He watched as the young woman lifted her groceries from the trunk of her cherry red Toyota Camry. Her hair reminded him of someone else. It was eerie. Not only did this woman have the same blonde cut, even her car was the same model and color that she drove a few years back. The coincidences did not stop there, the woman before him was about the same height and weight as was his true love when he last saw her.
This woman would be perfect as long as her eyes were green. Every detail needed to be perfect for his plan to work. His love would pay for leaving, going into hiding, trying to keep him out of her life. Did she really think he would give up on her, or on them? He was sure she had understood that, when he had removed the one obstacle that stood in the way of them becoming a family. It had been too long since he last saw her and it hurt too much to continue on, not knowing where she was.
By the scattered toys in her front yard, this lucky woman, at least in his eyes, even had a child. The pink bike gave it away that it had to be a little girl, just like his love had. He could not believe his luck at finding the perfect calling card he needed to contact his girl so easily. Now all he had to do was to find out what color her eyes were. With everything else fitting so perfectly, it would be very disappointing if her eye coloring were wrong.
"Only one way to find out," he said gravely, with an evil smirk that he quickly replaced with a sweet innocent smile as he approached her.
"Excuse me Miss, I was wondering if I could have a few moments of your time." He said on his approach, "You see I'm doing a survey for a local grocer and he's interested in what young mothers would like to see him sell more of."
"Wow, really, that would be nice." She turned to smile at the handsome man before her. "Give me a minute and let me put these away", nodding toward her groceries, "and we can talk on the front porch if you'd like."
He found it hard to contain his joy at seeing her wonderful green eyes so full of life. It was going to be a shame to watch them close for the last time. But, it wasn't his fault, if only his love hadn't up and disappeared on him, he wouldn't have to take such drastic steps to get her back.
*******
Buffy sat back and watched as her 4-year-old daughter ran around the yard, laughing and giggling as she chased the large German shepherd. Life had been so simple the last 3 years since hiding away at her best friend's place. After her husband, Riley Finn, was murdered, she'd lived the life of recluse. Only a few special people knew where she was.
Over the last year she'd come to accept the fact Riley was not coming back. The time spent here gave her time to become accustomed to the fact she wasn't the one responsible for her husband's death. That responsibility belonged to him, the man who for some reason had become obsessed with her. A man known in the media, the FBI, and by the families of those he had killed as 'Angel Breath'. The way he killed never followed any pattern, the only evidence was the note he would leave behind saying, "I am the one, the stealer of life. I am the Angel that takes their breath away."
It was during her time working with the FBI trying to catch the serial killer, that he in turn became dangerously infatuated with her. Since she never really was able to get a good profile on him, she'd made a deadly mistake. She removed herself from the case, thus enraging him to the point of retaliating. He felt abandoned and ignored, so he'd crept in to her home and killed her husband.
"Mommy, I gotta go potty." Katherine whined as she stood in front of her mother with her legs crossed and an uncomfortable look on her pretty little face.
Buffy giggled as she picked up her daughter and hurried inside to the bathroom saying, "I think we've talked about going to the bathroom before it becomes an emergency."
"Me and Samson was playing." The little girl pouted, hoping not to pee her pants.
"I know sweetie, but it's not good to hold it." Buffy reminded her as she sat her down on her feet.
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay, baby. Just try not to hold it so long next time, okay?" Buffy asked, as she helped her daughter pull down her shorts and then lift her onto the toilet.
"I promise." The four year old said while fighting a yawn.
Buffy stepped back knowing her little independent child would want to finish by herself. She couldn't help but think how much the little girl looked like her father with his big blue eyes and light brown hair. Since the day, she came home to find her husband of three years murdered in their own home, she and her daughter has been hiding. Only her old boss knew she was living with her old high school friend, Tara McClure.
"Mommy, can me and Sam have some chocolate cake now?"
"No, baby, dinner's almost ready." Buffy said as she watched her little girl crawl up on the step stool to wash her hands.
"No carrots." Katherine pouted.
"What's with you and carrots here lately?" Buffy asked, "You used to love them."
"Don't like the color orange." She replied with the logic of a child.
"Oh, so if they are orange?" Buffy asked, trying to bite her lip and keep from smiling.
"Orange is an ugly color." Katherine said with a shrug as if it answered everything.
"What about a pumpkin for Halloween?"
"It's supposed to be ugly, mommy, it's Halloween." She replied as she gave her mother a look of 'you should know that'.
Buffy couldn't hold back her laughter as she started to tickle her little girl, loving to hear her giggle. The life she and Riley created was the only thing that got her through his death.
Tara walked into the bathroom and smiled as she watched the mother and daughter play. It warmed her heart to see Buffy start to come alive again. It used to be she'd just go through the motions of taking care of Kathy. Now her heart was healing and it was times like this when it showed.
