Between the three of them driving it only took about 7 hours to get there. Millie woke up to Dean singing along to a song while Sam just looked out of the window. She yawned, "Are we there? I'm starving." Sam turned his head back towards her, "Yeah, we're here. Only a few blocks to their house." She nodded as the car turned onto another street. Dean winked at her through the review, "Its not hot but I've got a burrito up from that last gas station we stopped at." Millie grimaced, "No thanks. Id rather die. If I remember correctly you had to go to the bathroom 20 minutes after eating that first one. You made the car reek for an hour." Sam laughed, "It's true man..." Dean shrugged it off, "Yeah, whatever. We don't know it was the burrito that did it."
Millie rolled her eyes with a smile. The car came to a stop when Sam waved his hand, "Here. This is the place." Millie crawled to the passengers side and got out, "Looks like a nice place." Dean nodded in agreement as they walked up to the porch. Sam rung the doorbell, the door opening almost immediately. A petite looking blonde woman gasped with a chuckle, "Oh my god. Sam." She smiled up at him as Sam answered, "Well, if it isn't little Becky." Millie laughed on the inside at Becky's come back, "You know what you can do with that little Becky crap." As they pulled away from each other he spoke again, "I got your e-mail." She seemed happy as she looked over at Dean and Millie, "I didn't think you would come here." Dean snuck around Sam's side, "Dean; older brother. This is Millie; family friend." She smiled and shook their hands in turn, "Hi." Sam nodded, "We're here to help. Whatever we can do." She waved them and head towards the kitchen. Dean looked around at chandelier and the staircase, "Nice place you have here."
She sighed, "It's my parents. I was crashing here for the long weekend when everything happend." Millie looked around the living room as they walked through it. She sighed and thought to herself, 'must be nice to have money'. Her thoughts drifted to other things as she nonchalantly followed them. 'I should really contact dad...' she thought as they finally came to a stop. Becky leaned against the counter, "Hey, do you guys want a beer or something." Millie smiled as she said yes and Dean said something in an excited manner but the look on Sams face said no, "No, thanks. So...tell us what happened?" She cleared her throat, "Well, uhm, Zach had come home and he found Emily tied to a chair. She was beaten up and bloody; wasn't breathing." She looked around at the three of them as she continued, "So..he-he called 911. The police, they showed up and they arrested him. The thing is, the only way that Zach could have killed Emily was if he was in two places at the same time." She shook her head as she looked down for a minute, "The police, they have a video. It's from the security tape across the street. It shows Zach coming home at 10:30. Emily was killed just after that, but I swear he was here with me, drinking beers until at least after midnight." Sam looked back at MIllie who was biting the inside of her cheek, "You, know. Maybe we could see the crime scene...Zachs house." Dean spoke as he tilted his head a bit, "We could?"
Becky looked at them all, "Why? What could you do?" Sam shrugged, "Well, me, not much. But Dean's a cop." Millie's eyes widened a bit as she looked over at Dean, who chuckled nervously, "Detective actually." Becky looked interested, "Really, from where?" Dean spit out the first town that came to mind, "Bisbee, Arizona. But I'm off duty now." She looked a bit nervous, "You guys, its so nice to offer, but I just don't know." Sam looked down at the counter, "Bech, look. I know Zach didn't do this. Now, we have to find a way to prove that he's innocent." She nodded and said she was going to go get the keys. As soon as she was out of ear shot, Millie punch him in the shoulder, "You are a real liar. She's supposed to be your friend." Dean nodded in agreement as he wrapped an arm around Millie's shoulders. Sam sighed, "Look, Zach and Becky need our help." Dean moved forward, "I just don't think this is our kind of problem." Millie bit her lip before sighing out, "Dean...two places at once? I mean we've investigated on a lot less. Just let us see?" Dean gives her a look but agrees to go on with this anyway, "Fine."
After asking for the millionth time if this was an okay thing to do, Becky finally unlocked the door to the house. Millie took in a deep breathe as they walked in, the places was tossed and blood was splattered everywhere, "Oh...my.." Sam turned around to Becky, "You can wait outside if you want." She shook her head, "No, I want to help." Millie could see on her face that she wasn't handling this too well and she couldn't blame her. As she looked around she started to get sick, this was an awful lot of blood, "What else did the police say?" Becky looked at her, placing her hand to her throat, "Well, there was no sign of a break-in. She let her attacker in. The lawyers are already talking about a plea bargain." Millie put an arm around her, gently rubbing her shoulder as she started to cry abit, "Hey..hey, its going to be okay...look Becky, if Zach didn't do this. That means someone else did." Sam nodded, "Do you have any idea who would want to harm your brother or Emily." She shook her head, "There was something...about a week before, someone broke in and stole a bunch of Zach s clothes. The police don't think it has anything to do with this. We're near downtown. Being robbed isn't too unheard of." Millie gave her a small smile before walking over to the door, taking a glimpse of the dog barking through a nearby fence. Becky came up behind her, "It's the strangest thing...before the murder, that was the nicest dog." Millie nodded, "Hmm, I wonder what happened to cause him to change."
