try to break the heavy wooden door down if this kept up... but thankfully, just as the guard appeared she heard the door open.

Bella rushed down the hallway and going inside she motioned for Gavin to be silent.  The guard's whistling helped to know how near he was and the two stood absolutely still until the sound disappeared around the corner on the far end of the hallway.

"I'm guessing newer records are in the front and older in the back so... assuming these go by the last name as most filing systems seem to do... we're looking here."  Bella pulled open a drawer labeled 'P' and began to dig.

"Parker, Patterson, Paulson... holy shit!"  Bella said pulling the file.  "When I said this would be fast I didn't think it would be this fast.  Look here, Paulson, James D.  address and phone... hell his banking information and a just about anything else you'd want to know about him but this ... this is the jackpot."

She smiled at Gavin.  "519 Summerlin Drive apartment 3C... right here in Chicago."  She made some quick notes about some other vital information that they might need later and then slid the record back into its place.  The less the feds could use later to track down how the fuck they found this bastard, the better!

"Let's go."  Gavin insisted, all but bouncing on his heels.  Bella followed quickly behind him.

Gavin was out of the car before Bella had completely stopped it. His gun was in his hand as he moved to the entrance of the apartment building. Bella had seen Gavin like this before. Rarely. Usually he dispensed death or faced it with a smirk. But here, he was stone-faced. Cold. A janitor passed him in the hall and raised his hands when he saw the gun; Gavin moved past him quickly, threatening him to stay down and stay put under his breath. He could hear Bella approaching behind him as he moved through the building cautiously, moving toward the room that was his target. 

When he got there, he didn't hesitate kicking down the door in a shower of splinters. There was no noise inside and Gavin walked briskly with his gun pointed forward. Kitchen. Living room. Closet. Bedroom. Closet. Bathroom. Shower. Closet. No one. He cursed audibly. 

One bed, one bedroom. He lived alone. Unsurprising. Gavin began ransacking the place and had an eerie sense of deja vu; he'd gone through Evelyn's place in a similar way. In between the mattress and the bed-frame he found a small black notebook.

It was full of images and entries that made Gavin's skin crawl- and Bella's as she read over his shoulder.

Pictures of naked women with their internal organs identified- the next page showed a drawing with these removed.

Gavin forced himself to flip through the book and read every word. 

It was the ranting and raving of a bestial man. Pages of diatribes against women. He had been rejected, and now he was administering a righteous punishment. Forcing himself to focus, Gavin flipped and red. He and Bella noticed the same lines written two or three times with minor variations.

"Red haired girls fuck red-blooded boys- they spread their legs to share their joys.
 Blonde haired girls have hair of gold- they fuck rich men no matter how old.
Brown haired girls open their slit- but their souls are also the color of shit.
Black haired girls will suck any cock- as long as it's attached to a jock."

The writings continued for pages, always breaking women into four groups based on hair color, always ranting about sex, always accompanied by graphic images. After a while, Gavin snapped the book shut. He looked like he wanted to burn it- or to burn his hand that had touched it, but instead he slipped it into his pocket. 

He looked at Bella steadily, carefully measuring his words. When he finally opened his mouth, they both froze at the sound of shouting from the hallway. 

"James Paulson! Come out with your hands up! This is the police! The building w-is surrounded, and the FBI is here as well. Put down your weapons and-"

Gavin's gun was back in his hand instantly and he sprinted past Bella into the hallway, kneeling and sliding on the tile floor as he came around the corner. There were two cops, and two quick bullets from an M1911 slammed into their legs, dropping them to the ground. One of the cops got a shot off, but it was far too high over Gavin's shoulder.

After the two rapid shots, Gavin smoothly popped back up to a standing position and kicked the guns away from the police. He kicked their stomachs as well, enough to knock the wind out of them and double them up in even more pain. Bella emerged quickly behind Gavin, her own gun in her hand, and they both moved quickly down the stairs. When they reached the car, Gavin moved toward the passenger seat, tossing Bella the keys. 

As they pulled out of the parking lot, two police cars hit their sirens and their engines, ignoring the turn they were about to make in favor of the car that just blasted out of the building they were suppose to cordon off. 

