The Hopeless Romantic It was a dark and stormy night in Fortune City as rain poured over its streets and lightning illuminated the night sky. The streets were almost empty, as the rain had driven everyone away, everyone save for two individuals. A woman was rushing through an alley, barely managing to keep her breath, "Oh god no...please...someone..." She muttered as she kept running, each step filling her with dread. Her worsts fears came to be as she suddenly came across a dead end, "NOO!! GOD NO! PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME!" The woman cried out, "No one is coming, dear. It's just you and me...." A sinister voice spoke, the woman turned back and saw her nightmare standing right in front of her, a shadowy figure that could only mean ill. "Nooo, please stay back, get away!" The woman cried, "But dear...I just want to show you how much I love you. From the moment I saw you......I knew it was destiny...." The shadowy figure moved closer. "Get away, freak!!!" With no options left, the woman tried to run away by facing the figure's direction but the figure caught up with her very easily, pinning her against the wall. "SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!!" She shouted once more, "Now let me show you how much....I love you..." The figure drew a knife and pushed it straight into the woman's heart, "AHHHHHHHH" The woman struggled with all her will as her life slowly escaped from her grasp, her eyes shuttered, her limbs grew numb, she was no more. 13 hours later: "Geez, today looks very gloomy too. Think it might rain again." May said as she glanced as the sky through the window of the passenger's seat. "So anyway, what exactly are we gonna work on today." The redhead assistant asked. "A murder, apparently it happened last night. Clark doesn't have any clue so he wants me to help him and his team." Bethany said, her eyes focused on the road. "Oooh a murder. Those are always interesting!" May suddenly seemed fired up. "Could you try to sound less creepy?" Bethany chuckled, "When you say it like that, it sounds so wrong." "Oh come on! You know it's true, we are usually at our best when we deal with murder." May protested. "Well yes, but it just the way you say it. Anyway, we are almost there, lets get ready." Bethany replied. After a short drive, Bethany parked her car and along with May, made her way to the crime scene where detective Clark was waiting for her. They arrived at the back of dead end alley, where the police was already examining the scene, led by Clark. Detective James Clark was the head of FCPD's homicide and a friend of Bethany, after all she had helped him with many cases. Clark was in many ways looked like the archetypal detective of a classic novel, both in appearance and attitude. He was tall, had messy brown hair and had an eternal five o'clock shadow. He was cynical, but he had his heart in the right place, always going the extra mile to catch the criminals. Clark noticed Bethany and May standing in the alley and made his way to them. "Glad to see you made it, Bethany." He said. "Always happy to help, James." Bethany smiled, "So what's the situation?" She asked as he walked them towards the corpse. "We don't got much at the moment. The victim's name was Sarah Richardson, she was a secretary. But other than that, there's no leads, she wasn't doing any vices, she didn't have any enemies or anything." Clark said, "Before you go and check the victim, here let me present you guys leading the team." Clark walked towards two persons who were given the other officers instructions. One was a tall and handsome blonde man, his face showed that he was young although he had a small scar in his left cheek. "This is David Taylor. He is the detective I'm putting in charge of this case. David, this is Bethany Hunter, the best PI. in this city. And this is her assistant, May Starr." "Nice to meet you, Ms. Hunter. I'm looking forward to working with you!" Taylor winked at Bethany and May and the detective couldn't help but feel charmed. The other was a beautiful woman, with green eyes that made her tanned skin and black hair stand out, "Up next is Emily Gomez, she works on the forensic side." "Nice to meet you, Ms. Hunter." Emily smiled. "Alright that aside, let's get to work, James." Bethany said. The team moved back to the crime scene where the other officers were still gathered. Bethany took a look at the victim, she was a young beautiful woman, probably in her mid twenties. Nothing stood out in particular, save for her lush red hair. "So, what do we got?" Bethany asked. "Victim got stabbed in the heart, preliminary tests give me the impression that the victim has been dead for more or less 12 hours." Emily replied as she began to do some tests on the victim, resuming her work. "How was the murder reported?" Bethany asked. "Apparently someone stumbled into the corpse in the early hours, started screaming and caused a commotion." Taylor replied. "So we don't have any actual witnesses?" Bethany pondered. "None