Welcome to 'Shatter Me'. This story is loosely based on Ann Rule's 'The Stranger Beside Me' and 'Portraits of Guilt' by Jeanne Boylan. A big thank you to my brilliantly gifted beta and dear friend, Eva. And to another dear friend, Kate for again taking the time to make me the perfect cover image. Lyrics: 'Shatter Me' by Lindsey Stirling. I own nothing. See you at the bottom.


Somebody shine a light
I'm frozen by the fear in me
Somebody make me feel alive
and shatter me

"Damon?" Ric asks as I make my way over to him, having climbed up the steep embankment to reach our newest crime scene.

"What do we have?" I ask as I look over the remains.

Ric, who's looking around farther up the hill, turns around to face me. "We've only found the skull so far."

"Come here," I say, motioning with my arm for him to join me.

"Captain Salvatore, I would say this person has been dead for a couple of months based on the condition of the skull. The bones have been scattered obviously because we can't find any of them," Matt, one of our crime scene investigators informs us.

"Do you think maybe it could be the Alexander girl? I mean look at the teeth. According to the missing person's report her dad filed, she had nearly perfect teeth."

"I think you're probably right Damon but we'll have to compare her dental records to confirm it positively."

"Now we have had five girls reported missing, two of whom are known dead. Now we have this skull too. "Can you tell if this is a female skull?"

"Dr. Lockwood will have to tell us if this is indeed a female skull. Gentlemen, if it wasn't obvious before, it is now. We may very well have a serial killer on our hands," I remark with my hands on my hips as I survey the terrain.

"This is the third skull that's been found up here. We need to find this guy."

Ric looks at me and nods before stooping down to look at the crime scene a little more closely. When something catches my eye, I stoop down too. Taking my pen out of my pocket, I use it to turn up the dirt a little which reveals a pearl white button. It could have come from our killer, our victim or it may have no relationship to the crime scene at all?

"Liv, hand me one of your evidence bags and a pair of gloves. I found a button." After she hands them to me, I slip the gloves, pick up the button and drop it into the evidence bag, marking it as such with a sharpie. After handing it off to one of the crime scene investigators so they can log it into the evidence file, I start to survey the scene a little more.

"Ric, I'm going to go over to the college to talk to Professor Fell. We need some help up here. She can bring her anthropology students along to help us go over this mountain with a fine tooth comb. This is the third skull we've found up here. It stands to reason that there are more bones waiting for us to find them," I tell him, picking up a rock and tossing it back to the ground.

"I think that's a really good idea."

"They've helped us before. I'll see you at the station," I tell him as I turn around and walk away.


"Hello. I'm Captain Salvatore," I tell the secretary, showing her my badge. "I have an appointment with Dr. Fell."

"Hello Damon," Meredith acknowledges me as she steps out of her office. "You found another one?"

"Yes we did," I reply, turning my eyes to hers. "I thought maybe you and some of your students could help us comb the area to see if there are any bones that might have been scattered by animals or the elements?"

"How soon do you want us, Damon?"

"As soon as you can get your students together, Mer."

"Tomorrow soon enough?"

"Thanks so much. Say hi to Mason for me. I really need to get back to the station. The newest skull has been turned over to the medical examiner to see if dental records match any of our missing girls."

"I hope you're able to give some closure to some of these families," she tells me.

"Me too, Mer. Me too. I'll talk to you tomorrow," I tell her before turning and walking out of her office.


"Hi dad," I say when I step into his room at the 'Lake Front Long Term Care' facility. My dad was a police detective working in the homicide department. When Stefan and I were growing up. He was the best dad. He always made time for Stefan and me. When we played little league baseball, he never failed to show up for our games. Sometimes he missed the opening pitch but he never let us down. Deciding to follow his footsteps, I went to college to study criminal justice. I wanted to make a difference and help people just like he did for so many years.

On 'that' day, our world came crashing down. One horrible day, my dad responded to a crime scene. Little did he know, it was a trap. Dad and his partner responded to a tip about an escapee that he had sent to prison for murder in the first degree. When dad and Jacob entered the home, they were ambushed. Jacob died instantly succumbing to a gun shot wound to the head. Dad was also shot in the head. Thankfully he lived but he was left paralyzed on one side of his body and lost the ability to speak. He's fully aware of his surroundings though. He has to use a picture board and an alphabet board to communicate with us. I also bought him an I pad so he can keep his mind busy. Fortunately for us, we can take him out of the nursing home for an afternoon or an overnight. He can pivot using his good leg so I'm able to transfer him from his wheelchair into the front seat of the car or into the bathroom and wherever need be.