The radio, which had been left on from before, was interrupting the regularly scheduled program to announce that another young woman's body had been found in Chicago- the third in a week, and undoubtedly the work of serial killer.

"All young women must be-"

Gavin clicked off the radio. There'd be time for that later. Right now... he reloaded as Bella turned the corner and hit the gas, throwing him back in his seat.

Bella grit her teeth, knuckles white clamped down on the steering wheel.  If these bastards wanted to stop her husband, they were going to have to catch her first and Bella Byrne was no easy meat for any copper.

"HOLD TIGHT!"  She roared.

The car went around the first corner so tight that the pavement sent tremors across the wheels, up the axel, and into the car's interior.  A hubcap flew off and was left forgotten far behind them.  A banshee wail of police sirens closed on them relentlessly.

Ruby Red light was almost blinding up ahead.  Every impulse in her said to break.  Instinct was meant to keep you alive.  A good driver listened to those... but a great driver could ignore them when necessary.

Horns screamed out as their car pushed through the intersection where waiting traffic was just beginning to move - unable to stop until it was far too late.  A man on a motorbike skidded sideways and impacted the road mercilessly with his body to avoid being run down.  Bella trusted in speed and timing to clear the intersection and she had, barely.

Behind her she could hear the sound of steel impacting steel, the siren whining as it died.  She could almost smell the burnt rubber and oil... she tried not to think about the innocent people she might have caused pain, suffering, or even death.  

'Keep them safe.'

Right now all she had time to think about was her family and they were most certainly NOT safe, not now, not so long as that monster was out there because there was no way Gavin would stop hunting him now.  Not ever, and after seeing that bit of prose he'd written... Bella's opinions now perfectly matched Gavin's on the matter.  He had to be stopped.  It wasn't just Vendetta now.  This thing was beneath them all.  A rabid wolf that threatened everyone and everything... even other wolves.  The Cosa Nostra could tolerate a lot of shit, but this wild and reckless beast?  No.  His sort had to be stopped for the good of all.  Permanently.

Bella made sure to drive around a while before heading back towards the hotel and even when she got there, she parked the car with the plates towards the building as far out of sight as she could.  The last thing they needed was another visit from the cops tonight.

Gavin had hoped to end this, and instead, they'd come to another dead end... a shadow chased with no satisfaction at the end of the race.  Still, Bella thought they'd made great progress.  Assuming the man didn't up and leave town entirely... they were sure to find him soon.  The monster didn't know it, but people with much more experience than even the cops were on his trail.  If his hatred of women hadn't been taken out on a target so personal to him... Joan... they might not have found him so easily.  Yes, he was in the wind for the moment, but someone with his level of hate... he'd come out to hunt again and they'd find him.

Turning the lock behind them, she leaned her head against the door and stood there for a moment collecting her thoughts.  She tensed, half-expecting an explosion of emotion behind her... or worse, deafening silence.  The sound of gunfire still echoed in her ears.  She wanted to curse him out for the quick reaction that could have gotten him killed... but it hadn't, it had got them out just as her driving had.  Both actions were measured reactions of professionals and yet, her heart thundered in her chest as if it had been the first time bullets had whizzed past her.  Every time, every single time, seemed to be just like the first when it came to nearly dying and she wished to God it wasn't so.

Putting her open palm on the door she pushed herself up and off of it.  Under normal circumstances, having just survived against all the odds... a gunfight, a car chase... the response would be easy.  She'd be out of her clothes already and taking her husband to the bed in a celebration of their victory and their lives.  Embracing one of the best things life had to offer... but the words in Gavin's pocket... she could still see them in her mind.  And while Gavin didn't agree with such awfulness... while he wasn't a monster and the actions of another man shouldn't affect her so, she did find it hard to want to act as they normally would knowing those words were here in the room with them now.  It was as if HE had followed them back here.

So, she stood there, staring at him, unsure of what to say or do.  Still a bit horrified at what she'd seen and read, still a bit afraid of what could have happened.  Stunned by the onslaught of emotions that consumed her now - unsure which she felt more of than the others.  Searching Gavin's reaction for some direction of what she should do or say now.  She'd told herself she'd be whatever he needed in this, as he'd been for her when they'd gone after Garret... but for as bad as Agent Garret had been, he had nothing on the monster they hunted now.  

