Chapter 11 will post fairly soon, within two days at most. I (Kasi) am busting butt to get 12, 13 and 14 worked on and sent off for betaing. Hope you all are still enjoying this.


Chapter 10

Letting out a long sigh, I look at the map on my wall. It's hard to believe Maria was killed twelve weeks ago. Sent from Hell's latest victim was just found this morning, now making his total four.

I look down at my note to see if anything jumps out at me.

Maria Laura Swan, twenty-six, nurse, killed the sixteenth of February at one am.

Sally Lucille Newer, nineteen, college student, killed the thirtieth of March at eleven pm.

Tanya Emma Reed, twenty-seven, prostitute, killed fourteenth of April at two am.

MaryAlice Heather Dante, twenty-two, college student and escort, killed on the tenth of May at five am.

Staring at their names, I just know there's something off about them; I'm just not sure what it is.

"Coffee?"

Turning, I look at Professor McAvoy. Over the last few weeks, we have formed a sort of friendship; however I still get a weird vibe from him.

"Thank you, Professor."

"Bella, I have told you to call me Damian outside of the classroom," he smirks at me.

"But you are still my Professor," I say weakly. Knowing he is trying to assist me, I want to be kind, but there's still a part of me that's unsure of him.

"Only for three more weeks," he replies, and I give him a weak smile as I nod.

"I think I have completed a profile of the killer," he carries on and I look at him.

He passes the file to me, and I read it over. His conclusions are that the killer is Caucasian, male and age twenty-five to forty. He is educated, well dressed and well spoken, yet familiar with street life and its surroundings. He is not comfortable around a lot of people, and likely holds only one or two people as close friends. He more than likely grew up in a home with an absent father, and an abusive mother.

When I get to the end, I feel somewhat disappointed in the fact that this pretty much describes a lot of people.

"Give me time; I'm still working on the killer's personality."

"I know and I'm grateful, it's just ..." Turning, I look back at the board. "It feels like this guy is close to me, much closer than I want."

"Hmm, that is sometimes how the case works."

"Thanks," I say picking up my belongings and the file. "I'll see you tomorrow," I carry on as I try to get my jacket on.

"No problem, Bella," he says as he takes a hold of my jacket and helps me. He keeps a hold of my jacket and looks me in the eyes.

"Would you date me? I mean once this month's up? What I'm trying to say is would you let me take you out on a date?"

Stunned, my mouth drops open as I just look at him. Don't get me wrong, Professor McAvoy is a nice looking man, but he's more than a few years older than me, he must be in his thirties.

"I don't know," I stutter out.

"I'm thirty-five, and find you very attractive," he husks out as he touches my face with his thumb.

"Can I think about it?" I ask needing to get out of here, and not sure if I have the courage to turn him down.

"Sure," he smiles seemly not picking up on how nervous he has made me.

He lets go of my jacket and I move away from him and out of his office. As soon as I get in my car, I let out a long breath.

Starting the car, I'm about to drive off when my cell rings. The ringtone takes me back a little, and I look at the screen to make sure it is indeed Jasper who's calling me.

"Hey?" I say shyly taking the call, since Edward and I have become friends Jasper's and my friendship has become strained to say the least.

"Jasper?" I say in a whisper when I don't hear anything back.

"She's here." The words come out in a broken sob.

"Who is? Who's there, Jasper?" I ask feeling the need and want to go to him.

"Mary is, his latest victim."

Letting out a long breath, I close my eyes.

"Carmen's away right now, so if you want to see her, you'll need to come now."

I'm taken aback not only by the harshness of his tone, but by what he has just asked.

"What?" is all I'm able to reply.

"You're investigating this killer, so I though you may want a look at the newest body. You'll have to hurry if you want to see it, but HE can't come with you."

"Okay, I'll be there soon." Even as I say the words, I feel unsure of them. Before I can get another word out, Jasper has hung up.

Backing out of the parking space, I start to drive to the morgue. My mind keeps saying over and over again that I should call Edward, but there's another part that knows when Jasper said HE wasn't to come, he was talking about Edward.

When I get to Jasper's work, I walk right in. This isn't the first time I have been here, but this is the first time I've been here knowing there's a body on the table.

"Hi," I say weakly seeing Jasper is near the front.

"She's back there," Jasper says with a tilt of his head.

"I ... I can't go back there with you," he sobs shaking his head. He let's out a breath and draws in another and looks at me. "I don't think you should do this, but when Carmen left, I just had to call you."

"I would've come just to support you," I tell him as I wrap my arms around his waist and hug him to me.

"I hate this. I hate that she's here. I don't think I can do this job anymore," he cries out.

Closing my eyes, I keep my arms around him. Once Jasper has calmed down, I walk him over to the office.

"Sorry for being a babbling mess," he says with a chuckle.