whatsoever." Taylor replied. Bethany took a closer look at the victim, hoping to find anything else. "There's something bothering me. How did the victim end up here? Were there any signs of struggle?" May asked while Bethany continued checking the victim. "That's really the tricky part, there's no reason why she should be here. It's far from both her home and work." Clark said. "Clearly, she wasn't sightseeing. I dunno I have a bad feeling about this one. When I find whoever is behind this, I'm gonna teach them a lesson!"May said, crossing her arms. "I like your style, Ms. Starr." Taylor chuckled. "And I like your eyes!" May winked. "Ok you two, knock it off. Bethany, you got something for me?" Clark asked. "I got nothing concrete at the moment. All I know is that this is definitely not a normal case, we are not dealing with a normal criminal." Bethany said. "What do you mean?"Clark asked, somewhat puzzled. "Simple, the murder method is particularly bizarre. It almost looked as if the killer wanted to get up close and send a message. But that's all I got for now." Bethany stepped back, "So what now?" Clark asked again. "Now, I need to check on some reports, this murder reminded me of another case we dealt with a while ago. On the other hand, you guys should investigate her apartment and work on the autopsy. Let me know what you find." Bethany started walking back to her car. "Alright. I'll let you know as soon as we have something. I'm counting on you!" Clark tried to reassure her. "Don't worry, James. We'll get to the bottom of this." Bethany smiled, before heading back to her car with May. 2 hours later: Back in the office, Bethany and May started their own investigation, trying to see if Bethany's hunch had any merit. "What's our lead, Beth?" May asked as she searched the file cabinet Bethany had told her to revise. "When I saw the body, it reminded me of another case Clark had asked for my help. It was a bizarre death too and I want to confirm the details.." Bethany said as she revised another file. "Is this the one you are looking for?" May said as she procured a file and placed it on the desk, Bethany opened the filed and look at the pictures in it. "Yes, this is the one, the Melanie Smith case. Here, take a look and see if you spot anything peculiar." Bethany pointed at the image. May looked at the images in the file trying to see if there was anything strange. Melanie was a teacher, she was a bit older than Sarah nevertheless she was just as beautiful and the two girls shared one physical trait, they both had beautiful lush red hair. They had a similar background in that she didn't do any drugs, didn't have any enemies and was a pleasant person according to everyone that knew her. Her death shocked everyone that knew her, especially considering the gruesome details. May quickly noticed that much like Sarah, Melanie had also been stabbed in the heart and left for death in a public space, this time in Melanie's classroom. "The murder method is the same!" May exclaimed. "Indeed and it's such a bizarre way to kill, that I believe there's a connection between the two." Bethany pondered. "But what could it mean? Could it be some sort of cult?" May's phone beeped and she began to text with someone. "No, I don't think it's a cult. Cults are more organized and their rituals are usually more complex. If it had been a cult, they victims would probably had some sort of symbol or they would had been in a similar location." Bethany replied, though May's attention was focused on her phone and whoever she was texting with. "So if it's not a cult, who could it be?" May asked, still texting. "I hate to say this, but we are more than likely dealing with a serial killer. So our we need to focus our attention on finding a common link between the victims, which is why I need you to....MAY! Are you paying attention?!" Bethany asked, annoyed. "Yes yes, sorry! You want me to investigate and find a link between the victims, right?" May tried to repeat and guess what Bethany said. "Yes." Bethany said. "Alright! I'll do it!" May was still texting. "Ok, but try to concentrate please." Bethany sighed. "Yes, sorry. I'm actually just texting with detective Taylor." May said. "Really? He got any new leads?" Bethany asked. "I don't think so, though we aren't talking much about the case." May replied. "Then why are you..." "I think he's a cutie, let's just leave it at that." May winked, "Ohh. Well, uh, please do what I asked you, it's important we get to the bottom of this." "Will do, commander!" May teased. Bethany continued her research, she perused old files to see if there were any other murders that fit the description. If she could create a pattern she could predict what the killer was planning and perhaps put a stop to it. Meanwhile May was working in profiling the two victims, trying to see if they had any connection with each other. Her search proved to be fruitless however, as the victims not only didn't know each other, they didn't have any friends in common or even frequented the same