Super Psycho (Chapter-18)

I was on my way home from work when my phone vibrated in my pocket. I took a breath as my hand reached in my jacket pocket to see who sent me a text.

It was an unknown sender.

The message was an address.

For a second, I thought why I would get an address from an unknown sender. It was already late at night and I wasn’t in the mood to deal with this. Then I realized what it was.

Nate came through with an address for me. Jaymin just killed the Dean of the performing arts school.

I turned around to run.

I forgot about the strain in my leg, how I could easily break my bones by over exerting myself, how anything could really happen.

My heart was racing in my chest as I tried to focus on what I was looking at. I had to run the longest distance to get to where I am, and now I have to see the most gruesome view I’ve ever seen up close.

Why did I think I could stop Jaymin?

Why did I even rush? Of course I would be too late. There was no point to putting extra effort when I know Jaymin would go ahead and take extreme precaution if he knew he was going to get caught.

My legs were on fire from running for too long. My hands pressed down on my knees as I gasped for air, feeling the ache in my throat. I wanted to ignore the intense smell of blood but that wasn’t the only thing I noticed as I got my breathing under control.

Everything ached.

But that doesn’t matter, especially since I was staring at something worse.

Jaymin had a baseball bat in his gloved hands. With all the blood smeared on the concrete and the fence, I figured he wasn’t trying to be that clean. Right on the other side was an old play ground for a run down neighborhood. There were street lights on the other side that barely lit the scene up but I saw all the blood everywhere. I saw what the body looked like.

He was admiring his work but out of all the ways he’s displayed his murders, this is the sloppiest and most gruesome. The body that was hanging on the fence looked like it was gong to fall. Jaymin looked like he was waiting for that second to happen.

I covered my mouth to hide my breathing but I couldn’t hold it. Everything hurt like hell. Plus I was dealing with shock. My chest burned from the fire of running and from the anxiety of seeing this abhorrent scene.

“Look who finally decided to show up.” Jaymin turned around slowly to look at me and held his bat down.

He’s not happy.

“And here I thought you’d be around to see me bash his head in.” He gestured to the mutilated, limp body that was tied up against the fence.

There was just so much damage that there would be no way for anyone else to identify the body on first glance. Jaymin is not merciful. When he said he bashed that old man’s head in, he meant it. And that wasn’t the only thing either.

I could tell where the broken bones were. I could tell where Jaymin put more force to his hits. The dead man’s neck could barely hold his head up; blood continued to flood his clothes that were already torn up and ripped. At this rate, he was going to be completely drained. It didn’t matter, Jaymin already killed him. There’s no way he would be able to survive so many blows to the neck to the point that his head was almost falling off.

I’ve seen worse, that’s what I told myself.

But for him to kill a man that was already on the verge of death was cruel enough. Dr. Bullock’s body was basically unrecognizable. It looked like a pile of flesh roped up to the fence like it was no big deal. Blood continued to soak the damp clothes around his arms and legs.

I was stunned by the view. I couldn’t move my feet, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to get closer or run away. I swallowed the lump that rose in my throat and tried to think of something to do. Though, I was just so shocked that I stayed in one place because I thought it was safest.

My eyes darted to Jaymin the second he moved. I was careful of doing anything in front of him; who the hell knows what might happen. Jaymin went into his jacket and pulled a phone out of his pocket.

“Did you really think you’d be able to pull one over on me?” he waved the phone in his hand. “I admire the effort, Morgan, I really do, but you might take a bat to the face if you don’t watch yourself.”

My eyes widened in shock. “Where is he?” I asked quickly.

What did he do with Nate? He has his phone, but I don’t see Nate anywhere.

Jaymin went in his other pocket and pulled out a car key, tossing it to me. “Red Honda Civic somewhere around here. Careful of the blood though, I don’t want you to get your hands dirty.”

I really did piss him off this time.

He went ahead and killed an extra person just in spite of me. He could’ve let Nate go, he could’ve done nothing, he could’ve taken it out on me physically, but instead he thought it was okay to add an extra body to the list.

He was not happy.

He had to kill Dr. Bullock first. That was not his plan but he did it anyway. There was blood everywhere and it pooled on the ground just below the dead body. Jaymin had a few scratch marks on his face and on his neck.

There was a struggle.

“You didn’t put him out.” I said when I made the connection.

Dr. Bullock was alive to feel every single hit until the finishing blow. Jaymin wanted him to suffer a gruesome and slow death. And knowing him, he enjoyed every last second of it.

