Friday/October3rd/year2004/9:04am

It was later in the morning and Ingrid was still in the hospital. Fillmore was still asleep and Ingrid was typing on her laptop, trying to piece together the little evidence she had on Death's Silence. She had been analyzing data and researching all night, she didn't get one minuet of sleep. She rubbed her eyelids with her fingers before continuing her typing; the lack of sleep was finally catching up to her. She was getting frustrated and tired now, nothing was piecing together, and there wasn't a single lead Ingrid could use. Maybe she had finally met her maker.

"Have slept at all, Miss?" asked a nurse as she came in to check on the sleeping Fillmore. She was a short chubby woman with curly blonde hair, but she had a pretty face and looked like quite a caring lady.

"No, I've been very busy." She said with a small smile. "I'll try to sleep later tonight." Though she said that she doubted she'd be able to even if she wasn't busy. There was way too much on her mind for her to sleep. What if she was to fall asleep and something important happened and she missed it? She couldn't let that happen, not when she had been warned by her killer that he would strike again some time soon.

"Please do, Miss." Said the nurse, about to leave the room with worried eyes. "Lack of sleep can cause health problems." And with that she hesitantly left the room, as if unsure whether it was ok to leave her alone.

Ingrid shrugged and went back to her fast and silent typing. She would admit she was getting drowsy after going a few days without sleep, but it wasn't so bad, she kept herself occupied and drank a lot of caffeinated beverages. She heard Fillmore stir under his hospital bedcovers causing her to glance up at him. He was waking now, his eyes opened as he stretched. "Good morning…" She said quietly.

"Is it?" He asked, sitting up in his hospital bed. "I think I'm finally feeling the effects of that damn pipe. My head is killing me…."

She rolled her eyes slightly at his instant complaint. "It's good to talk to you too…" She murmured, closing her laptop and sliding it in her bag. "The doctor has proscribed you a painkilling medicine, it should help with the pain once you start taking it. They said your fine, for the most part, and can go home early if you feel up to it. They also suggest more bed rest; I think you should rest more too."

"What are you my mother?" He asked, kicking his legs out from under the covers, reveling his hospital gown. It was white with blue stripes all over it. "I can't wait to get out of these inhuman clothes and get back into my own. And as for bed rest…" He paused and glanced at the watch. "I've slept enough… But it doesn't look like you have."

Ingrid shook her head and smiled slightly at him. "I'm fine; I promise I'll get some sleep tonight." She said, chucking his clothes at him. "Get dressed, we can leave when ever you're ready, we just need to check you out in the main office." She stood up; her bag slumped over her shoulder as she went to leave the room. She exited the room, her pace not as swift as it usually is, and shut the door behind her, slumping against a wall as she waited for Fillmore to come out.

About ten minuets later he came out, his hair neat once again and wearing his usual wear of a decent looking T-shirt and beige pants. He rubbed the back of his head and looked at her. "So where are the painkillers?" He asked his voice a bit softer now and not as rude. "My head is killing me…"

"We have to go to the pharmacy." She said, walking with him to the main office of the emergency center to sign him out. "We'll drive to one on the way back to your house."

"We can't go back to my house." He said his voice serious. "That killer of yours has gotten in there with no problems once, which means he could do it again. There is no way I'm going back into that house until this maniac is caught. I'll stick with you."

"Why?" She asked, her voce serious too, her eyes looking at him. It was only a few hours ago they had an argument over the phone, and suddenly he's asking to tag along with her.

"Well, I am helping you with this case aren't I?" He said, giving her a look before smirking. "Also, if you figure you're not his target, it's a pretty safe bet that you're the one I should hang around."

"Oh…. So I'm your shield." She said, her spirits dampening a bit. She glanced at the ground before going into the main office s Fillmore could check out. With a sigh she waited for him outside the hospital, in her car. She was hoping his company would be a bit less cold, but what could she expect. Once Fillmore's mind believed something it took a miracle to change his mind. He was as stubborn as a mule.