places and social circles. Bethany was frustrated, she couldn't find anything and it seemed like there were no leads, she kept staring at Melanie's file trying to see if she could spot anything else. One thing stuck out, but Bethany didn't know if it meant much yet. Her phone began to ring and she was it Clark calling her, hopefully with some leads. "Tell me you got something for me, please." Bethany said. "Bad news, there's nothing strange in her apartment. We are trying to see if we can find something on her computer or phone, but it doesn't look promising." Clark said, his tone showed disappointment. "Well, if anything I guess the lack of leads is our best lead." Bethany said. "What do you mean?" "Nothing more than conjecture at the moment. Any way what about the autopsy report?" Bethany inquired. "Nothing there, like we thought, the victim didn't consume any drugs or anything of the sort." Clark replied. "I see. Say James, do you remember the Melanie Smith case?" Bethany asked. "Melanie? Hmmm wait, yeah, what about it? Wait you don't think...." "Yes, I do. Melanie was also stabbed in the heart. I don't think it's a coincidence...." Bethany said. "It is bizarre enough, but do we have any links?" Clark was trying to think of something. "No, there's no social connection between them which makes it all the more interesting. I believe the lack of connection means we are dealing with a serial killer." Bethany replied. "That would make sense, but what can we do? We got nothing right now..." Clark said. "That bothers me to be honest. The murders are too clean of evidence, something is off. There's also something else that stuck out when I was checking the Melanie case, but I can't confirm anything right now." Bethany kept looking at the pictures. "Alright, I'll let Taylor know, maybe he can find something. On the other hand what can we do for the time being?" Clark asked, a bit dreary. "Sadly, I don't think there's much we can do. We have nothing that can help us track the killer. We have to wait and see." Bethany sighed. "I feared you would say that, but you are right. I'll let you know if I find anything." "Same." Bethany hung up and sighed, this was going to be a messy case. One day later: Rain was pouring on Fortune City again, it's almost as if the weather itself was aware of how gloomy things were on the city. The sound of the heavy rain soothed Bethany as she continued searching files and old newspapers, hoping to see if she if could find something else. May knocked on the door and came in, "Hey Beth, someone left a note addressed to you." May dropped the note on Bethany's desk, the detective opened and what was inside shocked her: The first one was quite the thrill. The second one was quite feisty. The third one is gonna put on a show. Now that you are involved this is gonna be interesting. Let's see if you are up to the task ! Best regards: The Hopeless Romantic "What the fuck?!" Bethany shouted. "How does he know?!?!" May was shocked. "I don't know, but we got to act fast now." Bethany's phone began to ring, it was Clark. "What happened?" Bethany asked. "There's been another murder. Come to the Bellevie Theater." Clark said. Bethany hung up and sprang into action, things have just taken a twisted turn. Bethany and May made their way to the theater as fast as they could, the killer was definitely testing the detective now and she intended to take the opportunity to trap him in his own game. They arrived at the theater and looked for Clark. "Clark what do we got this time?" Bethany asked, "Follow me." He said, leading her backstage and into the dressing room. Once inside, Bethany noticed the corpse, it was another young beautiful woman, couldn't be older than 30 years old. She didn't have any peculiar features, though her beautiful red hair stood out above all else. "Another one stabbed in the heart." Emily said. "Details." Bethany said as she got on one knee and began to examine the corpse. "Kelly Hart, she was a stage performer. Apparently she graduated from acting and worked here for 2 years, hoping to improve her skills and get to Broadway one day." Taylor said. "We are dealing with a serial killer, that much is all but confirmed now." Bethany said. "Any leads?" Clark asked. "Killer is challenging me." Bethany said. "What?!" Clark couldn't believe it. "The killer sent us a note earlier today and even hinted at this murder." Bethany said, still checking the victim. "Well that explains this, then." Taylor said pulling out a note, "Here, have a look." Bethany took the note and read its message: Well that was quite the show! Too bad you missed it though! Maybe next time you'll see a live performance! Best regards: The Hopeless Romantic "What do we do now? What do we have that could form a link between the victims?" Clark asked. "The hair." Bethany said. "What?!" Everyone in the room said at the same time. "The victim's hair. All three cases had victims with red hair." Bethany replied. "But even then, that seems like a stretch..." Emily said. "No, this is