It wasn't until I was sitting in Greg's car that I realized I'd kicked myself out of my own hotel room. I could've made Sam leave! I could've told him to get the fuck out! Ugh, why am I so stupid? Now I couldn't go back because he would be there. I didn't even know if he'd bothered to get another hotel room for himself—Maybe he was just planning on driving to Stateburg and checking on me and then turning around and going back to Abbeville. I snorted at that thought. Yeah, right. He's totally here because they think I can't do this on my own. They think I'm too mentally young and too inexperienced after being in the ground for a year and not remembering all the things I've learned. Well, joke's on them because water spirits were a big thing of mine, and after the research I went through while waiting for Sam, I have enough info to at least get me started on taking this thing down. All water spirits are vulnerable to silver, and I've got a gun full of silver bullets shoved in my belt. This should be no problem, even if it isn't a kelpie like I first thought.

With that thought in mind, I cranked up Greg's car and headed for Columbia, hell-bent on killing a water spirit and proving myself to the Winchesters and Ella.

~Supernatural~Supernatural~Supernatural~

This time when I went to Group Therapy, the place was packed. All of the tables were filled with college kids, and two young waitresses in casual t-shirts and shorts bounced around between them, looking flustered and like they regretted their choice in part-time job. Niles was nowhere to be found, but two mildly attractive bartenders were in his place, flirting with the college girls and boys who drunkenly leaned across the bar. I pushed my way through the throng and managed to find one empty barstool in beside two cute blondes who were flirting shamelessly with the tattooed girl serving them drinks.

"Liv picks up all of the girls," a somewhat familiar, mischievous voice said from behind me, and I turned to see Niles giving me his charming grin. "You've no idea how many times we've thrown off each other's game."

I did a quick once-over of Liv, deciding that I definitely liked what I saw, before I more slowly checked out Niles. "I dunno," I said, "I can hazard a guess. I mean, if she showed interest in me, I'd probably blow you off, too."

"Well, y'know, that must mean that you're at least a little tempted by me, yeah?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, maybe a little."

"Then let's go somewhere that Liv can't tempt you, too," he said deviously.

"What, like to another bar? I'm kinda casing the joint."

He laughed as he lead me towards a back corner of the bar that held a mercifully empty booth. I noticed that the door of the bar was still in view, which I appreciated. I may have been flirting a lot, but I was still trying to do my job, and I needed to keep an eye on whoever walked in. "I was just thinking somewhere a little more private. The atmosphere in here is too good to get away from."

"I'll say. I can see why so many college kids come here. I certainly would've."

"So you're casing the joint?" Niles said conversationally as we slid into opposite sides of the booth. "Which means you're still on the clock?"

"Unless there's a good enough reason for me not to be," I said, raising my eyebrows expectantly.

He grinned. "I can think of a few, but how about I start by buying you a drink?"

I smirked back at him. "Buy me two or three, and then we'll talk."

He laughed as he got up and headed back to the bar, and I took that chance to check my phone. There were three missed calls from Sam and five text messages, all saying things like, "Where the hell are you?!"and "Don't do anything stupid!"and "Can we please just talk about this?!"I rolled my eyes and shoved my phone back into my jacket pocket. I'd come on this hunt alone, and I intended to finish it alone, too. The fact that Sam was so worried just made me want to prove myself further.

I absentmindedly watched Niles joke around with Liv as he ordered our drinks, and I thought about how much easier it was to talk to him than Sam, even if I'd just interrogated and flirted with him a little. And besides the fact he's almost definitely some sort of water spirit that's eating people.Even so, there were no complications when flirting with Niles. With Sam, I had too much fun making him blush and he could so easily affect me, too. There was the shadow of our past constantly making things awkward—even when I was just joking with him, he would get this sad look on his face and leave me wondering what I'd done to upset him. I hated that his feelings were starting to bother me. Everything that I'd told him in our fight had been true, and, after I'd told him, I'd started hating myself even more for being so mean to him.

