Chapter One

It was a dark and stormy night, much to the agitation of Sandra. The little droplets of water beating down on her overcoat were a constant reminder of how her life stank. First off, the fact that she had to be out in this poring rain was a real drag. One of the best nights of the year to get “customers”, and it’s raining cats and dogs. Also, the fact that she had to wear an overcoat was a real bummer. It hid most of her body, which was her main selling point. That meant the few passing cars would not notice her unless it was a seasoned “customer”. Unfortunately, there were very few of those out and about now.
The fact that she was angry that she could show off her body so she could sell it made her angry that she was selling her body in the first place. She imagined her life in high school if she hadn’t been forced to quit. Although most of the men she met only looked at her boobs and butt, some of them had commented that she had a very pretty face, and that she should try out modeling. She wished she could have, but it was not to be. The fact that she was a sixteen-year-old prostitute supporting a mother with a heroine addiction made the idea of modeling just seem like a fairy-tale.
It had all started because of her father leaving. Up to that point, he had led a normal life: A decent house, a decent neighborhood, friends who weren’t hookers as well, the norm for teenage girls. When her father left, he mother just crashed. Drugs, abusive men, alcohol, you name it, her mother had done it. In the end, Sandra had to quit school and become a prostitute to support them.
She was surprised how many men gravitated towards her, even though they could probably tell she was 15 at the time. Now, a year later, and men were still flocking towards her. She always laughed inwardly when she saw commercials about how parents should protect their children, and one of the producers of that ad probably had been one of her “customers”. She’d even gotten a visit from the minister of one of the local churches. This had made her hate men even more then she had before.
It wasn’t like she was a lesbian, or didn’t want to find her prince charming, but the reality of her situation had sunk deep inside her to her core. Men were her customers. Because of men, she was stuck where she was, and because of a man, her mother’s life had been destroyed, and so had hers.
The wind changed directions, and battered her face with rain now. She lifted an arm and covered her face so that she wouldn’t get more drenched then she already was. “Fuck this. I better call it a night.” She turned from the street corner she had been waiting on, and started walking down the deserted streets to her mother’s apartment. What light the streetlights created managed to get her on the right path to her apartment.
After crossing the street, she stopped dead in her tracks. There, to her right, not twenty feet ahead, just out of reach of the streetlights light, was the alleyway she personally called “Nightmare’s alley.” No matter how bright the daylight or how bright the streetlights were, the alley’s darkness was never broken. She had heard tales of the most grisly murders being committed in that alleyway, and the killer never being caught.
The wind picked up speed, splattering even more rain across her. She felt like kicking herself. The alleyway looked scary, but nothing was going to happen to her. If some creep tried to grab her, she’d kick him in the nuts and run.
“Okay Sandra, you can do this.” She said to herself out loud. Though she willed herself to move, her legs didn’t obey. She sighed to herself. “I can’t believe I’m letting myself get scared over a stupid alleyway.”
“You know, you shouldn’t discredit fear. It’s a natural mechanism your body has to help it survive.”
Sandra froze as the voice behind her spoke. Her brain was telling her to scream her head off, but she knew that might not be the best idea. Slowly, she turned around, shaking, to see whom it was who had just spoken.
The man was tall, but not overly tall. Sandra guessed he was about 6’1. That normally wasn’t that bad, but compared to Sandra, being only at 5’2, he was massive. Also, the fact that it was raining hard and dark out didn’t help, as it reduced visibility. He was covered in a huge gray overcoat that stretched down to his shoes. He wore a big brown fedora, and with that and the darkness, only his mouth and chin were visible. However, his mouth bore a smile filled with comfort and concern. “Almost like this guy generally had concern for me.” Sandra thought in her mind.
The man chuckled to himself. “Don’t be afraid miss, I’m not out to hurt you. In fact, just the opposite. I know this is normally a rough neighborhood, and right now, it’s dark and stormy. Would you like an escort back to your home?”
Sandra blinked in surprise. “That would…be very nice, thank you.” She said timidly.
The man chuckled. “I know I’m very intimidating, but don’t worry. I don’t like to hurt anyone.” The man reached up and scratched at his head through his hat with his right arm. “I know that just by saying that, I sound even more sketchy, but I promise you, I’m telling the truth.”
Sandra looked him over again. Although he was big, and wearing an overcoat and hat, he seemed all right. Granted, she couldn’t see his hands or his upper part of his face, but it was dark and stormy. “All right, I think an escort to my home would be nice. Thank you very much sir.” She smiled at him. She was glad she finally met a gentleman in this hellhole of a city.
The man smiled even more broadly, bowed a little bit, and offered his right arm. “I’m glad I could be of some help miss.”
Sandra took his arm, and together, they walked past the fearsome alleyway. Sandra ventured a quick look back at the alley, smiling smugly. She had beaten it in its element. Sure, she may have had a little help, but she beat it nonetheless.
However, just looking at the alley made her blood feel like ice. The darkness of the alleyway didn’t seem any less scary. In fact, it looked like it was going after them, seeping out of the alleyway slowly and stalking them both. Sandra just couldn’t stop staring at it, until they finally turned a corner and was out of sight of the alley.
Sandra looked back at the man who had helped her past the alley. He was staring straight ahead, or so she thought, since she couldn’t see his eyes, and idly smiling.
Sandra hated having to ask it, but she knew she had to. “Wait, please. I need to ask you something.”
The man stopped walking, and looked down at her. “Yes, what is it miss?”
Sandra couldn’t look him in the eye, or where she thought his eyes were. Here she was, petrified of the thought of walking across a scary alleyway, and a nice guy comes along, helps her, and now she asks him to sleep with her for money. She hated having to do it, but food wouldn’t put itself on the table.
Keeping her head down, Sandra opened her overcoat, revealing he scantily clad body. She winced, a little bit for shame, and a little from the rain hitting against her body.
“Would you like to have fun tonight?” she asked. She hadn’t cried for a very long time, but now she felt a tear or two trickle down her cheeks. From the silence, she guessed that the man was contemplating it. A ruffle alerted her, and she raised her head to see the man offering her a couple of bills, all fifties.
“I’m sorry I can’t do any better. You don’t have to worry about sleeping with me.” The man said gently, and looking up at his smile, she could see that he was smiling still. 
Sandra looked at him questioningly, and the man laughed. “Not to worry miss. I’ve met many a lady in your situation. I know you can’t help your situation. I’m not going to make it any worse by forcing you to sleep with me.”
Sandra gave him a big smile. Finally, a person she respected. Not only that, but he was a man too. She never thought that she’d hear those words come from a man.
He shook the bills at her. “Well miss, do you want them or not?”
Sandra shook her head. “No thanks mister. I don’t just want to take something from someone as nice as you and not give anything back.”
The man nodded and stuffed the bills into his coat’s pocket. “Well then miss, I suggest we hurry on to your home. We don’t want you catching a cold, now do we?” He gave a small laugh and offered his arm. Sandra took it and, smiling, continued walking with him.
