She moved smoothly, gracefully. It was unlike anything I'd seen, almost magical. I could do nothing but watch as she moved around the room. Meticulous. That was how to describe it.

The room we were in had been all set up for Robert Halden an hour ago. She had been over the room with a fine toothed comb, making sure every inch was covered.

She made her kill room just down from where Robert has been staying.

"You really don't think we'll get caught?" She had been clean so far, but just leaving the body as she does, someone will look to see who had checked into the room.

She glanced from the corner she was triple checking over to me, then turned her attention back. "How many scenes of mine have you been to?"

Ten.

"Ten?" she answered herself. "Any shred of evidence?"

"No."

"I don't know how the kill will work with two of us, but maybe two clean, neat monsters are better than one."

Maybe it will be worse.

She stood up then. "Are you ready?"

She had told me her plan hours before, told me how she did it. Gloves, long sleeves, hair tied. There seemed to be no difference from what I already knew. Except her plastic covering. She didn't place it over the bed, she didn't place it on the wall behind the bed. It was a stage for her. It was almost an invisible fourth wall for her imagined audience to watch through.

Incapacitate, restrain, kill. Simple.

"My only concern is the records, Leigh. Who was renting the room?"

"Dexter, have you even paid attention to the motels I do these kills in, if I do end up doing them in a motel? They're seedy, shitty places. The only people who stay here are criminals or some rich weirdo looking for a good time. The guy at the counter doesn't pay attention. Plus, we're not checked in. I stole the key." She smiled brightly at me.

"Cameras?"

"They have no security system except behind the counter. I believe it's called a 'shotgun?'"

There wasn't any need to worry. I had killed people less carefully than this. Why was I worried?

Leigh pulled out her phone.

"Robert," she started, "Officer Sommers. Yes, hello. Can you come down to room 212? I need to talk to you, now."

She hung up, closed the curtains on the window. A knock sounded at the door. Leigh walked over. Her already gloved hands reached into her pocket, and pulled out a syringe. She opened the door and immediately reached up and pushed the syringe into his neck, the plunger pushed the Etorphine in Robert's blood stream. He was knocked out almost immediately.

His body fell; Leigh caught him and dragged him into the room. She pushed the door closed. I grabbed Robert's legs and we carried him to the bed. She grabbed a wrist and tied it to a bedpost, then did the same with the other, she slipped a rag into his mouth.

He came to, slowly, dragging his over us, over the room. He pulled his arm only to find his range of motion had been vastly impaired. He screamed, but found it muffled by the rag in his mouth. His eyes watered.

Leigh moved to him.

Now, this was what I had been waiting for.

She kneeled by the bed, reached and smoothed his hair, shushing him. His eyes gazed into hers, pleading.

"Did the women cry like this?" Leigh asked. Her voice was soothing, almost melodic. "Did they plead with you? Beg you to let them live?"

His words were muffled.

She stood up and turned around. She was smiling, a normal smile, no sadistic look to it. She picked up a knife from the coffee table.

"Now watch, Dexter," she dictated.

Don't worry, I have nothing I'd rather do.

She turned back, taking agonizingly slow steps. She was putting on a show, maybe for me, maybe for herself.

She finally reached the bed.

"Beg." Her voice had changed. A rage was being held behind it.

He responded with tears and screams.

The knife sliced his neck, blood sprayed.

She slowly pulled the knife to her, before bringing it back to her set. She pulled a smaller knife out and headed back. This was where the beauty commenced.

She pushed the knife through the eyelid, just under the brow. She angled and began circling around the eye. She furthered the knife into the socket before finally pulling up. Precision.

She did the same to the other eye, set the two orbs aside. An organized monster.

"You make me nervous," she said, her back to me.

"What?"

"I don't normally have someone here watching me. I'm going to forget something, screw this up."

"You're not."

She took a deep breath, before turning back to me. She brought the small knife back and grabbed a saw in its place.

She moved back, and grabbed Robert's head. She held on as she began her rhythmic descent through Robert's neck.

She picked up the head and placed it at the foot of the bed. She untied his hands and moved them into place.

An hour, that's how long her kill and placement took. She began pulling her plastic from the walls. I pulled a garbage bag from her kill bag. I opened it and placed it in the center of the room. I pulled a plastic sheet down. We continued our clean-up in silence.

Author's Note:

And there you have Chapter 10. I know I skipped over Dexter staying the night at Leigh's, let me just clear that up: Not much happened. I had written the chapter originally to be that, but decided a chapter of sheer nothingness was beat out by the kill. Thank you guys so much for all your support and patience. I've been busy and trying to find time to actually just sit down and type this up. I'm going to try my hardest to keep updating more regularly. I hope you guys enjoyed the kill. I love you guys. ~Caitlin