Dream Slayer

Chapter two

"How are we going to work this?" Sam asked.

"Well I figured we'd stop at the last victim's house and ask a few questions then work our way backward if we have to. We'll say we're reporters looking into the deaths. If this is a Dream Slayer maybe someone saw something that could help us."

Sam looked down at the city map he was holding.

"Okay…turn left on Miner Street then right onto Olive Street."

Deaq did as he was told.

"Five ten, five ten…" He kept repeating as he looked for the address. When he found it he pulled out front and opened the glove compartment. He took out their fake IDs and handed one to Sam. They walked up to the door and knocked. A large man in his late twenties answered.

"Yeah." He said as he swung the door open, the smell of alcohol permeated the air.

They both held up their IDs.

"Hello. We're from the Mansfield times and would like to speak to someone concerning Tom McManns death." Dean said giving the man a small smile which wasn't returned.

"What do you want to know?" The man said angrily. Behind him they could see a girl of about twenty. She had tears in her eyes and was obviously upset.

"We heard that there were six strange deaths of young people in the city in a fairly short period of time and that Tom was one of them. We'd like to speak to the person who found him."

"I don't think so." The man said as he started to shut the door.

"Let me speak to them Joe…What's it going to hurt?" The girl started to step forward but the man spun around to face her.

"You ain't speaking to no one Stacey. It's none of their damn business what happened to Tom."

"Oh but that's where you're wrong mister." Dean said stepping closer to the door. "Maybe we can stop someone else from …"

Before he could finish Joe turned around and pushed him hard knocking him to the ground.

"Hey!" Sam stepped protectively between his brother and Joe. "Take it easy buddy, we just want to talk." He looked back at Dean who was slowly getting up. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Dean said as he brushed himself off.

"Well she doesn't want to talk to you." The man slammed the door in their faces.

"Well, that went well." Dean said as they turned and headed back to their car.

"That girl knows something Dean."

"Yeah I know, and we're going to find out what. But first we need to get a room so we have a base to work from.

Later

They drove around till they found a cheap little motel outside of town. They showered and got something to eat then drove back to town and parked down the street from the McMann's house.

"Well, I guess now we just wait." Dean said as he stretched and put his hands behind his head.

They didn't have to wait long. Joe came out of his house and began walking down the street to the corner bar. They waited till he went inside then walked over to the house and knocked. Stacey opened the door a crack and peaked out.

"Hi." Dean gave her his most charming smile.

"You better leave, my brother will be back soon." She said glancing down the street toward the bar.

"We just want to ask you about Tom's death." Sam said.

Tears immediately filled her eyes.

"Who are you and why do you want to know how Tom died?"

"I'm Dean, this here is Sam. We're reporters." Dean flashed his fake ID card. "And we're doing a story on the recent deaths in this town. We've heard there have been six of them…all young. And that it had happened in a relatively short period of time."

"Yes." She said softly.

"We're there any common denominators in any of the deaths as far as you know?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know…um…same day of the week, same hour, or maybe they all knew each other. Anything common between the victims?" Sam tried to explain.

"Victims? What do you mean victims? They died in their sleep, they weren't murdered. That's what the papers said. It said they probably died of heart attacks. But I…" She stopped and looked away blinking back tears.

Sam glanced at Dean, then back at Stacey. They could tell she knew more then what she was saying.

"Sorry, wrong choice of words."

"Stacey." Dean said covering for Sam. "Did your brother have trouble sleeping?"

"What does that have to do with his death?"

"Well Stacey…ten years ago a similar thing happened in a small town in Ohio. And one of the things the people that died had in common was they all had trouble sleeping."

"Well…yeah, Tommy had bad dreams and would wake up screaming a lot." She looked at them confused as to what that had to do with anything. But suddenly she looked past them and her eyes widened in fear and she took a few steps back.

Joe had suddenly appeared behind them holding a six pack of beer. The brothers had been too involved in the conversation to have noticed him.

"What the hell are you doing here again! Didn't I tell you my sister has nothing to say!"

"I think your sister can talk for herself." Sam said as he and Dean turned around. Without warning Joe grabbed Sam by his shirt and flung him off the porch. He grunted in pain as he hit the ground hard. Instinctively Dean's hand shot up and he grabbed Joe's shirt.

"You and your friend get out of here and don't come back." Joe said knocking Dean's hand away.

"He's my brother …and if you ever blindside him like that again…you'll regret it." Dean said through clenched teeth then looked at Sam. "You alright?"

"Yeah."

"I see you bothering my sister again you'll be the one to regret it." Joe spat out.

Stacey grabbed Joe's arm.

"Joe, they weren't bothering me…I want to talk to them."

"You do as I say Stacey." He pushed her back in the house then entered it himself and slammed the door shut.

"Nice guy." Sam said limping over to Dean.

"You okay?" Dean asked noticing the limp.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just twisted it a little when I landed."

Dean looked back at the house.

"Pig headed jerk!" He shouted.

"Well, what are we going to do now? Talk to some of the other victim's families?"

"Not right now…I think Stacey has more to tell us and I'm still not convinced that we're dealing with a Dream Slayer, it might just be coincidence. We need to talk to her again."

"Well we can't go back to her house."

"No, but hopefully she doesn't have an unlisted number. We know her last name and her street address, all we got to do is find a phone book."

They walked to the corner bar, then paid the woman bartender to call Stacey's house. They knew if her brother answered he wouldn't let her talk to them, but if a woman called he might think it was one of her friends. When Stacey came to the phone the bartender handed the phone to Dean.

"Stacey, it's Dean. Don't let your brother know that you're talking to me."

"Okay." She said as she glanced over at Joe who was sitting in front of the television watching a football game.

"Stacey I could tell there was more you wanted to tell us and we'd like to talk to you some more. Can we meet somewhere?"

"Um…sure Sue." She said using the name of her best friend. "Okay, where do you want to eat?"

"Let's see…there was a small diner on the way into town the…um…I think it was called The Sunset Diner. Could we meet there?"

"Okay, sure."

"Maybe in an hour or two?"

"Sure Sue, give me about an hour and a half. I'll see you there."

"Thanks Stacey." Dean said as he hung up and looked at Sam. "Well it's on."

Later at the diner

Sam and Dean were seated at a table when Stacey came in and Dean waved her over.

"We really appreciate you talking to us."

"Can we get you something to eat?" Sam offered.

"No, I can't stay long. My brother…well he doesn't want me to tell anyone what I saw the night Tom died. He said he doesn't want people driving by the house pointing and his friends making fun f him. If he knew I was here…"

"What was it you saw that night Stacey?" Dean asked as both he and Sam leaned forward to hear her answer.

TBC