Logically, I knew that my feelings weren't something I had any control over. I'd gone through a lot of shit, and I had every right to be feeling confused and scared. But Sam had also gone through so much because of me—not just because of my death, but because of how I'd been treating him since I got back. I knew that he just wanted to help, and I knew that he would've wanted to help even if I'd been a random stranger instead of his resurrected girlfriend. I'd been so ungrateful and so mean, and he didn't deserve it.

Maybe I should apologize.I couldn't believe I was even considering it, but I also couldn't help feeling that it was the right thing to do. After I finish this hunt and show them that I'm still on my A-game, I'll apologize. We'll have some big talk where I hopefully won't have a panic attack, maybe drink a few beers or something, and I'll apologize. Then maybe he'll tell me more about who I was and what I've done. I don't just wanna know the bad things—I wanna know how many people I've saved, what adventures I've had—A sudden thought struck me: And, holy hell, I've got so much pop culture to catch up on. Think of all the music and movies and novels I've missed. Fuck, I don't remember seeingReturn of the King! I was so excited for that! Okay, yeah, as soon as this hunt is over, I'm gonna sit my ass down and have aLord of the Rings movie marathon. I wonder ifReturn is as long as—

My thoughts broke off as Niles sat back down in the booth and handed me a blood red drink in a fancy glass. I gave him an exasperated look. "You do realize I was the girl who nearly asked you for a bottle of straight whiskey earlier today, right?"

"Just try it," he said earnestly. "It's one of my favorites, and I think you'll like it."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Well, since you're buying…"

"I wouldn't do—" he started, wide-eyed, as I took a large gulp of the drink "—that…"

I made a face and shuddered as I sat the drink down a little harder than I'd meant to. "What the fuck was that?!" I coughed. "It's spicy as hell!"

Niles laughed. "It's called Satan's Circus. It's got Aperol in it."

"Aperol's not spicy!"

"It is if it's been infused with chile peppers for three days…"

"What?!"

"It's called Satan's Circus for a reason."

"No shit!" As my mouth cooled down and I was able to breathe again, I took another, much smaller sip of the drink. "Huh," I said, more than a little surprised. "That's actually pretty good, now that I can actually taste it. Thanks for the warning, by the way."

"How was I supposed to know you were going to knock it back like that?"

"Okay, yeah, point." I took another sip. "Like, wow. That's reallygood."

"I'll tell Liv you said so."

"I kinda expected you to take the credit for making it."

"I kind of expected you to expect that," he countered with another laugh, and I joined in. He got serious as his laughter faded. "Have you found anything yet? About Janie?" he asked worriedly, and I was almost convinced that he actually cared.

I shook my head. "Nothing yet. I had a minor setback earlier today—some issues with the home office—and it fucked up my schedule a bit." Thanks for that, Sammy."But, tomorrow, I'm going to be doing some more interrogations and investigating the crime scene. Jane's not the first murder, but I intend to make sure she's the last." I let my voice get as harsh and fierce as I felt—even if Niles, by some strange occurrence, wasn't the one killing those girls, it wouldn't hurt him to know how serious I was about stopping whoever was responsible. And, if he was the monster like I thought and my words scared him a little, it would just be an added bonus.

"If there's anything I can do to help…" he trailed off, and I nodded.

"Just keep your eyes open. I know that most of the murders are happening closer to Stateburg, but it's only like forty minutes from here, and drunk college girls are too vulnerable for some psycho to pass up."

"I'll let you know if I see anything suspicious."

"I appreciate it." I gazed at him across the table, trying to find some hint that he really was what I was hunting, but he looked completely innocent. He seemed at ease in his surroundings, even after our serious talk, and he looked appropriately upset by the thought of another girl going missing. I had nothing other than the words of Kirsten Williams, who was scared and sad and alone after the death of her best friend. Can I really just go on that?

As I continued to ponder the possibility of Niles being the monster, my eyes fell on the strange bracelet around his wrist. I'd forgotten to ask him about it earlier because Dean had texted me, but now seemed like as good a time as any, and maybe it would give me some clues. Right as I started to ask him, however, the door to the bar opened and completely distracted me. "Ah, fuck," I said under my breath as Sam caught sight of me and walked over to the booth. Niles gave me a questioning look, and I quickly lied and said, "Niles, this is my partner, Detective Cage. Detective, this is Niles Pottinger. He's the one who found Jane McCollum's remains."