“You know, I’ve been doing this for awhile, and I have to say, you’re the first guy to offer me money for no sex. I don’t know if I should be flattered or offended.” She giggled.
The man laughed as well. “Well, not very many of the girls have seen a guy like me either. Mind you I don’t go looking for them, but my walks usually end me up in the strangest of places. Besides, I don’t think by your looks you’ve been in this business for more then a couple years. How old are you anyway, if you don’t mind me asking. Cause I’m sure you’d be a great model.”
Sandra laughed. “Wow, another guy who said I can be a model. Thanks mister that’s really sweet.”
The man nodded. “It’s true. Besides, the media is crazy for attractive girls in their low twenties. I’m sure you would do well in the spotlight.”
Sandra shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. First of all I’m not twenty. I’m not even and adult yet. Secondly I-”
“What did you say?” The man asked suddenly, coming to a complete stop, jarring Sandra.
“I said I wasn’t even an adult yet.”
The man tilted his head down at her and took his arm away from her. Though she couldn’t see his eyes, Sandra could tell he was staring right at her. “You mean to tell me that a child has been having sex for money…you, a child, has been having sex for money?”
Sandra started backing away from him. His posture had suddenly changed, and it was creeping her out. He was suddenly hunched over, his left arm a lot farther down then his right. “Um…I think I can make it home alone from now on…thanks for the help.” She said timidly.
“That’s very, very naughty of you little girl. That’s only for grown-ups. Didn’t your mommy teach you anything?” The man’s voice came out now in a low, husky hiss.
Normally, Sandra would be scared speechless, but he had mentioned her mother, and she wasn’t going to take that. “Hey, Fuck you jackass! Don’t you dare talk shit about my mother! As a matter of fact, no, she didn’t!” Sandra angrily started to walk away, when the man got in front of her and blocked her way.
“Then did your mommy ever tell you to be good, or watch out for me?”
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about Jack!” Sandra angrily tried to shove past him, but he didn’t budge. “Move out of my way!”
“So you never had your mommy check under the bed or look in the closet. You never woke up in the middle of the night from a creak in the floorboard in your room, or saw the darkness the spilled forth from your closet…” The man started moving toward Sandra. Her legs were screaming at her to run, but she couldn’t. All she could do was back up slowly. The man seemed to have paralyzed her with fear. “…You never feared the rank of his breath on your neck. You never acted good because if you didn’t, he would come for you.”
Sandra gulped and put on a brave face. “I stopped believe in the boogeyman a long time ago.”
The man chuckled. He leaned in close over Sandra and removed his hat. Her face twisted in horror and fear. “You may have stopped believing in me, but that doesn’t mean I go away.”
Sandra started to scream, but a claw shot out from the overcoat and grasped her neck, choking her. Sandra struggled as hard as she could, but she knew her life was over. She was only sixteen, and here was the boogeyman.
As darkness started closing in around her vision, she imagined her mother once last time, a remembered something her mother had said to her as a child. She had said to beware the boogeyman. Sandra chuckled inwardly through the fear and crying. How ironic that he was real, and that she would die by the only one who had treated her with an ounce of respect. In fact, he was still smiling gently as her life force slowly slipped away.

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Chapter Two
Xavier blinked in surprise. He had heard a lot of strange requests many times in his career, but this one was up there. He had to push the overwhelming urge to scream “You Freak! You bloody freak! Why don’t you do everyone a favor by moving out of your mother’s basement, go underneath a bridge, and kill yourself! That’s right, be emo, become an hero, anything, just rid the world of yourself!” He knew that he couldn’t say anything like that. He would lose his job, and money didn’t give itself to him.
“Excuse me? What book was it that you said you had trouble finding?” he asked again, making sure, just in case there was that slight chance he had misheard, and the man was not a freak.
There would be no such luck for Xavier. “I said “The dead don’t cum: Diary of a Crypt keeper.” Please. I need it to do research.”
The man asking for it fit the description of a creep completely. He was incredibly tall and lanky, (although, since Xavier was 5’6, a lot of people were incredibly tall to his point of view) with greasy and dirty clothing on. His face was covered in zits and black heads, and his hair was slicked back unnaturally, showing his giant forehead, which was also covered in zits and black heads.
It took most of Xavier’s will not to cringe just at the sight of him. “I’ll check the references for it sir.”
Even though he hated having to look in the computer database for such a disgusting book, at least it gave him an excuse to look away from the freak. He felt like shuddering, because he knew that if he hadn’t picked up his life after high school, he probably would be one of that freak’s friends. Although all the working out, facial treatment, and social learning had been hard and not cheap, seeing the person he could have been suddenly made it all seem worth it to Xavier.
Typing quickly, Xavier almost cried when the database said that the library did have one copy, and surprisingly, it was checked in. It was in the section the librarians had nicknamed “The rotting cesspool of ugly books.” Here, you could find books on almost anything, and by anything Xavier knew, it truly meant anything.
“Sir, you’re just in luck. We have one checked in. Would you like for me to get it for you?”
Xavier saw a light come into the freaks eyes. He’d seen that look before, and Xavier had to look away as the man’s pants started shifting on their own. “Oh yes! Please get it for me! That would be so nice of you!”
Xavier was glad he could go get it by himself. He needed to get away from this freak. He nodded to the man and hurried off to the cesspool section. Sometimes he wondered why he had chosen to become a librarian in the first place. The pay was decent, but he could do better. It was also a pain in the ass to work in a library. Short breaks, lots of books, everyone expects you to do everything. Sometimes the stress level was way out of hand.
Of course, the fact that he had access to almost limitless books about the paranormal, and paranormal activities helped a lot. As he was scanning the cesspool section for the book, Xavier knew inside that he and the freak were very similar. The only difference between them was that Xavier had cleaned up his outside appearance, and he liked the paranormal and dead things, like ghosts, for what they were, not for what he could “do” with them.
As Xavier found the book and pulled it out of the shelf, he shuddered at the cover. A giant figure, face covered with a hat and his body covered with a trench coat. The figure was standing over an open casket, arms reaching down into it.
Seeing this, Xavier shook his head and cleared any thoughts about him being similar to the freak from his mind. He was nothing like him. In fact, if it wasn’t for the fact he could look up anything on anything paranormal and he had a reputation on the streets to keep up, he wouldn’t be in a situation where he would have to see any of the freaks he saw daily.
Walking back to the reference desk with the book, Xavier wondered when the next time someone with a paranormal concern would come to him. There had been a dry spell over the last few months. Normally in a city like Chicago, people there came to him weekly with “paranormal” problems. However, these “paranormal” problems usually tended to be completely normal. In fact Xavier had increased his capacity for putting things together, so solving these mysteries had been getting easier and easier for him.
He reached the desk and handed the book over to the freak. “There you go sir. Please check it out at the main desk and thanks for using the Chicago public library.”
The freak nodded, his face already staring at the cover. He was practically drooling. He turned and headed away, face still looking downwards at the book. Xavier watched him avoid the front desk and walk right out of the library with the book.
