Prey

He stood back with a contented sigh, taking a moment to admire what he had wrought.

Smiling as he drank in the beauty and art of the scene before him. This was his best yet, even if he did say so himself. His ecstasy expressed in vivid red arcs across the wall, offset perfectly by the bright white of the plaster. His subject's exquisite pain etched in every contorted line. The contrast between the pools of red, so dark they were almost black. Some soaked in, giving a rough texture: others framed in irregular shapes on the floor that reflected the soft lighting. The subject's pale finger dangled down, as if pointing, mirrored in one of the inky pools.

Purely masterful.

Now, more than ever, he wished he had a photographic memory. He would have loved to take photos of all of his art, especially this one. But he wasn't that stupid. He took a big enough risk staying as long as he did.

Just one more moment, he thought, just to really etch it into memory. Besides, once the media got wind of this one, it would be all over the news for weeks. They would help him relive this one for some time to come. Which was important. After the police discovered this artwork, they would be on high alert. He would need to lay low for awhile. Staying off their radar was imperative if he wanted to continue producing more of his art.

Humming to himself, he packed the past of his tools away, careful to clean as he went, leaving no physical trace of himself on what the police and media outlets would crudely call a 'crime scene'.

The television in the background flicked back and forth between a perky blonde anchor woman who's buoyant and overly cheery personality seemed inappropriately out of sync with the topic of discussion with New York City detective she was interviewing. The sound was off and captions turned on so Jessica could still watch it without the sound competing with her mother on the other end of the phone. Not that it really mattered. There were no new developments nine weeks on from the discovery of the last victim.

But Im worried about you! Did you really have to go to that awful place? A serial killer on the loose! And the lead detective on the case has been all over the news warning that the profilers have predicted he will kill again any day now..

'Mom... Mom... Mom! Listen to me!' Jess smiled to herself. Her mother was always a little prone to exaggeration and drama.

Jess, you need to take this seriously! maybe you should just stay in your hotel room and Zoom into the lectures or whatever it is they do these days.

'It is live stream, mom. And that may be fine for the lectures, but I can't do my job interviews over the phone or on Zoom. That's why I'm in New York. The lectures by Drs Colins and Tempa are just a bonus. They happened to coincide with my visit.'

Why do you need to apply for a job in a big city anyway? What's wrong with the local university? You could come back home, dad and I would see you more.

'We have been over this. There are new technologies to learn about and the university here has access to the latest information, the brightest minds in our field, the best labs! If I want to keep abreast of the changes happening, I need to be somewhere like this.'

Honestly sweetheart, I will never understand why you got into forensic pathology. It creeps me out a little.

Jess smiled to herself. Her mom said a little. She meant a lot. Any time the topic of conversation came around to what Jess did for a living, her mom would change it, sometimes to the point of being rude. And her mom was almost never rude.

'I feel like I can make a difference. I wish I could prevent crimes from happening. I really wish, with all my heart there was no need for forensic pathologists. I wish I had a crystal ball and I knew when people like that guy were going to strike. I could save lives.' Jess paused to let it sink in for her mom. And to allow herself a moment to calm down. She knew she tended to be a little passionate about her chosen field. 'So, I do the next best thing and do what I can to help catch them. Save the lives of future victims.'

Why can't you do that from here?

She was persistent, she had to give her mother that much.

'I'll be careful, I promise. I've got my pepper spray, my pocket air horn and even that stun gun you gave me. I'll stay out of the bars and clubs. I promise. I won't have time anyway, it's a business trip.'

Jess hung up from the call with her mom, fairly certain that would not be the only call she got from her this week. It was still relatively early in the evening. Maybe that wouldn't be an issue, Jess mused. After a moment of indecision, she grabbed her purse, leaving behind the pepper spray and pocket air horn, but tucking the stun gun in beside her I.D. and her favorite shade of lip colour. She headed for the door, keen to try the bar she had passed on the way to the hotel. What mom doesn't can't hurt her, she thought as she shut the door behind her.

Their eyes met from across the room. She smiled, he smiled. Just like so many times before. Conversation flowed effortlessly and as the bar became more crowded, the two got closer. Knees touching, hands grazing.

The ice in her glass tinkled as she set it down on the coaster.

Leaning in to hear Col over the din of the crowded room, his breath tickled her cheek.

'No, I'm here from out of town. I'm staying in a friend's place. A Hipster-type apartment in this kinda industrial part of town. Not what I'd prefer, but he is out of town and I needed to get away for awhile. And what a great way to see New York!' He gestured out to the room like he was taking in the entire city and accidently hit the arm of another patron. His lips were clearly shouting an apology, but the sound was lost.

Jess smiled. She was enjoying this. Her life was always so busy and crammed full of family, friends and work, it was so good to get out and pursue her individual interests. And Col was most definitely interesting. She had hoped she would encounter someone like him when she planned this trip.

'I'm here for job interviews. I'm hoping to move here. I don't have to go home until the end of the week. I'm already missing it and I haven't left yet! How ALIVE is this city! It's amazing!' Jess drew back, feeling like her throat was starting to hurt, but with the biggest smile on her face. 'It's like, there are so many people, you can just, disappear into the crowd!'

