"He seems to have a thing against women," Dr. Spencer sat across from Special Agent Sally Roux as she sat at her desk going over the Deadly Disciple case file.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as she began placing the pictures back into a manila folder.

"I'm here to consult," he took a sip of his coffee and smiled at her. "Aren't you proud of me for not being upset about how you treated me the other day?"

"How did I treat you? I don't remember a thing."

Dr. Spencer gave a half smile and shook his head as he straightened his tie and put his coffee down. "You win Sally. Let's forget it ever happened."

"Dr. Spencer, I didn't ask for a consult this morning. Despite what you may think, I am able to read your notes in the case file."

"I just wanted to check up on you since this is your first case in three months. Also, it's very closely related to your last case."

"Thanks but I can handle myself and this case without you playing watchdog over me." Sally stood up and realized she had no reason to. She just felt uncomfortable being around him.

"I'm not playing watchdog over you. I just wanted to check on you." His eyes traveled up and down her body making her feel as if the temperature in the room had gone up.

"Stop it!" she hissed.

"Stop what?"

"You know what...coming in here without a good reason."

"Actually what prompted me to come here is your supervisor recommending you attend additional sessions with me."

"What?" Sally didn't believe it. "Why would he recommend that? Are you lying to me?"

"Still suspicious of me I see. I feel as though your trust issues are a problem you continue to have. If you don't deal with them, they'll affect your life not just professionally but personally."

"Problem? I'm an FBI agent! Of course I'm going to be suspicious of people! And if I were you...I would get your professional and personal life in check before you start talking your psychobabble to me," Sally slammed the case file down on her desk.

"Listen Sally, there's no need to be so defensive. Your boss just mentioned that you were starting to make accusations against Vincent McDaniels."

"How is that a problem? I asked if we could bring him in for questioning and was shot down. How does that make me require your services again?"

"Your supervisor thinks you may still be caught up in your last case. There's no evidence to indicate that Vincent McDaniels is involved in these murders." Dr. Spencer was looking down and tracing his finger around the edge of his coffee mug.

"No evidence? Am I in the Twilight Zone right now? Vincent McDaniels wrote a book which helped make the Demon King famous. He has legions of fans that love him and a dead serial killer. How is he not involved?"

"He just wrote a book Sally."

"No, didn't you read it? It's called raising the Demon King. He didn't just write a book, he spawned a murderer. For all we know, he's probably doing it again...except this time it may not be a biological son. Or maybe it will be considering the way he got around in the past."

Dr. Spencer sighed. "I'm going to have to recommend you continue your sessions with me Sally."

Sally stood there quietly fuming. She was trying to get a grip on her anger. "Fine," she said. "I'll go to the extra sessions. I'm not sure how this is appropriate considering what happened between us, but fine. I'll play this game with you."

Dr. Spencer stood up, "I'm sorry Sally. I'm not sure what you're talking about. Happened between us? A game? I'm just here to help you."

"Asshole," Sally muttered as he exited the room.

She thought of her boss who had practically bit her head off earlier when she suggested bringing Vincent McDaniels in for an interview and possible surveillance.

"Hell no Roux. Not unless you can give me some solid evidence. Did you know he was on Good Morning America yesterday? His book is going to be made into a movie. Johnny Depp wants to be in it! I can't afford to have our agency look like idiots if you're wrong about him," her supervisor had been pretty blunt about not wanting to involve McDaniels in the latest string of murders.

Sally had a feeling it wasn't about getting concrete evidence so much as it was about McDaniels tapping her boss to be an expert consult in the field of law enforcement for the screenplay he was adapting.

Sally knew she should follow orders but she had a feeling in the core of her being that Vincent McDaniels was guilty of something.

Sally looked at the door that Dr. Spencer just exited. "Trust issues? I'll show you I don't have a problem with trust issues."

Special Agent Sally Roux just decided that she was going to trust her gut.

At Her Apartment

Joelynn had skipped her classes that day and was staying at home. She was too scared to leave her apartment. She felt like she needed someone to talk to but there was no one. A knocking on the door startled her.

"Ms. Lewis! Joelynn...are you home?"

Joelynn walked up to her door and looked through the peephole. It was Officer Evan Dempsey. She quickly unlocked the door and opened it a crack. "What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to check on you Joelynn...make sure you're doing okay. That's all. Did you sleep alright?"

He took in her Spongebob pajama pants and oversized white t-shirt.

Joelynn smoothed down her mussed hair and gave a weak smile, "I'm fine."

"You're not fine. C'mon get dressed and I'll take you out for breakfast."

Joelynn was surprised and confused. "Why?"

"Why? Because you had a really rough night yesterday and you probably need someone to help distract you."

"I really don't want to leave my apartment today," Joelynn let him inside.

"Fine. We can make breakfast here. Do you have any groceries?"

Joelynn shook her head. She was attending college and living off her student loans. She mostly ate Ramen Noodles and bologna.

Dempsey laughed, "No problem. I'll run to the store and get some and then we'll make something together. You cool with that?"

"Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

Joelynn crossed her arms, "Don't act stupid. Why are you coming over here and trying to make me breakfast. It's weird. You're a cop...not my boyfriend."

