Hey guys, here we have the newest chapter to my little escapade. Another chapter with our lead male- Detective Louis. Read/Review/Comment/Subscribe. [LittlEm]

Louis left the office after tedious hours of glancing back through the photos of the dead men and back through their files. Meticulously looking at every detail that they had collected. Whether they shopped at the same Mall once, whether they had the same brand of deodorant. Whether it was an elaborate scheme between all the girlfriends and wives- every lead came up dry.

There was nothing to go on and Louis was sick of hearing his guys gripe to him about how it was a lost cause, they weren't really connected.

What a joke. Was all that Louis could think, as they had to be connected because the same toxin, poison had been used to poison them all. The lab reports had come back negative for all different types of poisons. Arsenic, cyanide. They were running out of options… So had widened the test just to see their possibilities.

Just as Louis heard the door to the office close behind him a nervous intern poked his head around the door and called him back.

" Uh, Detective… We've had some lab results back- the guy's still on the phone..."

"Jesus…I'm coming…"

Louis turned and shrugged his jacket off and handed it to the intern who promptly took it and followed him to the phone that lay off the hook.

"Detective Louis Santana here…"

"Hello there Detective, this is Yoji Kurosami from the lab downtown. We have the results back from the test and…well it's odd to say the least. What you supplied us with is what looks to be Black Widow venom."

"You mean…people are being poisoned with spider venom?"

"It's pretty straight forward to get out of a body system if caught in time- obviously these guys weren't so lucky…"

"Well thanks Yoji…Keep us up to date if you find out anything else!"

"Of cour- "

Louis had hung up before Yoji had anything else to add. He didn't care anymore- he had his weapon.

"So, um, did the lab have any good news?"

"We've got our weapon squirt. Not get home…Bet your mom is worried about you…"

Louis took his coat from the intern and left the building before anyone else had a chance to grab him to help somewhere else. He was tired and finally they had something to go on. Not many people must have access to Black Widow venom. The spiders from the pet shops don't have fangs anymore…plus they tend not to sell them due to their poisonous nature.

In the morning he would find out all the pet stores in the area, if any ever sold the spiders or know of anybody who has them. There had to be someone who knew something…

Louis glanced across the street at a young woman telling off her small child for squashing a bug on the sidewalk.
'They're people too honey, they have feelings…you better not do that again.'

Maybe, just maybe that's where these killers get it from, their parents. Don't hurt bugs but go right ahead and kill a human- the bugs are more important sweetie.

God some parents. His own mother had always taught him right from wrong in a way that was pertinent to how the world worked. Always how the lives of humans were important- everyone was valued. No life should be taken for granted.

Louis sat down in a little diner that was only a block from his apartment and hid away in the booth. His thoughts now going back to his mom who'd passed away when Louis was 19. He'd immediately joined the force and worked his way up- determined to show how precious life was. He was out to change the criminals, to make them see why it was wrong, for his mom.

The waitress came over and took his order without really having to listen- he came in so often she knew his order and despite telling himself over and over he'd change the order he never did. A burger some fries, salad and an ice-cold root beer. Even when he wasn't on the job he never liked to drink too much anyway. He had always seen how alcohol changed people, and Louis preferred to have sober judgement all the time. She brought over his food in what only seemed a few minutes- maybe they had started preparing it for him…

Louis let his mind fall back to the case as he ate. Wondering what kind of person would have Black Widow spiders, what kind of person would use the poison to kill people? Were these victims actually random or had they all done something to spite one person.

'How could a seventeen year old comic book geek spite anyone?'

Louis heard himself speaking out loud so quickly turned his attention back to the food on his plate, which was speedily becoming cold. It always did that- when his attention disappeared for even a moment the food became ice cold. Well not ice cold…but to Louis it might has well have been.

Nobody really looked at Louis for speaking his thoughts out loud; nobody ever batted an eyelid to what was happening in the city around them. If it didn't concern them, they needn't care…

Louis finished his meal and left the money for his food plus his usual tip on the table and vanished from the diner. He couldn't stop thinking about this case. It had more or less consumed his life since it had begun. The guys in the office had told him that he needed to get out. Go for a drink, go clubbing with them. Louis had seen their eyes and faces in the morning after, the stories that circulated, and it didn't make him want to jump and party all night.

He knew that he needed a release- he hadn't had a relationship in so long that he thought he'd become a monk. The lads had tried to get him out so many times and every time they did Louis declined. He had always been determined- never wanted or needed to fit it. He was popular at school without needing to date all the beautiful girls. Though he did date some beautiful girls, it was because he wanted to and not for a reputation or to get laid.

Louis rustled through pockets as he came to the steps of his apartment building, old and tired looking with rough bricks but like Louis it was sturdy. The block had been around for thirty years and was older than most of the buildings around but Louis had picked it because he strangely liked it. He opened the door to his apartment and walked inside, tossing his coat down onto the armchair that sat only feet from his TV. Louis collapsed down into the chair and leant back into his chair and laughed to himself a little at how he always ended his days alone.

Turning at the sudden scuffle of feet on the linoleum Louis pulled his gun from the holster across his chest, smiling when he saw the cat appear behind the door to his bedroom…

"Jesus cat, trying to give me a heart attack huh?"

Louis placed his gun back and coaxed the cat over who swiftly moved over to him and jumped into his lap. He smiled a little and stroked the cats' head gently before sniffing the air slightly.

"Why is it you always come back home smelling of a woman's' perfume eh? Trying to tell me something Ava…?"

He had named the cat after his mother after rescuing her from the turmoil of the animal centres that were claiming her during a case. The owner had been killed but Louis had found the cat liked him and he liked her back…

As he got up he pulled the cat up to his chest before placing her down on the side. He kissed her head and chuckled.

"Jesus Ava…you really do smell of a woman…"

Louis filled her food and water bowls before creeping into his room and down onto his bed, stripping off and placing everything on his table. Vowing that he would shower in the morning and that he'd have time to do so.

As his eyes began to flutter shut he couldn't help but wonder where his cat disappeared off to when he was gone…