He read the note one last time, paying close attention to uncover any further clue.

Please deliver to any worthless detective.

None shall find what is hidden in plain sight; none shall catch me—for I am what you are.

Bewitch, beguile, control, command, ensnare, enslave, execute, murder, massacre, mayhem, slay, slaughter, no remorse, no guilt, no memory. Kill, kill, kill.

Love and Kisses,

Nocturnum Slauterius Activo

It seemed odd that the killer never identified his motive, his purpose, for the slaying. Ace was stumped. Even the killer’s so called ‘name’ offered no reasonable leads.

Slowly the detective realized that there would have to be at least one more murder before he could have any hope of finding this extreme madman. A rage began to build in his gut; another life would have to be ended—unless he could prove the killer wrong about being ‘a worthless detective.’

Ace knew the only way he would get a good night’s sleep would be with a stiff drink and a sleeping pill. He chugged them down quickly and his mind slipped into the darkness of a drug induced oblivion.

The next morning, he groggily made his way to the kitchen table where among the scattered dirty dishes he searched for a semi-clean fork and a tolerably clean plate. Ace clicked on the television and saw that his wait for the next victim was over. “Police in upper Chicago found the remains of a woman in an apartment complex around 10:00 a.m. today.”

Ace clicked off the T.V. He already knew who was responsible for the murder. It was strange that no one had called him yet. A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts and he got up to answer it. When he arrived at the door, a letter had already been slipped beneath it.

It was another perfectly clean white envelope with his name on it—written in blood. He felt fear streak down his back but he forced himself to open his apartment door in order to catch the would-be killer. Ace was not surprised to find the hallway empty.

Locking the door behind him was never a thought that had crossed his mind until now; his door was always unlocked while he was at home. The killer had instant access to him all along and just did not know it. Ace shrugged off as much fear as possible as he went to his computer to open the second envelope.

Again, these words felt somehow ‘tainted’ and corrupt. He dreaded typing them.

Dearest Ace,

You suck at being a detective. The answer is right in front of your face, you moron! Read the last letter!

Why were you not at my lovely crime scene this morning?

Are you afraid of me, you little bitch?

Destroy, defile, denial, attack, assault, strike, beat, hurt, harm, damage, forget all. KILL, KILL, KILL.

The horsemen come, the end is near—you will help.

Love and Kisses,

Slaverius Minuma Nocturnum

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