Hi, all. Check it out another update in a space of few days, I'm good right? lol. Thank you Elsac2 and Guest for your reviews. You guys are the best.

Warnings: Has mentions of death, violence and Rape. If that's not your thing you can skip the middle part, After the flashback to a year ago. But make sure you read the beginning and the end, especially the end as it sets things for further chapters.

This Chapter contains a flashback to a year ago. Flashback is in Italic and starts after the words a year ago and ends at the ends present day.

Happy reading everyone, please review let me know what you think. :)

Chapter 40.

January 26th.

Rick's POV.

Rick opened his eyes, unable to ignore the insistent buzzing of his mobile. He picked it up and rolled onto his back. "Hello." He said, stifling a yawn. Sunlight was streaming though his curtains.

"Morning sir."

Rick sat up and looked over at his alarm clock. It was 8.00AM. Rick had been hoping for a lie in seeing as it was his day off, but a call from Jane told him otherwise. "Morning Jane, what's up?"

"We have another one sir."

Rick tried to engage his brain as he grabbed a pair of boxers and a pair of suit trousers from a pile of clean washing, already scanning his bedroom for some deodorant. "go on."

"The on- call are on site, an alleyway, a few blocks away from Dixie's. Female same MO as the others, sir." He could hear the tension in her voice.

"I'm on my way. Meet me there." Rick said walking out of his bedroom, down the stairs though the hallway, grabbing his jacket, wallet and keys as he passed. "Yes sir, see you there."

Rick got into his car, turned the engine on. As he drove to Dixie's his mind raced with thoughts, when were they going to catch this son of bitch? How many woman would have to die? Rick hated that him and his team had no idea who this guy was and was still no closer to finding him, four dead girls, a killer getting braver and braver as he continue to kill, and his gut told him that things were going to get a lot worse before all of this was over. 'Just fucking great.' He mumbled to himself.

Half an hour later Rick was packing his car in the park lot of Dixie's, he turned off the engine, opened his door and jump out. He looked up at the bar that was now closed as his mind quickly flashback to last night when he was here with Lori. He had been so mad seeing Shane again after all this time, he thought he had seen the last of him but obviously not. Rick didn't understand what the guy was doing back here, what was he hoping to achieve? Why couldn't the bastard just have stayed gone? Years ago Rick would never of thought in his wildest dreams that he would been saying this things about Shane. He first met Shane years back in college and they became friends instantly and they stayed friends all though college, the police academy and was even one of the first partners he had. Shane was funny, loyal and got on well with Lori, the three on them were always together. Rick trusted Shane to look out for Lori when ever he was around. But it had all been a lie, all the years Rick thought they were friends were a lie, Shane couldn't be trusted and was definitely not loyal, he was sly and a rat instead of looking out for Lori and being a friend to Rick. Shane went be hide his back and started sleeping with his wife and not just once either but for a fucking year and it only ended because he found out.

A year ago.

Rick had came home earlier from work one day, hoping to surprise his wife, he even went to buy her some flowers on the way home. He know that Lori had been acting differently now for a while, she hated his job, hated the fact that he was always working and not around as much as she would of like. While Rick loved his job, he loved his wife more and was determined to show her.

Rick had booked a few days of work, planning on taking Lori away for the weekend just the two of them. After picking up the flowers, he took his phone out of his back pocket to call his friend Shane, who had called in sick. To tell the truth Rick was worried about Shane the guy was different, he was cold and angry towards him a lot and was always coming up with reason not to see him outside of work. Rick thought it might have had something to do with the fact that Rick had been promoted to DI for Georgia MIT, Murder investigation team and chosen Jane as his senior DS. While Shane stayed were he was a police officer who went on call. Shane had a new partner that he didn't like very much, a guy called Matt who in Rick's eyes was a very good police officer, someone who always put all he had into getting the job done, went by the rules. Rick know that Shane hated him though not choosing him to be his senior DS, but a woman instead. Rick had chosen Jane and not Shane for two reason's. One: in his experience from watching her progress though the racks, she was immaculate, well punctual and efficient, stuck by the rules and in all essence the prefect copper. Two: over the years he had seen a change in Shane, while he still believed him to be a good police officer in his own way, he wasn't always punctual and efficient and sometimes didn't stick by the rules. Shane like to do things his own way and that was not someone Rick wanted as his senior DS.Rick was still friends with Shane and still believed in him even know he started to see a real shift in Shane's behavior, sometime he was quite volatile. Rick had tried a few times to get Shane to talk to him, to get him to see that if he carried on the way he was going than he was going to end up losing his job.

After a few rings it was obviously that Shane wasn't going to answer the phone. Rick hang up, put his phone back into pocket with a promise to himself that before he and Lori left for there few days away he would call into Shane's place to check on him, make sure he was ok. The house looked quite when Rick got home which had him thinking that maybe Lori had popped out for a bit to run some errands. He unlocked door calling out Lori's name but getting no answer. Rick decided to get change quickly before going over to Shane's place while he waited for Lori to get back home.

