To those who celebrate it, have a wonderful Christmas.
To everyone else, I wish you a happy and peaceful 2020 Chick xxx
Chapter 10
-oOo-

It was a fine, dry day and Sam didn't feel much like going back to the hotel straight away. Instead he decided to walk down and find a spot in the town's park to eat his
sandwich. As he wandered down the high street he stopped occasionally to gaze in the window of an antique shop or an art gallery, making the most of the brief respite from his life as a Hunter.

The park was well cared for with numerous flower beds giving splashes of colour amongst the green of the grassed areas and the small copses of trees and shrubs dotted around. There was a children's play area, a picnic area and a small cafe with seating both inside and out. There was even a pretty little pond which was home to a variety of ducks. It was a peaceful, even quaint, park with an inviting charm. Strolling in through the ornate wrought iron gates, Sam spotted an empty bench and headed over to it, settling himself down to eat his sandwich and peruse the map he had purchased. Focused on cross checking the meanings of the various symbols overlaying different parts of the map, he didn't notice someone had sat themselves at the other end of the bench until he glanced up, responding to a young child's giggles and squeals of delight as the attentive adult with her gently pushed the swing. The little girl's joy was infectious. Sam grinned broadly and turned to the teenage girl who was sharing the bench and who was also watching the scene.

"She sounds like she's havin' a great time, doesn't she?"
The girl didn't take her eyes off the laughing child.
"I s'pose."
The flat tone in which the teen answered effectively put a stop to any further conversation. Finishing his sandwich, Sam folded his map up and glanced around for a trash can. Spotting one back at the park gates he stood up to leave.
"Well, 'bye. Um, have a nice day."
Bestowing the briefest of glum glances onto Sam, the teen's accompanying 'Whatever' made it clear she really couldn't care less what kind of day she had. Sam left her to her sulks and went in search of a cab back to the hotel.

"Sammy? You awake up there? S'me. I'm back."
Sam's voice drifted down from the mezzanine level.
"Great. So long peace an' quiet."
"Bitch. How'd it go with Annie? Is she cute? Did you get a date with her?"
"Why? You an' the Sheriff wanna double up?"
"How'd you know the Sheriff's female?"
"I didn't."
"You gonna get your butt down here, or did I get back a bit too soon?"
Sam's head appeared over the balcony.
"Make coffee, jerk."

Holding the notes he had made at his meeting with the Sheriff, Dean gazed at the red dots on Sam's map which the Hunters had opened out and laid on Dean's bed. Each dot represented where Annie had told Sam a victim's body had been found. Sam tapped a finger over an area where there were two red dots close together.
"Did the Sheriff say if any of the vics were stayin' here at the hotel?"
Dean nodded yes.
"First body found in the grounds here was a guy called James Dowlin'. He was due to arrive in the early hours of the mornin' but never checked in. Come daylight his car was found in the hotel car park with the driver's door wide open. The paintwork all round the door handle was badly scratched an' it looked like the door itself had been hit with somethin', a hammer or, my guess? Punched by our neighbourhood werewolf. The guy's remains were discovered in the hotel grounds under some shrubs. The usual internal's were missin'. Second time around was another male, Barcley Jones, smoker. Went outside for a cigarette, never came back in..."
"Smokin' kills."
"Right. You done?"
"Just sayin'."
"Anyhoo, nobody saw or heard anythin', only thing caught on the one security camera was a dark shadow passin'. The vic an' his wife were newly weds due to check out next mornin'. The body was left out in the open at the back of the hotel. Theory is the wife comin' out to look for her new hubby disturbed the killer before he'd got chance to hide what was left of Barcley."
"An' the manager didn't mention any of this to you last night...Are you thinkin' he's our hunt?"

Dean moved away from the map. Sitting himself down in one of the armchairs he looked out the window thoughtfully for a moment. Rubbing a hand over his head, he turned back to Sam.
"If I just go on my gut feelin's? No. I don't. But hey, I could be wrong...Hope I'm not, I like the guy but, we need to know why he kept shtum."
"You gonna ask him? Or do you want me to talk to him?"
"I'll do it...The two your girl marked as bein' found in the town itself? Their files show they were both killed in winter. Both times the full moon happened durin' a period of heavy snow fall. Heavy enough to leave Grantsville virtually cut off."
Sam came and sat down opposite Dean.
"Right. So we're lookin' at someone local who knows the town well enough to move around an avoid bein' seen, not someone who travels to hunt. Snow tracks?"
"Nope. Heavy snow? Any tracks will've got covered over again."

Sam let out a sigh.
"Look, how about you just tell me if there's any useful intel been gained from the other deaths?"
Dean smiled.
"They all go to prove campin' out in forests sucks."
Sam leaned forward and put his head in his hands with a groan. When he sat up straight again it was with a look of resignation on his face.
"Well, ok. If we decide our mark isn't the manager, we both know which way this' goin' so we might as well stop playin' detective an' just go visit the area where most of the vics were found. At least we'll get a look at where we're gonna be hangin' out durin' the full moon."

Draining his coffee Dean stood up and headed towards the door.
"Where you goin'?"
"To talk to Phil. You comin'? Even if he ain't our guy, there could be other stuff he's not told me an', if we do decide he's not our werewolf; we might have to break some bad news to him."
"Fine."

Hope could feel the low lying tension inside her beginning to build up again. Time to go home an' eat. Standing up from 'her' bench in the town park, she set off towards the exit, her eyes cast downwards but her stride purposeful.

-oOo-
Chick xxxx
A quick 'Hello' from anyone reading would be great :)