"I'm sorry. I'm not trying to be weird...it's just that I know things must be really hard for you right now. Last night you said you didn't have anyone. I have my reasons."

"What reasons?" Joelynn wanted to know.

"They're personal reasons...let's just say I know a girl who suffered in the past and I don't want to see another woman go through the same thing she did."

"Who?"

"Not telling. So should I get breakfast? Yes or no?" He waited for her to answer him.

"I like waffles," she said begrudgingly.

He smiled at her answer and said he would return in thirty minutes.

A few minutes after he left, she heard another knock at her door. Joelynn ran to the door shouting, "Did you forget something?"

As she opened the door, she was surprised to see Detective James Smith.

Surprised, she asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Are you going to let me in?" he asked.

Joelynn opened the door so that he could enter. He turned around and faced her, "Are you alright?" She could see the worry in his eyes.

She nodded. He bent at the waist and took a deep breath, "Do you know how worried I was? I got to the station and Ellis told me what had happened to you." Smith hugged Joelynn, "I'm glad you're okay."

To say that Joelynn was shocked would be an understatement. Never in her wildest dreams would she imagine James Smith hugging her and being worried over her. She had a crush on him and he had crushed her by not calling her for a second date. What brought this on?

She gently pushed him away, "What's going on James? You on your period or something? Why are you acting like I'm related to you?"

He was confused, "What do you mean?"

"Up until this moment, you've avoided me and treated me like the plague. Why are you acting like you're worried about me all of a sudden?"

"All of a sudden?" he brushed a hand through his brown hair, "What are you talking about?"

"Look, I just think it's weird that you're showing up here acting like we're close when we're not."

Detective Smith stared at her. "I always considered you a friend Joelynn."

"You have a funny way of showing it."

"If this is about not being able to help you with Eva's disappearance...I told you it's not my case."

Joelynn didn't say anything. Smith cleared his throat, "Okay...clearly it was a mistake for me to come and check on you. I was just worried that you'd be alone since Eva's still missing and it sounded like you went through a difficult situation last night. I'm not close to a lot of people but I always considered you a friend Joelynn. You and Eva."

Joelynn looked away.

"I didn't expect this reaction from you...but I'll try to understand it. You've been through a lot. I'll go. If you need me...call me okay?"

Joelynn scoffed at that last statement. After he left, she felt like a bitch. He was just checking on her and she totally threw him to the dogs. Perhaps it was for the best. Joelynn didn't want to harbor anymore feelings for Detective James Smith.

Her phone rang. She didn't recognize the number but answered the call. "Hello?"

"Joelynn Lewis? Is that you?"

The voice sounded somewhat familiar. "Yeah this is she. Who is this?"

"This is Dr. Spencer. Are you okay?"

"What the hell? How did he know?" she thought.

"Why are you asking me that?" she asked.

"I looked your number up because I got a strange note under the windshield wiper of my car this morning. It said to call you and that it was important. I thought you wrote me the note."

"No...I didn't write you anything."

She could hear Dr. Spencer quietly breathing on the other line, "Well maybe it was just a prank."

"Yeah...maybe," Joelynn thought this was a divine sign or something, "Hey Dr. Spencer?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think we could have a one on one session? I don't mind group but I think there are some things I want to discuss with you in private."

It was like she could feel him smiling on the other side of the phone, "Okay. I'll have my secretary schedule an appointment for you."

"Thanks." Joelynn hung up the phone and sat down on her living room sofa. Her phone made a dinging noise. It was a text message from Jacob, "We need to talk."

Joelynn responded right away, "I'll come to you in a few hours."

Joelynn scanned through the pictures in her phone, they were unclear and she cursed. She had opted not to use the flash option to avoid drawing attention to the fact that she was taking photos of the men's license plates. In doing so, the pictures were too dark and she couldn't see the plate numbers. "I should've checked them last night. Ugh I'm such an idiot. Now I went through all that for nothing!"
She tossed her phone on the sofa and took a deep breath to stop herself from crying. Today was turning into a bad morning.

In His Car

Detective James Smith sat next to his partner Detective Ellis feeling like someone had turned him inside out. Did Joelynn really just do that to him? He wasn't expecting it since she was the one that always sought him out.

"You okay, man?" Ellis asked him.

Smith shrugged his shoulders, "I'm fine. I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"Women."

Ellis laughed, "I haven't seen you strike out with a woman since Eva Lewis. Did someone else turn you down?"

Smith laughed, "Yes as a matter of fact. Her cousin."

Ellis gave him a sideways glance, "You're not supposed to go after women in the same family partner. That's just dirty."

Smith laughed again, "I'm not. I thought Joelynn and I were friends. Apparently we're not."

Ellis laughed at him again.

"Let's just get to the crime scene already," Smith mumbled.

Once they arrived, Ellis and Smith took the lead. A dead woman wearing a crown of flowers was found under the city bridge. An officer that had arrived at the scene first, held an evidence bag in his hand.

"Sirs, you might want to take a look at this. It was found on her body," he showed them the bag. It contained a blood stained note that read:

"The Lewis woman is next."