Jaymin shrugged, lifting his blood stained bat over his shoulder.

“I didn’t have enough time since I’m hanging out with a tattle tale.” He meant me. “They’re going to find him here and think ‘wow, Jaymin is a sick murderer that needs to be killed on the spot’.” He mocked bitterly as he turned around to look at the body again. “Well guess what. I’m not going anywhere till someone fucking takes responsibility for what happened.”

He’s still angry. I’m not shocked but at this rate, he’s going to get murdered in the streets. He’s not even trying to be careful anymore. And the fact that people are still having a hard time means that we aren’t good enough to get him. He’s just exploiting that truth. Jaymin has his moments, his tantrums, his fits. He gets upset. And when that happens, we have a new murder to think about.

“Aren’t you tired of killing people over a failed dream.”

He laughed loudly. He didn’t find it funny though, his laugh was dry and sarcastic.

“You’re a little late there, Detective.” He glanced back over his shoulder. “If you’re so worried about me getting caught-- maybe you shouldn’t tell everyone what I’m doing.” He snapped.

“That’s my job-”

"Really?" He turned around to face me. He wasn’t going to believe a word I said. “It’s enough to deal with a snitch, but you’re real bad at it.” He came closer to me, dragging his bloodied bat on the ground. “If you really wanted them to get me, you would’ve told them where you were going.”

He’s not wrong.

“So where are they, Morgan?” he held his arms out. “Did you want this to be our little secret?” He knows I would keep it to myself. He didn’t expect anything less.

I didn’t answer his questions. He was already angry with me and I didn’t want to do anything worse that might make him swing. I don’t think of Jaymin as unstable but he just might be with how easy his temper goes off. Tonight was not the night to get on his bad side.

He turned around again to walk back to the body gushing blood on to the ground.

“After I so brutally murder that ice queen bitch, I think I might move to one of Florida’s islands. It’s getting cold here.” he sighed and used his bat to lift the mutilated head up.

I thought he wouldn’t make a run for it. I thought he would stay right here and do what he does best. But instead he’s going to make a run for it the second he gets to Vanessa.

Does he want to become the perfect murderer?

“How can you still be angry?” I asked. After all this time, how can he still hold a grudge?

How can he have so much anger?

“Angry?” He pretended to be confused as he turned back to me. “I am so fucking happy, Morgan.” He lied. “I’ve never been happier to see the dead grandfather of the dead bitch that ruined my life.”

His fingers clenched around his bat, and for a second, I thought he was going to take another swing but he didn’t do it. He just watched for a second and muttered something under his breath before turning back around.

I heard what he said, and it’s not out of character to hear him say it. I wasn’t disgusted or fearful of his lack of respect for the dead. Jaymin just can’t wait for the family to take what’s left of the body and bury it just so he could piss on this man’s grave.

“He got away with putting everything on me so his school could save it’s reputation.” he said angrily. “I got fucking expelled for something that wasn’t my fault.” he was only about to feel even worse. I saw the way he tried to hold back but he couldn’t. It just hurt him so much. “The amount of debt my parents are in is unreal and it’s because of me. I told them I could do it and look at what happened to me.” he shouted at me.

I didn’t know what to tell him.

“So I am so happy I got to take it out on him.” he said through his teeth. “Thank God his body couldn’t fight long because I swear I would’ve done some awful things...”

I’ve never seen him that upset. I know he could get mad but this is unreal. His hands clenched and he lifted his bat again, tempted to take another swing at the limp body, but again he couldn’t do it.

It started to hurt. His anger is eating away at him.

His arms moved down by his side again. He stared at the body tied against the fence before he wiped his own face. Jaymin can’t deal with bad things happening to him. This was the extreme of trying to fix it.

All that rage and anger and he finally snapped.

Now what is he going to do?

He can’t kill every single person that does him wrong. He can’t kill people that do things to him. With how things have been going, it just seems like the more he kills, the more unsatisfying it will be.

“Stop doing this.” I said when he looked at me.

It’s not me trying to beg him or to want him to be normal again. It’s me trying to tolerate what I’m seeing. I’m starting to sympathize but I don’t want to.

I can’t handle it.

So I want him to stop it.

Jaymin didn’t smile. He didn’t think it was the time to crack one of his jokes or try to be pleasant. He was still angry and now it was with me. His lip curled when he noticed me being selfish.

Does he want me to care for his sake?

It’s not because he likes me. It’s probably because it stops being fun when someone is morally righteous.

That’s not either of us.