Gavin calmly reloaded his gun, not seeming disrupted by being bounced around in the car. He'd intended to lean out the window and take a few shots, but that wasn't necessary... although riding through the intersection had been terrifying. 

Walking into their room, Gavin tossed his coat on the chair and lay down his shoulder holster on the floor near the bed- easy access.
He lay down on the bed and laced his hands on his stomach. Eventually, Bella lay next to him. They were there for twenty minutes before she realized Gavin was asleep. Not a peaceful, contended rest- but a troubled one. His fingers twitched, and he awoke shortly after.

"We need to see the third girl. I have an idea, but... I'm not sure."

They quietly readied themselves and headed outside. Their car was hidden, for now, so they hailed a cab. The ride over was quiet. Both Byrnes had a great deal to process, and they both seemed bothered by what they'd seen so far. But what was there to say at this point? With a cab driver in front of them, nothing. After several minutes, they were dropped off close enough to walk to the morgue. 

Gavin held Bella's hand as they walked on the sidewalk. Just another couple out for a stroll as the sun sank lower in the sky. Still, they were quiet. The man working at the morgue was the same was as earlier; Gavin flashed the badge again and they were walked back... a strange sense of deja vu. When he rolled out the table with the body of the dead woman, Gavin nodded to him.

"A few minutes alone, please."

The morgue official shrugged and left. Gavin slid on a pair of gloves from a dispenser nearby. The woman's body was mutilated in a similar way, from near her waist up to wear her brown hair rested under her shoulders. Gavin focused on the hair, fingering one shortened strand near the back of her head, where it looked like it had been sliced off. Nodding, he glanced up as he heard voices outside. Hearing "FBI" followed by silence, Gavin dropped the gloves and grabbed Isabella's hand, tugging her out one door and down a hallway toward what was hopefully a back exit. They found the exit, but it was locked. Cursing silently as a number of footsteps were heard in the hall, they hid into a small records room, closing the door with care behind them. There was a spot behind a series of file cabinets where they hunkered down, invisible unless someone walked all the way into the room. They heard a voice outside as a small group of people walked up, checked the exit, and turned around.

"-impersonating an agent, could be a killer. Make sure we..."

Gavin stood up silently and locked the door from the inside, before he returned to their corner, glanced at Bella, and whispered.

"Looks like we're sitting tight for a bit. If they find us, we'll hit them and run for it... but I'm hoping they think we're gone after a while."

He shrugged. They'd cross that bridge when they got there. Somewhat excitedly, he focused on the more important subject.

"Did you see the hair? Red, Blonde, Brown, Black- that pattern was mentioned at least 4-5 times in the writing. That's the order of the kills. Joan was personal- something must have happened to set him off. Wackos like this... the first one is usually personal. I bet, wherever he is, he's got locks of red, blonde, and brown hair. All girls that worked in bars. Very friendly, flirty with guys. Figure he lays low for a day or two, then goes out hunting for his next target."

"The question is,"  She whispered, "... once we get out of here, how the fuck do we find him before he kills some other girl?  There could be hundreds of dives in Chicago he might hit, we're not shooting fish in a barrel here.  We got a name for this shithead, a general idea of who he'll go after next and that's about it."  

She sighed and when she spoke again her tone held a hint of defeat.  

"How do we find a guy like that?  If he's smart he's cutting ties to everything he cares about... he knows the police are onto him now that they've raided his apartment.  He won't go back to school.  He's a loner, has no friends that we're aware of... I mean we could ask around the campus but the police are most likely doing the same and I'm going to guess that's a dead end.  He..."

She pauses.

"He needs ether."  She looked to Gavin and met his eyes, matching his previous excitement when he realized the connection between the hair colors. 

"While he can't go to classes or see friends without tipping off the police I'm sure the kid needs ether if he keeps doing this the way he's always done it!  Which means he WILL go back to the school or he's going to have to knock over a hospital to get his supplies.  Surely he hasn't stockpiled enough of it to keep going for long or his school would have noticed it missing and reported it... right?  I mean, you can kill someone with that stuff I'm sure they must keep it under lock and key and a close eye on it.  Right?"

