Two days later, the need to keep their affair secret and to maintain professionalism at work was driving Charlie to distraction, looking up every time someone walked past her office, hoping for a glimpse of her. Resting her elbows on her desk, her head in her hands, she mutters to herself the absurdity of the situation.

"Charlie."

"Yes Georgina?" Charlie looks up, her mood dropping with one look at her face. "Another one?"

"She didn't survive," her voice heavy with sadness and frustration.

An hour later, Charlie was sitting across from Joey, romance far from her mind as they reviewed the horrific scene.

"He made sure this time when he slit her throat." Charlie shudders at the amount of blood that was all over the walls. "At least we got lucky this time and he left a skin sample under the victim's nails."

"But we have no suspect to compare it too, and if he's not in the system, we're still in the dark." Joey looks thoughtful as she pictures the scene. "Still, it's a slip up and that's something he hasn't done before. This scene also looks more disorganised and not just because of the blood spray. The ties on her arms and legs were loose which is why she was able to scratch him and her breasts looked like they had been hacked off instead of cut off."

"Do you think he's losing control?" Charlie asks, horrified by the thought.

"It's just that he was sloppy this time and that's not the careful and organised actions we've come to associate with this guy."

"Maybe the fact that May lived has rattled him."

"I suppose he could be worried that she may remember something or it could just be that he's no longer able to keep control." Joey regards Charlie in concern, "Did you know her?"

"We'd spoken a few times, but we moved in different circles."

"Where's her husband?"

"He's a truck driver and according to his employer, he should be somewhere in Queensland by now."

"Why did she stay at home alone when we've warned people of the dangers?"

"She wasn't staying alone. Her brother was staying with her, but he works on the docks in the afternoon."

"10 victims, three of whom were mutilated and two killed, yet not one witness," Joey mutters.

"What are you thinking?"

"This guy knows the area and how to get away unnoticed, but he also seems to know exactly the right time when to attack. The door-knocks today have only turned up two people who were home at the time, one's a drunk who was praying to the porcelain god and the other was sleeping because he worked an early shift. We've never really been sure if this guy is familiar with the wife or husband or both to know when he was going to be out of town." Joey looks at Charlie, "I'm beginning to think he finds a target and then finds out their movements and routines, not just the victims and their husbands, but also the neighbours. I thought it seemed reckless to attack her in broad daylight, but not if he was confident that he wouldn't be seen or heard."

"I know most people in town, who's married and I have a fair idea of who works away from town, but even I don't know everyone's schedule or when they're home or not."

"He could watch the victim's house as well as her neighbours for awhile to see their routines and you said yourself that this was a small town, it wouldn't be that hard to find out information or schedules would it?"

"Not really. Most places around here are set hours, so he'd only have to watch someone's workplace to know the times they'd be out of the house and if he frequents the diner or the club he'd get most of that just by listening to other people's conversations, especially if Colleen was on duty. If he didn't take a risk attacking when he did, then what made him so careless inside?"

"The planning was organised, he was fine until he got into the house and then for whatever reason, he just lost control." Joey shrugs, "Maybe it was the fear of leaving a live victim behind again that made him lose it."

"May only lived because Nicole came home unexpectedly."

"Shit, so did May," Joey suddenly remembers. "Well, there goes my theory; he had no way of knowing she'd be home when she was." Joey's annoyed with herself for not having seen that earlier.

"Unless May wasn't his intended victim."

"Then who was?"

"Sally. Her husband Flynn has been overseas with Doctors Without Borders for the past two months and Sally was supposed to be home at the time, but she was a last minute replacement to go to the teachers conference when Ms Russell was forced to pull out when her son got appendicitis. Everyone knew Miles was going, but not Sally."

"So he could have gone to the house expecting to find Sally, yet he found May. If he can't fight his impulses once he's in the mood, then he may not have cared that he had the wrong woman. Still, it was risky if he had no idea that Sally was away; when he was attacking May, as far as he knew, Sally could have walked through that door at any minute."

"If that's what happened, then he is growing more bold."

"And dangerous. Where was Nicole supposed to be?"

"She works in a fashion store in Yabbie Creek every Saturday, which most people know, except that day, business was a slow day so she got sent home early."

"He knew the victim today was going to be alone, which means he knew the brother worked at the time, just like he knew that Nicole was going to be out. If he is watching these women and knows when they're going to be alone, then I think we need to put out a renewed warning, adding that no married woman should be left alone for any length of time and that if they can, to change up their routine," Joey says.

Charlie sighs in frustration, "I just feel so useless."

"You shouldn't. We can only go on the evidence we have and we've done everything possible to find witnesses and to warn people."

"I know." Charlie's suddenly distracted by Joey's hands, "Any reason why you're strangling that pencil," Charlie asks in amusement.

Joey offers a wry smile, "It's to keep my hands busy and away from you."