Millie walked over to Sam and Dean, telling them about the dog. Sam nodded, "Animals are known to be sensitive to the paranormal." Dean spoke seriously, "Maybe fido saw something." Sam smirked, "So...you think this is some kind of our problem?" Dean shook his head, "No. Probably not. We should look at the security tape just to be sure." The three of them nodded, "Yeah." Dean turned toward Becky, "So the tape, the security footage? Think maybe your lawyers could get their hands on it? See, I just don't have that kind of jurisdiction." She gave a guilty look, "I've already got it. I didn't want to say anything in front of the cop. I swiped it off the lawyers desk. I just had to see it for myself." Within 30 minutes, the four of them were gathered around the tv watching the tape. Becky spoke, "Here he comes. Dean noticed the time stamp, "22:04, that's just after 10." He looked down at her, " You said time of death was about 10:30." She nodded, "Our lawyers hired some kind of video expert. He says the tape's authentic. It wasn't tampered with." Millie creased her eyebrows as she elbowed Sam. He nodded, "Hey, Beck, can we take those beers now?" She nodded, "Of course." As she walked out into the hallway he added, "Maybe some sandwiches too?" She scoffed, "Where do you think you are, hooters?" Dean laughed, "I wish."
Millie grabbed the remote from Sam as he and Dean talked. She could have sworn she saw something...yes! there it was, she hadn't been imagining it. Sam notice what she was doing, "You saw it too?" She gave him a thumbs up, "Looks pretty freaky right here." Shes freezes it on a still where Zach s eyes are bright white spots. Dean shrugged, "Maybe its a camera flare." Sam shook his head, "Not like any camera flare I've ever seen." Millie stood up, "A lot of cultures believe a photograph can catch a glimpse of the soul." Dean looked at her, "Right." Sam joined, "What if this is what the dog saw. Maybe its some kind of dark double of Zach's...something that looks like him but isn't." Dean bit his cheek, "Like a doppelganger." Millie stretched, leaning to her left, "That would explain how he was in two places at once." She leaned over to far and started falling, Sam laughed and caught her by her shirt, "Careful there, Mills, not that flexible yet." She pouted at him as Becky brought in the beers and food. Becky filled them in on embarrassing stories of Sam while he was in college as they ate. Millie gave her a hug as they left, "We are gonna do whatever we can to help your brother. Trust us." She nodded and waved as they left.
Sam pointed out the first motel, "There!" Soon Millie was laying face down on a lumpy, squeaky bed sighing out as loud as she could, "Dear god...this isn't going to work. Someone switch me..." Dean's hand shot up in the air, "Ill trade you. I'm sick of being the one to sleep on the couch." She got up, "Okay." She grabbed her pjs and changed in the bathroom. On her way out she coyly scooted across the floor, with her hands behind her back, over to Sam's bed. He opened one eye to stare up at her, "Yeess?" She smiled sweetly not saying anything. he sighed and lazily pushed himself off the bed, "Fiiine, I'll take the couch because you're being to damn cute. You owe me though." She nodded as she jumped under the covers, "You got it!" Dean stripped to his boxers and passed out beers for everyone. Millie pulled out her laptop and sent an email to her dad letting him know she was alive and that they were all okay. Then she delved into folklore about doppelgangers. Sam tossed on the couched, "Millie...can I just share the bed with you? This couch sucks." She swallowed a lump that had formed from the thought, "y-yeah, sure." She scooted over and turned her laptop off. Dean turned towards them with a look on his face that Millie didn't see. Sam rolled his eyes and mouthed, "Chill. Out." Dean rolled his eyes and turned over to the face the doorway. Millie snuggled into her side of the bed, "Night guys!" Sam smiled at her gently, "Night, Mills." Dean whispered softly as he fell asleep, "Night, Millie-kat."