“You’ll know what it feels like when your life crumbles in front of you.” he said through his teeth.

I’ve already had that happen to me. He so easily forgets that.

He wiped his face again, using his sleeve and rubbing over his eyes. He wanted to hide how mad he was but he couldn’t.

“Wells is next.” he looked at the body again. “I can’t wait to see her brains spill.” he said plainly as he turned to walk towards me.

I didn’t move.

His eyes spoke pure fury and anger as he looked at me.

“I swear to God, Morgan, if you try to hide her from me, I will murder her husband and her kids, and then I will find you and beat you till you’re begging me to kill you.” he held his bat up to show me he was not joking.

There was blood all over his face and that just made him look wilder. He was a complete mess, the look in his eyes ferocious. He will kill me if I try to make a move again.

“I’m giving you one more chance.” he said slowly, a warning tone. His bat nudged my left leg as a reminder. “Don’t fucking mess with me.” he warned me and walked by.

I was left standing there by myself, only to have a broken, blood stained body for company.

I was drawing a blank as I stared right at the body that was tied to the fence. I’ve seen worse things, but this just made me feel guilty. This shouldn’t have happened. Jaymin shouldn’t have put his hands on this man no matter what he did.

My hand was shaking as I went in my jacket pocket, pulling out my phone. The trembling just continued throughout my entire body. Soon it was hard to stand on my left leg, the throbbing becoming a sharp pulsing pain. As I dialed a number, I tried to find out what I was going to say.

I was stunned.

I didn’t think I would find myself in this situation, only to be scared out of my mind by what could happen next. I didn’t think it would get this bad.

“...hello? Hello?...Morgan?...”

My hand was still shaking, my phone just about slipping from my fingers as I tried to find my words to tell Harley what happened.

“Ch-chester Terrace Ro-road.” I stuttered quietly.

“Morgan, are you okay?” she asked quickly, already panicking.

I just needed her to get here. I don’t know what’s about to happen but I need her here. How am I supposed to explain what happened? I mean, we all know but this was different.

The body on the fence slipped from the ropes and fell to the ground in the pool of blood. I jumped at the splashing sound the body made when it hit the ground. There was just so much blood. And the body was mangled. I was shaking from the sight. This was the first time I was uncomfortable, like I could see this happening to me if I wasn’t careful.

“H-he-” I wanted to call for help but my voice barely escaped with the word. “H-Harley, I c-c-can’t-”

“Morgan, calm down,” she told me, though she didn’t sound very calm. “We’re on our way to get you, okay. Just stay where you are.”

Just stay where I am.

Just stay where I am...

My phone slipped from my fingers as I fell to the ground with it. My leg gave out so now all I could do was sit on the ground and stare at the pile of flesh and broken bones that began to rot.

I could only sit here and wallow in self pity, guilt, and hatred.

I brought my knees up to my chest despite the pain in my leg and covered my ears to block out the ringing that pulsed in my head. Though, just covering my ears made it worse. The silence was unbearable but that was the only thing keeping me sane. I put my head down and had the palm of my hands pressing into my ears.

I don’t know how long it will take but I was going to sit here and stay curled up until someone comes and gets me. I couldn’t move on my own. My arms were throbbing uncomfortably and my leg had a piercing pain radiating through it.

There was nothing I could do.

So I stayed with my hands pressed to my ears, my head down, and my legs pulled up. As long as I don’t move, everything will be fine.

I’ll be fine.

That’s what I told myself as I waited. I was going to be fine.

I’ve seen murders all the time. I’ve dealt with murder all the time. This one isn’t going to break me. I’m still sane. I’m still in control. I’ll be just fine.

I repeated that to myself for a long while.

When I started to get cold, something moved over my shoulders to drape over me. I looked up slowly to see Harley’s face. There were lights flashing everywhere, police walking around, and paramedics. Harley put a blanket over me so I could stay warm. I don’t know how much time has passed but she was finally here.

“Everything’s fine.” She said as I tried to find my voice. Her hand rubbed my back to make me feel better but I could only focus on the body the paramedics picked up from the ground. “They’ll take care of it, Morgan.”

They’ll take care of it.

Beside my foot was the car key to a red Honda Civic that had a body in it. I picked it up and handed it to her without saying a word. Right now, I was just having a little trouble trying to get it together.

“What’s this for?” She stared at the key in her palm.

“Nate’s body is in a car somewhere. We...j-just have t-to... find it.” I said and looked away.