how serial killers work. They usually base their sprees on some quirk. Our killer dubs himself as the Hopeless Romantic, he more than likely fetishizes something about his victims. In all cases, the victim's had red hair, which coincidentally isn't a common trait." Bethany said as she got back on her feet and readjusted her skirt. "What Ms. Hunter says makes a lot of sense. But it raises a problem." Taylor added, "If it's true and given that we know the killer is challenging you, that puts Ms. Starr at risk of being a victim." "True, very true." Bethany nodded. "Let him come for me, I'll kick his ass and send him packing." May pumped her fists. "Once again, Ms. Starr, I like your style." Taylor chuckled. "Ohh there's a lot more to like." May winked. "In which case, if anything happens we'll have to protect May." Clark chimed in. "Yes, we certainly will." Taylor replied. "Having established that, do we have any suspects? Or any evidence? Surely there must be something, theater must have security." Bethany said. "I'm afraid not, we don't have anything, the killer is crafty. There's no traces of the murder weapon or even strange fingerprints." Taylor replied, crossing his arms. "Hmm, this keeps bothering me. How can the killer practically be a ghost?" Bethany pondered. "Three murders and we are still not close to having an idea on who he is. We need to find something fast." Clark sighed, the case taking its toll on him. "I'm gonna keep working on some stuff, with this lead I might find something. I'll let you know as soon as I got something." Bethany said as she walked outside, "Alright, let me know if you need anything."Clark said. "Will do." Bethany nodded and left. The next day: The rain continued its grip on the city, the stormy weather serving as background for macabre deeds. Bethany was back in her office, researching some old newspapers and files, she had expanded her search and with her new lead, she began to search in other cities. To her surprise she actually found something interesting, newspaper articles from places like Steel City, Rivet City and even Crawfordsville, detailing the strange murders of several women. Much like with her own case, the victims all had red hair and no seeming connections between each other. Unfortunately, no suspects were ever found, and even though some witnesses described the killer, the descriptions often conflicted with some claiming it was a man with blue eyes and black hair, others claiming it had green eyes and brown hair, it was almost as if the killer was a shapeshifter. One interesting fact however, was that some claimed the killer had a scar on his face, though the reports conflicted on which side and size. Bethany sighed, she felt as if she was chasing a phantom, no matter how close she got to the answer it seem to elude her. Bethany was lost in thought, when suddenly May and Clark barged in with a rather distressed look. "Something happened?" Bethany asked. "We got another letter from the killer! He is gonna strike again and we gotta find him fast!" Clark asked as he laid the letter on her desk. Bethany took it and read it: A little bird told me you been working very hard to find me. So I thought maybe we should play a little game to ease the tension. But it's only fun if we bet, so here's the idea, if you can find the next victim I give up, but if you can't find me on time, then I'll have to take something from you. It's only fair, right? The high rollers bet! The fourth one is the gatekeeper of all knowledge She makes sure there's silence in the halls of knowledge Best regards: The Hopeless Romantic "How did you find this!? How long has it been?" Bethany asked, clearly exasperated. "Taylor found the message, I been analyzing it for a few hours, he's been working on some leads." Clark sighed. "Dammit, you should had brought this to me immediately!" Bethany shouted. "I was trying to see if I could figure it fast, but couldn't come up with anything." Clark shrugged. "It's a librarian, James, it's obviously a librarian!" Bethany shouted. "But which one?" Clark asked. "More than likely Fortune Public Library, it's the biggest one. Come on, let's go! Have your officers check on the other libraries!" Bethany got up. "Alright, I'm ready!" May said. "No, you need to stay. The killer is targeting you next!" Bethany said. "But I can defend myself!" May protested. "No, I can't put you on such high risk." Bethany said with a firm tone. "She's right, I'll have some officers watch over you while we are gone." Clark added. "Fine, I'll stay, but you two better be careful too. I'll contact detective Taylor, we can work some other leads while you investigate over there." May said. "Good idea. Alright Bethany, let's go." Clark said as he left the office. Bethany and Clark rushed to Fortune Public Library, hoping Bethany's hunch was correct and that they weren't already too late. As soon as they arrived, they noticed there was a commotion outside of the library, people were gathering outside and guards were blocking the entrance. "FCPD