She looked at Gavin, hoping she might be onto something - they needed something, anything to help them find this guy before he killed another woman.

"I like the ether idea. But there's a hell of a lot hospitals and medical clinics in the area, and that stuff isn't always well guarded. And the cops will be crawling over that school... he's been careful, so far. He only strikes in the perfect moment to avoid witnesses... someone that careful wouldn't try to walk through a maze of cops. Maybe we can look around for a few spots, try to stake them out? It's a good idea... there's just a lot of places. And he might be there for what? 10 minutes?"

Gavin thought for a while, then his eyes got hard.

"All the bars have been in roughly the same area Downtown. Several blocks, yea, but he obviously feels comfortable in a certain range. Also, the places he's hit have been popular. All in the top 20-25 bars, if not higher. I recognize the name of the bar this third girl worked at... I've been there a few times. If we focus on big places, popular places..."

He nodded, thinking.

"...it's the hair thing, ultimately. Red, blonde, brown, and black. He killed a redhead, a blonde, and a brunette. Black is next... and it's less common than the others. Well, at least a lot less common than blonde or brunette..."

Gavin's eyes flicked up for a moment.

"As I see it, we've got a few options... maybe we do one, maybe all of them. Depends on what you're comfortable with. We can try the ether angle, even if it's a long shot; maybe we get lucky. If not, we know he scouts the girls out for a while- at least one full night. And there were at least 3 nights between his kills... so we have a couple days, I think, at least. We can try to track him down, but if he's smart he'll just go to ground and lay low. So if we can't track him directly, I say we focus on his targets. If you want to hunt deer on a hot summer day, you don't need to run after their trails... just wait near the water. We know that he's going to try to kill a black haired woman at a popular bar... so we track them down. How many of those women could there be? Three? Four? A half dozen, at most?"

He paused, his eyes flicking up again to Bella's hand.

"We can talk to those girls, make them aware, and give them our number. Be ready to respond as soon as they call."

Gavin paused again.

"Or we could plant someone. See if he takes the bait. Find a beautiful woman with black hair, stick her at a popular bar and have her flirt with every guy who walks through the door. Might be hard on her husband, but..."

Gavin looked at Isabella steadily.

"... you don't have to. It's just an idea. But look- we're not the cops. If we were cops, we'd have to wait until he actually attacked you for evidence- well, fuck that. If we see this guy show up in the bar at all, we just put him down ASAP."

Bella thought about telling Gavin he was crazy.  She thought about yelling at him for even considering putting her out there for that disgusting fuck to think about let alone get close to... of course they'd kill him the second they saw him but the idea of that man thinking about her like that it made her sick.

And then... she thought about just how crazy he was... the sort of crazy that ran up a flight of stair into a wall of guns for her.  The sort of crazy that jumped out of perfectly good planes for her and used revolts to cover his jailbreaks to save her.  There was literally NOTHING Gavin wouldn't do for her.  Nothing.

Bella wet her lips.  "Alright."  She said nodding.  "I'll do it.  I'll need to hit a store or two, pick up some stuff... but I think we can do it.  You're right, there's far less risk in me doing this than if the cops were running the show.  We'll pick him off long before he ever gets close enough to hurt me and you can take comfort in knowing that while I might have to flirt with every guy in the place, I'm only going back to a hotel with one of them."

She chuckled and took his hand and gave it a squeeze.  "It's a good idea."  She told him in a much more convincing voice than the one inside her head.  "We're going to get this son of a bitch, he has no idea who he's up against."

Gavin nodded.

"We can both go around scouting tonight... check some bars, talk to the managers about whether they have black haired waitresses or bartenders on staff... but we can also get you a job somewhere. I'm thinking Kasey's Tavern. It's in the same rough area, but not too close. All you'd have to do is work a few nights and make a big impression. Shouldn't be too hard."

He grinned, but it quickly faded.

"If I were this guy..."

Gavin paused, seemingly reluctant to inhabit that perspective too much, but finding no other way.

