20XX/10/04 – Early Night
206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvldSoyWqwL
„Why don’t you put the gun down Ms. Glaze and we can talk this out?”
“So, you can take out your scissors and slash me like you did to all those other women? Yeah, I think I’ll pass.” Her grip around the weapon tightened, her knuckles turning white from the force. It felt heavy. It had been heavy when she first took it, but now that she was pointing it at another person, Liz felt like she carried a huge rock in her hands. Still, she had to keep her arms up. It was the only way to keep control of the situation. She needed to be in control, it was her only way out of this. However, despite being faced with the imminent danger in front of him, Leon didn’t seem to be concerned in the slightest. He should have been shaking, sweating or at least showing any sign of fear, anything that wasn’t that never vanishing smug smile on his lips. She should be in control. So why did it feel like she wasn’t? Like she never was. Could it be-
“You took the bullets out, didn’t you?” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjceNiJZ1Kk
“What?” Although his question should be a sign of confusion, he seemed to be more amused at her accusation. 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zTFQl66gI
‘“Answer my question, Leon. Before you handed me your gun, did you take out the bullets?” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4aeywh1eR
He scoffed. “Take them out? Why would I? That would defeat the whole purpose of giving it to you so you could defend yourself.” Another laugh escaped him when he saw the wary look on her face. She clearly didn’t trust a word he said. Had they been in another situation, he’d have feigned to be hurt by her lack of faith. But considering the current circumstances, he only kept smiling as he spoke. “Well, if you don’t trust my words, why don’t you put them to the test?” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBVcMPVHZH
“What?” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBVLH9OFNO
“Shoot.” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3DWqV2JHhI
Liz opened her mouth in astonishment. Had she just heard right? Did he just ask her to shoot him? 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcP0QSb28Cc
As if he had read her mind, Leon chuckled. “Not me of course. Shoot something else, the window, the ground- I would advise not to aim at the doors or walls though, you never know where the rebound ends up.”
For a few moments the brunette stared at the weapon in her hands, contemplating what to do. Then she swiftly pointed her right arm to the right, and pushed the trigger. A loud bang echoed through the empty hallway, followed by the shrill sound of shattered glass. While the young woman momentarily flinched at the sound as well as the recoil of the shot, the officer didn’t move a muscle. Unfaced and still strangely amused he asked. “Well? Satisfied~?” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9ahWIad96
Liz gritted her teeth, adjusting her arm back to its original direction, effectively pointing the still smoking gun back at the man. 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyeXpcBZ8o8
“I didn’t lie to you, and yet you still don’t seem particularly happy.” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ98YqBgEyHs
“Of course not, I’m alone with a murderer.” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4Qo2DDGa8
“Ah, that. I didn’t get to ask yet, but- How exactly did you come to that conclusion?” He questioned, sounding generally puzzled for the first time.
“Well, that's the only possible conclusion isn’t it?”206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvXXqaKVOZu
“How so?”206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgowya15rO
“You lured me here, into this abandoned building, after sunset, saying you plan to catch the killer here. We’ve been here, searching through every single room for how long now? Two hours? And yet no one showed up. I’m starting to think that no one will ever show up. You lured me here to dispose of me, to make me your next victim.” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTN1ABtadrd
206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7WpyPlMAUm
Leon had been quietly listening to her explanation without showing any reaction. It was only after she was finished, that the smile on his lips grew a tiny bit wider. “Heh. Alright. I’ll play along. Let’s say you’re right and I am in fact the Paper Cut Killer; why would I go after you? It pains me to have to tell you this but, and I’m speaking purely from the perspective of our murderer here, you’re not my type Ms. Glaze.” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHk7wyyQDH
“Excuse me?” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRBpFDw3Uv
“Well, you see, I prefer to hunt down pretty blonde girls. Mud-brown haired chicks like you don’t exactly get me going. No offense.”
There was distinct irritation on the journalist’s face. She clearly didn’t appreciate his attempt at a little role play all that much. “Okay. Disgusting. Alright though. Then maybe, it’s not that you want to, as you called it, hunt me, but more so you have to get rid of me.” “Hm, interesting approach. Alright, for what reason?” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiIvPzAY1zx
“Maybe I saw something yesterday morning when you caught me trespassing. Something I shouldn’t have.” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWTTWd3fnd
“Like?” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFAtPNa6eF3
“I don’t know. But that’s not important, is it? It’s enough if the killer believes I did.” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlWJBmeKXYh
He tilted his head to the side, looking deep in thought. He had to be contemplating her words, evaluating whether they seemed plausible. After what felt like ages to her he finally nodded. “Alright, let’s go with that.” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmH86UCevH
Liz’s face momentarily lit up and a proud smile appeared on her lips. It only lasted for a second though, before the stoned faced expression returned. She internally cursed herself for feeling pleased at getting this man’s approval.