I saw confusion on Sam's face—he'd apparently expected me to be hostile—but he got over it and slid into the booth beside me. "Sorry I'm late," he said. "Car trouble. I'm guessing you've gotten what you need from him?" Sam asked as his eyes scanned the table, taking note of the drinks and finally the slight smirk on Niles's face. Oh, God, is this gonna be a testosterone thing?

"I have," I said a little harshly, causing Sam to look back up at me ashamedly, knowing I'd picked up on the jealousy. "Niles was nice enough to buy me a drink for my troubles—he's been very helpful. We can go over what he told me tomorrow." I stared pointedly at Sam, hoping he would go away. I knew that I should've told him earlier about my suspicions towards Niles, but the fight had happened and I'd completely forgotten. Now, I was scared that, if Sam stayed, he'd end up giving something away. I was doing so well on my own, and I wanted to continue that streak.

"Actually, I've found a few things, too, and it's kinda urgent," Sam said, shooting a glance at Niles. Please let him actually be telling the truth instead of being possessive. I mean, I don't think Sam's a possessive kinda guy, but I dunno. I just hope he actually has something if he's trying to make me leave my prime suspect.

What could I do? I had told Niles I was still kind of on the job when I first came in, so it wasn't like I could act like I was totally off the clock. And I couldn't just tell Sam no—I was supposed to be a detective, and I had to retain a sense of professionalism. I had no other options. Suppressing a sigh, I gave Niles an apologetic smile. "Thanks for your time, Niles," I told him, "and for Satan's Circus."

Niles grinned back at me. "Anytime, Detective. Just be a little more careful with it next time."

My smile grew. "Yeah, next time, I'll be more prepared."

Sam stood up to let me out of the booth, and Niles stood, too. He was only an inch or so shorter than Sam, and, as they shook hands, I got that sense of testosterone again. "Don't leave town," Sam said sternly. "We might have more questions."

Niles raised an eyebrow and glanced at me. "Don't worry; I know the drill. Nice to meet you, Detective Cage. Have a good night."

Sam nodded, and he led the way out of Group Therapy. I managed to hold my tongue until we'd gotten back to John's Impala, and then I let loose on him. "What the fuck was that?!" I yelped. "Could you be more obvious?! If he didn't think we were on to him before, he certainly does now!"

"I had to test him somehow, didn't I?!" Sam shot back. "If you weren't so busy flirting—"

"Ohhh, no. We are not doing this!" I broke in. "This is not gonna be some weird jealousy thing; I swear to God, Sam, if this is some weird jealousy thing—"

"It's not, okay?! I was just covering our asses and making sure you were actually doing your job!"

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?! You don't think I'm capable of doing this on my own?!"

"Show me that you are, and maybe I'll change my mind!"

"What are you even talking about?! I talked to the Stateburg police; I talked to Kirsten Williams; I talked to Niles, who was the last person to see Jane alive and also the person who found her—I know whoever did this is some sort of water spirit, and I know that silver bullets kill water spirits, and I know that there's a ninety percent chance it's Niles! What more d'you want me to do, short of going ahead and killing him without confirmation?!"

Sam held his hand up, and I thought for a second that he was flipping me off; then I noticed that he was showing me his right ring finger, which had a silver band around it. "You could've tested him!" he said. "One handshake—that was literally all it took to know that he's not our guy! If he's a water spirit, that would've burned him, and it didn't!"

My fire faded, replaced by confusion. "No, that's not…that's not right," I said slowly. "It has to be him. It all adds up. There's no one else it could be."

"Well, it's not. Silver didn't burn him, so it's not him. Silver burns every water spirit I've ever run into." I knew that what Sam was saying was true—I'd never met a water spirit immune to silver, either—but it still didn't feel right. "Was there anyone else that could've done it?" he asked, still sounding pissed. "What about her friend? Kirsten?"

