The two detectives headed back to the precinct and Detective Holmes headed to the Captain's office.

She raised a shaky hand and knocked softly on the large wooden door.

"Come in." The Captain called out.

She slowly turned the knob and entered his office, her eyes falling to the Captain as he looked up from his file at her.

In her hands, clasped tightly was "The LEO's" case file. She approached the Captain's desk and cleared her throat.

"Captain, I know you said no before but hear me out.." She spoke.

The Captain raised an eyebrow and nodded, encouraging her to continue.

"If we just call August-"

He cut her off. "No."

"But Captain He could-"

He shook his head. "I said no, Detective Holmes."

"But-"

He shook his head again and stood from his seat, slamming his hands on his desk in anger. "NO! And that's final, detective! If you contact him, which I will consider moving out of order, you forfeit your badge." His tone lowered and he stared at her with an expression that told her that his words were not to be taken lightly.

Her face fell into a frown and she sighed. "Yes sir."

Silently, she turned and left his office. She knew without a doubt that former detective Chresanto August could solve this case, yet, the Captain refused to allow him to be of aid.

In silence, she shut his office door behind her, making her way back to her case partner as she contemplated what to do next.

They needed August's help, she knew that. But if she contacted him, she'd lose her badge.

"What'd the Captain say?" Saunders asked, snapping her out of her train of thought.

She sent him a smile to disguise her disappointment. "He said um..."

"Forensic units...catholic church on N. Hawkins." The radio interrupted her statement.

She was going to tell him the truth...that the Captain said no.

But when she got to the site...that would all change.

—-

*Two Hours Before the Radio Call*

Audrey Holloway sat in the quiet, secluded room, silently awaiting the return of the mysterious man.

She didn't know who he was...or what he wanted with her. Or even what his words from earlier meant.

"You're number 7."

The words played over and over in her mind and fear slowly crept into her being.

Was he going to rape her? Kill her? What did he want.

He'd left the room nearly an hour ago and she didn't know when to expect him back. There was no way out...no way to run. She'd already tried.

So instead, she sat in silence...naked as he'd left her, and cowering in the corner, as far back as she could go. The lack of light kept her from seeing anything to help her identify the place where she might be.

The door creaked open and her heart began to thump in her chest as the man entered the room once more.

He pulled a cart with him and whistled softly. Leaving the cart by the door, he shut the door, clicking the lock behind him, and then turning to face the girl once more.

Audrey slowly shook her head, trying to back further into the corner as he approached her and knelt down. For the first time since he'd kidnapped her, she could make out some sort of facial features.

He stared at her for a moment and then licked his lips, placing an index finger under her chin to tilt her head upward.

"Do you know what I meant earlier?" He asked.

His voice was soft and Audrey shook her head, tears threatening to form in her eyes.

"There will be fifteen." He told her. "Fifteen different women...all raped and murdered. You're number 7."

Audrey swallowed hard and shut her eyes, letting the tears fall.

She felt his hand as it trailed down her raised leg, tugging it down from her body. He did the same to the other one, his eyes scanning her appearance while she just began to cry and shake her head.

He wasted no time in spreading her legs and unbuckling his pants. He was between her thighs within a few seconds with the tip of him pressed against her entrance.

He didn't warn her or prepare her, simply slamming deep into her and sending her eyes wide. She was a virgin, saving herself for marriage, and he'd just taken it from her. And the worst part....he knew.

Before kidnapping her...before slamming into her...he knew.

He knew everything about all 15 of them....everything. Because if you pay close attention, he's not just picking them at random.

He pulled out halfway and slammed back in. "You're the first virgin so far." He told her.

He pulled out once more and effortlessly flipped her onto her stomach, lifting her lower half into the air and lining up to slam into her again.

His pace increased, his strokes becoming hard and fast as he slammed into her again and again, allowing the sound of skin slapping skin to echo throughout the small room.

He wasn't worried about being heard. The room was soundproof.

He let out something of a grunt and continued to slam into her, holding her her hips firmly as he took every ounce of innocence she once held with no remorse.

The pain she felt never turned into pleasure because he just continued to pound into her, with little regard for how his large size was affecting her.

Only when he'd released himself inside her did he slow his strokes and stop, pulling out and letting her hips fall to the floor.

He began to whistle softly once more as he shoved the length of him, now limp and not erect, back into his pants. He zipped them up, buckling his belt and standing to his feet.

"Tiptoe through the garden, by the garden." He began to sing softly as he approached the cart and claimed the tools he desired. "That is where I'll be. Come tiptoe through the tulips...with me."

He turned to face the crying girl once more, whistling again as he approached her to maim her just as he'd done to the six before her.

—-

*At the Scene 2 Hours Later*

Detective Holmes' eyes fell to the dead girl..laid at the altar of the Catholic Church. She had her eyes stitched shut...her mouth slit from ear to ear and then stitched back together.

Tagged across her stomach was his infamous tag...The LEO.

Holmes furrowed her eyebrows and glanced at Saunders.

"What did the Captain say about calling August?" He asked her quietly.

She allowed her gaze to return to the girl once more. "He said it was fine. But to keep everybody...him included, out of it."

"Really? He doesn't wanna keep an eye on August?" Saunders asked. "After taking his badge?"

Holmes shook her head, continuing to lie despite the fact that it could cost her her badge. "No. He said he doesn't even want to see him. He wants August to be kept far away from him. He doesn't even wanna hear about him."

Saunders nodded thoughtfully. "Well okay. Let's go see August...Captain's orders."

Detective Holmes shook her head quickly. "The Captain wants me to go...alone."

Saunders stared at her for a moment and then nodded. "Okay. I guess I'll stay here, survey the scene."

Holmes nodded and pulled the note from the dead girl's hand. "Start here. It may tell you where to find the next one and maybe if we get there early enough, we can stop him."

Saunders gave another nod and took the note, unfolding it to read it silently as Detective Holmes rushed off.

She climbed into the car, shutting the door carefully behind her and buckling her seatbelt. Starting the car, she cast another glance at Saunders and then drove off.

It wasn't long before she arrived at the corner of Snyder and Hall, parking her car and stepping out to look up at the old office building. She stepped out into the slightly windy Autumn evening and locked her car behind her as she headed for the building.

Once inside, she found the elevator quite easily and tapped the button for the 5th floor...August's floor.

She carefully stepped off, walking down the long narrow hall until she reached a familiar door...Chresanto August...P.I./ Private Consultant.

Raising a shaky hand, she tapped on the office door lightly.

"Come in." A deep voice called out to her.

She turned the knob and pushed the door open, stepping quietly into the small office. Seated at a mahogany desk, were two wide eyes staring back at her. He had been in the process of writing something, his pen having stilled against his paper in his hands.

"I uh-" she started, cut off when he shook his head and spoke.

"Get out."