Col's smile mirrored her's. 'Yeah! I'm enjoying it! so many different people, so many walks of life! But, aren't you worried?'

Jess lifted an eyebrow in a quizzical expression.

'You know, with what's been going on in the city. That weirdo serial killer.'

'Oh!' Jess shook her head. 'Not in the slightest! I'm just a face in the crowd. What's the likelihood I would run into that one guy in a city of millions?'

'I guess you are right... but you should know, you are just his type.' Col leaned back to see her reaction.

'His type? How so?'

'All the girls have been the same sort: young, petite, brunette. Pretty.'

Jess smiled shyly. 'Pretty? You think I'm pretty?'

Col grinned. 'No. I don't. I think you are gorgeous. Pretty doesn't come close. Like the most divine work of art!' Jess's blush deepened and she looked up at him from under her lashes. Her most alluring come hither look.

'Do you want to get out of here? Find somewhere... quieter?' Col's lips were so close. 'We can go to the apartment where I'm staying. It has a fully stocked bar...'

'OK! Lets go!' Jess hopped up off her bar stool. Col grabbed her hand and led her through the throng, out to the street.

The street was not silent, but in the absence of noise from inside the bar, it felt to Jess like she was going deaf. Col paused and pulled her into his arms, kissing her deeply. They parted, both a little breathless and grinning like fools.

'Come on, my car is parked around the corner.' He lead her down the street to a sleek, black and chrome car.

The city lights flashed past on the drive to the apartment, highlighting the pale skin of her thigh where Col's hand had pulled up the hem of her skirt, stroking the sensitive skin. So lost in the sensation, Jess hadn't paid any attention to the scene changing outside the car. Col pulled to a stop outside what looked like an old industrial office building.

He caught the expression on her face. 'It doesn't look like much on the outside, but it is perfect on the inside. Just wait 'n' see.'

She smiled and followed him up the stairs. While he fumbled with the keys to the door, Jess quickly took her lip gloss out and applied a glistening coat of colour to her pouty lips. Col pushed the door open and turned to catch her up in an embrace, kissing her passionately. He half carried her backwards with him into the room, her tippy toes just touching the floor.

She felt him break the embrace and lower her back to the floor. Slipping out of his arms, she turned and shut the door before taking a tissue from her purse and wiping the gloss from her lips. Col was blinking rapidly and stumbling when she turned back.

'Col? Are you OK? You don't look so good.'

He fell to his knees and shook his head. Jess smiled as he rolled to the side, his head hitting the floor.

When Col came to, he was sitting on a chair in the middle of the bedroom scene he had set up in the abandoned wearhouse. He always pulled out all the stops. There were curtains, carpets, art of the wall. And a beautiful four poster bed, just like the one he shared with his wife. His pretty little brunette wife. But this wasn't right. He shouldn't be in the chair. It would contaminate the scene. He made to stand up quickly, causing the chair to jerk with him. He tired again. This time the chair almost fell sideways.

'You are awake! Good! I was worried I'd given you too much!' Jess smiled broadly. 'The ratios are hard to be certain of when you aren't sure exactly how much a person will drink. But you guys are usually careful. Nonalcoholic drinks after the first two. Because you don't want to be impaired when you take a girl.'

Col looked up sharply, seeing Jess sitting with her legs crossed, perched on the edge of a crate in nothing but her red lace G-string. It was apparent that the hair on her head was the only hair left on her body.

Normally, a sight like this would have aroused something in him. It was why he had bought her here in the first place. He knew what she would look like under her layers of clothing. That she would be perfect for his art. But something about her was wrong. She should have been the one restrained. And beside her lay a pure white crime scene suit. Similar to the one he owned. He groaned.

'I'm sorry, it can be a nasty concoction. Leaves you feeling weak for a while. I put one drug in your drinks. On it's own, does very little. Might get you a little excited.' She smiled at him and stood up. He watched her, mesmerised by her movements, the way the light hit her pale skin. 'I think it definately had that effect on you. Or maybe it really was just me you were so enticed by. Either way, with the introduction of the second drug to your system which was in my lip gloss, the drug interaction can bring the biggest guys to their knees.'

Jess slowly slipped her feet into the white suit, pulling it up to her hips and letting it hang there while she talked.

'You know what makes my job so easy with you guys though? None of you believe I could be a threat. You take so many women, you kill them and leave them for people like me to clean up. You never think that one of us could be at the other end, putting together the pieces of a very difficult puzzle. And I suppose most don't take an interest in who you guys are the same way I do.' She paused and slipped her hands into the sleeves before zipping the front up past her naked breasts.

'I lied to my mom. I lied to you. I didn't come here for interviews. I came here for you. I like working in my little office in a smaller university where no one pays me any heed. Unless I grade a student harshly, of course. I like teaching forensic pathology. I know all the latest gadgets and tests. I know how to avoid leaving evidence for them. It means I have access to all the information that helps me find people like you.'

Snapping on gloves, Jess picked up one of Col's favorite tools. A sharp stiletto. A long, very thin piece of metal on a handle. She held it up to the light to inspect it.

'You take good care of your equipment.' Looking him in the eye, Jess smiled seductively. 'I think I'm going to have fun with you.'