It wasn't long before Fillmore was in the passenger seat next to her, checking out her car. "Nice ride, can I drive?" He asked, looking at her.

"No." She said coldly and firmly, looking at him. "Seatbelt, please."

Fillmore gave her a look of irritation. "Ingrid, If you let me drive I'll put on my seatbelt."

She turned off the engine. "No, it's either you wear your seatbelt or I dump you off right here." She said firmly her eyes not at all playful. He had put her in such a foul mood; this wasn't the Fillmore she remembered. He uses to be very considerate of every law, even the click it or ticket law, but now he seemed to act like such a stubborn bad boy. She noticed a look of disbelief on his face; he didn't think she would actually kick him out of the car. "….. Get out Fillmore…"

"Alright, alright, it's on." He said, clicking the seatbelt over his chest. He gave her a quick glare before putting some sunglasses on and staring out the window. "So, tell me once again about this taunting maniac of yours. What do you think? What have you gathered so far?"

"Not a lot…" She admitted, letting out a small sigh as she watched the road. "The day I went to inspect the murder I didn't find any evidence. The only unusual thing was they had been drained of all there blood from a cut on there necks, all in the same places too, but it didn't click just yet why their blood had been drained. Then, by accident, I found a letter pinned inside the wall of the trailer, pinned to the wall with the weapon of murder. The letter was written in blood, the wax sealing the envelope was blood too, and the blood was from the young female victim, a girl by the name of Sarah Welsh."

She glanced and Fillmore who seemed to be staring out the window extremely silent. Though it didn't look like it he was obviously listening. She went back to watching the road and continued telling him everything she new. "The hand writing was very fine and not at all messy, I believe a quill pen was used, you can look at the letter when we get back to my office…" She stopped at a red light and turned right to where the pharmacy was placed. "He's a genius, Fillmore. It's like he knows what I'm thinking before I actually think it. Everything was so clean; there weren't any traces of fingerprints or hair, nothing I could use to track down this guy. He's and artist too, you can tell by his handwriting and the way he uses his words. He's like a phantom…"

Fillmore looked at her with a raised eye brow. "So, he's a genius, a maniac, and an artist…. That's all you've figured out…." He said with a sigh, getting out of the car when they parked in the parking lot. "What about how he looks, where he lives, what he does for work, or where he'll strike next. I mean come on, Ingrid, most criminals leave very small hints to where they will strike next!"

"All I know is he's a man, and from his accent I'm pretty sure he's American." She said, getting out of the car as well, the prescription sheet for Fillmore's pain killers. "He doesn't sound like a gangster, or the usual person you would expect to commit a crime. I've spoken to a lot of criminals once they were behind bars and none of them sounded as calm and normal as this guy. Even when he's angry his voice doesn't change much, it rose a little but otherwise stayed calm. I don't think I know this man even though he says he knows me. I don't remember his voice, or handwriting, or anything."

"But Ingrid, if he knew where you worked, where I lived, and your phone number he must know you." Fillmore said, walking into the pharmacy with her. "This guy knows everything about you, I wouldn't be surprised if he's somewhere close right now, stalking you amongst the shadows."

"But why stalk me?" She asked him, walking in through the automatic doors, walking to the counter and handing the doctors note to the pharmacist. "I mean, I'm sure it gives criminals a thrill to spook out the good guys, but what's there to gain? The closer this man gets to me the closer I get to solving this case… he's basically giving himself to me."

"But that's the thing, Ingrid, he's not." Fillmore said, leaning against a wall. "You haven't gotten at all closer to cracking this case. This guy is stalking you for a reason. Maybe he wants some type of vengeance, or maybe he's a guy who has a thing for you or something… Have you rejected any guys recently?"

