Author's Note: Sorry for getting snappish, guys. I was yelling at all the wrong people, of course. I love you all for making me feel like what I'm producing here is more than a daydream that occasionally makes me laugh.

Evelyn Valerious: You rock for always reviewing, and I'm glad you find my humor funny.

xiaouxijiang: Thanks for the review, and sorry for not replying sooner. I'm glad you're enjoying my work, and I couldn't agree more that we need to do something to liven up the category a little—check out my forum if you haven't. While I appreciate your offer to beta, I've already got two people doing that job. If you'd ever like to talk, feel free to IM or email me—my contact info is in my profile.

Fanficgeek: Thank you for all of your kind words, and the much-needed pep talk in your last review. I know my chapters are shorter than average—humor me, I'm trying to make them longer.

Y. Seta: You are a brilliant writer, and I'm glad to know you're enjoying my work as much as I've enjoyed yours. I'll be sure to drop you a review as soon as I'm on a more reliable internet connection.

Rogaldorn3: Stop lurking and join! I promise we don't bite…much. I don't know if you've read the novelization of the move, but that's kind of where I'm getting my Weiss from. Yes, he might be going a little too far though…I'll have to put a leash on him. Glad you're enjoying the crime-novel feel I've been working on—it's every bit my intention.

Ann: Thank you thank you. I have another…6 chapters? written…so you'll get at least that much for sure—but don't worry, I'm already too far in to stop.

Bagpipes: U r da beast revyoo-ur. Eye giv u 5 stares!

Liv: I've corrupted you, my sister, just as you've corrupted me—and together we've corrupted another One. Rejoice!

Salienne: Where are you? I do believe you owe me a couple…and I probably owe you some too…

Zelda: Thank you so much for everything you've done/are doing for me. I bought you something yesterday at Paradise. Can't wait to see your reaction. Oh, and I started writing you a little present too…

Happy Fourth to everyone, and I'll be updating again as soon as I can get access.

Daydreamer731

Chapter 9

Sunny Days Inn

Bakersfield, CA

October 14, 2005

12:28 A.M.

Angela woke with a cry, the sheets tangled around her legs, her hair matted to her face by sweat. She lurched to her feet, tasting bile at the back of her throat. She barely had time to make it to the bathroom before her stomach emptied itself, remnants of the dream still flashing on the backs of her eyelids as she fell to her knees, struggling to catch her breath.

After a long while the nausea began to subside and Angela sat up further, bracing herself against the cold porcelain of the toilet bowl. She took a deep breath, stumbled to her feet, flushed the toilet, silently fighting back tears. The nightmares were nothing new, but this one had been especially bad. She turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on her face, resisting the urge to take an entire shower. No time for that now. She'd already wasted more than enough.

As she exited the bathroom, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and stopped short. Fully clothed. Had she fallen asleep without changing? It was entirely possible; she'd been so exhausted lately nothing seemed clear. But still, it was troubling. Angela shook herself and flipped off the light. This was ridiculous. It wasn't as if someone had broken into her room and dressed her in her sleep. The case was getting to her, that was all. The case and the nightmares.

She slipped on her shoes and rushed out into the hallway, tapping on Weiss' door, then stepping back across the hall and pounding on the door next to hers. She wasn't sure why she hadn't simply knocked on the adjoining door, but it had suddenly seemed too private somehow. She couldn't entirely shake a feeling of resentment that Constantine hadn't come to see if she was all right. He had to have heard. Still, much as she would have liked it to be, such a thing just wasn't in his nature.

"What the fuck is going on?" he snapped, flinging the door open so hard it nearly hit her in the face. He looked decidedly flustered, black hair sticking up in larger spikes than usual.

"John," she said thickly, swallowing, "there's…there's been another murder."

"What the hell?" Weiss stood behind her, clothed in one of the hotel bathrobes, looking like a disgruntled tourist who'd just found out the theme parks are closed for renovation.

"Third floor," said Angela, struggling to remember. "Room…303."

"You saw it?" asked Weiss.

"I—no. But…come on, we might still be able to catch it."

"What did you say?" asked Constantine, stepping out into the hall and letting the door close behind him.

"We…the murderer…there might still be—"

"You said 'it.'"

"He! Fuck it! It doesn't matter. Let's just go." Angela took off at a jog toward the stairs, the two men close on her heels.

Gold spots danced in front of her vision as she pounded relentlessly up the stairs. She was in relatively good shape ordinarily, but sleep deprivation was beginning to take its toll, and she still couldn't shake a feeling of weakness from the nightmare. Her back and shoulders ached unbearably, and her head felt thick, as though she'd been drinking.

All was quiet in the third floor hallway; not even an elevator seemed to be in motion. Still, there was a definite tinge in the air, strange vibrations more intense than what she'd felt before—like the hospital, but more potent somehow.

As the door to room 303 came into sight it was obvious that not all was right with the room; the door was a crack open, swinging loose on its hinges as though in a slight breeze. Angela pushed it open cautiously, knowing what she would find within. She switched on the light as she went inside, then forced herself to look at the floor, struggling to keep her composure.

"Jesus," she whispered despite herself.

The body was on the floor beside the bed. As before, the head had been cut away below the bridge of the nose and the brain scooped out, leaving the likeness of a soldier demon. The cut wasn't as neat this time, however, and there were fragments of bone and tissue ground into the carpet along with the pool of blood that had caught the edge of the white hotel sheets, staining them crimson. This was obviously a recent murder.

The room was a wreck, furniture overturned and the sheets torn. This man hadn't gone down without a struggle. There were purple bruises on the paling flesh of the corpse's neck; signs of strangulation. So the murderer had incapacitated the victim first, once again.

"Holy hell…" muttered Weiss, looking at Angela as if she might spontaneously combust at any given moment. She felt transparent under his scrutiny and found herself wishing that she had something to hide behind.

"We're going to need to get the local police department on this," she said at last.

"And tell housekeeping they've got one hell of a mess to clean up," added Constantine.

Angela glared at him. She knew he must feel the tragedy as acutely as she did, that his morbid humor was only a mask to hide his own emotions, but it still got to her. The scene played out before them was simply too grotesquely real to be funny in any way.

"So…" said Weiss, "are we convinced that Malone is our guy yet?"

"No," said Angela firmly, for she was certain of it now. The darkness she'd sensed first at the hospital and now again with this murder had not been present at the used car dealership. There was something bigger involved here, something that Weiss would never be able to either understand or accept.

"Pattern?" said Weiss impatiently.

"Yes," said Constantine, breaking in. "It does fit. The same…murderer…who killed Neese killed this man, yes. But I'm not convinced that that's Malone."

"So what do we do now?" asked Angela.

"You go back to bed, Angie," said Weiss firmly. "You look dead on your feet."

"I'm not going anywhere," she answered firmly. "And you didn't answer my question."

"We call the police," said Constantine. "And we find out where the hell Malone is headed next."

"What…"

"Something killed these people. And I don't think it's following us."

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