"It's okay," I tell him as I place a mug of warm tea in front of him.

"I thought I was feeling better, I had a good chat with Alice."

Tilting my head at him, I raise a brow questioningly. "Alice?" I ask and he looks up at me.

"She's a girl in my bereavement group. She's twenty-six, and lost her husband of eight years a few months ago."

"Oh," I say, "did it help to go and talk to other people?" I carry on, knowing this is something Edward keeps telling me to attend.

"Yeah, she knows how I feel and what it's like to lose the love of your life."

Jasper looks at me shaking his head. "Bella, I just feel so tired, but no matter how much I sleep, I don't feel rested anymore."

"Oh do I know that feeling," I chuckle and smile at him.

"This feels like it has been a long time ... This easy conversation and ..." Jasper says as he keeps waving his hand between us. "I know that's my fault, and I am sorry."

Shaking my head at him to stop him, he holds up his hand to silence me.

"I don't like him, Bella. I know no matter what he says, he felt something for Maria. I think he was playing the best friend card hoping that I would screw up. He looks at you and sees her, not you. You deserve to be someone's first choice, Bella, and I am not sure he sees you like that."

Dropping my head I look to the ground. I am not sure why what he said hurt, but it did. "We're just friends," I say looking back at him, but he hums at me.

"So, do you want to see it ... the body?"

Letting out a stuttering breath, my heart's saying "oh, hell no," but my mind is louder, telling me to do it.

"Yes," I say and the trembling of my voice is not missed by Jasper.

"You can't touch anything. You can look at her, but don't touch or take photos. Just look and then leave, and as I said, I can't come in there with you ... I just can't."

Giving him a nod of agreement, he stands and helps me put on a protective apron. Once my shoes are covered, and my hair is covered, he leads me to the door of the room. When I enter, I can see her naked body on the table. She has been cleaned, but all of the slashes are clearly visible. The wounds he gave her are filled with so much hate. There is not a part of her body that he hasn't hurt. My eyes go to her face and she looks scared even in death and I know this girl had to be filled with terror as her life ended.

My eyes scan her again, and for the first time I notice there're no defensive wounds, there's nothing to indicate that she fought back.

"Did you know the killer?" I ask her looking back to her face. Something tells me she did. Somehow, she must have come across him before. The thought makes me wonder if the others knew him too. Was he a friend or acquaintance? If he was following them, could he have talked to them or made a friendship with them. Maybe he had sex with them before killing them?

"I'm so sorry," I tell her as I start to walk backward out of the room. As soon as I'm out, I have to lean against the wall to get my bearings back. Shaking off the fear, I place the protective gear in the bin as I remove it before walking back to Jasper.

"You okay?" he asks and I nod at him.

"Sorry," he repeats and I let out a sigh as I see Carmen pulling up outside.

"I should go," he silently agrees with me, and I wave at Carmen as I walk to my car.

As I'm driving, I find myself seeing Mary's body in my mind. Slowly her body starts to change into Maria and I feel sobs rising in my chest. My brain seems to go on autopilot and I pull over knowing I can't drive with being so close to a full break down.

Once parked, I cover my face with my hands and sob into them. All I can see is the dead body of a beaten woman. Seeing it first hand was so different than seeing it in a photo. Being so close made it so much worse and clear just how badly he had hurt them; how badly he had hurt Maria. As the thought comes to my mind, I know it was a mistake to do what I just did.

Hearing a knock on my window, I try to calm myself so I can respond to them. Feeling my car door open, a hand touches my shoulder softly and as soon as it's on me, I know who it is.

"Bella," Edward says sounding worried.

Blubbering to him, I don't even have an idea what I say.

"Fuck," Edward hisses, and pulls me out, and into his arms. Hearing what I assume is my car door slamming shut; Edward keeps me in his arms. Soon, I recognize where we are as we enter his apartment. He softly places me on his sofa and sits next to me, holding me.

Edward says soothing words and rubs my back and after a while, I'm able to calm down a little.

"Hi," Edward says with a soft grin and I chuckle a little. "Now what was that all about?"

"I was at Jasper's work," I tell him and he tilts his head, in question. "She was there, Mary was there." Edward seems confused and I can tell he is running what I just said through his head. His eyes widen and he swallows. "Mary?"

"Yes," I whisper out and he just looks at me in shock.

"Mary is not the girl they found yesterday, is she?"

Nodding at him, I know if I try to speak I will only cry.

"What!" Edward yells and I feel the tears running down my face.

"He asked if I wanted to see the body, and I ... I ..." I trail off shaking my head. "I should be able to do this, Edward. I should be able to see a body and not fucking lose it and break down!" I scream out.

"It's different because this is the same guy who killed your sister. Your mind will not separate one body from the other. What the hell was Jasper thinking when he suggested you do this?"