Xavier sighed. He didn’t even think that a book like that mattered, so why bother reporting it stolen. In fact, he was kind of glad with the freak for making the library a little bit cleaner, now that a filthy book was gone forever.
For now, Xavier busied himself with cleaning up the shelves underneath the reference desk on the librarian’s side. They had not been organized or cleaned for weeks. Xavier had no idea how the Chicago library could be so disorganized, yet it ran so smoothly. However since nobody used the items under the reference shelves, they remained scattered and forgotten.
Xavier disapproved of this. No matter if something was ugly, or useless, or old, it deserved to have at least a minimal amount of attention paid to it. The book that had just gotten stolen was a different matter. It was a piece of garbage. It had no right to be a book. It wasn’t just ugly, useless and old, but it was down right evil.
Xavier finished organizing the shelves in a minute or two. He hadn’t managed to clean them, but at least the items, both books and odd statues and even weirder things, had some kind of order, and they no longer had as thick a layer of dust on them. Standing back up, Xavier found himself face to face with four policemen, and a woman who looked a lot like a female Dick Tracy, except without the yellow. He kind of hated how she towered over him.
Xavier did not like the look on anyone of the officer’s faces. The four male officers each had a look like this was the last place they wanted to be and if you talked to any of them, you’d die.
The female detective had a completely different look on her face. Her face seemed grave, angry, interested and shamed all at the shame time. Though Xavier had to look up at her at a distance back so he wouldn’t crane his neck, he noted that a face as…he couldn’t find an appropriate word to describe her face. It certainly wasn’t beautiful. He had scene truly beautiful faces; the library received tones of beauty magazines monthly. However, it hurt him a little to see her face the way it was. He wanted to see her smile and be happy. He could tell those Hazel eyes could twinkle when she was happy, and he really wanted to see that.
“Excuse me, sir?” She asked him, looking at him questionably.
Xavier blinked inn surprise. He had been staring at her. He blushed a little bit and shook his head. “I’m sorry Miss, I’m just out of it today. Welcome to the Help section of the Chicago public library. How may I be of service?”
The Female detective looked from side to side, as if she was checking to make sure no one was watching her and she leaned in over the help desk and whispered into Xavier’s ear. “I’m detective Lombardo. There’s been a murder, and the sergeant suggested we find and gain the help of someone called “The specialist.” Apparently, he’s an expert in paranormal activity. Can you tell us where he is?”
Xavier furrowed his brows. “Why are you coming to the library to look for him?”
Detective Lombardo grimaced even more, as though she thought this was a thing she really didn’t want to do, but had to do. “One of our informants told us he was working at the library. So do you know who he is or not?”
Xavier tapped his chin, wondering how to handle the situation. “Yes, I know who he is. There are some rules to meeting him though. Explain the situation to me, I’ll relay them to him, and then he’ll decide if he wants to help you or not.”
Xavier sighed inwardly. He had had to make this cover story to make sure that people who wanted his expertise on things that didn’t need them didn’t stalk him. Only is a place like Chicago… 
Detective Lombardo frowned in disapproval. “I need to talk with him face to face. The details of this case are still not out for the public yet.”
“Well, won’t tell me, I guess you won’t be able to see him then. Don’t bother asking anyone else. They know the drill as well.” With that, Xavier started typing on the reference database computer, trying to ignore the evil eyes that were burning holes into him from detective Lombardo.
Suddenly, a hand shot out from Detective Lombardo’s side, grabbed Xavier’s collar, and drew him over to her so that his face was an inch away from hers. “A 16 year old was brutally killed and mutilated. Her body was in a back alley, and this “Specialist” could identify a piece of evidence. Now you go find him and tell him this, and you tell him also if he says no, I’ll find him myself and personally drag his sorry ass to the scene of the crime myself. Got that?”
Xavier was a little annoyed by this, but as he drew in breath to give his response, he caught scent of her perfume, her shampoo, and the gum she was chewing. She had really good taste. The mint of the gum, the fruitiness of her shampoo, and the potency of her perfume seemed to hypnotize Xavier and completely put him in a mind lock. Xavier could not help himself taking in more of the smell. He loved it, and yet, he had no idea why he did.
He shook his head. “Alright then, I’ll come with you and identify your evidence.” He grumbled, removing Detective Lombardo’s hand from his shirt collar and brushing out the wrinkles in his shirt.
Detective Lombardo blinked in surprise. “You…you’re “The Specialist?””
“Yea, that’s me. Where you expecting some tall, hugely muscled, dreamy eyed guy?” Xavier said sarcastically, putting up an “Out for lunch” sign up on top of the reference desk, even though it was almost four o’clock.
Detective Lombardo shook her head and smiled. Xavier felt dazzled by the beauty of her smile, but was smart enough not to stare. “Actually, I was expecting a man a lot less attractive to be frank.”
The four officers behind her sniggered, but shut up after she gave them all a dirty look.
Xavier chuckled. “Well, if you had caught me two years ago, I probably would have fit with what you were expecting. Thank god I saw myself in a mirror.”
Detective Lombardo smiled. “Well I guess that’s a good thing then. Enough of this though, would you please follow me to my car?” She and the four other officers turned and started walking to the door.
Xavier scurried around from the reference desk and hurried up to them. Walking besides Detective Lombardo, he again noticed, with some irritation, their big height difference. He hoped she wouldn’t think less of him because he was so small.
As they were walking out the door, Xavier looked up at Detective Lombardo. “Excuse me detective, but I’m a little bit surprised that the police have called upon me to help them. I thought you guys didn’t believe in the supernatural.”
“We don’t. We just think that this killer does, and you might help provide a window into his thoughts, so we can track what he might do. Oh, and you can call me Nevaeh. I hate being called by “Detective” even though I thought I would like it.” She laughed lightly. “Odd isn’t it?”
“No, I don’t think it’s odd. I mean, I always hated being called “Mr. Steely.” But then, for some reason, I’ve come to like it.” Xavier shrugged. “Humans are very fickle creatures. We can want one thing one moment, and then want something else the next.”
Nevaeh smiled. “I believe you hit the nail right on the head Mr. Steely.”
“Call me Xavier. I hate being called “Mr. Steely.” It makes me feel old.” Xavier and Nevaeh chuckled a bit.
A minute later, Xavier found himself in the interior of a silver Honda Civic. It was the latest edition, and seemed to be fully loaded, judging by the leather seats that warmed him. Not that Xavier needed any more warmth, with the 70-degree spring weather the city was seeing, but he was polite enough not to complain. 
From what he could see out the windows, he could tell they were going to a bad part of town. People crowded the streets out in front of broken homes and apartment complexes. It seemed as though every wall was cover with graffiti, marking it as territory to some gang. Xavier had grown up in a place like this. That’s why he had learned Karate when he was around 10 years old, and continued to practice each day. Now that he had some muscle on him, he was very confident about his ability to defend himself when he needed to.