Pleased that Joey was having the same difficulties as she was with keeping their distance, Charlie stands up, "In that case, I should leave before you snap it in half and your hands suddenly become free." Charlie pauses at the door, "Ruby's going to be out having dinner with her father tonight, would you like to come over for tea?"

"I'd like that." Smiling warmly at Charlie, "We really haven't had much of a chance to spend time together the last couple of days."

"It's kind of hard seeing as neither of us live alone and we have to keep this quiet."

"Yeah, I know."

"I'll let you know when the DNA results are back."

"Thanks."

Disappointed that the DNA results came back with no match, Charlie is nevertheless looking forward to spending some time alone with Joey. Stopping by the diner on her way home from work to pick up a dessert for tea, Charlie can't help but overhear Leah and Roman arguing about him having to leave for work.

"Roman, you can't leave us here alone, not with this psycho out there."

"I don't want to Leah, but I don't have a choice. I explained to the Lieutenant what was going on here, but he said if I didn't turn up, I'd lose the contract."

"You're a civilian instructor now, you don't have to jump whenever they say."

"Leah, if I lose this, we lose everything, including the diner."

"I told you we shouldn't have gone on a second honeymoon."

"You deserved the break Leah and our first honeymoon was a disaster because we got food poisoning. I'm sorry ok and I'm only going to be gone for the week."

Leah sighs sadly, "It's not fair."

"I really don't want to leave you alone while there's some sick bastard out there Leah." Roman hugs her, "We'll sort something out before I go."

"You leave in two hours."

"Ah Leah, Roman, I hope you don't mind, but I overheard," Charlie says, walking up to them. "If you're looking for somewhere safe to stay while Roman's away, we have a spare room you can have and Nicole can share with Ruby and I'm sure VJ wouldn't mind sleeping on the couch."

Leah and Roman look at each other, surprised by her offer but still hesitant.

"If you're worried about Angelo, he's going to be away for at least another week," Charlie reassures them.

Leah nods to Roman. "Thanks Charlie, I'd feel a lot better about leaving if I knew Leah and the kids were safe."

"I know we haven't been on the best of terms for a while now, but I'd like to think that we were still friends."

"I'm sorry Charlie for being distant with you, but after Angelo accused Belle and Roman, I just saw red and blamed you too."

"It's ok Leah."

"I have to leave in two hours, so why don't I take Leah home to pack and I'll drop the three of them off on my way out of town. I think we still have that blow up bed, I'll drop that off as well so VJ can stay in the room with Leah."

"I was just heading home, so I'll see you then."

Roman holds out his hand, shaking hers. "I really do appreciate this Charlie."

Heading out of the diner, Charlie curses softly when she realises she was going to have to cancel her date with Joey.

Watching the house from the shadows, he imagines what he was going to do to her when the time was right.

With VJ in bed and the others occupied with a dvd, Charlie steps out into the kitchen to make the coffees. Hearing a soft tapping at the window, Charlie turns and nearly jumps back in shock at the grinning face there. Racing out to the back patio, Charlie's grateful for the privacy there as she suddenly finds herself in Joey's arms and her lips firmly pressed against hers. Finding Joey's kisses almost addictive, Charlie reluctantly pulls away when she remembers who was inside. "What are you doing here?"

Joey links her arms around her waist, "Sorry, I couldn't wait until tomorrow."

"I'm sorry for cancelling."

"It's ok Charlie, you did the right thing inviting them to stay with you. I should be going before someone comes looking for you."

Charlie holds her tight, not wanting to let her go. "I wish we could be together without having to sneak around like a couple of grounded teenagers."

"It won't always be like this Charlie," Joey assures her. Leaning in for a kiss goodbye, Joey steps away. "People are going to find out eventually, but for the moment, I just want it to be us, without all the judgements and whispering behind our backs."

"Whispering?"

"Cops involved in illicit lesbian affair, there's going to be talk Charlie."

"I didn't even think of that part of it."

"That us both being women makes this a lesbian affair and that people will talk?"

"I knew I was falling for a woman, I just," Charlie shrugs, "I just didn't think of the label."

"Does it make a difference thinking of it like that?" Joey asks a little hesitantly.

Remembering her father's and Angelo's views of homosexuals in the police force and knowing that they weren't alone in their views worries Charlie a little, but one look into Joey's slightly worried eyes and she finds herself shaking her head, "No, it doesn't make a difference."

Beaming at her, Joey moves in for another quick kiss, only to find their kiss deepening. Feeling out of breathe, Joey finally backs away. "I think I better leave while I still can."

"Yeah, Leah and the others are probably wondering what happened to their drinks," Charlie says, trying regain her senses.

Standing there staring at each other, Joey shakes her head in amusement at their behaviour. "I'm going to leave right now." Turning around before she changed her mind, Joey makes a quick getaway.