I was just twenty two when that happened. Stefan and Bonnie were both sixteen at that time. Bonnie's parents were best friends with my parents. They, along with my mother were killed in a freak accident when they were driving on a highway in Nevada. They were driving to Las Vegas for a weekend. Thank God, my dad couldn't get off of work that weekend. A very strong wind gust tipped a semi truck over. It landed on top of her parents car, crushing all of them. Bonnie came to live with us when she was eleven as she had no other family. If it had been our parents, Stefan and I would've gone to live with Abby and Rudy. Our families were that close. Thankfully I had just graduated from college when Dad's life was irrevocably changed. Having secured a job with our police department, I at least had the means to support them. My dad's disability goes to pay for his care. Bonnie gets a monthly check from her parent's estate. She chipped in too so we were able to stay in our home.

My social life had to be put on hold as I was responsible for two teenagers. I don't regret it. I love my brother and Bonnie wouldn't be anymore of a sister if she, Stefan and I shared the same DNA. Somehow we made it work. Bonnie decided to join the police force too and works with me. Stefan is attending law school. He worked really hard and graduated from college in three years instead of four. He has another year before he can take his bar exam. I'm really very proud of him. He lives with his girlfriend Katherine in an apartment near the college in Eugene, Oregon. She's a nice girl, albeit a little shallow about materialistic things but she is good to Stefan. I have no romantic inklings towards her whatsoever but the girl has a fun sense of humor and has done wonders for Stefan. He's loosened up, walks on the edge once in awhile instead always following the straight and narrow. Don't get me wrong, he isn't a law breaker but he's able to let his hair down and have fun instead of being so serious all the time.

"How are you feeling today?" I ask, taking my jacket off and hanging it on the back of a chair. He sitting in his wheelchair, watching a baseball game on TV. Stooping over, I give him a hug. Unconsciously I close my eyes, enjoying the warmth when he hugs back with his good arm. When I hand him his picture board, he points to the word 'good'.

Smiling, I pull up a chair and sit down beside him. I try to come to visit him at least once a week. Sometimes I can get here to see him more often, sometimes I don't get here at all but I always make sure I call him if I'm not able to get here. Bonnie makes an effort to stop and see him too. She started calling him dad when she moved in with us. It brought him to tears the first time she did so. It really was a special moment between the two of them.

"Dad, I think we may have a serial killer on our hands," I begin. I see him clutch his wheelchair tightly with his good hand. When he releases his grip, he turns the TV off and points out the word 'details' when I hand him his alphabet board.

"We have found three skulls and some badly decomposed remains but we have reports of five missing women. We've been able to identify only one of them so far. Other than a button, there hasn't been any evidence left at the crime scenes. The bodies were dumped. We've only found the skulls. Except for the one girl, we haven't found any other body parts nor do we have any leads," I tell him, raking my hand through my hair.

He looks at me for a good long time before spelling out the word 'autopsies'.

"Two of the three had some blunt force trauma to their skulls. They all had linear type skull fractures. Dr. Lockwood, our medical examiner, said the trauma to the skulls would be enough to cause death but he can't say that's the cause of death because the damage could have been inflicted after death. We don't have the rest of the bodies."

My eyes turn to the doorway when I hear a knock as the door starts to open. It's Bonnie.

"Hi dad," she says before walking over to give him a hug. She never fails to elicit a smile from him. He and mom were trying to have another baby when we were younger. They both wanted a girl but it wasn't to be till Bonnie joined our family.

"I was just telling him about the missing and dead girls," I mention as she pulls up another chair to sit on dad's other side. Taking her hand in his, she presses a kiss to his forehead before sitting down.

"What's that dad?" she asks as he starts pointing to letters on his alphabet board. 'Forensic artist' is what he spelled out.

"Dad, that's a brilliant idea," I tell him, in awe. He's still a cop at heart. "Maybe if we can put faces on those skulls, the public will be able to help us identify him or her?" Then he points to his I pad, gesturing for me to hand it to him. I watch curiously as he types in a name then points to the screen for me to see.

"Elena Gilbert?"

Nodding his head, he hands the I pad to me with his good arm. He found her website revealing her as a forensic artist.

"Dad is this the same Elena Gilbert from when we lived in Mystic Falls?" Nodding again, he smiles.

Turning to Bonnie, "Stefan and I were born in Mystic Falls, VA. We moved here when I was five. Wow," I say shaking my head. "I barely remember her. Wasn't she just a toddler when we moved away?"

He spells out 'yes' with his alphabet board.

"Does her website say how to get in touch with her?" Bonnie asks.