Luckily, he didn’t live in a neighborhood like this anymore. He made enough money to have an apartment in a reasonable side of the city. Though the people there were a lot less friendly then the adults he remembered from when he grew up, and everything was a lot more expensive, did Xavier feel regret not staying in the place he grew up? No, not one bit.
After a minute or two of casual conversation with Nevaeh, the first flashing lights of a police car appeared outside the window. Xavier sighed inwardly. He and Nevaeh had a lot in common, and he would have like a lot to continue his conversation with her. Now, however, he had to view a murder scene and identify some weird clue that a murderer, who was probably some crazy psychopath, had left behind, which baffled the police, and looked mildly spooky.
This just didn’t seem to be Xavier’s day. First, he had to deal with some freak that was into necrophilia and forced him to get a book that deserved to be burned. Then, he met a really nice and attractive woman, who probably didn’t, and still doesn’t, think of him as a man, and now he has to check out a murder scene.
Boy, this day just couldn’t seem to get any worse.

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Chapter Three
Nevaeh parked the car in front of the police tape. Outside, Xavier saw a large amount of police officers, and with grim faces, milling about, trying to do their work in as much silence as possible. They kept their eyes averted from one another, as if looking another in the eye would be a sigh of weakness.
In the background, Hydroc saw an ambulance, its back wide open; with medics bring into the inside of the ambulance a bunch of blue tarp bags. “I thought medics roll away the dead body on a stretcher.” Xavier asked Nevaeh quietly.
Nevaeh took a deep breath. Xavier could tell this was going to be painful for her, for some reason. “The reason there’s no stretcher is because there isn’t enough of her left together to need a stretcher.” She sighed after saying this, like it was a demon within her that had finally gotten out.
Xavier frowned in distaste. “If she was torn to shreds…how do you know it was a she?” he asked lightly.
Nevaeh cover her eyes with her hand and hand Xavier a portfolio of photos. “Because the sicko, whoever he is, left her head and upper chest intact…enough.”
Xavier looked down at the photo’s portfolio. The brown envelope they were covered in stared back at him, uncaring, unaware of the horrors that lay in between their sheets of manila. Slowly, he opened up the metal clasp and took out the photos out of the envelope, squinting his eyes so that he couldn’t see much.
Though his eyes were squinted, and he did not spend much time on each photo, gruesome scene after gruesome scene assaulted his vision. He thought he could stand the photos, but when the last one came into sight, he opened up the car door and threw up on the street.
It was not the fact that her lower jaw and been ripped out. It wasn’t the fact both eyes had been gouged out. It was the fact Xavier saw dried, white goop surrounding one of her empty eye sockets. Xavier thoughts immediately went back to the freak in the library. He would certainly love this.
As Xavier panted, his head hanging out of the car, Nevaeh offered him a tissue. Xavier gladly took it and wiped his mouth. “Thanks.” He murmured.
Nevaeh smiled slightly. “Maybe the rest of the guys here will realize it’s human to throw up now.”
Xavier looked u at her pleading. “Please, please, don’t tell me you want me working with these remains, cause I don’t think I could do it.”
Nevaeh shook her head. “No, don’t worry. You won’t have to go anywhere near the remain…well, maybe not, we’re still not sure we’ve found all of her.” She clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut.
“Are, you okay?” Xavier asked cautiously.
“Yes, I’m fine. It’s just…um…certain pains.”
“Certain pains? What do you me-…oh…those pains. I got ya.” Xavier chuckled slightly.
“Is there something funny Mr. Steeley? Cause if there is, let me in on it. I love to laugh.” Nevaeh gave a Xavier a stern look, and Xavier felt even smaller sitting next to her.
“No ma’am, there’s nothing funny at all. It was a joke inside my head, that’s all. On me honor.” He held up his hand both to prove it was on his honor, and as a defense in case she decided to take a swing at him.
“Good. Its not nice to laugh at other peoples pains, is it?” she smiled sweetly at Xavier. Xavier wasn’t stupid however, and he clearly heard the icy under tone in her voice.
“No, ma’am, it isn’t.” He said quickly, suddenly feeling the outside of the car more inviting then the inside.
Nevaeh laughed lightly and fluffed Xavier’s hair. “Are you always this cute with women?”
“Only the attractive ones.” Xavier said shyly, blushing as his hair was ruffled. For some unknown reason, he loved the feeling of it.
Nevaeh laughed again. “Flattery will get you everywhere.” He face took a serious tone again. “Now, come. I want to show you the reason why you’re here.” Nevaeh opened the car door and got out.
Xavier followed after her, making sure to step around his own vomit and shut the door. Immediately, the smell hit him like a ton of bricks. The smell of the neighborhood wasn’t the smell that almost caused his eyes to water. He had grown up with that smell, and no matter how long he would be away from it; he was immune from it forever.
It was the smell of flesh, and death, that caused Xavier to cringe. The whole place stunk of it. He guessed the police were either used to it, or had already gotten over the symptoms, because there was a reason there were no civilians checking out what was happening, and there was only a bare minimal of press.
Xavier coughed. “Not that I mind this horrid stink and such, but would you mind showing me what you want to show me quickly?” he asked.
Nevaeh nodded. “Follow me.”
She led Xavier through a twisting maze of police and forensic cars, explaining some details on the way. “The locals around here complained about the smell yesterday. We finally sent a cop over here early this morning, and he found the bod-…remains, in the alley. We don’t think she’s been dead for very long, 3 to four days, max.” Nevaeh gritted her teeth. “The killer, whoever he is, left us a message on the wall. That’s what we want you to take a look at.”
“How do you know the killer is a he?” Xavier asked.
Nevaeh glanced back at Xavier, irritated. “Do you think any woman would do something that horrific to another woman?”
“Um…no, not really.” Xavier replied, though in truth, it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility in his mind. He had heard plenty of news stories where women had done horrible things to men and other women alike. They were human too, and just like men, they could be tempted to do many evil things, and actually follow through on them. However, Xavier was smart enough not to mention this.
Nevaeh nodded. “This message is weirdly written, and has some strange drawings. That’s why we thought you might be the one to know about this.”
Xavier nodded, the alley Nevaeh was talking about coming into sight. “Yea, I’ll try my best to be of help.”
   “That’s all anyone can ask for.”
Nevaeh lead him into the ally way. Xavier tried looking down on the ground to avoid the blood splattering that covered most of the walls, but a lot of blood was covering the ground as well. “Gosh, it sure seems this guy licked the sight of blood. There are smears of it all over…” Xavier commented. “That must mean he dragged…parts…along the ground and walls.” Xavier cringed at the thought of some big brute scrapping the body of some poor woman across the brick walls.
Nevaeh nodded. “We guess that as well, but here’s the thing we don’t get.” Nevaeh went back about two-thirds down the alley and pointed at the wall on the right.
Xavier followed and got in front of her. He looked up at the wall and tilted his head, truly mystified.
Upon the wall, drawn in what appeared to be chalk, was a giant, seven by five foot rectangle, drawn from the ground up. It looked like an open doorway. There was no hint of a door. In the middle of the rectangle, there was a drawing with some writing over it.
