Chapter 3: Desperate Measures
Spike strutted down the walkway to his cell after his second meeting with the cop. I gotta learn that bint’s name, he commented to himself. He was getting five years knocked off his sentence. But that still meant he had 7 more years to go. That thought brought him down from his small high.
Honestly, the stories of The Gentleman made him sick to his stomach. He hated death, most of all murder. Maybe it had something to do with the guilt she laid on him 3 years ago or maybe it was because…
He reached his cell and saw an energetic Clem waiting. Why Clem was almost always in a good mood continued to puzzle Spike, but it was good thing to see in a place so depressing. “So… how’d it go?” Clem asked as if Spike went out on a hot date and came back the next morning.
“7 more years of this rat hole.” He said with a smile. Clem’s cheeriness was always infectious to Spike.
“Yea! Much better than 12, huh?” Clem asked while jumping up and down slightly, not caring that the loose skin on his arm was waving back and forth.
“Much, much better.” Spike’s smile was wider now at the hilarious sight of Clem’s enthusiasm. But soon, the smile started to fade and Clem stopped moving to turn from cheery to concerned.
“Hey man, what’s the problem. This is a happy day.” He tried to cheer Spike up again.
Spike was silent for a little while until, “It just this wanker, The Gentleman. You heard of him?”
It was kind of a stupid question. Everyone in the joint would always hear about the terrors of the outside world, just waiting for some fresh fish to come swimming into their hooks. Clem merely nodded at Spike’s question.
“He’s been using my stuff to knock out those women.” He said with a pang of guilt avoiding eye contact. Buffy showed him the toxicology report after he’d taken the deal. It was definitely his stuff, no doubt about it. Oh my god, Spike thought as he looked at the list of toxins, but Angel’s voice popped in his head to tell him to stay tough.
Clem’s voice brought Spike back to the present. “… you’re not to blame.” was all Spike could make out.
“Yeah. I know but…” Spike trailed off and went back to the meeting with the blond cop.
What mostly stuck in his head were pictures of the victims, 4 in all. They were placed in open fields, their arms crossed around their chests to cover the deep open wound where their hearts were ripped out, two tiny puncture wounds to their throats, needle marks right into the jugular. Spike heard of people shooting up that way, it kinda made him queasy thinking about it.
Their cause of death was overdose, the heart removal was post-mortem. Each victim died from a different drug, all of them designed by him.
He thought it was kinda strange that the cop wasn’t trying to pin all these murders on him, cause she had no problem blaming him for her brother’s death.
Trying to avoid the guilt that formed into a lump in his throat, he came back to see Clem waiting for Spike to finish his sentence. “I…I knew… those girls. All of ‘em.”
Clem took a step back, trying to get a better look at Spike to see if he was joking or not. Clem didn’t like his observation, “You… you’re serious? His guy killed dames you knew? And with the stuff you made?”
The lump came to Spike anyway, keeping him from talking, so he just nodded.
“Holy shit!”
*******************
Buffy got the list. Her work with Spike was done. She let out a long sigh after it was over. Get this to Wesley, then I’m off the case, and then I’m going to take the longest bubble bath in history, Buffy planned.
She plopped the list on Wesley’s desk while he was working on more paperwork. As she was trying to leave the office, Wesley spoke, “There’s a bit of a problem…”
“Problem?” Buffy turned around but her hand was still on the doorknob.
“I got a call from Snow’s Lawyer.” Dammit, just when I thought it was over, Buffy complained in her head. “It seems that he has more information that would be useful to the case.”
“Yeah, the list is right there.” Buffy started to leave again until Wesley’s voice intervened.
“He says he knew all the victims.” Buffy spun right around.
“He-he’s lying! There is no way he knew Tara! Tara was…”
“A former drug addict.” Wesley finished for her. Buffy blinked. No way, she thought. “Yes, hard to believe. It was after her mother died. Faith noticed the problem and got her cleaned up.”
In utter shock, Buffy dropped her small body on the chair in front of the desk. “How did I not know of this?” She finally asked while in a form of dream-state.
“Tara was not proud of that fact, and Faith respected that. I only know because Faith asked me to help her out.” Wesley admitted, half hoping that he didn’t expose too much of his caring side.
She was too dumbstruck to say anything. She just sat there for a minute with Wesley looking straight at her, waiting for her to at least move. She did, without a word, she was back at the door. She had it half open when, “We need to go back to talk to Spike again.” Wesley’s voice told her back. She nodded and went home.
*******************
Buffy was happy that this time Wesley was joining her. She didn’t know why, but she sure needed the support to face this jerk-off again.
Spike entered, this time without a lawyer. They had a little spat on the phone and Spike told him to “Sod off.” Hell, he felt safer without the cowboy attorney. Mostly when he noticed that there was another cop with the fiery blond. Someone to hold the shrew down, Spike giggled to himself.
