What she saw next sent panic rioting throughher. Slowly he began removing his belt, but by the look on hisface, it wasn’t going to be used to bind her.

“Victor…” she pleaded as she tried to crawlaway.

“Call me that one more time, Eight, and seewhat happens,” he growled as he grabbed a handful of her hair andhalted her movements. “You want to know who I am and what startedall this? Then your wish is my command. Read,” he snapped theleather belt on the floor next to her.

Fear and anxiety knotted inside of her andfor a split second, she thought she would vomit.

Elsa rose to her knees and reached for thejournal and opened it to the first page as she tried to keep herfragile control in check.

Herein contain the notes of Victor Laurenzo,Special Agent for the FBI and criminal profiler.

I have been tasked with my first big caseand the intention of this journal is to document my feelings andthoughts as it progresses so that they can be clearly defined laterif necessary.

Elsa looked up at Mr. Black, notunderstanding what exactly she was reading. The snap of leatherstartled her and she dropped the journal.

“Read it out loud. Every time you hesitate orstop, you’ll meet the real Victor.”

Although his statement was veiled, there wasno ambiguity in its meaning. He intended to whip her. The thoughtfilled her with disturbing images and she began to shake. She hatedpain. She reached a quaking hand out and reopened the journal tobegin reading aloud.

The case in question is file #23249regarding the murder of two individuals who are not related orconnected in any way other than being suspected of being killed bythe same perpetrator. It’s an interesting case and one I’m lucky tobe involved in. I look forward to being able to stretch my wingsand really learn from the other agents and detectives involved. Igenuinely believe that this will be an excellent learningexperience. I digress.

Murder victim #1: A 32-year-old husband andfather of three, Gerald McKinney.

Method of homicide: Strangulation.

Thoughts: It was personal. Perhaps sexualasphyxiation? Will note more on this as more facts areavailable.

Particulars: Staged murder scene. Clean.Killer has clearly done this before or at least done theirhomework. No forensics to speak of regarding traceable DNA. Looseclothing fibers found linked to victim #2. See below.

Murder victim #2: Jonathan Gonzalez, Age 24,university student majoring in Pre-Law.

Method of homicide: Jugular arterylaceration leading to exsanguination.

Thoughts: Again, personal.

Particulars: Pattern of blood spatterconsistent with no struggle, patient in resting position. Unique,red clothing fibers found at the scene and identified to be that ofa scarf sold only in the Virginia Beach, Virginia vicinity. Only1000 units of this particular scarf were manufactured and soldexclusively at a small custom boutique at theVirginia Beach oceanfront.

Suspect 1:

Scarlett Greenwood, Age 29, Law Student

Elsa reread the name to herself. It wasvaguely familiar, though she couldn’t place it. It was hard to missthe hopeful tone of the journal and Elsa wondered how old Victorwas when all this happened. She paused to read the name again,trying to jog her memory when she felt the sting of the leather.The pain scorched across her back and she dropped the journal againas she screamed out.

My God, he was serious about whipping her.Raw and primitive fear jolted her system and her self-preservationinstincts kicked in. It was fight or flight time and she knew shecouldn’t hold a candle to Mr. Black. Instantly she jumped to herfeet and bolted toward the door, not giving a damn if she wasclothed or not. Mr. Black was quick on her heels and grabbed ahandful of her hair at the nape her neck and dragged her back.

Shoving her down in front of the journal, hegrowled deeply, “You wanted to know everything, so fuckingread!”

Elsa sucked back her tears and wiped hereyes. How the hell could’ve she have allowed this to happen? Fearof what Mr. Black was capable of held her immobile and with a shakyvoice, she steadied her hands the best she could and continued.

I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Greenwoodduring a basic interrogation of several suspects. I hesitate to usethe term ‘suspect’ so frivolously with this high-profile case.Perhaps a more appropriate term is ‘person of interest.’ Sheanswered all questions without hesitation and appeared to becomfortable in her surroundings, despite the intense line ofquestioning. She was linked to Mr. Gonzalez by association only.She is a late, fourth-year student majoring in Law.

Elsa read until her throat was dry, but kepther eyes trained to the journal. She had no idea why she wasreading the mundane writings of Special Agent Victor Laurenzo. Onthe occasion that she would take her eyes away from the journal tolook up, Mr. Black was seated on the duchess chair looking out thewindow pensively with a pained expression on his face. Surely hecould sense the loss of the optimistic and bright-eyed, young manhe once was. Elsa didn’t know him then, but even she missedhim.

As she read on, his writings were becomingincreasingly more focused on the one time ‘person of interest’Scarlett Greenwood. He would find excuses to keep going back andquestioning her even though there was nothing to link herdefinitively to any of the cases. He was obviously attracted toher.

Two more murders popped up during the courseof his writings, one who was linked again, to Scarlett through sixdegrees of separation. No one found it odd because Virginia Beachis a fairly small community and most individuals could be linkedthrough less than six degrees of separation.

Scarlett – a lovely name for a woman whosename matches the color of her lips. I have taken a particularinterest in her. More than work related. We have discussed manythings, our pasts, what we want for our futures, etc. I find mythoughts becoming clouded when I’m in her presence. Perhaps it’sthe cheap musky perfume she wears. She is struggling financially.She hasn’t admitted as much, but I can see it in the way shedresses, the car she drives, and the less than desirableneighborhood she lives in. Although my pay grade is still on thelow-end, I want to help her.

The last words leapt off the page. He hadalways had the kind of personality where he wanted to help people.Like herself. She even sensed he may have been a romantic at heart.It was a lovely thought…

The snap of the leather brought her back toreality. The icy coldness in her heart did nothing to quench thefire on her back, and she hunched over as her fingers gripped thejournal. She shrieked and hid her face as hot tears streamed downher face. Her throat tightened painfully and her body began tosweat profusely as the warmth of her back spread over her body.

She wanted the old Victor. The one whosewritings she was reading. Where was he? Was he gone forever? Herphysical pain was acute, but didn’t compare to the misery she wasfeeling in her heart.

“I want the real Victor,” she howled when helashed her across her shoulder blades once more.

“Read,” he ground out between grittedteeth.

Terrible regrets assailed her. Had she beenwrong about Victor? She refused to believe that… “Victor, please…”she begged.

“Ten… nine…”

The snap of leather again.

Her anguish almost overcame her control, butshe forced herself to straighten up and go into auto-mode as shesobbed out the dreadful words written on the stark white pages.