“Let’s move on to another topic then. How did I do it?” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2uArUUcXX
“Huh?” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSvwfDDh4U6
“How did I murder those six women without getting caught?” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7oQxR36BAv
The brunette scoffed. “Now, that’s quite obvious. You’re an officer. The most useless and idiotic one I’ve ever seen, but still a member of the police. It would’ve been easy for you to get these women to talk to you somewhere alone. After all, who would suspect a member of the organization whose purpose it is to fight crime to actually be the one committing them.” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPApcuCrHF9
“Huuuuh. I never thought about that before. Damn, the things I could’ve done and gotten away with.” Although his astonishment seemed honest, Liz was sure it was an act. Like everything else had been so far. Catching on with her thought process, Leon proceeded to answer the rest of his question on his own. “Going on with that, you’re surely suggesting that it would have been simple for me to get rid of any evidence too. After all, I'm familiar with the methods and techniques used by our forensics. Plus, I could be one of the first people on the scene without raising any suspicion, getting rid of things I’d missed initially easily.” She nodded. 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8XVEqdO12
“Not bad, not bad. But sadly, wrong nonetheless.”206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGTTl0G023u
“Excuse me?” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqcGdPiGmNo
“As plausible as your theory sounds at first glance, there are a few flaws in it. Or maybe not flaws, but problems.” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1qLmqoDFU
The young woman raised an eyebrow. “Pray tell.” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohedP0FA1X
Ignoring the fact that she still pointed a gun at him, Leon lowered his hands. In reaction Liz grabbed the gun a bit tighter, ready to shoot at any moment. But he only went on to adjust his tie. She kept a close eye on every bit of his movements, but as long as he didn’t try anything she wouldn’t shoot. And Leon knew that. “Let’s see-“ He started, scratching his chin. It was weird, but Liz felt like she was watching one of those clichéd crime shows on television. And this was the moment where the detective would start to lay out his reasoning.
“First, let’s talk about my motive. Or lack thereof. Why would I want to kill all these women?”206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84HkFdzDKJ
“How should I know? You’re a crazy psychopath. I don’t know how your mind works, I’m not a profiler. Maybe a blonde woman undermined your manliness or something. Or you’ve got a traumatizing childhood and big mommy issues because of it.” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAOfLSLZD2F
“Ok, that is rude. My mother has nothing to do with this.” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRisEgT9WTP
“Hey, you asked.” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7kepqWCc5V
The dark blonde huffed in a pretend offense. “Alright, let’s ignore the motive then. Why didn’t I kill you yesterday then? I had plenty of chances when I brought you home. There was no need for me to lure you here in the first place.” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnuKisk7zkJ
That seemed to put a dent in her logic as she opened her mouth but didn’t seem to be able to come up with any words to say.
“And while we’re at it, let’s talk about the biggest problem here. Proof. Do you have any?” Liz gritted her teeth. Obviously she didn’t. Where should she have gotten it? But admitting that to him, she refused to do so. It would only ensure the return of that smug look. 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMZQXl1cEW
“Well?” he probed impatiently. 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW2yqxXaI9W
“Tch.” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLSdJwt1K6
“My, it looks like you don’t have any, hm Ms. Glaze?” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghJ8ln6cZ4
“You little-“ 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqRCXyXe96
“How about I give you the chance to get some proof right now?” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEXuyEPZdaI
“What?” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXcE005P6mU
“Well, let’s suppose I want to kill you here after all. You know my go-to weapon is a pair of scissors. Meaning I’d have to carry those with me right now, no?” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjRRf0sv6Ij
Her eyes widened in surprise as the officer raised his arms once more, spreading them to the sides this time. For whatever reason, he also did a 360° rotation as if he needed any more emphasizing on what he suggested for her to do. 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbzYKdaxLk
“You want me to check.” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYfFXt0EN4
“Yep.” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡslQlr6XQNa
“That’s a very strange way of asking a woman to feel you up.” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1cAWw9Cgq
As swiftly as he had taken the position, Leon broke out of it, stemming his hands into his hips instead. “Really now?” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73qqAQowNi
“I mean-“ 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPN8opwUD5s
“You really want me to kill you, huh.”