“Oh...” She didn’t know what to say. We both didn’t expect him to get killed so quickly. I thought I would get what I needed out of this but I didn’t.

“I’m... s-sorry.” I said quietly, my arms wrapping around my knees again.

“This isn’t your fault.” She said and sat down with me on the ground.

Everything is my fault.

I was prepared for this, so why does it feel like I’ve gone crazy? Everything that’s happened is all because of me.

I don’t want to talk about it anymore.

It was midnight when I was being assessed by a paramedic. They wanted to make sure I wasn’t hurt. Again. They fixed my bandages on my arms and did their best to get me to respond to their questions, but I was in shock. It was hard to explain anything.

By one-thirty a.m., Nate’s body was found in the trunk of a bright red Honda Civic, his head cracked open and his blood dried everywhere.

By three a.m., I was walking into my apartment.

Harley was behind me, wanting to make sure I got home safely. I had to use a crutch for my leg so she helped me get up the steps too. She didn’t ask me any questions as she set me down on the couch. I wasn’t going to make it any further.

“Just get some sleep, Morgan.” She said as she walked by. “I’ll come by later, okay.” She added.

I didn’t respond. I just...stopped thinking.

I hadn’t left my apartment in five days. My phone was off, I kept the TV off, I kept everything off. Whatever I had to eat was what I ate. I didn’t go out, I didn’t have anything delivered, I just took what I had, which wasn’t much. And then there was the wine cabinet. I don’t really have a habit of drinking bottle after bottle after bottle, but it just became one.

I stood by my front door when I opened it to see Harley standing in front of me with bags in her hands. She had on a leather jacket and a black scarf to cover her neck; her face was pressed into it because it was cold outside. Her eyes glanced at me as I peaked through the door I barely opened.

“Morgan,” she sighed when she saw how messy I looked.

I stepped aside so she could come in my apartment. I didn’t want to tell her no. Harley wasn’t the only one nice enough to come check on me but she was the only person I let in. She’s the only person I responded to.

There were wine bottles all over the kitchen counters, a lot of dishes in the sink, paper and trash on the floor, I was a complete mess and a little more than just drunk on a weekday afternoon. I’ve been wearing the same clothes for three days because I just stopped caring. If I tried hard enough, maybe I would be able to not exist. I would stay in bed and think about what I should do with my life next because this is not going to work.

Harley walked around my apartment, not really gawking at the mess but she was concerned for me. She walked into the kitchen and stopped, sighing again because she wasn’t surprised with what she saw.

“I’m going to put these away. Take a shower and get dressed so I can take you out to eat.” She put the bags down on an open space that she could find.

I wasn’t excited to hear that she was going to push me out of my apartment. “Harley, I don’t want to-”

“You haven’t left in days. And I’m sure the only thing you’ve had for breakfast was-” she picked up a bottle of wine, “-Good Lord, Morgan, isn’t this one of the expensive ones?” She turned back towards me, shocked and confused. “You basically drank fifteen grand in one morning.”

“I had that yesterday.”

She opened up the cabinet in front of her to see how much I had left and it wasn’t a lot. I think there were three bottles left in there. My kidneys and liver are probably shot at this point.

“Go take a shower.” She shooed me away.

“I don’t want to go out-”

“I know you don’t, but you’re hurting yourself and that’s not good. So go take a shower, you smell awful.” She opened up the fridge to put away groceries she bought.

I didn’t want to go anywhere but I did what she told me to do.

I took a shower and cleaned up, getting dressed in nicer clothes since she wanted to take me out. Though, I think I used all of my energy by doing all that in one day. Already, I just wanted to get into bed because I was so tired.

I walked out of my room slowly, a little afraid of what she might say to me.

She sat on my couch, waiting patiently for me to come out. When she heard me, she turned around.

“You didn’t shave.”

“I didn’t want to.” I responded quickly so she doesn’t make me.

She got up and came over me. The first thing she did was ruffle my hair a bit more, then she fixed my jacket so it would fit me better.

“Do you feel better?” She asked.

“Yeah.”

Getting cleaned up helped a bit, I guess. She opened up the shades over the windows so the sunlight would pour in. My eyes didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would.

“Can we go to a bar?” I asked.

“Alcohol is not food, Morgan. That’s why you look like you’re starving.” She pulled me along with her so we could leave. She picked up her purse from the couch, turned off the lights, and took my keys off the counter before heading out.

I haven’t really made myself a healthy meal. I know the second I finish through my last bottles of alcohol, I will actually starve to death. Harley came at the right time to force me outside.