"I'd scout out. Hit a few places... over the course of a night or two. Find a target that really stands out... then spend a night just watching them. After a night of that..."

He frowned.

"I think we've got a few nights. We'll use our days to reach out to the other bars and give managers a number to call if he shows up. At night... well, that's when you'll do your thing."

By being as flirtatious and licentious as possible to attract a killer.

"... and I'll sit there and drink. Nice work, if you can get it."

His attempt at levity fell short, and they both sat in silence for a while. They sat there so long that Bella, leaning against Gavin's shoulder, fell asleep. The door knob rattled a couple times, but the place eventually closed down. When it did, Gavin and Bella quietly made their way out into the increasingly cold night air.

Finding and buying a dress for the purpose of making herself desirable was an easy feat, usually.  This time it felt a bit wrong.  She knew the dangerous viper she was trying to tempt and a part of her still wanted to back out on the whole damn thing, but Gavin was counting on her. 

No, another woman out there was counting on THEM and while that normally wouldn't have made one damn bit of difference to her, this time it did.  This guy was something beyond anything she'd ever had nightmares about and he had to be stopped even if that meant she wore this...

Bella put on a shade of lips stick called 'shameless' which was just how she felt.  Her dress was so flirty it bordered on indecent and was something she imagined a conservative call girl would wear.  She might have gone worse, but she was worried that her scars would turn the killer off, so she didn't allow any of her midsection to show, not even on her back.  It was strange, but somehow, her breasts felt less personal than that tattoo on her.  The tattoo was for Gavin... that monster's eyes on it would have been utterly stomach turning. 

So, she thought, I'll make use of my breasts instead. 

They would never be of any use to a child, so they were little more than useless bits of skin anyhow and more than enough men found them attractive so it felt like a safe bet.  This was how she came to be wearing the lowest v-neck dress she'd ever dared to wear.  The dress was black with a scandalously short skirt and a slit that which showed off far too much of her thigh.  Tonight she would be reliant upon Gavin in this dress... she had nowhere for a gun or knife to be stashed away and so in that regard, she felt utterly naked for the first time in many years.

In this situation, she wasn't Don Byrne left-hand to Jack Mezzo daughter of the late Godfather Luciano, tonight she was just another barmaid hoping for some good tips, using her every curve, smile and flirtatious word to get them.  With luck Gavin would spot his prey early on, then they could kill the son of a bitch and hide the body.  Hell, maybe they'd be back home before sunrise.  Until then, she'd just do her best to look, act, and sound the part.  After all, it was JUST carrying drinks.  How hard could that possibly be?

NIGHT ONE

Hour 1

Bella smiled happily as patrons laughed with her friendly banter.  Her hair was worn in a cute ponytail which made her look like a free-spirited pixie, so much like she'd been as a younger girl.  Her long raven locks flounced back and forth, a flag calling out to the killer she hoped, as she chattered with friendly after-work patrons who were now filling the common room at a steady (but manageable) pace. 

THIS IS SO MUCH FUN!

How could anyone not love this job?  If she ever retired from the life of a mobster this was TOTALLY what she was going to do with her twilight years.    

Hour 2

The rattling sound of ice in an empty glass was starting to annoy Bella and this one thirty-something kept insisting on making the noise as opposed to flagging her down or calling out as most patrons did. 

Does this guy think I'm some sort of animal to be summoned with a noisemaker?

She pasted a smile on her face as she heard the clinking again. 

Maybe he'll leave after the early evening crowd filters out?

God, she hoped so. 

Hour 3

"Waitress!"  Someone was calling out to her but she needed this table free so she had to work fast.  Bella winced as she collected the glasses, trying her damnedest to keep smiling and not vomit over the appearance of cigarette butts and whatever the hell else that was in one of the glasses.

**CLINK, CLINK, CLINK**

It was then she realized her tip was in the cup.  The asshole had put her tip into the fucking cup!

What the actual hell - who does shit like that?!?

**CLINK, CLINK, CLINK**

Smile... smile... smile...