Homicide Department, what's going on?" Clark asked one of the guards flashing his badge as proof. "Homicide Department? Come in then, sir, a guard inside will guide you to the scene." Bethany and Clark entered and followed the guard. "Well it looks like you were right...." Clark said. "Worst of all, it seems we are too late." Bethany was distressed. The guard led the two detectives into another what seemed like a small archive room and as soon as they entered, they noticed the grisly scene that awaited them. A woman laid in the floor, dead. Just like Bethany imagined, she had red hair. Bethany quickly examined the victim, hoping to find something, meanwhile Clark began to interrogate a woman who was sobbing. Bethany noticed that once again, the victim had been stabbed in the heart, however, there was also a note in her chest. Bethany picked it up and read it: Well it seems you weren't able to be here on time Too bad! But we had a deal, now I'm gonna take that something special ! Best regards: The Hopeless Romantic "Dammit! He is coming for May!" Bethany shouted. "Calm down, she's with Taylor! Come here, let's talk with the witness." Clark replied, focusing his attention on the sobbing woman. "Miss, it would help us a lot if you could tell us what happened." Bethany said in a very gentle tone. "I was working....the archives with Stephanie....suddenly the lights go out.....and....." The woman was sobbing uncontrollably, Bethany gently placed her hands on her shoulders. "I know it's tough. We are here to help as much as we can, your testimony could helps us save a life." Bethany said. "The lights went out......a man pushed me back......I tried...to escape but he pushed me again.....he squeezed my neck with his hands.... I could not breath.....He whispered something about that it was a dream and I had to sleep......he made sure I was unconscious......but he didn't kill me.......when I woke up....Stephanie was dead..." The woman cried, Bethany consoled her again. "Can you remember anything that could describe him?" Bethany asked. "He was wearing a hood......but.....when....turned his attention on me.....for a brief moment...I saw a glimpse of what looked like a scar...." "A scar?! Where?!" Bethany asked. "I think....it was his left...cheek....I'm sorry....that's all I remember...." The woman sobbed a bit more, "Thank you, you been a great help." Bethany said. "A scar, huh? With that we could...." Clark was thinking. "A scar on the left cheek......OH NO!" Bethany's expression completely changed, "NO! IT CAN'T BE!!!" She looked completely pale. "What?!" Clark was not following. "IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW! BASTARD!!" Bethany shouted as she began to run, Clark followed her. "What's going on?"Clark was completely lost. "May is in grave danger, we put her in the hands of the killer!!!" Bethany shouted, exasperated. "WHAT?!?!" Clark was still lost. "It all makes sense now, that's why he was a damned phantom!" Bethany muttered, still running. "What's going on!?!?!?!?!" Clark was still completely lost. "The killer is Taylor!" Bethany shouted. "What?! No, it can't be!!!" The reality had finally crashed with Clark. "Think about it, he has been in control of every crime scene. What's the kind of person that can go anywhere without people suspecting of them?" Bethany asked. "A police officer?" Clark answered. "Exactly. He used his position to do the killings. On top of that, the killer knew I was involved in the case the moment I started investigating and he has had insider knowledge ever since." The two got in the car as fast as they could, "Noooo, I can't believe it! This must be wrong!!" Clark was astounded. "Tell me, who "found" the killer's note?" "You don't..oh...it can't be...." Clark was still in denial. "How long has Taylor been around?" Bethany asked again. "Like a month, he transferred from Steel City PD." "These murders have occurred in Steel City. I read reports of it and they mentioned the suspect had a scar." Bethany replied. "DAMMIT!! Oh no....May...." Clark was still shocked. "I'm trying to call her but it's not picking up. Dammit!" Bethany was desperate. "Let's make our way there as fast as we can!" Clark shouted. The detectives rushed back to Bethany's office, fearing for May's safety. Bethany and Clark rushed through the stairs and barged into the office, only to confirm Bethany's theory. May had been tied and gagged to a chair and Taylor was waiting for them with a sinister smile and a gun in hand. "Well well, detective, it looks like you finally caught up." Taylor said in a sinister tone as he clapped. "Dammit Taylor, I trusted you!" Clark shouted, his gun at the ready. "I was hoping to have more fun in this city, but the moment you got involved, I knew it was only a matter of time before you would caught up with me. So I decided to have some fun, if only for a brief moment." Taylor laughed. "Why do all this?" Bethany asked. "Have you ever heard that redheads have no soul? Well I learned that first hand. I once had a