In the Darkness there is light

It’s dark. The kind of dark that you can’t see an inch in front of your face. The kind of dark that you don’t know where you are, or if you’ll ever see the light of day. It's Bone chillingly cold. She shutters in her pale turquoise dress. A summer dress she bought to wear to the beach with William. A dress made for being in the hot sun, definitely not for arctic temperatures and dark creepy places. Goose bumps cover her arms and legs, and the hair stands up on the back of her neck. But not because of the cold; rather because of the hot breath she now feels on the back of her neck. The breath that comes from the man who is whispering in her ear, “Alone at last.”

Laying on their bed William turns his head. The sun is peaking through the curtains making her red hair glow. He looks down at her face, her features soft and peaceful in her sleep. Her eyes shut with her long lashes grazing her soft pink cheeks. A light dusting of freckles on her nose. A smile plays on William’s lips as he thinks of how he wants to wake her. His eyes pop open as he reaches out for her and his hand lands on the cold empty bed. William sighs and his hand grasps the duvet as he says aloud, “Where are you?”

It’s been three days of searching. Three long days that he’s been without her. They were supposed to meet at the train station. "Don’t forget baby, 3:00. I will meet you at our stop at 3:00." Her words ringing in his ears, William climbs out of bed his stomach growling. William glances at the clock 5:04am, too early to call, he wonders. He reaches for his phone on the bedside table and presses the call button. Sergeant Daniels answers on the third ring, “Hi Will.”

“Good morning Sarg, I’m sorry to call so early.”

“No big deal, I haven’t been sleeping so you didn’t wake me, if that’s what you were worried about.” “Any news?”

“Sorry, nothing yet. I’ve been watching the security tapes from the train station over and I just can’t see the guy's face. But I have my people working on it. Once they have something more substantial, I’ll give you a call so you can take a look, see what you can get out of it.”

“Ok. Thanks.”

“Hey Will?”

“Yeah.”

“Stop calling me Sarg, we’ve known each other since we were 5!”

“Ok. Sorry Matt.”

“That’s alright. And Will?”

“Yes Matt?”

“Eat Something.”

“Ok Matt.” Will hangs up the phone and wanders into the kitchen, opening the fridge to get milk for his cereal he sees a picture of the two of them together. So happy, smiling and totally in love. Then that familiar knot appears in his stomach again and he closes the fridge unable to eat.

Two Years Earlier...

Standing in the grocery store trying to pick the right watermelon, Chloe knows she looks silly as she first taps the watermelon and then holds it up to her face to smell it. A friend told her once that if it smells sweet, a watermelon is guaranteed to be delicious.

Standing across from her in the produce section is a guy most girls would drool over. Not overly tall, he’s about 5’11, he has skin the color of caramel and jet-black hair cut short. He smiles to himself as his chocolate brown eyes watch this gorgeous girl smell the watermelon. It’s at that moment that he is intrigued by her. He decides he just has to meet her, if for no other reason than to find out why exactly she smells the watermelon. He always thought that by knocking on it you could tell how ripe it is.

Chloe finally decides on a watermelon and sets it in her cart. She’s looking at her list when she hears a voice say, “Excuse me?”

Looking up her big green eyes take in this gorgeous man and her heart skips a beat as she realizes he’s talking to her. “Yes?” She asks smiling at him. Already she can feel herself blush.

His smile widens as he sees her blush. Cute. He thinks. “I just had to ask you, what exactly is the reason behind smelling a watermelon? I’ve never seen anyone do that before.”

Her blush deepens. Looking up at him through her lashes, Chloe replies, “Well if it smells sweet it usually means it will taste sweet too.”

“Thanks, I’m Will, by the way.” He says, stretching his hand out to shake hers.

She shakes his hand and says, “Nice to meet you Will.” Then smiling at him she turns her attention back to the produce stand next to her.

If he wasn’t intrigued before he certainly is now. Will shakes his head wondering if he should ask her name, or if he should just part ways with her. He knows that generally his looks alone attract plenty of female attention, and usually he doesn’t have to say anything more than “Hi” before a woman is begging to go to bed with him. But this girl is different. As he’s looking at her, Will is realizing just how gorgeous this girl is. She’s not very tall, and curvy, she has this long thick red hair which he’s hoping is her natural color. Those eyes, big beautiful green eyes, that sort of sparkle with a hint of mischievousness behind them. That’s it, he has to know her. One way or another he has to know who this girl and everything about her.