We walked outside together and I felt the cold air hit my face. It didn’t hurt as much as it would’ve if I had shaved, but it still made me uncomfortable. It gets cold but it doesn’t snow. I wanted to be somewhere warming, where it’s always hot all year around.

“You missed a lot over the past couple days.” Harley said.

“I think I’m going to move.” I mentioned quietly. “And...I think I might take the bar exam so I’m not stuck here.” I added.

“You’re okay with hitting the books again?”

I think I’d start hitting myself if I didn’t. My mouth stayed shut though I wanted to answer her question. If I move away somewhere else, I want to do something else. Criminal justice is not for me anymore. I’d probably do something else that won’t hurt me as much.

“Well, whatever you decide to do, just make sure it’s good for you, okay.” she said and looked at me.

I don’t mean to make her worry for me. That was all an accident. I just had it rough for so many days that I thought I could just lay around and everything would set itself straight. I need more than just peace and quiet. I need to be alone again.

I might crack if something else happens.

I feel like I won’t be able to handle another gruesome situation. I will snap and lose it. By then, it will be too late. I’ll give up on everything.

She led me to a small restaurant on the corner of a street where all the boutiques were. Immediately I knew it was going to be expensive. I thought that maybe we should’ve stayed at my place and cooked, but she insisted that we go in and eat something anyway. Everything was so bright in the restaurant; the walls were white, the furniture was teal blue, the lights were an intense yellow shade that made me want to find a corner where it couldn’t shine.

Harley was loving this place.

I wasn’t.

It smelled like money I really didn’t have. And I know she’s going to bring up how I had a hundred grand worth of wine, but all of those were given to me, I didn’t pay a cent for anything.

When we sat down, a waiter came to ask us what we wanted to drink.

I was already looking at the alcohol side of the menu.

“I’ll have a bottle of-”

Harley stopped me. “We’ll both have water, thank you.” she said for us both, handing the drink menu to the waiter.

“Harley-” I was about to complain but she took my menu too, and handed it to the waiter. She gave me a knowing glance as he walked away.

“You’re going to have kidney failure.” She said. “I know the new Morgan won’t pass up a chance at death, but the real Morgan isn’t an alcoholic.”

I’m not an alcoholic.

“I just want something that-”

“Will distort your sense of reality?” She finished for me. “You need to be level headed, Morgan. I know you can fight this.” She has a lot of faith in a person on the brink of complete depression.

I’m just...tired now.

I shrugged when she wanted a response from me. I didn’t know what to tell her. As much as I know I should take life seriously, I have reason to believe that there’s no point to whatever happens. Life is so fragile, and one wrong misstep and it can be taken away within seconds. I stared plainly at her as I tried to think of something to say.

“Let’s talk about something else.” I gave up.

“Well, what do you want to talk about?”

“How’s... work?” I asked slowly, a little wary of myself just in case I completely snap.

“You sure you want to know about work? I mean, it’s been dead quiet lately but it’s ominous and dreary and I’m sure it’s not good to talk about work with you.”

I shrugged again.

“Okay.” She sat up in her seat. “Nothing alarming has happened in the last five days.” She said. “No murders, no other crimes, nothing.” She listed. It has been quiet.

I pursed my lips together. “How’s... Nate’s family?”

“They flew in from Oregon. They had no idea he worked with the FBI in the first place so that shocked them.”

“So what next?”

“Keith has been up everyone’s ass about Vanessa. After the death of her grandfather, she seemed rather compliant.” Harley shook her head. “Right now, everyone is on high alert. We’re making sure nothing happens with Vanessa.”

I know what will happen. It’s at that point where we can’t avoid it. I wasn’t going to ruin the hope and say that she was going to die, without a doubt in my mind, but I wanted Harley to be realistic instead of optimistic.

“I don’t know if I’ll come in to work tomorrow.” I said quietly. “Maybe it’s best if I quit.”

“I want you to feel better, so whatever helps you is what you need to do.”

I feel better knowing that she’s okay with whatever I do. Harley and I have been friends for years and she’s been looking after me when things get out of hand. I guess the main reason I stayed around was because I owe it to her. But I know that she doesn’t mind what I do, or that she’ll be okay knowing that I was fine.

I should move somewhere quiet. I don’t want to have to deal with people. Or their problems. I want to be alone.

I thought about everything I wanted to do as Harley talked to me about her days and how they haven’t been so quiet. When it was time to order our food, she completely dismissed what I wanted and ordered for me since she knows I would pick something that wasn’t good for me. She made it seem like it was no big deal and went back to talking about everything that’s happened.