"It wasn't Kirsten," I said automatically. "Kirsten has a family; she has ties to Stateburg; she's a real person. Besides, why would she take the other girls? At least she knew Jane, but she didn't know any of the others."

"Then maybe it's some random guy who just found Jane alone and took her. Maybe Jane was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe there isno connection."

That isn't right. I know it's Niles. Iknowit.I stared up at Sam, willing him to listen, to believe me. "Sam, look, I know the silver didn't work, and I know he's cleared all the questions, but I know it's Niles, okay? Please, just listen to me," I implored. "I can feel it in my gut. It's him. Maybe he's not a water spirit, but he's something, and we've gotta stop him. Before he hurts anyone else."

Something in Sam's eyes changed: the anger faded, and something like sadness took its place. "Okay," he said quietly. "Okay, I believe you. D'you have any idea what he could be?"

I shook my head. "No, but that's why I have you, right? You're the smart brother, and I'm the smart sister." I gave him a tentative smile. "If anyone can figure this out, we can. Right?"

A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth, but he still looked mostly sad. "Right."

~Supernatural~Supernatural~Supernatural~

"What about a kappa?" Sam suggested as we flipped through the collection of books we'd both brought with us.

"Don't they usually take the form of children?" I asked.

Sam was quiet for a minute then said, "Crap, yeah, never mind. What about Adaro?"

"I feel like we'd have heard reports of fish flopping around in the intestines, don't you?"

"What?"

"They throw fish at their victims."

I glanced up to see Sam skimming the page he was on. "Oh. Right. Huh. That's weird."

"No kidding." I frowned as I flipped past undines, nix, nereids, and ahuizotl. "I'd say he's a rusalka, but they're almost always women."

"And don't they just drown their victims?" Sam asked. "They're don't usually rip them apart and eat them."

"Yep, that's rusalki for you. Ugh, we're getting nowhere, and it's starting to get light outside." Sam raised his head and followed my gaze, looking towards the window and making a face at the sunlight beginning to shine through the blinds. We'd been holed up in my hotel room all night, and all we'd found was a never-ending list of water spirits and monsters that didn't fit Niles's M.O. "Maybe we should just quit," I huffed. "Maybe you were right and it's still a kelpie or something and it's just not him."

"No, I was wrong," he argued gently. "I've learned by now to trust your instincts. You're always right, and I don't see why this time should be any different."

I bit my lip and stared back down at the book in front of me as I tried to hide my blushing face. "Is that why you got that look earlier?" I asked him. He stared at me confusedly. "The sad one, the one you told me happens when I make inside jokes."

Realization followed by embarrassment crossed his face. "Oh. Yeah. That one. Yeah, that's why."

"So what was the deal about the pillow? You still never explained that one—you said it would make me uncomfortable."

"You really wanna know?"

"Would I be asking if I didn't?"

Sam shrugged. "Probably."

"Okay, fair point. But, still. I really wanna know."

"It's just that, uh…we never had to fight over pillows." I raised my eyebrows at him, and he blushed and ducked his head. "You always just curled up half on top of me and wouldn't let me move all night," he explained. "I was your pillow. When you asked, you just kinda caught me off-guard. I think it might've been the first time it actually sunk in that you didn't remember me."

By the time he was done talking, I was blushing, too. "Oh. I'm, uh…I'm sorry?" I said lamely. "For—for making you feel like that. For always making you feel like that."

"It's not your fault, Gari," he said, as always surprising me with his level of understanding. "None of it is."

"But it's also not an excuse," I said. "Just because I'm lost and confused and miserable doesn't give me the right to take it out on anyone else, especially people who just wanna help." I cast my eyes down again. "Especially you."

"You don't need to apologize to me, okay? I know you're going through a lot, and I know I'm not making it easier by worrying about you so much. I just don't know what else to do."

"I can't really help you, there. No matter what you do, it seems to set me off somehow, anyway," I said, trying to joke about it rather than show how much my ever-changing emotions bothered even me.

He frowned and repeated, "It's not your fault." Before I could say anything else on the matter, he glanced down at his book and said, "What about a tangie?"

