Serial Killers

Chapter 7 1/2

Chapter 7

Alan was driving home, his thoughts spiraling as panic slowly drowned out the excitement he’d felt minutes earlier.

There’s no way she’s the lead investigator, he told himself.

“You keep repeating that. But repetition doesn’t equal truth,” the Voice snapped back. Its tone was different—no longer sly and cooperative like it had been recently, but sharp, condescending, almost offended that Alan had begun to question again.

“Please… let me confirm, rather than just hastily kill her,” Alan begged.

The Voice gave no reply. Alan took its silence as permission.

Back at the police department, Lisa sat in the evidence room, staring at files she wasn’t really reading. Her mind drifted far from the case.

“Lisa,” Detective Levi’s voice cut through her thoughts.

She blinked and looked up. “Yes?”

“Are you okay?” he asked, his tone tinted concern.

“Yes, of course. why?” Lisa answered quickly, her voice steady but her eyes betraying distraction. She turned back to the evidence table, pretending to study the documents.

Levi let out a slow breath, then pressed. “How did you know him? The kid who was just here… Alan.”

Lisa hesitated only a second before answering. “We grew up together. We were orphaned at the same time… by the same people. We shared a lot of the same hardships as kids. But years ago, I was selected for this elite college program. For some reason, they wouldn’t accept Alan. I lost contact after that—for more than six years.”

Her words were firm, but her composure cracked for just a moment, revealing a hint of stress—something Levi had never seen in her throughout the entire investigation.

Then she turned to him suddenly, her voice quieter, almost breaking.
“Do you think Alan will forgive me for abandoning him?”

Levi, not knowing what else to say, offered gently, “How about you take the day off? Deal with Alan, or don’t—but at least do something to clear your mind.”

Lisa frowned. “Are you sure? What about the case?”

“Yes. Andrew and I will handle the copycat for now. What we need from you is to come back clear-headed and ready. Take some time, Lisa.”

She hesitated, then finally nodded. “Thank you.” Gathering her things, she left the precinct, though the weight in her chest didn’t lift. Even as she drove home, her hand hovered over her phone more than once, but she couldn’t bring herself to call Alan.

Elsewhere in town, Alan eased his car into the parking lot of the news station that had broadcast the copycat’s note. He stepped out, pushing aside his thoughts of Lisa. There would be time to deal with his feelings later. For now, the copycat had his full attention.

He pushed through the station doors.

“Can I help you?” a passing staffer asked, approaching with cautious curiosity.

“Yes,” Alan said smoothly, barely managing to force calm into his voice. “I’m a private investigator working alongside the police on the ‘Toxin of Riverdale’ case.” His lies were convincing, though he could feel the cracks from his emotional strain. “Could you put me in contact with the man who—”

“You seem awfully young to be a PI,” the worker interrupted, suspicion clear.

Alan’s eyes flickered, but he recovered quickly. “I’m more of an intern. I assist a senior investigator who entrusted me with this one task. Please—just help me out.” His voice softened, carrying just enough vulnerability to bait sympathy.

The man hesitated, studying him. Then, with a reluctant nod, said, “Alright… I’ll see what I can do.”

Alan dipped his head in gratitude, masking the satisfaction curling in his chest. He was still in control.

Alan trailed the employee down a hallway until they stopped in front of the news anchor. The man was pacing furiously, clutching a crumpled sheet of paper.

“Who actually wrote this script?!” the anchor bellowed, his voice echoing down the hall.

The employee flinched but forced himself forward. “Excuse me, sir. This kid has some questions about the man who gave you the note we aired today.”

The anchor spun around, irritation flashing across his face, but he dismissed them with a sharp wave. “Not now. I don’t have time for this.”

Alan opened his mouth to argue, but the anchor cut him off, still fuming. “I’ll answer whatever you want later. After I strangle whoever wrote this disaster of a script.”

Alan’s frustration softened into a smile. Chaos could work to his advantage. He turned to the staffer beside him.

“Is there somewhere I can wait and be out of the way?”

Elsewhere, Lisa finally made it back to the small apartment she was renting for the case.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. This is chapter 7 part 1/2, so if you are interested in how this story continues, hit subscribe. And all stories are better to talk about with friends so please share the story. thank you again, hope to see you soon.

Previous chapter:

Next chapter: