It only took a couple of days to confirm that the badly burned bones of my best friend matched her dental records. It was a priority, especially with the serial killer out there planning his next move.

Jack had been withdrawn since the visit to the house. I didn’t know how to deal with it so I kept to myself, giving him space.

People dealt with death and loss differently. Some people lost it, some people simmered with in inside themselves showing little emotion to the outside world.

I was still hoping there would a break through like the location of the house but there had been nothing. Apparently it took time to gather clues and process them. This would not be quick and I was already ready to take my chances with the killer than spend another day holed up with Jack.

I was on the sofa with the remote, flipping through channels unable to find anything to hold my attention when Jack entered. He had his boots on and a jacket.

I frowned. He was going somewhere.

“I need to go see my parents.” He wouldn’t look at me.

I sat up, taken aback by his sudden plan to go his family.

“Dallas is coming over to watch you,” he murmured.

I stood, shaking my head. There was no way I was going to stay with Dallas.

“How can you leave me with him?” I was incredulous. “After what I told you.”

He sighed. “I trust him with my life. He isn’t the killer Hadley. I know you have been under a lot of stress with everything that is going on but on this you’re wrong. It isn’t Dallas. He isn’t a killer.”

It hurt that he didn’t even consider it, not for even a second.

“I have to go break the news to my parents, I don’t want them finding out from someone else,” His voice strained as he rolled his shoulders slightly. “I don’t know how they are going to handle it so I think it’s best for you to stay here .”

It was on the tip of my tongue to argue but I didn’t. He was right. I faltered. He had a lot of pressure and I was only making things worse.

“Trust me Hadley. Dallas wouldn’t harm a hair on your head.” He said with such conviction I wanted to believe him but I only trusted him.

“Fine,” I relented.

“The cops are outside. You’ll be safe.” He picked up his keys.

There was a knock at the door. It was Dallas. Jack opened and Dallas walked in.

I crossed my arms as Dallas entered. His eyes briefly met mine before they went to Jack.

“I hope I won’t be too long,” Jack said.

“Take all the time you need,” Dallas told him as he set a six pack of beer on the table.

Jack stopped in the door way to look back at me. “I’ll be back soon.”

I nodded, knowing that I wanted to be anywhere but here confined in a small apartment with the person I suspected could be the killer.

The door closed and I stood staring at the it as Dallas shrugged out of his jacket. He looked for more intimidating than before. I held my breath. He placed his jacket on the sofa.

“So it’s just us,” he said in his usual annoying tone.

Feeling more anxious I could not take my eyes off him.

I didn’t have it in me to pretend to have some sort of normal interaction with him. I had a bad feeling about it and I couldn’t shake it. No matter how much Jack argued different.

“You don’t have to be afraid of me,” Dallas said to me. His stare was bold and uncompromising. It felt like he was playing with me, saying one thing and insinuating something entirely else.

Jack must have said something to him and that put my back up. I hadn’t expected him to say anything.

There was a coldness to his eyes to me that spoke volumes. He had always been a strange guy and now that I looked closer his mannerisms were more peculiar. It felt like more puzzle pieces were falling into place and I was starting to see the real Dallas.

I would not change my mind just because he denied it. Feeling more uncomfortable, I headed down the hallway to my room without saying another word to him.

I didn’t have to interact with him, I would wait until Jack got back.

As much as I hoped he wasn’t going to be long, I knew that it wouldn’t be quick. It was a painful and emotional thing and he wouldn’t leave them until he knew they would be able to cope with it.

I was stuck with Dallas for a while at least. I sat down on the bed and crossed my arms, my focus on my door.

It was a feeling, something difficult to explain. What if I was wrong?

I shook my head. No, I wasn’t. There was something that didn’t add up with Dallas and I had never felt at ease in his presence. Even though I had known him for many years, I knew little about him. He was Jack’s best friend, he had always been around.

And the more important question, is if I believed Dallas was the murderer the next question was why? Why would he kidnap Alice and I? Why would he kill her? Did he need a motive or was it purely to satisfy a sick need to hold power over another?

Surely serial killers usually picked their victims from strangers so it would be harder to link to them.

One minute ticked into another and I stood and began to pace, hoping that I would hear Jack return any minute but he didn’t.

I was getting hungry. My stomach grumbled as I eyed the door. I didn’t want to have to go out there but I had little choice.

Knowing I could not put it off forever I walked cautiously over to the door and opened the door softly hoping not to draw any attention to myself. The more I blended in with the background the better.

It was dark. The only light in the passage was from the kitchen and living room. If I was honest, it gave me a prickle of apprehension. It was creepy and I had to wonder if Dallas had done it on purpose to make me feel scared. He was weird.

I gripped the door handle and then released it.

I walked down the passage and when I entered the kitchen, something didn’t look right. It was then I noticed the bottle of beer that had been opened on the table. It was still cold, condensation dripping from it.

Dallas usually brought them when he came over, there were times I wondered if he had some sort of drinking problem although I rarely saw him drunk but he did drink a lot.

I brushed it off and then headed into the living room.

I expected to see Dallas lounging on the sofa like he usually did lazily drinking his beer as he watched some sport but he wasn’t on the sofa and there was no beer.

That was strange.

Suddenly, in an instant I had a cloth covered over my mouth and an arm wrapped around my waist lifting me off the ground trapping me against a hard chest.

It took a second for the situation to sink in. Dallas was trying to knock me out with something. That’s when the panic set in. I began to twist, trying to get away but the arm was like steel, unwavering and unbreakable.

I inhaled the substance on the cloth as I tried to break free but I could feel my body weaken.

I was in trouble, if I lost consciousness I was as good as dead.

But I could do nothing to stop what was unfolding.

My mind was fighting but my body was limp, unable to carry out any further action.

Before the darkness took hold I took in the body lying on the floor on the other side of the coffee table. I saw dark boots, jeans, and a white shirt. My gaze stopped at the face.

It was Dallas. He wasn’t moving.