It’s not quiet. That’s the only thing I got out of it. The FBI is cracking down. It’s a shame we had to endure one more death to start treating this seriously.

I know the inevitable will happen. Maybe that’s why I’ve already given up.

I tried not to think about that part of it.

By the time we were done, the sun was beginning to set and the sky was turning orange. There was a cold breeze that made me tug on my jacket and ball my hands up in my pockets. Harley continued to talk and I listened. Being outside with her made me feel like being back in the world wasn’t so bad. I know she was trying hard to perk me up and I appreciate that.

She held on to my arm abruptly and stopped talking for a second; she pointed ahead and gasped.

“Is that Bethany?” She asked.

“Harley, don’t.” I warned her.

“She came by three days ago and left brownies for you.” There was a wide smile on her face as she pulled me on with her, walking in the direction Bethany was coming towards. At this rate, we’re going to bump into her. “She really likes you, Morgan.”

“I don’t want to date right now.” I said, though I didn’t want to date ever again.

“Just entertain her. Give her some of your time. You’ve been socially deprived for five days. Just talk to her.” She insisted.

We were getting closer. There were just so many alarms going off in my head. I wasn’t interested in even just talking. Right now, socially, I don’t want to put in effort. I only had enough room for Harley. I can’t do this.

“Okay, she likes dogs, art, her favorite style of music is jazz, and she enjoys going out for coffee-”

“How do you know this?” I asked.

“She talks a lot.” She said as we got closer. “Oh, and she likes men with beards.”

“I’m going home.” I wanted to turn around but it was too late.

Bethany spotted us, and like I expected, she actually did rush to us so she could talk. It’s not that I don’t like her, she’s nice, but making other relationships while I’m emotionally unstable is not a good idea, considering how I’m on the brink of self destructing. I should not do this to myself.

“It’s not a date.” Harley whispered to me. “Just be pleasant.” She leaned towards me before moving away and greeting Bethany, “Hi, Bethany, it’s been a couple days.”

“Yeah,” she glanced at me and smiled. “I heard you were sick for a few days.”

I was about to tell her what was really going on with me, the whole drinking myself to unconsciousness but Harley spoke over me. “It was just a small cold.”

Right.

“Well, I’m glad to see you up and around.”

She was genuinely nice and that’s the one thing that makes this so difficult. Harley continued to nudge me so I would say something that was polite and endearing.

I think Bethany noticed that I tried, so instead, she made the first move. “I was just on my break for work. I’m heading back now, but did you want to stop by? We can get your favorite drink-”

Harley pinched me discreetly so I would stop her.

“C-coffee would be fine.” I said since I know I should give my body a few days to rid the alcohol.

“Okay, we can do that.” Bethany got excited.

“I’ll just meet up with you later, Morgan. Have fun.” Harley said and before I could make her come with us, she was gone, mixing in with the crowd like it was nothing.

Bethany stood close next to me and I couldn’t tell her anything. Even when we walked together she was rather close. She was seconds away from linking her arm with mine. I don’t know if that would make me uncomfortable or not. I wasn’t interested so I shouldn’t care. Though, I know I shouldn’t lead her on.

“I don’t know if Harley told you, but I baked brownies for you.” She said and smiled at me again.

“Are you easily anxious?”

“With everything that’s been happening, my anxiety has shot through the roof.” She moved her hand over her mouth, her fingers just barely touching her lips that were covered in red lipstick. “Can you believe that one old man was killed? That’s just cruel.”

It is just cruel.

“To think I almost died that way.”

I remembered what happened when I got her out of harm’s way. Apparently, it’s not very nice to take things that don’t belong to me.

My arms began to throb.

“Hopefully they’ll catch who’s doing this so all the murders can stop.” She was one of those hopeful people that believed justice will prevail.

I tuned out everything she said.

Her voice was just a muffled sound in my ears as we walked together. I don’t think she ever notices since she talks so much. I hadn’t continued any part of the conversation except for occasional nods like I was listening.

My mind was just too far away.

And when she mentioned any of what I do for work, I tuned her out harder.

I’d feel better if Harley was around, but I had to deal with this. As nice as Bethany was, I didn’t want to talk about the things she wanted to talk about.

“I heard you like jazz.” I changed the subject abruptly so we could talk about something else.

“Oh yeah, that’s what I mostly studied in school. Probably one of my favorite genres...” She kept going on and on about it. At least I had something else to be distracted by. “...theme tonight is jazz, so if you’re interested you can stay around for the performance.”