The drawing was very crude, however, it was very clear on what it was. There were very small stick figures and one large one. A few of the smaller figures were broken in half, or torn apart, while the rest seemed to be running away from the large stick figure. The smaller stick figures had no visible features. The big stick feature was virtually featureless as well, except for one thing. It had a huge mouth, filled with crude, razor-like teeth, and it was smiling.
The writing up on the wall was written in another language, or was just elaborate scribbles. If they were not scribbles, Xavier guessed by the look of them that they were from an Asian language. However, this wouldn’t probably be hard to tell as well, since the writing, like the rest of the drawings, was crudely drawn. All these variables factored in, Xavier couldn’t deny the fact that he was stumped.
Turning around to address Nevaeh, Xavier suddenly found his face buried between her breasts, accompanied by the small “Eek!” from the surprised detective they were attached to. Xavier sighed inwardly. He hadn’t imagined how much the blue blouse she wore hid them. They also felt perfect to him. He had been with a couple of women since his make over, and theirs had either been like blobs of flesh, or not there at all. To Xavier, hers felt perfect in every way. Then reality hit him.
It was as if Xavier had suddenly shocked with 10,000 volts of electricity. He propelled himself backwards till he reached the wall and continued backing against the wall. He had moved so fast he feet had barely touched the ground. He was as red as a Christmas light. “I’m so so sorry. Please don’t kill me. I swear it was an accident.”
Nevaeh just stared him. Suddenly, she burst out laughing. She walked up to Xavier and patted his shoulder. “It’s okay Xavier. I know you didn’t mean it. Now off the wall, before you disrupt evidence.”
Xavier nodded and cleared his throat. Glancing up quickly, he noticed the Nevaeh was looking away, trying to hide a blush herself. Xavier suddenly felt a lot happier inside. He had made the girl he really liked blush. However, his brain reminded him, he had done it in a very uncouth way, which caused Xavier to blush and, and make him clear his throat again.
Peeling himself off the wall, Xavier turned towards Nevaeh and started what he was originally going to say. “Well detective, to god’s honest truth, I am stumped. The writing, I have absolutely no clue on. If it is a language, it is most likely Oriental Asian. The drawing obviously depicts some humanoid monster going after people, breaking them and enjoying it. I think personally that this killer wants the public to give him a specific name so he can gain infamy.”
“Why would you think that?” Nevaeh asked curiously.
“Well, I think this killer is trying to play a game with us. He left us two, instead of one. One of these may lead us down a completely wrong path, or this may be one clue in total, but he separated it. However, even if the picture is not a clue, it fits with the brutality of the murders, and the press will use this to give him a name. He knows this.”
Nevaeh nodded, he eyes a bit wide looking at him. “Wow…that’s some pretty deep thought.”
“Yeah, well…I’ve had to solve a lot of lesser mysteries, and prove it wasn’t paranormal. This appears to not be paranormal either. However, the killer may want to copy a Asian monster, so it will involve research, which I am willing to do…”
Xavier furrowed his brows. He just noticed something odd slightly sticking out of a trash bag behind Nevaeh. Walking past her, he went over to the bag and looked down at it. Whatever this odd thing was, it had been stuck through the side with some force. What little showed of it was white.
Xavier reached for it carefully, and grasping it with his thumb and forefinger, he carefully pulled on it. Whatever it was, it was certainly heavy, and barely moved. “Good thing I’m a lefty. The angle of it would be tricky for a righty.” He commented to Nevaeh. He grasped as much as he could of it and pulled hard.
Normally, if he hadn’t had his make over, he wouldn’t have gotten this thing out. However, Xavier had plenty of muscle on his arms, and so the thing ripped free and was in Xavier’s hand, with both Xavier and Nevaeh staring at it in awe.
It was a claw. A giant, blood stained claw. It was about as long as Xavier’s wrist to the tip of his middle finger. It was broken at one end, and this end seemed to be pretty whole for being broken.
“Holy…Holy crap…” Nevaeh could only say. They both stood, staring at the massive thing that resided in Xavier hand. They couldn’t help it. Everything about it seemed to revolve around the concept of evil.
Xavier looked a little closer at the pointy end of it. It seemed to be filed down, though roughly. A thought just hit Xavier.
“Oh god…he…used this…to scratch out that drawing.” Xavier spoke softly, turning slowly to stare at the drawings and writing on the brick wall again. They suddenly seemed a lot more sinister.
“So whatever this…thing is…carved that drawing and message into the wall, using it’s own claw?” Nevaeh asked quietly.
Xavier nodded slowly. He noticed he was breathing deeply, and more quickly then usual, but he couldn’t help it. “Nevaeh…I think you should change you guess…from HE…to IT…” He let out a long breath.
He heard Nevaeh take a couple of deep breaths in an effort to calm herself. “I’m sure there is a logical explanation for this.” She said raggedly, plucking the claw from Xavier’s hand. “You just get t researching the drawing and writing.”
“Sure…I’ll look up as many oriental monsters as I can.” Xavier responded softly.
“Do you need a ride back to the library?” Nevaeh asked, placing the Claw in a bag she produced from one of her pant’s pockets.
“Yes, that would be nice, thanks.”
The car rid back to the library was filled with silence. Nevaeh pulled up to the curb in front of the library. “Give me about two days to research this. I’ll meet you at Johnny’s café for lunch on Friday with my results.” Xavier said as he got out of the car and shut the door.
Nevaeh rolled down her window as Xavier walk around the car and up to the sidewalk in front of the library. “Alright Xavier, it’s a date then. I’ll see ya Friday.” She giggled as Xavier felt his face go red at the mention of date.
“Al-alright, I’ll see you Friday.” He said, not turning around, so she wouldn’t get the satisfaction of seeing him red. He started walking up the stair to the library’s front door. About halfway up, he heard Nevaeh shout from the car “Oh, before I forget, Xavier!”
Xavier turned around. He could see Nevaeh grinning. “Yea, what is it?” he asked.
“You didn’t have to do that boob face-plant in order to get me to go to the café with you. You had me with that sexy scared little boy impression in the car.”
Xavier covered his face with his hands as he heard her laughing hysterically. He felt like he was going to die. He decided to risk smacking into things and walk into the library with his face covered by his hands. He didn’t want his co-workers to remember him as a walking radish.

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Chapter Four
The abandoned warehouse on the edge of the industrial area of the city was not the best or safest place to live. It was old, run down, dark, unsafe, and very scary looking. It seemed to always be staring at all the workers who passed it by during the day, and nobody went near it during the day. It just seems to ooze filth and evil from the very walls and windows it was built on. Someone would have to be crazy, or suicidal, to stay in the warehouse.
However, from deep within the bowels of this piece of hell on earth, noise was being created. From the outside, it could not be heard. The walls of the warehouse kept noise within, as if to make sure the screams of its victims would never be heard. It was the perfect setting for a murder to take place.