Raising my eyes, I look at dad before continuing. "I'm going to start by calling the FBI. Surely they have artists that work for them. If these murders are related, maybe at some point we'll be in need of a criminal profiler too."

"We might Damon. It was brutal when Ric and I had to tell Mr. and Mrs. Kirby that their daughter Jo's remains were found. She was a runaway," she continues as she holds dad's hand. "Mrs. Kirby literally collapsed into her husband's arms. Jo was their only child."

Dad just lowers his eyes for a moment before he starts to spell out 'Stefan'?

"I know you miss him dad. He's just so busy with law school and Katherine. I'll talk to Stefan," I tell him, squeezing his forearm. I stand up and give him another hug before picking up my jacket. "I have to leave dad. I need to stop back at the station then Bonnie and I are actually meeting those two for supper. Dad, if the weather is good, I'll take you out this weekend okay?" Forcing a smile, he nods.

"I'm going to stay with dad a little longer. I'll see you at home," Bonnie adds.

Nodding, I look once more to my dad before stepping out of the door and walking down the hall to the exit.


"Stefan, come on. Go see him. He asks about you every time I'm with him. I'm tired of making excuses for you. If you don't want to see him, you need to say that to his face."

"No! You come on, Damon. I can't see him like that. Why can't you understand?" Stefan yells then storms out of the dining room. Turning to Bonnie, I shake my head when Katherine excuses herself to follow after him.

"Well that went well," Bonnie utters sarcastically.

Raising my eyes to hers, I nod my head. "I just don't know why he has to be so selfish. Dad has lost so much already, he shouldn't have to lose his son too. It's hard for me to see him like that too. I remember the vibrant man he used to be and now to see him confined to a wheelchair, unable to speak breaks my heart. He's only fifty years old. This should be the prime of his life but that was all stolen from him. Can you imagine how he must feel inside? I, we have to put his wellbeing first. He needs us."

"I know Damon. I feel the same way but we can't force him to go see dad. He has to come to terms with this on his own. I also know full well that if God forbid. something happens to him, he'll never forgive himself if he doesn't make peace with this."

We both raise our eyes to look at Katherine when she walks back into the dining room. "I'm sorry this evening was kind of a bust. I just wanted to say goodnight, Stefan and I are leaving."

"Look Katherine. If something were to happen to dad before he comes to terms with whatever is holding him back, he'll never forgive himself. He may not regret it today, maybe not tomorrow but he will soon and for the rest of his life. I won't keep lying to dad and making excuses for Stefan. If he doesn't want to have anything to do with him, he needs to tell dad that himself."

"Damon, you know he loves your father. He just can't look at him knowing everything he's lost."

"What about what dad has lost, and me and Bonnie too?"

"I'll try talking to him again. Thanks for supper. Give me a call sometime Bonnie, we'll go shopping," she says before walking out. I can't help but notice Bonnie rolling her eyes.

"I know you like her and I know she's been good for Stefan but she's so shallow sometimes," Bonnie says, shaking her head.

I can't help but laugh. I like her as a friend Bonnie. Nothing more than that," I say standing up to clean off the table. Bonnie pushes back her chair, standing and walking over to the sink. We do the dishes and wipe off the table. "I'm going to my room to read some files. I'll see you in the morning."

"After I clean up the dishes, I'm going to take a bubble bath then read a bit too. I'll get the coffee pot ready for in the morning. Night Damon," she says as she bends over to put some plates in the dishwasher rack.


"Hello?" I answer when I pick up the phone. Glancing at the clock, I exhale heavily when I see it's only one thirty in the morning. "Alright, I'll be there in as soon as I can," I tell Ric then hang up the phone. Another body has been found... Quickly I run to the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee before running back upstairs to throw on some clothes. Grabbing my travel mug from the cupboard, I fill with coffee, grab my jacket and run to my car. Once inside, I turn on the ignition and back out of the driveway. Shaking off sleep, I take a deep slug of hot coffee before driving off towards our newest crime scene.


For those of you who like the true crime genre, Ann Rule is second to none. All of her books are page turners. Lifetime network has made several of her books into TV movies. 'Small Sacrifices', 'And Never Let Her Go', 'Too Late to Say Goodbye', and 'Dead by Sunset' just to name a few. Yes, I did steal a line in here from 'Casablanca'. It's my favorite movie. I've seen it a zillion times and never tire of it. As a reminder, this is written in its entirety. Please remember to hit that review button. I love to read your thoughts on the story and my writing. This is by far the longest story I've written to date. 'Breathe' is now complete. 'Nothing Else Matters' and 'Pieces of Eight' were just updated. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to those of you who have children. Thank you all. Have a great day. Carol