Ingrid went silent and looked at the ground before looking back up at the pharmacist who handed her a small capsule of white pills. As she walked away she stopped at Fillmore's side, still looking at the ground. "….I haven't had anything to do with anyone since you broke up with me…." She said coldly, walking to the cashier to pay for the pills. She stopped and looked back at Fillmore who was now giving her a strange look. "These are yours; you can pay for them…" she tossed them to him before walking out to the car and waiting for him.

Friday/October3rd/year2004/10:104am

Ingrid glanced outside the window of her car, which she had rolled open and began to watch the crowds of people that walked passed. They were all talking as another group of people walked against the flow of there human like traffic. There were grumbles of complaints from people as they shoved passed but one stood out above the rest. "…Move it you filth, I have places to go!" it wasn't an angry voice, but it was irritated, the same tone she heard on her phone when talking to death's Silence.

With a surge of excitement she got out of the car and stared at the people. They had passed and ally way and the source of the voice had disappeared into it before she was able to get a look at his face. She ran to the ally way, shoved passed people, and ran into the dark lonely corridor. She caught a glimpse of a shadow at the far end of the alleyway. She smirked, the ally lead to a dead end. She approached the end and spoke out. "Officer Third, your under arrest." She announced firmly, holding up a gun and walking farther into the darkness.

She heard a shuffling noise and when she reached the brick wall no one was there/ her pulse rose as she looked around, up and down. There was no one. She turned her back to the wall and looked down the ally way from which she came. There was no way someone had gotten past her. Suddenly, she felt a hand, cold as ice clamp over her mouth, another hand holding what felt like a knife to her throat. "Well, Officer Third, this is a surprise." Said the cold voice she remembered from her bone chilling phone calls with her mysterious killer. "I expected us to meet at some time but I never expected it to be so soon."

Her heart skipped a beat several times as she glanced out of the corner of her eyes, hoping to see the face of her attacker. No such luck, he had her perfectly held so he couldn't bee seen except for his hands and arm. She looked at his hand over her mouth. He was a pale man, his skin fine and white. If it weren't for the knife at her neck she would have whipped around and disabled her attacker but she knew that wasn't an option right now. She did notice he wasn't wearing gloves this time though, obviously he had not planned there encounter. If she could get his fingers to touch some part of her clothes she would have his fingerprints. And even if he killed her someone else would have a lead to fallow. She shifted a bit so he'd release her mouth and she could talk. "What do you want from me, why do you keep bothering me…?"

"What every man wants from a woman, I guess, but considering my temptations don't cloud my mind I will not succumb to such things…" He said, his voice soothing and some what hypnotizing. She heard a small chuckle emit from his throat. "If I were to assault you in such a matter it would end my fun."

She had to keep him distracted so he would loosen up a bit. "Why would you end your fun?" She asked in a loathing matter. "You'd have your pleasure, what's too bad about that?"

"Well, Ingrid, the assault would mean you'd see my face and know who I am, so id have to kill you afterward…" He said with a small sigh, one of his fingers caressing her neck slightly. "And that really would be quite a shame. It's fun to have you chasing after me. It makes me feel oh so good. Also, rape is a messy thing so id have to go through all the trouble of discarding your body properly, and who has the time for that? So, I'll let you chase me a bit more Ingrid… And then after I'm done with my homework I'll come after you, how's that?"

She moved a bit so the finger stroking her neck slid ever so gently across the collar of her black shirt. "It sound's horrid!" She said to distract him. "I'll have you before that's even possible!"

She noticed that right after she said that he had released her and somehow vanished from behind her again. Ingrid looked around again, and then up. Up was the only way escape could have been possible. She saw a fire escape and pulled down the ladder. Slowly she moved up them to the first level. She heard the swishing sound of clothing and looked up just to see her attacker go up one more flight. She fallowed swiftly and looked down, she was about fifteen feet up now/ she glanced out of the alleyway and saw Fillmore looking around the car for her. Obviously he had noticed she wasn't there. "At least he knows I exist." She murmured softly to herself.