I hadn't really wanted to change the subject, but his question threw me off. "What did you say?" I asked, already feeling dumb.

"Maybe it's a tangie. They leave behind –"

"Intestines," I interrupted, face-palming as I remembered the lore. "They leave behind intestines, prey on young women, and are immune to silver. Andthe first stories are from Orkney, which is where Niles is from. This is it!" I exclaimed. "Ugh, I can't believe I was so stupid! Why didn't I catch on before?!"

"Because you were too busy flirting?" Sam teased, and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I'll hurt you, Winchester. Don't think I won't." He had been grinning, but, at my words, his grin became strained. "Ah, shit, I did it again, didn't I?" I said. "I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize," he assured me again. "I just need to stop freaking out. You've still got the same sense of humor and the same way of speaking—you're bound to reuse some of your old jokes."

"Still..." I said uncomfortably. "Just know that I'm not trying to upset you, okay?"

"I know."

"Good. So refresh my memory: what kills a tangie, if not silver?"

"The lore says iron, which makes sense. Those are the two go-tos most of the time, right?"

"You don't happen to have an iron ring, do you?"

Sam shook his head. "No, sorry."

"Gah, if only I had my dagger…"

"Wait, what?" Sam said. "You don't have your dagger? You never got it back?"

I blinked at him in confusion. "Huh? I just figured you didn't wanna bury me with it and had it somewhere in the house. I meant to ask for it back, but I kept forgetting. But you're acting like you don't have it, either."

Sam ran a hand through his hair. "Ugh, never mind. We'll worry about that later."

"What are you talking about? Where is it?"

"You gave it to a warlock so he could enchant it to kill demons," he said quickly. "I thought Don would've given it back to you before you died, but I guess not. I'd forgotten about it until now."

"Wait, so—" I stopped myself before I could get annoyed. "Y'know, you're right. We'll worry about it later. Now we just need to find something iron to test Niles with…and something to kill him with if it's really him."

"I'm sure we've got some kind of knife in the Impala," Sam said. "Lemme check really quick, and then we can work out a game plan for testing Niles and taking him down." He started towards the door; then he turned around and said, "Are you hungry? I'm sure there's at least one fast food place open for breakfast this early."

I nodded. "Food sounds good. And coffee. The strongest coffee you can find."

"I'm on it. I'll be back soon."

As Sam left the room, I continued to pore over the tangie lore, trying to find anything else that might help us. I discovered that, when they took the form of humans, they would often have weeds in their hair. Niles definitely didn't have weeds in his hair, but I knew that monsters could adapt to fit in, especially if they'd been around for a long time. Suddenly, realization hit me. "The bracelet," I said aloud. I'd assumed it was made of hemp or something like it, but now I wondered if it was really made of some sort of river weed. "It would fit with a modernized version of the lore—they're still weeds, but they're in a more inconspicuous place than his hair."

Feeling satisfied, I let my thoughts drift from Niles to Sam. Apologizing was the right thing to do,I thought certainly. Things are so much easier right now than they have been since I got back, and maybe I can manage to keep it that way. I don't have to get attached to him; I just have to be nice. I can be nice, right? Especially to someone who's so nice to me? Yeah. I can do that. And, maybe when this hunt is over, he'll realize that I'm fine on my own and he'll vouch for me to Ella and Dean.

Then my thoughts went sour. I still can't believe I'm having to prove myself to them. What Sam said earlier about me needing to show him that I could hunt on my own was bullshit—theyknow I can hunt on my own; theyhave to know that, right? Or else we wouldn't have hunted together for so long. I mean, I get that they're worried about me, but that's just ridiculous! Hunting is what I know; it's what I'm good at! I can still finish this hunt on my own. All I need is for Sam to come back with whatever weapon he finds, and then I can kill Niles and show them how good I am. I can show them that I don't need anyone to help me do what I do best.

With that thought in mind, I propped my head up on my hand and started reading again, pushing the thought of anything but taking down a tangie out of my mind.