beautiful bride, she was the most gorgeous woman in the world. And then one day she broke my heart.....she slept with my best friend............I felt a void...Until one day, I took my revenge on her, I broke her heart just like she did with mine...." Taylor laughed, "And then it clicked! I had never felt such an amazing thrill. From that point forward, I realized that my best way to show the beautiful redheaded women how much I love them....is by taking the heart....hahaha.....Let me tell you, redheads are the most beautiful women you can find....but you gotta be careful with them...they have no soul and they'll take yours too! Admire them, but pay them in their own kindness!" Taylor laughed maniacally. "Your reign of terror is over, Taylor! You are under arrest!" Clark shouted. "I don't think so. Here's what's gonna happen. I'm gonna eliminate my two biggest obstacles right in front of Ms. Starr and then I'll show her how much I appreciate her style." Taylor laughed again as May looked horrified. "Taylor I'm giving you one last chance to come peacefully...." Clark shouted again. "Here's what I think of your offer..." Before anyone could react, Taylor shot Clark in the leg and the detective fell to the ground. "YOU BASTARD!" Bethany shouted as she tackled Taylor. The detective and the killer locked in an intense battle, Bethany slammed him against the wall while trying to force his arm behind his back, his gun falling into the ground in the process. The killer slipped free and tried to punch her, but the detective was quick and dodged his attack, retaliating with a punch of her own that sent him to his knees. The killer wasn't out yet, though, and replied with a punch right between her legs. As Bethany let out a pained scream he wrapped his arms around the thighs of the detective and slammed her on her back. Winded by the impact Bethany was unable to prevent Taylor from straddling her waist. With his left arm he grabbed her hair and with his other arm he launched a barrage of punches towards her face. Bethany was able to block most of the punches, however one punch clipped her chin and stunned her. With Bethany dazed Taylor wrapped both of his hands around her neck and began to choke her. Taylor had a sadistic smile on his face as he looked down at the struggling Bethany. "Shhhhh, shhhh, everything is fine. Just a dream. stop struggling and just go to sleep." Bethany's face turned red and the lack of oxygen made her feel lightheaded. Darkness began to creep in on the edges of her vision. However she retaliated with a kick to his back, making him lose his grip on her. With much force, Bethany managed to push her hips up and buck him off her chest. Before she could pin him down, he managed to slither away and make a run for the exit. Bethany gave chase as the killer tried to escape, he ran as fast as he could, but he wasn't able to shake her off. The detective continued chasing him even after he jumped from a window to get out of the building and into the alleys. The rain was still engulfing the city, but that didn't stop Bethany from continuing her pursuit of the would be killer. Taylor moved like a cat as he leaped over a fence and ran through traffic in an attempt to lose Bethany. However Bethany moved just as agile and kept up with him. They kept the chase until the killer arrived into a dark alley, Bethany followed but for an instant she couldn't see him, the rain clouding her sight a bit. With knife in hand, the killer emerged from the shadows and launched at Bethany. Just in time Bethany saw him coming and avoided the knife slash aimed at her arm. Bethany caught his arm and tried to twist the knife from his grip. However Taylor grabbed her hair and slammed his knee in her belly knocking her wind out. As Bethany gasped for air Taylor pinned her against the wall and held the knife against her chest. "I'm used to reserving my love only for redheads, but I think I can make an exception with you. You are an exceptional woman...." Taylor laughed once more as he prepared to pierce Bethany's heart with the knife. "I don't think so, prick." Before he could do anything, Bethany kicked him in the groin, which completely disoriented him, giving her the opportunity to smash his head against the wall two times and rendering the would be killer unconscious. "It's over." Shortly after, the police arrived and detained the serial killer. Luckily Clark survived with no injuries, as the bullet didn't hit any vital organs. May was shocked by how it all turned out, nevertheless she was thankful for being alive. "I'm sorry I put you in danger, May." Bethany said. "Beth, it's not your fault. You caught the bad guy, I can't thank you enough!" Before Bethany could say anything, May hugged her. "I won't let anyone ever hurt you." Bethany whispered. "I know and I won't let anyone hurt you either. We are sisters!" May smile. "That we are!" Bethany smiled back. The heavy rain's grip on the city ceased and a ray of sunshine illuminated the city, perhaps a fitting end for such a gloomy case.