Suddenly there was a figure in front of her. It was him, Death's Silence. He was masked and it seemed he had quickly put some black leather gloves on. If only she could get one of those gloves. He looked at her, his dark eyes peering through the eye holes in the mask. "Of course he notices you; it's a bit hard not to… " He said in a soft voice that soon turned cold. "But that's besides the point Ingrid… You've learnt quite a lot about me today Officer Third, too much I say…."

Suddenly he had a hand at her neck, his other arm hanging lifelessly at his side. "It's time to say goodbye Officer third." He said, his voice sounding more sinister than ever as he backed her up to the railing of the fire escape. "I do doubt this fall will kill you, but maybe it will do enough to show your place… You've become much to persistent…" and with that he pushed her over the railing, letting her fall.

Ingrid managed to catch herself with her left hand, gripping to part of the railing. She let out a gasp as pain shot through her arm socket as her hold broke her fall. She saw him looking down at her now, shaking his head. He leaned over the rail and began to peal her fingers off the rail with his own. She fell, but was quick enough to grab onto his hand and slide the glove off of her as she fell to the cement below.

She heard a voice yell out her name as she hit the hard pavement, her vision going dark, her hand still gripping the black glove. Seconds later her world was completely black and her mind completely blank.

Friday/October3rd/year2004/12:00pm

"Ingrid!" Yelled a distant, yet familiar, voice from outside the endless void of her mind. The voice calling to her was slowly pulling her out of her endless darkness. "Ingrid, you've got to wake up!" once again the voice brought her closer until she could finally see some trace of earth, a blurry yet familiar setting.

She opened her eyes and looked up only to see Fillmore and the light of the sun as it reached the peek of its daily climb. "….What happened….Ahhhh…" She groaned as she sat up, her hand on her forehead as she squinted her eyes shut. Suddenly, it all hit her, everything that happened prior her fall. "Death's Silence! He was here and I was here and then we climbed and soon I found myself cornered and then-"

"Ingrid, slow down!" Fillmore interrupted, cutting off her sentence. "Not only are you talking faster than a cheetah runs your hurt. We can talk business talk later when you're completely conscious and ok."

"But Fillmore, I saw him! We need to go back to my office and look at…" She gasped and looked at her empty hand. The glove was gone. She looked around and saw it a few feet from her; how it got there she didn't know. "His glove, the inside of it must have his fingerprints on it…. We can finally unmask this mysterious creep and solve the case…"

"Ingrid, I understand this case is very important to you but you need to take better care of yourself." Fillmore said, his eyes actually worried for here instead of sarcastic and rude. "You haven't slept for days and you haven't eaten at all since I started helping you. And also to top that off you fell from a fire escape. Your not in good shape, you need to rest."

"No, we can't… Death's Silence knows I have enough evidence to lock him up for good now, so he will either kill his next victims sooner than expected or he'll come after us. He won't go down so easily, he'll do something…. We just have to be ready…" She said, trying to stand up but she felt her legs give in. She clasped back on to her knees. "God Damn it, why can't I stand!"

Fillmore helped her to her feet. "My guess is you're not all the way conscious." He said, helping her walk out to the car. "It's a bit hard to walk if your brain is still asleep. I know you feel awake but you could have a concussion."

She eventually got the feeling in her legs back and she could walk, still holding on to Fillmore's shoulder for balance. "He's going to do something, Fillmore…. I'm worried." She confessed, rummaging through her bag to find her keys, but she couldn't find them. "Where are-"

"Your keys?" Fillmore Interrupted, holding out his hand, her keys dangling from his fingers. "I'm afraid you're in no condition to drive, so I must take up the task." He gave her a playful smirk and helped her into the passenger seat.

She gave him the instructions to her office and then leaned against the window. Even though she had been unconscious for a long time she felt more tired then she had ever felt before. As she watched things zoom by from her window she felt her eye lids grow heavy. She tried to resist the cloud of sleepy darkness that washed over her, but soon she found herself succumbing to the temptation of her dreams and fell into a sweet dimension of darkness…