“Are you going to tell me your name? Or do I need to ask you more produce questions first?” Will asks.

Chloe turns her head and smiles at Will. She decided when he approached her that he must know he’s good looking and she didn’t want him to know that she finds him attractive. But, once again she blushes. Biting her lip as she ponders what to say, Will notices what a pretty face she has, naturally beautiful really. He notices the little dusting of freckles on her nose, the dimples that appear when she smiles and oh how cute she is when she blushes.

“I think I’d like to ask you a produce question, and if you are right, I’ll give you, my name.” Chloe says smiling mischievously at him.

“Alright, go on then.”

Chloe looks around for inspiration. Finally, she smiles to herself and then asks, “What is this fruit or vegetable?” holding up an Avocado.

Will laughs, “Easy, vegetable.”

“Nope, sorry, fruit. Thank you for playing and better luck next time.” Chloe says walking away from a stunned faced Will.

Shivering in the dark, Chloe smiles as she remembers how they met. She wonders what he’s doing and if he’s any closer to finding her. Hands and feet shackled to a wall; Chloe looks around the room trying to get some clue as to where she is. A twin sized bed with thread bare sheets in one corner. A round window above it that’s been covered in newspaper clippings, but too far away for her to read them. A chest of drawers sits opposite the bed and next to a locked door. The walls and floor are stone. The door is wood and looks to be quite old. Chloe hears the heavy footsteps of her keeper as he climbs or descends some sort of stairs outside the door. She shivers again; looking down at her torn dress she’s once again wishing she was wearing something other than a thin cotton dress over her bathing suit. Although he has not touched her, she still feels naked in his presence.

Standing under the hot water in the shower, Will still can’t seem to get warm. It’s the middle of the summer and the temperature of the water is much warmer than most normal people would be able to stand. But no matter what he does he still feels cold. Cold, empty and scared. Where are you? He thinks yet again. He hears his phone ringing from the bedroom, and he almost breaks his neck jumping out of the shower and running to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Will? Baby is that you?” Chloe cries into the phone.

“Chloe!? Chloe?! Where are you baby?”

Then he hears her sobbing as a deep voice with a British accent says, “She’s mine now. But if you want to say goodbye, you know where to find us. You have 72 hours. I will call you with instructions. Don’t bother calling the police. They will never find us, if you do, we will be gone, and you will never see her again.” Click

Will stands there staring at the phone, Unknown number, no way to call back. It rings again.

“Hello?”

“Will its Matt. I think we have something you need to see.”

“Will, can you join me in the briefing room again? We found some prints.” Matt says a smile spreading across his face for the first time in days.

Sitting at the table Will watches Matt pace back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. His hands pulling on his short cropped blonde hair. “I don’t get it. I just don’t get it. Where did he get the print from? The body’s been in the morgue for the past two weeks. Did he kill her too? Doesn’t fit. I don’t get it.”

“Matt?”

“Hey Matt!”

Matt stops pacing and looks at Will.

“We’ll figure it out. But listen I’m going to go for a walk… collect my thoughts.” Will says glancing at the clock, it’s been 12 minutes.

Once outside, Will turns the corner and makes sure he is out of view of the police station before running down the street to where he parked his car. A few feet from his car and his phone rings. Will looks at his watch. Fifteen minutes exactly.

“Hello?”

“Well, done William.”

“How did you know where I was?”

“Now is not the time for questions. I don’t like questions William. I like action. I say and you do. Simple as that. Got it?”

“Got it.”

“Good. Now, your first task is to go to the place where you and my beloved went on your first date. When you get there go to the men’s restroom and look in the last stall. Your first assignment is there. You have an hour.” Click

Will doesn't hesitate; he knows exactly where to go. He climbs into his Ford F150 and cranks the engine over. He puts the car into drive and heads straight to the Warehouse Bar in downtown.

Chloe looks up as the door to her cage opens. Her keeper walks in dragging a rolling suitcase behind him. She shivers as she wonders what horrible thing, he has in store for her.

He drags the suitcase in front of her and unzips it but does not open it. He then walks to her side and pulls a key from his pocket. He unlocks one then the other of the shackles on her wrists.

“Now, choose something to wear, because as lovely as you are we are going somewhere cold. After you've changed your top, I will return and allow you to change into trousers as well.” As he says this, he licks his lips taking in every inch of her body. Chloe looks away trying not to let him see her fear. The fear that has consumed her whole being.

“Do you understand me?”

Chloe nods. He smiles that wicked grin and walks out of the room, closing the door behind him. Chloe slowly opens the suitcase afraid of what she might find. She is surprised not only to find normal clothing, but also her clothing.

As Will pulls the truck into a parking space across from the Warehouse he glances at his watch 30 minutes passed already. He jumps out of the truck and takes long, quick strides into the bar. Keeping his head down he walks straight past the bar, hoping the bartender won’t see him. Thankfully his back is turned so he doesn’t see him as he heads straight for the restroom. Throwing the door to the last stall open he sees it, a giant black teddy bear sitting on top of the toilet with an envelope tied around its neck. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Will mutters under his breath as he approaches the teddy bear. Then a cold shiver runs down his spine as he notices that the envelope is tied to the bear’s neck with a green scarf. The scarf that Will bought for Chloe last winter.

Sitting on the floor Chloe sifts through the contents of the suitcase. Feeling numb as she sees all her familiar clothing, not quite understanding how he got them and wondering what else he has taken. A knot builds in her stomach, sickened by the thought of her captor going through her home. Then a thought hits her, when? When did he go there and how, without Will seeing him?

Sitting back in his chair he turns his head from one screen to another. Smiling to himself running a finger across his lips. He watches as Chloe mindlessly sifts through her suitcase. He thought she’d prefer her own clothing; he wants her to feel at home. Silently urging her to hurry as they have a schedule to keep, he looks at his watch and then at the other screen where he sees Will standing over the teddy bear reading the message.

"You took what wasn’t yours and now I’ve taken it back. I won this teddy bear to give to my fair lady and win her heart. But you were in the way. So now you will have to pay. Go to the 1st street pier alone and put this teddy bear back where he came from. When you have finished that enter the house of horrors at 9pm sharp. Don’t be late."

Will reads it over and over and then looks down at his watch, it’s 6pm and it will take him at least an hour to drive to the pier. Picking up the teddy bear Will stuffs the scarf in his pocket as he decides there’s something he needs to do first before he goes there. Fishing his car keys from his other pocket, bear under his arm and message in his back pocket Will puts his head down and strides with purpose through the bar.

Many Years Earlier...

"Mum, I don't like the American schools. Do I have to go? They make fun of me and the way I talk."

"Shush child. You must hold your head high and make them bow down to you. You are their Lord and they your lowly subjects. If they laugh at you, laugh back my child, for you are the one who speaks properly."

Running in circles around the jungle gym the fair headed boy tries desperately to get away from the rather large boy who is chasing him and mocking his British accent. His mother's words fill his head and suddenly he stops in his tracks. Filled with rage he turns to the other boy who stops short, nearly colliding with him.

The peals of laughter surrounding him halt abruptly as the fair-haired boy lifts his arm, and with all the strength he can muster punches the boy square in the jaw, knocking him off his feet. Head held high, the fair-haired boy turns to the open-mouthed school children and says, "bow to me, or I will lay you down, like him."

No one has made him feel like a small, awkward child since that day. Not until that fateful day when he met the woman of his dreams, only to have her stolen from him by someone so incredibly unworthy. Someone who once hung on the jungle gym and laughed at him, someone who used to bow down to him in the school yard. He chuckles as he watches that boy now all grown up walking with purpose down the pier. He takes a sip of his frozen lemonade and keeping a few feet behind, he follows Will.

Her clothes strewn around her on the floor, Chloe shudders as she remembers his fingers on her, grazing her stomach after zipping and buttoning her jeans for her. He refused to let her loose long enough to change herself fully. But now wearing jeans and one of Will's hoodies, that he packed by mistake, Chloe feels a little less naked, though no less alone and no less scared. She notices just how eerily quiet this place is, no traffic noise, no loud neighbors, no TV or radio noise, no dogs barking. Wherever her captor has taken her it is far from any signs of civilization. Once again, she looks around the room trying desperately to find some clue as to where she is, but to no avail. There is nothing here that tells her anything. Chloe sighs and then decides what's the use anyhow, it seems that if he's changed her clothing, he's also planning to take her somewhere else.

As he reaches the end of the pier Will sees his destination, except there's one problem. This end of the pier is closed until further notice for construction. Whatever this guy has planned he doesn't want anyone to see. Will glances around and then quickly maneuvers himself and the teddy bear under the yellow caution tape. He looks at the house of horrors on his left and sighs, then heads off to his right in the direction of the arcade.

Sitting on a bench, just beyond the caution tape the fair-haired boy, now a man smiles as he looks down at a tablet, which now shows him a clear view of the arcade and the many obstacles he has there. He will be truly impressed if William makes it to the house of horrors, but has no doubt, that once he goes in there he won't be coming out.

As soon as Will steps into the arcade he trips and falls face first onto the hardwood floor. Slowly he lifts his head and tastes blood on his tongue. Will checks first for missing teeth and then winces as he feels the large split in his lower lip. He gets up and grabs the teddy bear which flew from his grasp as he fell. Turning around he searches for the cause of his fall. Looking he sees fishing wire tied tightly between two spikes which have been drilled into the hardwood floor. Finding his Swiss army knife in his pocket he cuts the wire, preventing him from tripping over it again, should he need to run back out of the arcade quickly. Replacing the knife in his pocket he looks around, first at the floor and then at the ceiling for anymore traps.

Seeing nothing obvious he takes a tentative step forward. Then another. He is only a few feet from the stuffed animal claw machine. As he decides he's pretty safe Will begins to walk normally toward the machine. A few steps away, he is taken by surprise as the floor beneath him gives way and he falls through. The teddy bear in one hand Will grasps desperately at the floorboards as he dangles above the sharp rocks protruding from below.

“It can’t be. It just can’t be.” Matt is saying shaking his head as he stands, hands on hips behind the lab tech’s computer.

“I’m sorry, Matt, but it looks like we are dealing with a professional here. Fingerprints don’t lie, even planted ones. The print from the briefcase belongs to Maggie Green the hooker that was brought into the morgue last week.”

“It just doesn't make any sense, how’d this guy get her fingerprint? If he killed Maggie, then what’s the connection to Chloe? Physically they are completely different. Do me a favor Mike, see what you can dig up on Maggie Green, I want to know everything about her.”

Dangling from the floorboards, Will hears his phone ringing in his pocket. He feels the splinters digging into his palm as his grip tightens on the wood. With his other hand he carefully tosses the bear back through the hole in which he’s fallen and hopes that it hasn't landed in any other booby trap. Now gripping the floorboards in both hands Will assesses his options. He could let go and attempt to land in the ocean, with a two percent chance of missing the rocks beneath him. Or he could try to pull himself up through the hole he’s created, taking the chance that the rest of the floor won’t cave beneath him as he does so. Will closes his eyes and pictures Chloe; her smile, her dimples her big sparkling green eyes, the freckles that dust her nose, her long shiny red hair. Will takes a deep breath and opening his eyes chooses option number three. Swinging his body to the right he reaches out and his hand connects with one of the load bearing posts that holds the pier above the ocean. Feeling the post he finds the hand hold on the inside of it. Smiling to himself for remembering something from his engineering class, Will shifts his weight and wraps himself around the post.

Clever. Very Clever William. He thinks to himself as he tosses his empty cup in the trash and heads to the parking structure across from the pier. But all you have done is given me more time to get farther away from you. You will never find us.

Matt sighs and puts his phone back in his pocket he tries to shake the feeling that Will is in danger. He’s probably just trying to get some sleep. After all he hasn't had in any in several days. As he sits down behind his desk, Mike walks in, paper in hand.

“I think you’re going to like what I've found Matt.”

Matt looks at him expectantly, too tired to answer or get his hopes up.

“Maggie has a brother. I found this picture of the two of them, and I’m pretty sure he’s the same guy from the train station security tape.”

Fists pounding on the thick wood door that belongs to a very impressive home entirely built from stone. The entire structure looking like something out of the Dark Ages. "Samuel Green this is the Police Department, Open the door or we will be forced to open it ourselves!" Matt stands behind the officers as they are shouting this and pounding on the door. One of the officers turns to Matt for approval to forcefully enter, and just as he is about to nod, the door opens.

Hands ducked taped together behind her back and a blindfold over her eyes, Chloe feels the firm hand of her kidnapper as he leads her down what feels like a very long tunnel. Just as she feels it will never end she notices the light change as does the temperature. It's darker, and colder. Night, she thinks. I'm outside! He's moving me! Then remembering a movie or documentary she saw once, Chloe quiets her breathing and concentrates. Though she can't see where she is or where she is going she notices everything else. A distinct smell, a mixture of freshly cut grass and some sort of farm animal, cows maybe. She feels the wind as it crosses her right to left and then directly in the face as he turns her. Chloe feels the hard packed dirt under her feet and finally decides they are traveling in an SUV of some kind. This she deducts based on the way he lifts her into the vehicle, the size of the backseat she seems to be on, and the way the door is slammed shut instead of glided on a track like a van's would be. Chloe takes a mental note of all these things and waits for her captor to climb in the front seat and start the engine. Chloe smiles as she notes the familiar sound of the engine. One thing he doesn't seem to know about her is that her Mechanic father taught her well, Chloe knows vehicle noises. Although not certain of the year, she now knows her captor is a man of particular tastes and one with money as he puts the Land Rover into gear and takes her away.

Laying on his back staring at the rising moon, Will sighs as he rubs his aching shoulders. Although in pretty good shape, that climb up the post did a number on him. Will checks his phone and sees two missed calls from Matt. But before calling him back he sees that it's already nearly 9pm, and he still has to return the bear and get to the House of Horrors. With aching arms and a swollen lip, Will stands on the pier and once again makes his way to the arcade. But he doesn't enter. He's smart this time, he circles the outside looking through the windows he spots the hole in the floor and the bear which is now two feet away closer to the wall. Then he notices the machine in which the bear is supposed to go, at the bottom of it, sticking out of the hole is an envelope. Deciding to forgo the bear Will plans an alternate route to get to the envelope. Climbing into the window he pulls himself onto a nearby game and then leans over and crosses to the table which is directly across from the bear machine. After testing it's weight Will lays down on the table and inches his body across it so that he can reach down and grab the envelope.

With a slight effort he is able to grab it and he exits the arcade the same way he entered.

Sitting on a bench just outside he opens the envelope. Inside is a note and a picture. The picture is of a suitcase full of clothes and a topless Chloe. Chloe has her head down and doesn't seem to know that the picture is being taken. It's in black and white, possibly a still shot from a security camera. Filled with pure rage Will reads the note:

"You think it's going to be easy? It's not. Go to the House of Horrors if you are one minute late after 9pm, you will forever be too late. We are already gone but you will have one chance to find us. But first you must conquer that which you fear most."

Gripping the note and photo fiercely Will checks the time. 8:57pm, three minutes. With renewed purpose Will runs to the House of Horrors, outside of losing Chloe there is only one thing that Will has ever had a phobia of, but he can't possibly know what it is, can he?

Standing on the threshold is a man in his mid-forties with salt and pepper colored hair and skin the color of milk chocolate, he is dressed in flannel pajama pants and a white t-shirt. Matt stares at him in disbelief as he hears him say, "I'm Sam Green, what can I do for you officers?"

Standing in the doorway to the House of Horrors, Will looks at his watch as he catches his breath; 8:59pm. It's a good thing he is still in good enough shape, otherwise that sprint across the pier would not have happened, with everything else he has endured so far this evening. Taking one last deep breath Will steps into the House of Horrors.

Blind-folded and duct taped, Chloe is starting to feel a little less scared sitting in the back of the Land Rover. Having listened to the sound of the vehicle, she can tell you that the front brakes are almost metal on metal. Using her other available senses, she can also say for certain that the rear passenger tire is low on air and there seems to be an oil leak somewhere by the way it smells. After what felt like ages the car slows down and pulls onto a gravel driveway. Stopping in front of a stone cottage that overlooks the ocean he climbs out and smiles as he looks up at the moon. Putting his hands through his blonde hair he feels invincible, he has his prize, and no one will ever stand in his way. Walking to the back of the vehicle he opens the trunk and unloads the two suitcases and black briefcase. As he does he leans in toward the backseat and says softly, "Tonight you will be mine forever." The fear that was beginning to abate suddenly hits Chloe with full force and she shutters.

"I don't understand, it all seemed so easy. I really thought we had the guy." Matt says to himself as he and the officers leave Sam's home emptyhanded.

After stepping tentatively into the House of Horrors, Will looks around for more traps. He doesn't see any, but instead sees glow in the dark green arrows spray painted along the walls. Above the first arrow is his name. Slowly and as quietly as possible he moves forward. A plastic skeleton jumps out of it's box next to him and Will jumps in surprise. Shaking his head he continues on, following the arrows. When a plastic witch pops down in front of him, Will punches it in frustration As he turns a corner he hears the sound that makes his very insides curdle in fear. The slithery, stealthy, evil hiss of snakes. The arrow in front of him is pointing down a staircase, as he reaches the top of it the hissing becomes louder. Placing his hands on the wall to steady himself Will closes his eyes.