Liz groaned in frustration. She was getting tired of this. “Fine. I’ll do it. But one wrong move or sound and I’ll shoot you in a highly sensitive area.” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmehFarufwA
The officer had already taken up the stance again but he looked momentarily stunned at her words. Bewildered, he opened his mouth to protest. 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9KYWLtsY9l
“Don’t. Not a single word.” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB9Yq1b0I0a
And closed it again. It seemed there were things he was scared of after all. With a sigh Liz warily stepped closer to him, careful not to drop the gun from pointing at him. Everything in her screamed that this was a bad idea, but somehow she went along with it anyway. It wasn’t like her at all and she couldn’t explain why she kept on listening to his weird suggestions. There was just something about him that pulled her along, and she couldn’t go against it, no matter how hard she tried.
Just one more step. Liz pushed the barrel of the gun against his chest, making sure that he felt it through the fabric of his suit. She needed to remind him of the situation he was in. But as she looked up at him she was once again met with that smile of his. And those blue eyes that somehow seemed to stare right into the soul of the person looking into them. As she had done outside the old hospital, Liz quickly looked away, focusing on his arms instead. She started to run her free hand along the black fabric, feeling for anything that could resemble scissors or a weapon of any other kind. Not finding anything she moved on towards his torso and back, making sure not to glance at his face as she did. Leon stayed quiet throughout the procedure, which was a good thing in itself. But on the other hand, she was sure that he could hear the way her heart hammered in her chest. Liz bit her lip. It wasn’t like she was in any way attracted to him. Sure, he may have been considered handsome in some way. But a suit could do wonders to any man who wore it. And the moment this one opened his mouth, any bit of attraction one could feel would dissolve as quickly as it had appeared. She was sure of it. Her heart was only beating faster because of the stress she was under. At least that’s what she told herself.
It was when she moved on to the pockets of his jackets when her eyes went wide. Is that- No, it can’t be. There’s no way he would- 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuyk972oy2j
Liz took a step back and stared at him. Amused by her shocked expression, the officer tilted his head a little. “What is it, Ms. Glaze? Did you find anything of interest?” 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOIK1DIQp62
“I- Your right pocket- Is that-“ 206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3OpBOLUR5
“My pocket? Oooh.” Realization dawned on Leon’s face, as he noticed what object the journalist was so nervous about. A strange twinkle appeared in his eyes and suddenly his smile seemed to radiate something different than smugness. Something slyer, almost cunning. And Liz didn’t like it one bit.
“Well, Ms. Glaze, I think it’s time to end this little game of ours. Don’t you agree?”
No.
“As amusing as I think the time we spent together these past two days was, all good things must come to an end.”
This isn’t happening.
“I must say, you surprised me quite a bit when you suddenly pointed my gun at me. Honestly, I didn’t expect you would. After all, it isn’t quite your style.”
You’re telling me- You planned all this?
“Oh, by the way, I really enjoyed your little theory earlier. Pushing those crimes on me, it would have been quite clever indeed. A shame you didn’t have the guts to actually go through with it.”
No! Don’t come any closer! I’ll shoot!
“Heh. It’s no use. You can pull that trigger as much as you want. You know there’s no bullet left in it. You surely felt them in my other pocket earlier after all. You shouldn’t have wasted that one shot I left you with like that.”
No. No. NoNoNoNoNoNo!
“What’s with that look of terror? I won’t hurt you. You know I’m not the Paper Cut Killer.”
Shut up.
“By the way, I really liked your words from earlier. What was it again you said? Ah, yes, right: You’re starting to think that the killer will never show up.”
SHUT. UP.
“You were actually quite correct in that assumption. I call it an assumption, but it is more of a fact you knew before entering this building with me. After all, the killer is already here. But, of course, you already knew that too. Isn’t that right, Ms. Glaze?”
SHUT UUUUUP!!!
206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQAvoJGyFS
'Cause my demons tied me down206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTe3BGacrAr
With silk chains wrapped around206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVGWm4TggQ
My soul it seems so obvious206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3viySuvMG
That I should put an end to this206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDaYAMC273
But demons take control206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKLL8I8UD66
Like dark sins in my soul206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlEsZS9fvEW
Against The Current - Demons
206Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrwcFbcCay4