The next morning Millie woke up extra early to take a shower. As she was getting dressed, the bathroom door opened; Dean walking in on her, "Oh shit, Mills!" Millie grabbed her towel off the sink to cover herself as fast as she could, "Dean! Shut the fucking door!" Sam woke up to them yelling and spoke groggily, "What's going on?" Dean snapped out of it and shut the door quickly, yelling, "Nothing. Sorry! Sorry!" Millie calmed her breathing as best as she could and checked the lock...she had locked it for sure...it was just a crappy lock! She sighed, now embarrassed that he had seen her, her cheeks turned red. Taking in a deep breath she opened the door, "Would it kill us to spend a few extra bucks for a place that doesn't have shitty locks? Or shitty beds?" Sam nodded, "We can definitely spend a few extra for those." Dean blushed slightly. "I said sorry..." She nodded, "I know. Come on lets get going." The three of them piled into the car, driving to Zach s place after grabbing breakfast. "Why are we doing this so early?" Dean wined. Sam sighed as they got out of the car, "I realized something. The videotape shows the killer going in but not coming out." Dean took a drink of his coffee, "So the killer went out the back door?" Sam walked away, "Right, so there should be a trail to follow...a trail the police would never pursue. Cause they think the killer never left." Millie nodded, taking Dean's coffee away from him and taking a drink herself, "Because they caught your friend inside." Dean pouted as he crossed his arms, " I still don't know what we are doing here 5:30 in the morning." Millie watched as Sam looked around the fenced in trash can. Her eyes drifted to the pole/ She walked towards it..,"Is that-blood?" Sam walked over to her, "Yeah, it is. Somebody came this way." Dean looked down at the ground, "Maybe the trail ends. I don't see anything over here."
The three of them exchanged glances as an ambulance flew by. Within minutes they were at a fresh crime scene. The three of them walked over to a lady who looked like she had been out running, "What happened?" She looked over at them, "He tried to kill his wife. Tied her up and beat her." Millie and Sam peaked up, "Really?" She nodded as they watched a man being put into the back of a police car, "I used to run passed him every morning. He'd wave, say hello. He seemed like such a nice guy." The three of them split up looking for evidence of a trail they could follow. Millie met up with Dean around the corner. he smiled briefly grabbing her by the arm, "Come on." He lead the way back to Sam, "Hey, remember when i said this wasn't our kind of problem?" Sam scoffed, "Yeah." Dean nodded, "Definitely our kind of problem. I talked to the patrolman who was first on the scene. He heard this guy Alex's story." Millie rushed him, bouncing a bit, "And?" Dean continued, "Apparently the dud was driving home from a business trip when his wife was attacked." Sam spoke astonished, "He was two places at once." Dean nodded, "Exactly. Then he sees himself in the house. Police thinks he's a nutjob." Sam walks around thinking, "Two dark doubles attacking loved ones in exactly the same way." Millie shook her head, "No way...it's gotta be the same thing attacking everyone. To coincidental not to be." Sam looked at her, squinting, "Shapeshifter?" She nodded as Dean said, "Every culture in the world has a shapeshifter lore...legends of creatures who can transform themselves. Into animals or other men." Millie nodded, "Skinwalkers. Werewolves." Dean seemed intrigued, "We've got two attacks within locks of each other. I'd say we have a shapeshifter problem in the neighborhood."
Sam turned to Millie, "In all this shapeshifter lore, can any of them fly?" Millie shook her head, "Not that I've heard of." He pointed to the building, "I picked up a trail here. Someone ran out of the back of this building, headed off this way." Dean nodded as he looks out in front of them, "Just like your friends house." Sam sighed, "And just like Zach's house, the trail suddenly ends. Whatever it is just disappears." Millie looked at the manhole cover, "Or they went down there?" The two men looked down Dean chuckling, "Well...that's a different way to go." Sam sighed and moved the cover, "Ladies first.." Millie rolled her eyes as she pulled her phone out to use as a flashlight. Slowly and carefully she made her way down the ladder, the two men following after, "Gawd, it smells down here." Millie looked around waiting for the slow pokes to finish the decent. Sam looked over at her, "I bet this runs right by Zach's house too." She nodded, "Yeah, lots of places can be connected this way. I bet this is how he gets around." Dean interrupted, "I wonder how many murders he's gotten away with?" Millie slipped on something, "Eewww! Fuck, look at this." The three of them bend down to look at a pile of disgusting goop. Sam spoke up, "Is that from his victims?" Dean grimaced, "I just had a very sick thought...when the shapeshifter changes shape, maybe it sheds." Millie gagged audibly as Sam replied, "That is sick." Millie couldn't contain herself and wound up barfing. Sam pat and rubbed her back, "Come on, Mills. Let's get out of her." She wiped her mouth on her sleeve, "Right."