He pictures Chloe's face. Their third date, a trip to the zoo. He had spent the entire day trying to casually stay as far away from the snake pit as possible. He didn't want to seem like less of a man. Then a zoo keeper with a large yellow and black snake wrapped around his neck and arm is standing just ahead of them and before Will can find a escape route Chloe has spotted it. Grabbing his hand she says, "Hey look how cool!" Will takes a step and stops, bringing Chloe to a halt. "What's wrong babe?" she asks.

"I'm not a fan of snakes."

Chloe's face lights up all ready to tease Will for being scared, but then quickly her expression changes, a crease between her eyebrows forms as she grows concerned. Chloe's never seen Will this way. . . vulnerable. Chloe whispers, "I don't know what happened that caused you to fear snakes, but I promise that as long as I am around, no snake will ever hurt you. But if I am not with you, kick em' with your boot."

Opening his eyes Will is filled with a sense of determination, hesitating before walking further into this nightmare a thought occurs to him. No clue he's been given has gotten him any closer to Chloe. This whole scavenger hunt has been designed to quite literally remove Will from Chloe's life. He thinks about the pier and wonders why it's so significant.

The teddy bear... then a memory comes to his mind, almost as if a light bulb has been turned on.

They had been together about a month when it happened. Chloe's niece and nephew were in town and they decided to go to the pier for lunch at the dinner and games at the arcade. Chloe's niece wanted a teddy bear and try as he might Will couldn't make it happen. Five dollars in quarters later a frustrated Will heads to the cashier to get another five dollars in quarters. Walking back to them, Will is stopped in his tracks as Chloe's niece runs up to him clutching a large teddy bear and squealing in delight. Looking up, Will sees a tall, blonde man talking to Chloe. His back is to Will, but the smile on Chloe's face instills a wave of jealousy in Will. Chloe's eyes see the look of hurt on Will's face as he approaches and she interrupts the conversation with the blonde to introduce Will.

With a thick British accent, the blonde man introduces himself as Maxwell. There's something familiar about him, that Will can't quite figure out. Chloe quickly explains that Maxwell was kind enough to show them the trick to the game and won the teddy bear for her niece. Then sensing the growing tension between the two men, Chloe tells Maxwell it was nice to meet him, thanks him for the help and they part ways.

A smile spreads across his face as he now has a name, taking quick strides out of the House of Horrors, Will pulls his phone out of his pocket and presses call.

"Matt? Hey, I have a name."

Once again tied to a chair and blindfolded, Chloe inhales the scent of the sea and again silently begs for Will to find her. Her legs ache from climbing three flights of stairs, her wrists tender from restraints and her mouth is dry from thirst. Standing on the small balcony outside the third floor loft Maxwell looks up at the moon and the cloudless night and smiles. Soon it will be over he thinks, soon she and I will be together forever and no one will be able to follow us.

Bursting through the elevator doors Will practically trips over himself as he barrels toward Matt's desk.

"Tell me what you have, Will"

"Maxwell. His name is Maxwell."

In a rush Will explains what happened on the pier, as well as the scavenger hunt. Matt doesn't say anything but with a stern face he motions for Will to follow him and the tow of them head toward the elevator once more.

"Will, this is Sasha, she's a detective in VICE and I think you need to hear what she has to say."

He listens eagerly as Sasha explains that the department had been tracking a prostitution ring for awhile, and that recently several of the prostitutes had come up missing. The one thing they all had in common was their last "John." A good looking tall, blonde man with a thick British accent. The names given were always different, but he always paid in large bills. "The last prostitute to go missing, happened yesterday. The other thing they have in common is that they all have red hair, except one who had a red haired wig."

Just then, Matt's phone rings. "Yes.... Really? Okay, we will be there in ten."

Matt turns to will with a smirk. "We've got a break I think. A woman was brought into the ER last Thursday with a very deep cut on her neck, they thought she was going to bleed to death. She didn't. She's a prostitute. Her last client was blonde, rich and British. She's been in a coma since Saturday, but she just woke up."

Speeding down the freeway, Matt talks incessantly, "There was a different pattern to her death. The wounds were sloppy, and superficial. Almost like he hesitated before he killed her, because he knew her."

Will nods silently, trying desperately not to get his hopes up about this possible witness.

Matt continues, "You know what else is weird? He paid all those women for services, but not one of them had evidence of any sexual interaction. The only one who did was Maggie."

Will breaks his silence, "We have to find her. And I'm going to kill him."