Hour 4

The blister on her foot actually had a blister of its own... Bella had been shot and right now she was CERTAIN that being shot would be preferable to racing from the bar to the tables having a blistered foot shoved into overly-high heels.  Still, somehow, she hadn't lost her cool and Bella was proud of that.  Really it was something of a miracle.

"Thanks so much, Beautiful!" said auburn-haired young man, who was nearing the cut off point flirted.  Bella knew he was going to leave her a good tip.  After four hours of this, she was already figuring out which people were worth the time and which weren't.  This guy had deep pockets and charm that could go on for days.  He was perhaps one of the few people in here that actually struck her as genuine as opposed to those who ignored her as a drink providing machine, looked down on her for clearly being a floozy despite them not knowing a damn thing about her, or worse treated her as if she was little more than a sexual object.

Bella winked at the young man and his friends elbowed him in the ribs and laughed at him when she did.  She could feel his friend's eyes on her as she swayed her hips walking away.  In some regards she liked the attention, it was nice to know that you were desirable to members of the opposite sex ... but Gavin was watching and some part of her worried about the harmless young men. 

Her husband was already in a bad mood and every time one of them called her beautiful, toots, dollface, or some other affectation she imagined Gavin putting a hash mark on some invisible score sheet where each mark equaled the number of times he'd hit some poor kid in the face if he crossed whatever line Gavin had established for appropriate behavior towards his wife.

Bella winced as she stepped in such a way as she pinched her blister, her smile faltered as pain shot through her.

God, it hurts like hell... maybe I should just take a break and pop it?

Hour 5

Quickly she went back to the bar where the man behind the counter was filling up a tray for her.  "Table five."  He said nodding to the table in case she'd forgotten which was which.  Sadly, despite there being no more than a dozen tables in her section she'd forgotten a few times so she was grateful for the help.

The room was shoulder to shoulder now.  Very carefully she navigated around two groups of excessively rowdy college boys out for a pub crawl.  As she walked she tried not to put too much weight on the foot that was blistered.  She hoped she could relieve some of the pain by walking just a little off center.  This, as it turned out, was a huge mistake.

Bella went down to the floor hard, drinks going everywhere to a ruckus response of drunken laughter, sympathetic groans, and more than a couple people clapping as if she'd provided some stellar entertainment.  

"GOD DAMN IT!"  A man screamed at her.  He was far less concerned with Bella gathering herself up off the floor out of a mess of glass and liquor than he was the mess she'd made on his pants.

"I'm so sorry!"  Bella pleaded, her smile forgotten utterly as she tried to take the cloth from her belt and wipe up the man's leg.

The man looked at the crotch of his tan slacks stained with bright red syrup from one of the drinks, "DON'T!  JUST DON'T!" 

Bella, still kneeling, backed away right into a wall of people who were crowding around.

"Hey!" The auburn-haired young man and his friends, who were now several drinks into their own bender, were right behind her helping her up.  "Ease up on her, pal, it's her first night!"  Her would-be savor threw out authoritatively.

"I'm okay..."  Bella started but her voice was drowned out by the irate man in the wet pants.

"SHE SHOULD STICK WITH BEING A BAT!"

Bella was getting out of the way and the bouncers were moving in even before her auburn-haired hero swung at wet slack's face.  The scuffle was over just as quick as it began thanks to the large employees who dragged all sides of the fight out into the street.  Sadly Bella didn't get her tip and she didn't get to thank the young man and his drinking buddies who'd come to stand up for her. 

Bella couldn't help but wonder if wet-pants shouldn't count his lucky stars that the bouncers hauled his ass away when they did... it wasn't likely Gavin missed him calling his wife a prostitute and if she thought dollface was a name that would irritate him, that one would make him consider pulling his damn gun.

CLOSING TIME

Her shift was almost over.  Only two men remained in the room now.  Gavin was one of them.  She'd taken to occasionally letting her eyes drift over towards him and nearly every time he was looking at her.  She wondered if he'd been that way all night or if he was indulging in watching her because it was finally safe to do so. 

She looked back to the bar and the last man who was sitting there alone nursing a recently filled beer mug.  As he didn't match the description of who they were looking for and there were only ten minutes left in her shift, she decided to take her act on the road.  Bella began to cross the room to where Gavin sat alone. 