Rick was in very good sprites, happy thinking about his weekend away with his wife who he loved so very much. As he climbed the stairs leading to his bedroom, nothing could of prepared him for what he was about to find, in fact if someone had told him that this was something he could find, he would off laughed at them thinking they were crazy. Rick opened his bedroom, stood there in shock. He was numb and could barely think, he couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight in front of him, nor could he remember how to move. His feet were stuck in one spot and he conveniently forgot how to breath, his heart was breaking. His mind couldn't process the scene in front of him. His wife and best friend were in bed together, in the thrones of passion. How could this happen? What was happening? How could they?

Present day.

Rick shock this head, shaking the images away. He didn't need to think about this right now. Shane had left and him and Lori were working things out, she had apologized, saying it was a moment of weakest, that went on for a fucking year. But she loved him and Rick loved her he really wanted to make their marriage work and everything had been going on just fine now for a year. But now Shane was back for what ever reason it was and Rick and seen the look in Lori's eyes last night, her feelings for Shane where still there. Rick had a gut feeling something very bad was going to happen, he just didn't know what and he didn't have the time to stand around here all day thinking about it. He had another body to look out, a killer to catch.

Rick zipped up his jacket, even though the sun was shinning, the wind was still biting, as he approached the officer in charge of the outer perimeter. "Thank you officer." Rick said.

Rick continued down the road, all the while knowing he was walking the road as the woman had done not knowing that it would be her last. Rick took everything in the house's all around, the green trees swaying in the sight breeze the wind brought, all the while thinking. She had been moments away from help, if only someone had been awake, had seen someone following her. So many house, so many possible chances of help all within a reach, but no one had help.

Rick approached the inner cordon at the mouth of the alleyway that run around the back of the houses. He dragged on some shoe covers held out to him by another young officer. It was then that the smell hit him, the sweet, metallic odour of blood.

The scene of the crime officers had laid down numerous three by two platforms of toughened plastic to protect the site. He stepped up onto one of them, aware that he inches away from vital evidence. The forensics team hovering around the body, obscuring Rick's view. All he could see were two bare feet.

"Rick, delighted you could make it. I was entering rigor myself waiting for you." Caesar Martinez stood and walked towards him, removing his gloves.

"Caesar what have we got?" Rick asked, resting a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Female, Amy Wells, twenty years old… same MO as the others…wrists, rape and throat." Caesar shrugged.

Rick stepped towards the body. Her bare feet were smeared with mud and filth from the alleyway. Her scarped knees were splayed outward. Her skin was translucent, her hair was plastered against her right cheek. A sheet covered her torso. As Rick took in the scene he noticed something wasn't quite right, he could smell the blood but couldn't see any which didn't make sense.

"There's no blood?" Rick question.

"Spot on, she was moved." Caesar answered.

Rick span around to look at his friend. "Wait.. what do you mean moved?"

"She was moved after, follow me. I show you where she was killed." Caesar replied.

Rick followed Caesar though the alleyway a few feet away from where Amy's body now laid. To where Jane was standing, he nodded to her before taking a look around. Rick could see the blood, it looked viscous, like oil. He looked around and noticed her bag and boots lying a few inches from the blood.

A few hours later Rick was sitting in his own kitchen having lunch with his wife, Carol and Daryl. Before showing the two woman how to use a gun. Rick wanted them to be able to protect their selves, if circumstances called for it. The bad feeling in his gut just would not go away he know something very bad was about happen. Add that to fact the killer was changing his pattern, moving the bodies of the woman he killed, that's if it was the killer and not someone else. Rick really didn't want to entertain the fact that there could be someone else there, watching, waiting. Who could do such a thing? With all of them thoughts running though his mind he wasn't going to take the chance and leave Lori and Carol unprotected.

Rick only had a few hours before he had to go back to work, so he spent them with Lori, Carol and Daryl. Teaching the woman how to use guns and getting to know Daryl a bit better seeing as he was part of Carol's life. Carol was important to him, he been friends with her since school and she had been hurt enough and he wanted to make sure Daryl didn't end up hurting her. Daryl had promised him that he had no intentions of hurting her, only to protect her. Daryl even told him that Carol had told him about ED so he understood why Rick was so protective of her. By the time Carol and Daryl left to go home. Rick was at ease and happy with the fact that Daryl would do anything he had to do to protect and look after Carol. Which left him with one less thing to wrong about. All he had left to worry about now was his wife's strange behavior, a killer changing patterns or the possibility of someone else watching it all. No big deal right? he could find the answers? Rick decided that talking to his wife might just be the easiest at the moment. But before he got a chance to even open his mouth, his phone rang.

"Hello." He answered with a bit more bite than he should.

"Sir, we have something."

Rick felt his heart skip, could this be it? "What is it Jane?"

"A witness has come forward, saying they saw Philip Blake at the scene of the crime."

"Philip?" Rick asked, running a hand though his hair. "Send some officers around to his, and bring him in. I'm on my way in."

"Yes sir."

"Lori, I have to go back to work." Rick called out, before running out the door and to his car.

All the while thinking this was it, the break they had all been looking for. They got the bastard. If only Rick knew just how wrong it all was and just how bad everything would turn out in a matter of a few short days. Hindsight really is everything.