~Supernatural~Supernatural~Supernatural~

I stretched out across the somewhat lumpy bed and buried my face in the pillow. I hadn't slept more than a handful of hours over the past few days, and I didn't want to wake up.

Then my eyes popped open and I sat straight up when the fact that I was in a bed finally sunk in. The last thing I remembered, I was researching tangies while waiting for Sam to come back with weapons and food. I must have dozed off at the table. But how did I get in the bed? Did Sam move me?I noticed that I was just lying on top of the covers and I was still fully dressed, minus my boots. The book with the tangie lore was gone from the table, and a paper bag and a Styrofoam cup were in its place.

I got to my feet and shuffled over to the table, wondering how long the food had been there. As I reached for the bag, I noticed a note from Sam scribbled on a napkin. Don't freak out—I just took off your shoes,was the first sentence, and I almost smiled. I had to go back to Abbeville to find something iron; I should be back by the time you wake up. Don't feel bad about falling asleep—I know you could use the rest.Please wait for me before going after Niles. Don't be reckless. –Sam

I took a sip of the coffee and made a face; apparently, it had been there for a while, seeing as it was ice cold. There were two biscuits in the bag, and I didn't even bother with them. Instead, I knocked back the cold coffee and tried not to shudder at the aftertaste. If the food's that cold, he'll be back really soon. Which means I don't have much time. I've gotta find Niles before he does. I've gotta prove that I can finish this on my own. Now I've just gotta find some iron.

I had taken inventory of the weapons in Greg's Impala before leaving Abbeville and I didn't remember finding anything iron, but there was always the possibility I'd missed it because I hadn't been looking for it. I figured it couldn't hurt to take another look. After changing my clothes, tying back my hair, and pulling on my boots, I trekked out to the car and started going through the arsenal in the trunk as discreetly as possible. There were about ten different shotguns, a few knives which I knew to be pure silver, and a couple of throwing stars, among tons of other weapons, but I didn't see anything iron.

Just when I was about to call it quits, I remembered how Greg liked to hide weapons in strange places. I knew there was a pistol under each of the front seats and a knife in the glove compartment—I'd even found a flash bomb stashed in the console when I was eighteen. With that thought in mind, I started in the driver's seat and worked my way through the car. Yep, there's the guns and the knife and the flash bomb and… When did he put a hex bag in here? Why is there some weird sigil under the mats? Did the Winchesters do this?I made a mental note to ask Sam about it later as I climbed into the back and felt around under the seat. Okay, that's definitely a rifle. Is that all that's back here? C'mon, G, you gotta havesomething!

"A-ha!" I exclaimed as I pulled a fire poker out from under the seat. "I knew you wouldn't let me down, G! Now I can go kick this tangie's ass and make you proud!"

A small part of me wondered if I was making a mistake—although I hated to admit it, I had been out of the game for a while, and the whole ordeal with the Trans and Crowley hadn't given me that much of a chance to see what I could still do, other than nearly knock myself out by exorcising a demon. I remembered the end of Sam's note—Don't be reckless—and, instead of disregarding his warning, I started to consider it.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, signaling a phone call, and I put it to my ear without looking at the caller I.D. "Hello?"

"Oh, good, you're up," Sam's voice said on the other end. "How long have you been up? Was the food still warm?"

He sounded so worried that I couldn't bear to tell him the truth. "Yeah, it was fine," I lied. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," he said, sounding relieved. "And, uh, sorry I moved you. You were kinda in the way, and you didn't really look all that comfortable—you almost fell out of the chair twice—and I promise I didn't—"

"Sam, you're fine," I interrupted, holding back a laugh at his awkwardness. "Sorry I fell asleep."

"No, no, it's fine. We had pretty much everything we needed, anyway. I just couldn't find any iron in the Impala—Dean must've cleaned it out recently—and I knew it wouldn't take me too long to go back to Abbeville."

"Did you get a weapon, then?" I asked.

"Yeah, I got a couple of knives, and Ella gave me her fire poker."

I frowned in confusion. "She has a gas fireplace. Why does she have a poker?"

"She says it completes the image. I dunno. I just kinda nodded and went with it."