I was just about to tell her that I didn’t mind when she continued talking.

“Not a lot of our dancers like when we change the themes, and jazz is collectively not a favorite, so you can imagine how hurt I am when people say they want to quit.” she sighed, almost as if she had a broken heart.

“Is it difficult?”

“Sometimes.” she shrugged. “We have to be performers, you know. The level of energy it takes to keep us going makes it more than just difficult.”

I was curious. I couldn’t really explain it other than that, but I wanted to know things. So I might just stay longer than planned today.

When we got to the restaurant, Bethany quickly brought me a plain cup of coffee and told me she had to do something really quickly. It wasn’t that crowded but I know it picks up later in the evening.

I waited by one of the high tables, holding my cup of coffee in my hands. After a few sips, I could think clearly again. I took a breath, smelling the scent of the strong coffee drink. I didn’t want anything else in it, I wanted plain black coffee to wake me up. I can’t say I won’t drink later on tonight but for now, I was sobering up. I blew on the steam as I looked around, seeing a few of the females dancers in blue short dresses. The males were in long sleeved black shirts and black slacks.

I guess it fit the aesthetic for the theme.

Bethany said she would be right back but she wasn’t. She’s probably talking to someone. I had about three cups of coffee as the time passed. I might not be as drunk as I was earlier on in the day, but now I was up on caffeine. My hands were shaking.

I still looked around for Bethany.

“Well, well.” It didn’t matter if Bethany was here or not, I would still have company. Jaymin came up to my table, an evil grin on his face. He was working tonight, and it wasn’t at his usual club. Did he decide to tone down his fun?

That’s not a question I will ask.

Here, he goes by Riley. He’s one of the dancers, partnered with the lead who just graduated from the school he single-handedly put out of commission. He wears glasses and wears dark brown contacts to cover the two colors of his eyes; his black hair will continue to get longer and curlier until he decides that its time to change his look again. Something as simple as a hair cut can make all the difference. Riley Parker is just a nice dancer who has nothing better to do. However, Jaymin Rose is someone to look out for.

“And the detective lives.” Jaymin kept his evil smile on his face.

I narrowed my eyes.

“Figured you’d want to stay far away from me after I brutally fucked your sanity.” He seemed proud of himself.

I wasn’t going to tell him I’m waiting on Bethany.

“You do know you were vulnerable with me that night, right? That was the first time I’ve seen you cry from self hatred.” I mentioned.

“Watch it, Morgan.” He warned me.

Self hatred wasn’t the term I should’ve used.

Was that crossing the line? Did he not want me to bring up how he pretty much has human emotions like everyone else? The thing about him though is that his emotions are to the extreme. One thing can set him off.

Like right now.

“What do you want?” I asked and looked around, trying to pretend like I wasn’t going to break a coffee cup.

“You’re the one that’s here. What do you want?”

“I came with Bethany. So I have a reason to be here.” I defended myself casually. “Did you need something from me? That’s the only reason why you would come over.”

“I told you I like fucking with you.”

“Right.”

“You know what though.” He started as he leaned closer to me, putting his arms on the table. “I have to say I’m curious. You don’t seem to have cracked after that night.” He was interested in what I was thinking.

“That’s not the worst I’ve seen you do.” I said and took another sip of my coffee.

“That’s true. I’ll give you that.”

“Were you trying to get me to crack?” I asked, as I put my cup down on the table. “Let’s face it, you hate that I can handle life better than you.” I got the truth out there for him.

“You tend to suppress everything, Morgan.” He corrected me. “That’s not handling life, that’s being a pussy and letting yourself get walked on.” He spat out.

Again, I narrowed my eyes at his comment. He wants something from me, doesn’t he?

“I have to admit the mystery was sexy in the beginning, but now it’s pathetic to see everyone use you.” He said, slightly disappointed.

I don’t care what he thinks about me. I had other things I want to know about.

“Why haven’t you killed Vanessa yet?” I asked, getting straight to the point. “There’s something stopping you, isn’t there?”

He didn’t answer as he watched me closely, his brown eyes keeping me engaged. Through his glasses I could see the fire in his eyes becoming brighter.

“I like a challenge.” He said slowly, emphasizing every word. “It’ll just make fucking her brains feel that much more satisfying.” He smiled and stuck his tongue out to show me his blue piercing.

He never watches what he says.

“You’re disrespectful.”