However, the noise that was being made was not that of a murder. The voice that shook the dust off the rusting chains and stairwells was not the scream of fear and death, but the shouting of despair and fury. The crashing was not of a body being tossed into one of the many objects, but that of one of those objects be thrown into a door over and over again.
The door itself was not like any normal door. The doorway was made of tempered steel, with two heavy looking hinges that held the currently closed door up. The door itself was made of some metal that glinted, even within the darkness of the warehouse. The door handle and the door itself had some new scuffmarks on them, but no dents.
The metallic chair that was constantly being thrown against the door made the scuffmarks that were there nearly invisible on the door. The chair itself was barely distinguishable as a chair. The legs and body were crushed together to form a crude metal wrecking ball. The back of the chair was still untouched, but that was because it wasn’t the back of the chair that was smashing into the door.
The back of the chair was also stained with liquid. It wasn’t the water that constantly dripped from the ceiling, whose splashes echo through out the warehouse. It wasn’t old oil, which sat it their drums, wasting away. The liquid was the salty tears that streamed down the man’s face, and dripped onto the chair and floor.
His face seemed to be at war with itself. On one side was the overwhelming despair and sorrow that was welling up in his heart. On the other side, was the raw, seething hatred that seemed to burn at his soul like the fires of hell themselves. These two extreme emotions battled over control of his face, twisting it and molding it like it was silly putty.
While the unbridled rage was battling for control of the man’s face, it had already conquered the rest of his body. He shook, like an earthquake deep inside his core was destroying the very foundations of himself.
“Why did you? How could you? She was just a child. She had a life ahead of her. A life full of different possibilities! How could you take that away from her?” the man screamed at the ominous door. Silence followed the dying of the echo of his voice.
“You know I’m talking to you! Who gave you the authority to choose who lives or dies? Answer me! Come on out and face me! I hate you!”
“Will you shut up little man!” a deep booming voice echo across the stillness of the warehouse. If someone had been watching the scene unfold, if they were very observant, they may have seen the rotting of the warehouse increase, or the darkness get a little bit blacker with the sound of the voice.
“So, you finally talked back to me, you piece of god forsaken slime! Its about time I got some answers from you.”
Silence followed that statement. The man threw the chair at the door one last time, and wiped away his tears. He needed to be strong, and crying would only make him look weak.
“I said, I want some answers now, you piece of shit! Open your god damn trap and give me some answers!”
Again, the man was answered only with silence. If this had been a movie, wind would have whistled by, and tumbleweed would be blown form view. However, this was not a movie, and all the changed was the dust was stirred just a little bit more.
The man’s face contorted with rage. “Why won’t you answer me? Is it that you have no answers for me? Do you think that I’m below you? Huh?”
A deep laughter echoed through out the warehouse, scaring what little rats that lived there into hiding, and shaking the usually undisturbed oil in their barrels.
“Do I think you are beneath me? Yes, I do. You are quite beneath me in every way possible. However, that is not why I have not been answering you.”
The man’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the door in hate. “Then why have you not been giving me answers? Why?”
“Because, you haven’t given me any questions that need answering. You expect me to go out of my way to try and guess what silly little questions your mind has thought up and concocted, and then waste even more of my time explaining things to you which your little mind won’t even be able to comprehend. In my opinion, I think it would just be best if you kept your mouth shut and went along for the ride.” The voice was quiet, and icy. It was full of mockery, malice, and hate, far more then the shouting of the man had in it.
The man blinked in surprise. He hadn’t expected to be playing mind games, and he was in no mood to anyway. He wanted his demands known, and he was quite ready to enforce them.
“Listen you. I don’t give a damn about your opinion. If you don’t wise up and do as I say, then by god, I’ll make your life a living hell.”
Silence followed. Slowly, the same booming laugh echoed across the warehouse, except this time, it lasted a lot longer. Finally, after what seemed ages, the laughter stopped, and the man pulled his fingers from his ears. “Are you done laughing, cause what I said wasn’t very funny, and I’m not afraid to beat the crap out of you.”
Silence followed once again. The man gritted his teeth. “Alright mister, I’m coming in there. Get ready for the pain of a life time.” With this, the man strode to the door and reached for the handle.
“You are about to make the biggest mistake of your entire life.” The voice said quietly as the mans hand grasped the door handle.
He froze at the sound of the voice. It sounded the most dangerous it had ever sounded, but he could not show fear. “Why would opening this door be the biggest mistake of my life?”
“Because there is no doubt that if you open this door, not only would you go insane, but also you would most likely die as well.” the voiced whispered. The man was sure that it came from behind the door now.
“I know where you are. I know you murdered that poor girl. I know you disfigured and…” the man seemed to choke on the words. He swallowed and started speaking more steadily. “…And ate parts of her. I can go to the police very easily and tell them what you did and where to find you.” The man’s voice had slowly gotten softer until the last word had been whispered.
The voice behind the door chuckled humorously. The man gritted his teeth. “I’m warning you. I can go to the police, and you’ll spend eternity locked up in jail for the horrors you’ve done. I can lead them to this place.”
There was a moment of silence. Then a slight noise filled the air. It was a child’s voice; a young boy, no older then six. “All around the mulberry bush, the monkey chased the weasel. The monkey thought it was all very fun…” then a disturbing silence filled the air. The cut off was to short. Some other force must have stopped the child’s singing. The man brought his face close to the door, listening desperately for any sound.
The door suddenly flew open, smacking the man right in the face, causing his nose to bleed, and sent him stumbling back a few feet. He landed on his butt, eyes watering, and staring into the doorway.
Though his vision was blurred, he could see the blackness. The blackness that stood out against the already darkness of the warehouse. This was the stuff of nightmares, where demons crawled out from into the minds of the insane and deadly. The man felt himself lose control of his bowels and the hot liquid stained the front of his pants.
“Pop goes the weasel!” boomed the voice from within the blackness. It then started to laugh manically.
The man couldn’t take it. He scrambled to the door and slammed it shut. All went quiet. Only the heavy breathing and crying from the man could be heard. It drowned out the steady dripping of the water, and the occasionally squeak from the rats that lived in the warehouse.
Finally, the man calmed down enough to catch his breath and wipe away his tears. He looked around. Everything was still the same, except now, he had stained underwear and pants and a bloody nose.
“Go ahead. Lead the police here. I’ll be long gone before then. You’ll be the only one left they could blame. You’d take the fault, spend the rest of your life in jail, and die a convicted child killer.” The voice whispered softly. The man could tell that the owner of the voice was right next to the door on the other side.
“I…hate…you…” the man managed to stutter out in defiance.
“That you may, and you wouldn’t be the first one. However, your hate goes for not if you can’t stop me!”
“I will stop you though. I will make sure you never harm another person ever again!”
Silence was the man’s reply. He took a few deep breaths and listened again. Nothing but the dripping of water and the now dripping of blood that was leaking its was out of his nose. He touched his nose softly. He winced at the pain. It hurt, but at least it wasn’t broken.
The man slowly got to his feet, using the giant door at his back for support. It creaked softly as he slowly moved up it, but he didn’t care. He knew he wouldn’t be bothered. He never got in the last word. That was just another thing to add to the seething hatred inside him.