Spike took a seat. Without a word, Wesley pulled out the photos of the girls in the order they were killed. “So… who are they?” Wesley spoke in a calming and yet almost breaking voice when he pulled out Tara’s picture.
Spike examined the pictures, swallowing back the bile that was threatening to come forth. “The first one, Cordelia Chase. She dated Angel for a little while, worked with us until she got herself clean. Anya, I didn’t catch her last name, she was a major regular, always haggled when buying. She decided she liked her money more than the dope. Harmony Kendall, she…” this one was the hardest to look at and talk about, “she traded sexual favors with me for a fix. Last I heard, she was buying stuff from some other people. Tara Maclay,” Buffy flinch at the fact he easily said her full name as if she was… “sweet girl. Didn’t stay all that long, rebel-teen phase I guess. Family helped her out.” Then he pushed the pictures back to Wesley and exhaled deeply. “That’s it.”
Wesley also let out a breath that he didn’t know he was holding. He carefully put the pictures back into the folder and set it aside. He then picked up another folder what contained on single piece of paper and handed it to Spike.
“What’s this?” Spike looked puzzled.
Wesley looked at Buffy apologetically. She had no idea what he was sorry for, until he said, “Temporary release form. Sort of like a work program, only you work for us. And if you help us nab the bastard, maybe you can be a free man again.”
Those last three word dove into Buffy’s stomach and twisted and jabbed inside. He never said he was going to do anything like this. “Is this necessary? Why release him? He’ll just escape and flee to… Mexico.” She was just trying to find an excuse to change Wesley’s mind. Obviously he wasn’t thinking to clearly when he made this decision.
“He may. But the officer I’m placing him with would rather kill him then let him leave the city.” As he said this, he looked directly into Buffy’s eyes. They widened when she knew what he was talking about.
“ME!”
“HER!” Spike yelled out. He threw the paper back to Wesley. “No, no, no, no, no. Not her. I’d rather be here for 70 more years in solitary without a shit-bucket.”
“That could be arranged.” Wesley told him threatenly.
“Can I talk to you?” Buffy practically pulled Wesley out of his chair and to the corner of the room. Spike strained trying to listen to what was being heard, but didn’t catch her saying, “Are you nuts?! Letting him out? And dropping him on MY lap?” She noticed Spike trying to listen in. Even though he didn’t hear a thing, Buffy quieted down. “I have my 16 year old sister living with me. And you want me to expose her to THAT?”
“I’m not asking you to LIVE with him. You’re in charge. I took the liberty to rent the apartment across the hall from you. He’s going to be rooming with Officer Ha… What?” he asked as she gave him a disgusted look.
“You took the LIBERTY? You went behind my back! Why didn’t you say any of this to me before?”
“Because you would’ve refused.”
“Damn right I would’ve.”
“I’m not asking Buffy.” Wesley gave her his stone-face, he was meaning business and he didn’t care if anybody’s feelings were going to be hurt in the process. “I’m ordering you to take custody of William Snow. Now as I was saying. He’s going to be living with Officer Harris…”
“Xander? He’s a pushover!” She didn’t like saying that. Xander was a great guy, hell, one of her best friends. But she wasn’t blind to his clumsiness and immaturity.
“Shall I continue?” He almost yelled in annoyance. “You just have to live with this. Remember, this is about a serial killer, not a vendetta between you and Spike. People’s lives are hanging on this. Do you want people to die because of your hatred for this man?”
It was a dumb question, she didn’t really need to answer, “No.”
“Alright then.” With that, he turned back to the convict. Buffy didn’t have a choice in this, but Spike did. He was either in or out.
Wesley explained to Spike about the circumstance. He was relieved to know that Buffy wasn’t going to be hovering over him like vulture 24 hours a day. He wondered what this Xander Harris was like.
Truth be known, Spike already said yes. The “free man” thing lingered in his mind. If he got out, he could try to win Dru back. But also because Spike didn’t want any deaths on his conscience. The Gentleman was using Spike’s knowledge to kill women he knew. And there are still some out there that could be would-be victims.
The conversation lasted 15 minutes until Spike took the pen and signed the form. Buffy then signed after that, and Wesley finished with his signature. It was done.
AN: While writing this I completely forgot about those ankle tracking bands that they put on people on bail. But after I wrote the chapter, I didn't want to add it anyway. I felt that it would conflict with some things in the story.
Don't know when I'm going to have the next chapter posted, things in my life are getting kinda crazy. For example, I'm sitting on a milk crate box as a computer chair and having to deal with dial-up after I've grown fond of cable internet. I am still under a cloud of writers block with this story. Soon, I might consider having someone write the rest or making the story a dual effort. So help would be appreciated.
Anyway, hopefully in the next chapter we'll have some words with the evil trio! And also the attraction begins between Buffy and Spike.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry I haven't update in nearly 4 months, but it's here. This chapter was originally longer, but I cut it short. This is where you find out who the other 3 victims were.
Enjoy.
Enjoy.