Chapter 35-

"What theory, now?" Daemon asked, sounding almost resigned to the fact that he wasn't going to like what he would hear.

"I will say it but I think it is better if you leave. I need to talk to Rose first," Dennis said. Daemon's eyes widened, looking like he wanted to argue about it.

"Daemon, please."

Daemon turned to Rose's pleading eyes and after a moment looked resigned to the fact that he wasn't allowed there.

"Fine, but I want to hear the details later," Daemon said before stomping out of his office. Rose watched his retreating back and turned to Dennis after the door was harshly shut.

"What is the theory?" Rose asked.

"I have two but I will leave the second one for later because I am not very sure and it is purely based on my assumptions. But this one however, I have proof to back me up on it. It was something I inferred from the letters that Daemon showed me."

Rose raised her eyebrows in disbelief. Daemon himself had checked those letters a thousand times and she didn't think anything passed by him.

"There is something that I noticed in the letters. I am not sure if you were not paying attention or what, but didn't you notice a difference between the letters?" Dennis asked.

"What do you mean; a difference? That doesn't make sense. After every letter he signs off as the reaper or something..."

"That is true, I admit," Dennis continued, "But there is a difference."

"I don't get it ," Rose replied softly.

Dennis looked into her eyes and said, "You must have noticed but you are trying to ignore it. The letters that Daemon gets are way different from those that you receive; don't you think that?"

Rose's eyes widened and she stared at Dennis like he was crazy.

"How?" Rose asked, almost frightened of his answer.

Dennis  continued solemnly, "There are two different people. Even at first it didn't make sense to me, but something was too different."

"What?" Rose asked.

Dennis swallowed and stayed silent for a moment.

"It is the way how they refer to you."

Dennis looked expectantly at Rose.

"What?" Rose repeated again.

"It's the way how they refer to you," he said,  as his eyes roamed across her face, "One feels something for you but the other..."

"The other hates me," Rose confirmed. Her face showed that she didn't seem to believe him.

"The one who sent letters to you and those pictures... I won't say that he isn't mentally ill; but his motive isn't to hurt you or anyone, I suppose. His letter to you, especially the one with pictures of you, is an exaggerated one. I don't think you have to worry about the contents of that. It was sent by someone who you know."

"Who I know?" Rose asked bewildered, her mind jumbled from all the new information.

"Not now, or even probably now. I meant someone who has known you since before. For example, there are a few pictures in the collection in which you look no older than 18," Dennis explained.

"I hadn't noticed," Rose admitted, "I was too preoccupied with the fact that I had got pictures of myself sent by a stranger. And Daemon never let me look at them afterwards."

"Yes. This person might be trying to deter the investigation for some reason, currently unknown to me, by introducing himself so that it would confuse you all. I would say that this person might be suffering from depression but has a firm control of his mindset. But the other person, the one who is sending Daemon the letters, is a very dangerous person."

"His intention is just to kill. So I wouldn't advice searching for a motive or such for the murders; it is just an episode of serial killing. As per what you told me, the only similarities in the murders might be that they are very different. Not an aspect is similar. The place, the method, the people; none of them. He might be seeking revenge, whoever he is."

"You don't think it is Sebastian either, do you?," Rose asked rhetorically.

"Yes; just like how you never did," Dennis said, his blue eyes boring into hers, "You said it to protect yourself from the truth."

"But I did hear his voice that day when I witnessed the murder," Rose insisted.

"Probably," Dennis said, "Might have been either your mind playing tricks on you or even you wanting to believe that he is in fact alive."

Rose stayed silent.

"I know you feel guilty for causing his murder; but it was inevitable," Dennis said, "I won't say that you had a right to do it because only God can take a life. But it was self defense and you never intended it."

"I don't think he was all that evil, you know," Rose said looking down.

"Probably not to you, but to others, yes he was," Dennis said, "And from what you said, I think he repented the crime he committed."

Rose nodded silently and after thinking for a while, said, "Why didn't you want Daemon to know?"

"I didn't say I don't want Daemon to know," Dennis smiled, "It is just that his jealousy might get in the way."

"Jealousy?" Rose raised her eyebrows. Dennis nodded, his smile still undeterred and said, "He hasn't done anything in front of you because he comforts himself by thinking that whoever is doing the murders doesn't actually love you. But this person who is sending you the letters; he isn't that way. Daemon is already getting side tracked because he is involved personally; doing this might just ruin his concentration whole together. Besides, I don't think this guy is much of a danger anyway; at least not to you."

"What do you mean?" Rose questioned.

"I don't think he is a great danger to you; but to himself. He might be torturing himself with this act."

"I don't get who might be doing it, but," Rose admitted, "Seriously, other than Sebastian, I never had any serious relationship. And I never knew anyone who thought of me that way."

"You are more of in the oblivious side," Dennis said, "Anyway, I told you all this because I didn't want you worrying about this."

"Yeah," Rose said and looked down at her hands, "I was never a great person before. The adolescent hormones and my temper and most of all, my arrogance."

"Everyone is that way when they are a teenager," Dennis said with a smile, "Don't beat yourself over it. Anyway, I have to get going. I just arrived and I promised Derek that I would meet him. I'll see you in the evening."

Rose felt the mood go down again as she was brought back to the present. Her best friend had just been murdered and her funeral was in the evening.

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Having attended many funerals, this was the first time she was in a funeral which didn't have the body. Very few people were present and the only reason that Rose could put for that was that Deandra had also distanced herself from everyone.

After Alex, maybe Rose wasn't the only one who felt alone.

But it was so unlike her. Deandra had always been a social person. Being in the center of the crowd, talking to everyone... that had been her passion.

Rose watched quietly as Daemon went about taking care that everything was going well. The few people, most of who were just Deandra's co workers.

The coffin to be buried was larger than Alex' was the first thing on her mind when she saw it. How wonderful, Rose thought gloomily, both her best friends were under the ground.

Maybe it might be that she had cried too much, but there were no tears left. She felt like an outsider to the whole scene. Even Alec and Jace seemed more alive and they seemed to be cooperating with each other.

The rituals went fast, too fast for her liking. Soon the coffin had been lowered under the ground and her eyes started watering.

 "Alex will always be with us, Rose. But now, we have to be with each other."

But now even she was gone. Rose blinked and tears rolled down her cheeks. She felt two arms envelope around her and she didn't have to look up to know who it was.

"It's going to be okay, Rosalyn, it will be fine," Daemon whispered into her ear.

No, it wasn't.

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AN:

Hello everyone!

Yup, it has been a while.

So, were any of you expecting that? Do you agree with Dennis?

According to me, the chapter is not yet over. I want to add a little more but it will take another day to complete it. I just uploaded it because one of my friends have just about had it enough with my lack of updating.

So until next time,

Adios,

Ash