Finally, the man was on his feet. Slowly, he shuffled away from the door. His crouch and where the pee had drained down were not cold against his legs. However, he could barely tell. He felt cold all over; like an ice wind had blown right threw his clothing into him.
He heard the door creak behind him. He spun around, eyes wide with fear, and his teeth chattering. The door was exactly the same. “Calm down…you’re just scaring yourself. He’s probably not there anymore.”
The man turned back around and headed for the exit. The door was decrepit, rotting, and barely on it’s hinges. He was careful opening the door, as he didn’t want to cut himself on any of the rusty parts of the door.
“Oh, and for the record my good friend: I’m never always here.”
The man spun around and stared at the door, eyes wide with fear and sweat dripping down his brow. Nothing moved. Even the slow, steady dripping of the water had seemed to stop.
The man bolted out the warehouse door and ran into the night, using all of his will power not to scream like a madman.
Instead the warehouse, everything went back to normal. The rats continued their scrounging around for food, the oil remain silent in it’s drums, and the dripping of water continued it’s steady. It was business as usual for the unhallowed ground. All it had to do now, was wait for the right time. Once again, he would come, and once again, more blood would be spilt inside its evil walls. The warehouse knew this. It had happened many times before, and history has a tendency to repeat itself.

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Chapter Five
Xavier walked past the hustle and bustle of people going the opposite way, feeling like an anchovy swimming against a school of salmon. It was the about one o’clock on Friday, and everyone was going back to work from lunch. However, Xavier was looking for a specific place where he was going to have lunch.
It was a small café squashed in between two huge corporate buildings. It had a very charming and appealing look to it, or so Nevaeh had told him over the phone that morning. So said that this place was called “Niceties and other things” and said it was a place where you could order a cup of coffee, sit outside, and people watch. This had made Xavier raise an eyebrow, but he hadn’t said anything.
So Xavier made his way down the street, constantly looking for a giant sign that said that “Niceties and other things” was there. He wondered how anyone from the countryside could ever stand the city. Then he remembered that there were no people from the countryside in the city, and chuckled to himself.
“So you’re going to walk by your favorite news kid and not even say hello?” Came a voice from behind Xavier.
Xavier turned quickly and saw Danny standing there smiling at him. “Of course not. I was just checking if you were getting rusty on your observations.” He said quickly, trying, but being unsuccessful in, to seem like he was not caught off guard.
Danny laughed, his short-cropped black hair barely moving with his head. Danny crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow expectantly, he black eyes glinting mischievously. “Why are you testing my observations? Do you have another case your working on and need help with?” Danny asked, trying to disguise his voice as though he didn’t care. Xavier could clearly hear the excitement in his voice.
Xavier shook his head. “No Danny, I’m afraid I have no new case for you.” He reached into his pants and pulled out his wallet and pulled out from it a five.
Danny pouted and took the five, giving Xavier a local newspaper. “You’re lying. I can see it in your face.”
Xavier chuckled. “Its not another case I’m stressed out about. You see, I’m…” Xavier thought a moment. “…Going out to lunch with one of the sexiest women alive.”
Danny cringed and stuck out his tongue. “Ewww! Why?”
Xavier laughed. “To tell you the truth, I don’t even know myself why.” Xavier looked at his watch. “Well, wish I could talk to you more, but I’m late already. I’ll see you later Danny. Try the corner a little farther down the street. It’s a big intersection, so you might be more lucky.”
Danny looked down the street quickly. “Really? Thanks Xav!” He picked up his large stack of newspapers. “I’ll see you around Expert!” With this he ran down the street, zigzagging his way through the massive amounts of people.
“I told you not to call me that in public!” Xavier yelled after him. He smiled and crossed his arms. That little newspaper boy could be the worst trouble sometimes. However, Xavier remembered when Danny could barely speak, and didn’t even know how to read. His parents were so poor that Danny had to work, even though he was only ten years old. Labor laws were such a joke in reality.
Yet the one good thing Xavier could see in Danny’s situation was that he was a bright and ambitious kid. He reminded Xavier of himself when he was a child. That was partially way Xavier had taken him under his wing two years ago. He had taught Danny grammar, how to read, and how to write. He had also gotten Danny fascinated with books.
Since Danny had been such a curious child, it hadn’t been long before he found out about Xavier’s second job. So Xavier taught him some knowledge and took him with him a few times. Granted, it was a little dangerous, but Xavier was confident in his ability to protect Danny. Besides, Danny faced a lot of dangers on a regular basis, so what’s a few more?
“So, who’s this “One of the sexiest women alive” you’re going on a date with?” a voice from behind Xavier asked as two hands gently clasped his shoulders.
If it was at all physically possible to have a skeleton jump out of skin and run away screaming, that’s what would have happened to Xavier. He shot like a rocket forward, smacking his head into a lamppost and knocking himself to the ground.
Xavier stared up at the gray sky. His everything seemed like it was spinning, including the woman who was kneeling over him. “Oh my god, Xavier, are you okay?”
“Nevaeh, is that you?” Xavier asked groggily. His head was in a ton of pain, and he was pretty sure he was going to have a large bruise on the middle of his forehead.
“Geez Xavier, I didn’t think you’d scared so easily.” Nevaeh helped him sit up and wrapped her arms around him to make sure he didn’t fall again.
Xavier gritted his teeth. His vision was almost cleared up, but now the throbbing in his head began. He reached up and held his forehead. He winced as he touched it. It was defiantly going to be sore in the morning.
It was at this time that Xavier noticed that Nevaeh was holding him. He obviously felt warm because he was pressed up against her, but he actually felt very relaxed and comfortable in her arms, besides his throbbing head of course. He almost felt like he wanted to just fall asleep there.
Then he realized that Nevaeh’s boobs were squeezing into his back. Like a rocket once more, Xavier shot out of her arms and on to his feet, scratching the back of his head. “I’m fine Nevaeh. See? Only a bruise. I’m fit as a fiddle now.”
Nevaeh raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re swaying slightly, just to let you know.” She noted, amusement in her voice.
Xavier growled slightly at her and concentrated at not swaying. After a minute or two, he managed to do it. Having Nevaeh virtually rolling on the ground laughing at him didn’t help any. Sometimes, Xavier wondered if adapting chivalry, as his primary thing to uphold, had been such a good idea, cause he really wanted to sock Nevaeh.
After Xavier gave his head one more shake, he was finally able to walk without looking like he was drunk. “Can we get to this little café already? I need to order something cold for my head.”
Nevaeh entwined one of her arms with Xaviers and virtually pulled him along with her as she walked. “So, you never answered my question. Who’s this woman you’re taking to lunch?”
Xavier gave her an annoyed look. “Ha Ha. As much as I like Danny, I would rather him not tag along with us and have hear about what happened. It’s already in the paper.” Xavier held up the newspaper Danny had given him.