"Working up an appetite are we?" Tara asked, with a playful motherly tone to her voice. "I expect all happy plates tonight if either of you want the surprise dessert."
"Oh mommy, it means we have chocolate cake." Katherine shouted with glee.
"Maybe, maybe not… but you won't know for sure until you eat everything on your plate." Tara warned both of them.
"Katherine won't eat carrots 'cause they're orange." Buffy informed her best friend.
"Really, I guess it's a good thing I made them green today." Tara teased.
"Nah uh," Katherine said.
"Yeah uh." Tara replied.
"No such thing as green carrots."
"Oh, you got me. I made broccoli instead." Tara sighed, as she gave Buffy a wink. "I know you love the color green so it shouldn't be a problem."
"Can I go play now?" Kathy asked, not wanting to talk about food right now.
"Sure baby, just you and Samson stay in the back yard." Buffy firmly instructed her daughter.
"Okay." The little girl said as she skipped out of the bathroom.
"I heard the phone earlier."
"Giles wants you to call him." Tara replied.
"It's that time of the month for him to check up on us." Buffy reassured her friend. "I do have an appointment with Andrew later this week to discuss some gallery issues."
"I'm so happy no one knows your father allows you to run your mother's gallery behind his company."
"What choice did he have since I needed to disappear for a while? I was shocked when he came up with the idea, and set everything up so no one could trace it back to me." Buffy said, still amazed her father went to so much trouble for her.
"He does love both you and Katherine. He just doesn't show it the way you would like him too." Tara said offering up her opinion of Hank Summers.
"I think I'm going to call Giles and check in with him. He's the one bringing Andrew to the meeting place." Buffy said in order to change the subject. Her belief was her father had set it all up out of guilt…since Giles had used his being a rotten father to get him to cooperate with the plan.
"Okay, but don't think I didn't catch that little game you played, called change the subject." Tara said as she turned to leave the bathroom saying, "dinner will be ready in about a half an hour."
"Good, I'm hungry." Buffy said, as she followed her out so she could go and call Giles.
She knew soon she'd have to make a decision on what she was going to do. There was no way she could continue to live like this. It wouldn't be fair to keep Katherine so secluded from other kids. It also wasn't healthy to continue to hide and ignore the fact she had a life to lead and she couldn't continue to let this madman have control of it. Some time later on she'd talk it over with Giles.
*******
Spike stood in the kitchen of Renee Walker and shook his head. There she lay on the table looking so peaceful as if she was sleeping. That was until you looked at her mutilated body.
"Shame on him whoever he is." Lorne Cartis Sunnydale's sensitive coroner said with such a sad look on his face.
"Just find me as much evidence as you can, mate." Spike replied, wondering if the killer left any clues that would finally lead them to his arrest.
"Don't count on it, honey childe." Lorne decided to be up front and honest. "This monster is too meticulous to leave us a trail leading to his sick ass."
"My virgin ears." Spike mocked.
"Sweetness, I find it hard to find anything virginal about you." Lorne chuckled.
"Well, there is something and believe me you won't find it." Spike said with a grin as he moved closer to the woman's body.
"Do you think he killed her before doing this to her?" Spike asked.
"With the sweet smile on her face she didn't know what hit her." Lorne answered.
"Just be your same thorough self and let me know what you find." Spike instructed as he turned away, wondering how he was going to tell this woman's husband that his wife had been murdered.
"I will do my best as always." Lorne reassured him as he turned to his men and started telling them how he wanted the body packaged for transport.
Spike walked out of the house and to his car wondering what he was going to say to the press. He knew what this meant, even if his superiors would most likely ignore his ideas and suggestions. Once in his car he couldn't help but ask himself why he was even still here. Why had he not moved on and left once he became aware of what was going on here? The little voice inside his head assured him there was a reason, and it had to do with the fact he would have to be the one to set things in motion.
Maybe now would be the time to take things to the next level if he wanted to get this case and others like it solved. If he continued to let his superiors handle the sensitivity of this case like they've been, come next month another innocent victim would be found and added to the unsolved death list that was piling up.
"God, I have to do something and soon." He said to himself as he started his car.
He knew his boss was not going to like what he had to tell them. Something he knew after the second death, and more strongly now after the fifth. They had a serial killer unlike any other in history on their hands. The problem was getting those above him to agree and act on it. Putting the car in drive he started his painful journey back to the station so he could file his report that would be ignored.
*******
He stood in the shadows and smiled. The look on the detective's face told him all he needed to know. Soon the caring officer of the law would break down and call the FBI. He too couldn't understand why the mayor and chief of police hadn't contacted the mighty bureau after the third or fourth kill.
"They really are starting to piss me off." He mumbled under his breath, as he watched the coroner and his flunkies bring out his latest calling card.
He was so sure once the right people heard about this she would come. The timing was perfect, and she'd be the only one available for such a complex case such as this. Soon she would be where he could see her again. This time she would be his, and together they'd be a family.
*******