The sashay of her hips was almost perfect, her blisters had popped about an hour ago when she fell and stained her dress with the spilled alcohol.  Her hair had been slowly falling through the night and she supposed she looked a terrible mess compared to how she started the night out... but she put on the act she gave every other patron, just the same.

"Can I get you something to drink, Mister?"  She smiled at him as if he were just another customer but in truth, she wanted to collapse into his arms and let him carry her back to the hotel.  "A nightcap before the last call maybe?  You look like you could use one."  

Bella tried not to think about the fact that without having seen their target tonight, she had another night of this to look forward to tomorrow.

As Bella got ready for her first night, Gavin rested a hand on her shoulder- but nothing more. Ever since they'd landed in Chicago, there'd been a physical distance between them; Gavin chalked it up to the nature of their hunt, and he was perfectly content to leave things as they were. They'd nail this guy, get the hell out of the city, and then things could get normal again.

But for now? Normal was out.

It didn't help that he saw Evelyn's brutalized body every time he closed his eyes. He wasn't sleeping well. He knew that Bella knew as well, but she hadn't brought it up. She was there for him, and that was enough. 

He patted her shoulder.

"This monster has a lot to pay for, not the least of which he's ruined that dress for me. I can't enjoy really enjoy this..."

Gavin hinted at a subdued smile before getting back to business.

"So there's no real danger, I think. I'll be right there with you, and if he shows... we'll just end it quickly. Grab a kitchen knife and keep it behind the bar, and don't go outside alone."

***

Gavin sat in the second best corner for observation, leaving the best one open for the killer. The first couple hours passed by uneventfully; at times, Bella even looked like she was enjoying herself. That quickly changed, and Gavin nearly jumped behind the bar to help. First, he drank to give himself something to do. Then he drank to keep himself from intervening. Not enough to dull his reflexes, but enough to take the edge off. After that, he drank perhaps slightly more than was wise to resist punching the red haired guy. Besides, they didn't expect anything to happen tonight anyways.

He shot up to his feet when she fell, immediately looking around and forcing himself back down. When the insults and the fists started flying, he gripped the table until his knuckles were white. 

Bigger. Fish. To Fry.

When she finally approached him, he smirked at her- just as he had in an ice cream parlor a million years ago.

"Sounds nice, but I think I need to hit the road..."

He loaned closer.

"... meetcha outside."

With a wink, he was gone.

***

Bella walked out twenty minutes later, done with cleaning up and putting the bar back together for the next night. As she stepped outside, she was greeted by... nothing. 

She wanted to shout Gavin's name, but whispered it instead; only the cold wind was her answer.

Bella started walking in the direction of their hotel, and after a short while heard a second set of footsteps behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw a man in a baseball cap.

Her heart skipped a beat before she recognized her husband; no one else moved like that. 

Gavin approached her and rested a hand on her shoulder, speaking softly as he handed her a piece of paper.

"We have a problem..."

Bella looked down to see the poster in her hand.

WANTED FOR QUESTIONING 

CONSIDERED ARMED AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS

IF YOU SEE THIS MAN, CALL POLICE IMMEDIATELY; DO NOT ENGAGE

Below the writing was a hand drawn composite picture of Gavin. Evidently, the police officers who'd seen him at the killer's place and the morgue manager had been busy.

Bella shook her head.  "So... what now?  You sure as hell can't sit in the bar and ... you're not leaving me alone at the hotel i barely sleep as it is.  No.  I won't stand for it.  I'd rather sleep with you in a car if we have to, but...  surely we can sneak in without anyone seeing you?"

She stumbled a bit, uneasy in her heels after all these hours, "Damn it all to hell... you know what?  Fuck it."  She reached down to take off her shoes not caring that they were bare on the sidewalk now.  In fact, the cold was just what the doctor ordered. 

"Oh god, that feels like heaven..."

And then she moaned slightly, a mix of relief from her pained feet and a new sensation of pain in them she didn't expect.

"Please tell me you have a plan cause right now... I'm seriously contemplating killing the bastard with this heel when we find him."