"That's the best thing to do," I laughed. "So how far out are you?"

"About half an hour. What d'you think: should we stake-out the area where he's been taking girls, or should we watch him at the bar?"

"You're too suspicious—he'd know you were onto him if you went to the bar, especially after that testosterone-fueled first encounter yesterday."

"Hey, I was playing bad cop, okay?" Sam said, sounding offended.

"Well, for one, you're a detective," I reminded him. "And, two, you play bad cop very badly. You came across as more of a jealous boyfriend than anything else."

Sam was quiet for a moment; then he said, "Yeah, okay, I get where you're coming from. Sorry."

"Don't apologize; it was kinda funny once it stopped being extremely annoying."

"Oh, great, thanks," he said sarcastically.

"Anytime, sunshine," I joked back. "So, it looks like we're going for the stake-out. I was checking out the area online earlier, and it looks like there's a trail along the river that runs for a few miles. All the girls have been disappearing around there, and Jane was found next to a park bench right on the bank. That'll be our best bet."

"Got it. I'll meet you back at the hotel in about twenty minutes, and then we can go catch this guy."

"Sounds like a plan. See you soon." Well, it looks like I'm gonna wait for Sam, after all. It's the smart thing to do, right? I'm gonna be smart instead of reckless. For once.

I hung up and slid the phone back into my pocket just in time for it to ring again. I actually checked who it was this time, but it was an unfamiliar number. Deciding I should play it safe, I answered the phone with, "This is Detective Jones. Who's calling?"

"Detective? It's Officer Williams." He sounded upset, but I didn't get a chance to ask what was wrong because he just kept talking. "Look, I know this is real unprofessional, but I think Kirsten's in trouble."

"What makes you say that?"

"I was drivin' by the house, just checkin' up on her, y'know? I been doin' it ever since Janie. And there was this guy out there; he knocked on the door and Kirsten answered and they walked off and I haven't seen 'em since."

I tried to control my panic and instead asked, "Officer, why didn't you go after them? Why are you even calling me about this? This is your jurisdiction."

"I can't mess up this family anymore," he confessed quietly. "Phil and Mary already hate me, and if this is really nothin' and I'm just breakin' up Kirsten and some new boyfriend, Kirsten'll hate me, too. I just…I got a bad feelin', Detective, just not enough for me to risk losin' the only family I got left."

"I understand." And, while I didunderstand, I couldn't help but think how selfish Officer Williams was being in putting his relationship with his family over the potential loss of one of said family members. "What did the guy look like? Did he look suspicious in any way?"

"Not really—he was tall and blond, wearin' faded jeans and a gray t-shirt. I wouldn'ta been suspicious if he hadn't pretty much fit the description Kirsten gave me of Janie's last boyfriend—I know he was the guy that found her, and it just don't seem right to me."

That's definitely Niles, then. He's going after Kirsten now. Oh, fuck. I've gotta get to her. I've gotta save her."Officer Williams, listen to me: get in your car and drive to the park just off the Wateree River, the one with the gravel parking lot near where Jane was found," I ordered.

"How d'ya know that's where—"

"D'you want me to help your cousin or not?!" I interrupted harshly. "Go now!" I didn't give the officer another chance to speak before hanging up the phone and jumping into the driver's seat of Greg's Impala. I slammed my foot down on the gas and tore out of the parking lot, heading toward the park I'd told Officer Williams about.

No one else is gonna get hurt because of me. I'm gonna save her. I'm not gonna let Kirsten get hurt. I don't care what it takes—she's gonna survive tonight, and I'm gonna make sure Niles never hurts anyone again.As I drove, I briefly considered calling Sam and updating him on the change of plans, but some selfish part of me—the part I'd been warring with since I got back, the part that needed to prove itself—stopped me from doing so. I can do this alone,I thought for the hundredth time. I can show him that I'm capable. I can show him that I'm still a hunter. I can show all of them that I can still get the job done. All it takes is one job, and they'll be off my back. They'll see how wrong they were to worry about me, and they won't be so paranoid all the time. It's a win-win for everyone.And I mostly convinced myself that it was true.