“Gonna fuck it out of me?” He asked, getting more than just excited. “You have that whole daddy thing going for you again.” He licked his lips.

I didn’t respond.

“We can take this somewhere else if you want.” He suggested. “I wouldn’t mind letting you feel inside my guts.” He kept his smile on his face and I bet he was fantasizing about letting me actually fist him though I said I wouldn’t. “You’re no fun when you’re mad at me.”

“Your definition of fun is not the same as mine,” I looked around for Bethany because she was taking too long.

“Hate fucking is really hot, you know.” he edged closer to me. “Want to try it? I’ll let you be as brutal as you want to me, Daddy.” he suggested, having the biggest smile on his face because he was interested.

I wasn’t.

“Where’s Bethany?”

“In a body bag somewhere.” He answered. When I was just about to say something, he laughed. “No, she got called into a manager meeting.” He kept laughing. “But the look on your face-”

“You’re crazy.”

“Takes one to know one.” He smiled at me and leaned closer again.

I will never win with him. It takes me so long to understand that, but I will never win. He doesn’t take death seriously. He doesn’t care what happens to people. His sense of humor is incredibly dark. I won’t win.

I’ve reached that point where I don’t know what I’m going to do with him.

“So...” He started slowly. “Since I’ve clearly been a bad boy, why don’t you punish me, Daddy?”

And there it was.

What was he thinking today? Something on the worse side of the spectrum? Maybe he’ll tell me he wants me to use his bat on him, that he didn’t clean off the blood because it will be more fun to play with.

I drank my coffee quietly as I stared at him. He thinks it’s all fun. I get that. He wants to play around. I get that, too.

What I wanted was to get to the point.

“What are you doing with Vanessa Wells?” I asked.

He groaned and rolled his eyes. “I’m asking you to fuck me and you want to know about the ice queen? You know how to get incriminating evidence out of me.”

His fingers moved to his neck, drawing my attention to his skin when he tapped his finger lightly. I was hesitant. I know what he makes me do. It was the fact that I started to reach that was alarming. I wanted to stop myself, I wanted to tell him that he can’t make me do anything. A simple command shouldn’t make me tick. My fingers twitched though, because my body knew what to do.

My hand lifted from my cup and touched his neck gently. All I thought about was pressing my fingers into his skin so I could hear his breath hitch from being choked. I’d wrap my other hand around his neck, too, but I wouldn’t kill him. I would just...

My touch was still light.

Contrary to his beliefs, I don’t like hurting him. And I know he would enjoy it but I wouldn’t hurt him.

My hand moved in his black hair as I stepped closer to him, and I whispered in his ear, “I can’t wait for the moment they put you in handcuffs.”

He gripped my shirt by it’s collar so I wouldn’t be able to move away from him.

“Might want to be careful what you wish for, Morgan. You don’t know the price for what you’re asking.” he warned me just as quietly. “I saw you limping earlier. It’d be a shame for your other leg to break.”

That was a threat. I constantly have to remind myself that I’m not someone special to him. He’s threaten me multiple times. Some of them were violent threats. He’s injured me more than once and he tells me that he’ll injure me more if I’m not careful. I should be scared. And it’s not like I’m not. I know what Jaymin can do. I get the chills up my spine and the feeling like death is all around me when he’s near.

He wouldn’t let me move away even when I tried to. He kept a tight grip at my collar so I would stay close. I didn’t push him away, I didn’t try to fight him. What really got to me was that I didn’t feel the need to. I’ve gone through this before so I was used to it. I was used to feeling him this close to me. I guess it doesn’t matter. I didn’t try to say anything. I felt his nose brushing against my cheek, that’s how close he was to me in a public place.

“Wells is going down like her family did. How I do it is none of your concern. Though, if you’re interested in watching me kill her, you can just ask me.” he said quietly before pulling away. “We both know how much murder turns you on.” his tone was dark and sullen; his eyes had that same wild look I saw five nights ago.

He walked off without saying another word. His temper was getting the best of him, and it was my fault for setting him off.

He was good at covering up his mood, it wasn’t till now that I noticed how set he was on killing Vanessa. He’s angry, and right now, nothing was going to stop him.

I looked down at my cup of coffee and thought about the number of ways that Jaymin could get to Vanessa. He has so many options considering how he’s able to get around. I had to think of a way to maximize her safety.

Then again, I was more interested in forgetting about work.

My hands held the coffee mug up. I tuned out all the noise around me and instead of thinking about what I was going to do, I waited quietly for Bethany.