"He wasn't thinking clearly and I chose to do this!" I yell standing up. Storming over to the door, and as I open it, his hand slams it shut.

"Hey, I am pissed off because it was a stupid idea just like your investigating these murders. But, that will not stop me from helping you. Now get back on the sofa and calm down, you can't drive anywhere like this."

Glaring up at Edward, he just glares back at me. Giving in, I snort and just wrap my arms around him. This movement seems to make him freeze, and I can feel his heartbeat speed up.

"Please hug me back," I say hoping that will bring him out of his daze.

He chuckles as his arms wrap around me and his heart rate seems to slow to normal as he holds me.

"I'm sorry I yelled, I just—" Pulling back, I cut him off as I cover his mouth with my fingers.

"I know you were just shocked at seeing me like that."

Edward nods at me in agreement with what I just said.

"I think the killer knew them, maybe he had even met them and talked to them before killing them."

"What makes you say that?" Edward asks seemingly interested in what I've suggested.

"There were no defensive wounds on Mary, and I'm sure there weren't any on the other girls either."

"The killer could have drugged them before they had a chance to defend themselves," Edward suggests and I shake my head at him.

"No, I think the killer is a man and he used what they did for a living to get them to come away with him. He may have even had meals, or sat down with them. He had to have changed before their eyes, taking them by surprise. I believe he would tell them that what they did—done— he saw as their sins." Stopping, I frown and tap my finger on my chin. "I think there is something we are missing. He's giving us a clue of sorts, as a way to predict the next victim. He even gave us the initials of one victim, but we didn't take his warning. There's something we are missing, but I'm not sure what it is yet. I've just got this feeling he's telling us something."

Edward just hums as he starts to guide me back to his sofa.

"Don't force this, let it come to you, you're a smart girl."

"Woman," I say looking at him.

"What?"

"You said girl, I am a woman," I say even sticking my chest out to prove it.

"I am almost thirty-three so in my eyes, you are a girl." His eyes drop from me, making me feel he hasn't been completely truthful.

"I am almost twenty-two," I tell him and he just grins at me.

"I know how old you are." There is a husk in his voice that I've never heard before.

"Who was it that you were attracted to?" I blurt out.

"What?" Edward asks giving me a look to show that he feels out of the loop. Not that I blame him; it was weeks ago that we talked about this.

"You said that when Jasper and Maria started dating you had your eyes on someone else. Who was it?"

Edward, to my surprise, blushes. "You," the word is so low and soft that I almost miss it.

"Me?" I say looking at him in shock.

"Yes. I'm a dirty old man. I've been attracted to you since you were nineteen."

With an open mouth, I just look at him. I didn't meet Edward until the end of last year when my father needed to be driven places.

"I saw you with Charlie and Maria. When you were nineteen; it was the first time I had seen you since you were younger, and I couldn't believe how beautiful you looked—still look. Then, I felt ashamed because you were—are a kid."

"No, I'm not, not then and not now," I tell him, not wanting him to feel bad about this.

As I stare at Edward, I get lost in those green eyes of his.

"I have a bad past and you've only heard snippets of it. Besides, I know I scare you."

Nodding at him I agree, because he does, but I also have this increasing attraction to him.

"Then there are your feelings for Jasper," he says and I'm taken aback by the hurt in his voice.

"That's NEVER gonna happen," I tell him, because it will not.

"Right, because he dated your sister, but not because you don't feel anything for him. I may be a shitty person, and undeserving, but I would like to be someone's first and only choice. I want to be loved for me, not as a replacement." As the words come out of his mouth they hold so much feeling that my breath catches, and my head chants, "I want to be that girl."

"I want that too. I want someone to see me, and only me. Not to be their girl until something better comes along."

Edward gives me a sad smile and I'm not sure if he's rejecting me or just feeling sorry for himself.

"You will have that, as I said, you are a very beautiful, smart gir ... woman."

I nod my head despite the fact that his words have left an ache in my heart. There's something in them telling me, he doesn't think it will be him despite him wanting it to be.

Edward and I talk and then he drives me home saying he doesn't want me crashing my car.

"Come in for dinner," I tell him and at first, he shakes his head, but I pull him inside anyway, not ready to give him up.

It's strange to see Edward so talkative with my dad. As soon as dinner was finished, I told my dad about seeing Mary. He gives me the same speech Edward did. After he calms down the three of us look at everything we have.

Looking at the clock, I see it is really late. Dad convinces Edward to stay and I lead him to the spare room. After giving him some of dad's pajamas, I leave him and head to my bed.

As I lay in bed, my mind goes back to the victims' names, trying hard to work out the feeling that they are trying to tell me something.


A/N: So can any of you figure out what the names are telling Bella? What were your thoughts of Bella's visit to the morgue?