There, as the Front-page story, was a picture of two paramedics bringing two of the blue body recovery bags into an ambulance. The bold typing on top of the paper stated, “Murder Mutilation happens in infamous alleyway.”
Nevaeh frowned. “Now, I’m all for freedom of press, but I don’t want this story getting out, just not yet. Those stupid fat cats, with their fancy pants suits and ties…” Nevaeh growled.
Xavier shrugged. “Hey, at least the public is now aware that there’s a killer on the lose. Maybe they’ll be more cautious, so instead of a next victim, you cops catch this guy.”
Nevaeh shook her head. “That might work I a perfect world with smart people. However, most of the people who read this story are going to think, “Well, that’s a scary thought, but it won’t ever happen to me.” The next thing you know, we have another body on our hands.”
Xavier sighed softly. He knew that Nevaeh had hit the nail right on the head. The public wasn’t probably going to be scared until the third or fourth victim. They all thought that nothing like murder could happen to them. The public thought it was safe, like a snail, in its shell of ignorance, slowing down the progressive movement of the thing it’s designed to protect.
Xaviers thinking was suddenly interrupted when Nevaeh pulled him to a sharp right and almost dragged him into the café before Xavier could recover his feet.
After a second of regaining his balance and giving Nevaeh a quick glare, Xavier looked around inside the café. It seemed like a very homely place. A fire crackled in the big stone fireplace in the far side of the wall to Xavier’s right, even though a fire was hardly needed for the summer weather. Little cast iron tables with plastic chairs almost filled the entire shop, which wasn’t very much. A big horizontal glass case, filled with mouth-watering fudges, cakes, pies, and other assorted baked goods was staring back at Xavier right in front of him and Nevaeh. Behind the counter, a portly, but jolly looking, woman stood, waving at them both.
“Oh my! Nevaeh darling, how are you?” the woman asked as Nevaeh and Xavier went over to her. “ It’s been a while since you graced my shop with your presence. What’s been stopping you from coming to visit? Has this strapping young man been wearing you out lately? I remember Vince used to tire me out night after night when we were younger. I couldn’t socialize with anyone because I was to worn out. So I just had to put my foot down and tell that ol’tomcat that once a night was plenty, and that’s all he was gonna get. If this young buck is doing the same to you, you better do what I did and take control; it’ll save you much hassle.” The woman nodded confidently. Xavier didn’t know is she had taken a breath during her entire lecture or not.
However, Xavier had noticed the changes that Nevaeh’s face had gone through the speech. At first, Nevaeh had been nodding guiltily during the part of her not visiting the shop. Her face had suddenly been one of shock, anger, and protest when the woman had included Xavier, and had slowly gotten redder and redder as the woman had mentioned about her own past and compared Nevaeh to it. By the time the woman had finished lecturing, Nevaehs face was as red as the heart icing on one of the many heart cookies in the glass case.
Xavier decided to be the one to break the news to this woman that he and Nevaeh weren’t like that. Xavier wished he didn’t have to tell this woman that though. He really did wish he and Nevaeh were two peas in a pod. However, he knew she probably didn’t view it the same way, so there was no use in hoping for the impossible.
“Excuse me miss, but Nevaeh and I aren’t a couple. We’re just currently working together, nothing more.” He said, trying to be confident, but not being able to help having a bit of hesitance in his tone.
The woman leaned over the counter and stuck her face into Xavier’s face, squinting at him, her glasses slowly sliding down her nose so that she had to push them back up. She kept staring into Xavier’s eyes. Xavier had heard about this behavior in wolves, where two wolves would stare at each other and the first one to blink or look away was the less dominant. So Xavier calmly stared back into the lady’s eyes.
After a minute or so, the lady leaned back so she was behind the counter again. “That’s a shame Nevaeh. You’re missing your chance at a stud, and not just in looks if you know what I mean. Trust me, I can tell with this sort of thing. The skinny ones always try harder.”
This time, it was Xavier’s turned t turn deep red, while Nevaeh cleared her throat very loudly. “Aunt Marge, I think that’s enough thank you. I think two coffees would be very nice.”
Marge nodded. “Of course dear. Let me get them ready. You two have a seat and I’ll call you up when the coffee is ready.”
Nevaeh nodded and went off to a booth on the left, Xavier following her, still trying to get rid of the blush that didn’t seem like it wanted to go away from his face. It had been the first time he had been called a stud by anyone. Even his owns parents had never called him handsome or even attractive. They had just said that he would find a girl that like him for who he was inside, not whom he was outside. It seemed like all the time and money he had spent making himself at least somewhat attractive had paid off.
“You’ll have to excuse Aunt Marge. Sometimes she’s a little too friendly and nice about and to people for her own good. She means well though, so don’t be to hard on her, okay?” Nevaeh smiled and shook her head. It looked like she had been through this situation before in the past. 
“What do you mean, “She means well about people”? Are you saying that I’m not a hunk and good in bed?” Xavier asked, his left eyebrow rising up high as he asked this.
The blush that had disappeared from Nevaeh’s face rapidly came back as she tried to find the right reply. “Well you see…it’s not like I’m saying you aren’t…I mean…”
Xavier laughed. “Don’t worry. I know what you meant.”
Nevaeh leered at him. “You made me walk right into that, didn’t you?” She laughed suddenly and patted him on the shoulder as they both sat down. “That was very clever of you. Your not as dumb as you look.” Nevaeh laughed as Xavier gave her an annoyed look.
Xavier decided to get in one last question before they got into the potentially gruesome topic of the murder and the murderer. “So is Marge really your aunt, or is that just a nickname you call her?”
Nevaeh nodded. “Yea, it’s just a nickname. How’d you guess?”
“Well for one thing, she looks nothing like you. When I say that, I mean in anything, not just physical appearance. Also, I used to call my babysitter, Ms. Wilson, by “Aunt” as well. I kept calling her Aunt Wilson until she died about five years ago.”
“Aww, I’m sorry. What happened to her?” Nevaeh asked, tilting her head and looking at Xavier sadly.
“Well, she was walking back from the park after a day of feeding the pigeons and she was mugged by two teenagers. She resisted, and one of them drew a knife and stabbed her, and left her out in the cold to bleed to death.” Xavier finished with a straight face. He had started being able to control himself about a year after she had died, and by now, he could tell the story without crying or even sounding sad, though he knew he was still grieving inside.
Nevaeh covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh my, that’s horrible.”
“Horrible things happen to people everyday. It’s just that it happened to her on that specific day. It couldn’t be helped.” Xavier shook his head. He decided now would be the time to bring up the current murderer, since he really did not feel like talking about Aunt Wilson at that moment, or at any moment he could think of.
“So, lets get the bad business over with as quickly as possible. Why don’t you tell me what you know, and I’ll tell you what I managed to dig up.”
Nevaeh nodded, reached into her purse and dug up a bunch of folded papers. She plopped them down on the top of the table. “This is everything I could get my hands on.”
Xavier nodded, looked down at the stack of papers and sighed. “Alright then. Lets get to work.”

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For chapters 6-11, go to:
House of the boogeyman2