FANCY *•.' 𝐅𝐍𝐀𝐅 𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐄.

𝐄𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

"You are just like my lawyer barbie."

Abby said as Mike led them out to his car. "Yeah... um.. Thanks for that." he added.

"It was nothing." "Yeah to you. You just threw so many legal terms and threats out at our aunt you left her speechless. No one has ever left her speechless before. You must really know your stuff." "What? Like it's hard?" Fancy replied as she tossed her hair over her shoulder with a smile.

Mike unlocked the car and they all hopped in. he noticed the book. "What were you-" He paused as he read the title. "John Wayne Gacey - thinking like a killer?" He read it quietly enough so that Abby wouldn't hear. "Why are you-" "It's for research." Fancy explained. Mike looked at the book and then up at her. His brows were knit together in confusion.

"You are weird." He said as he turned his keys in the ignition. "Now I'm reconsidering leaving you with my sister for four hours." "Oh my gosh." Fancy chuckled as she shook her head. "It's strictly for research, Mike. To catch a killer you've got to think like one. That's how I'm going to solve this case." "Thinking like a-" He paused to look in his rearview mirror to check and see if Abby was watching or listening. She was looking out the window and playing with a stuffed bear. Good.

"like a killer?" "Yes. well no, not exactly. But knowing how they think- how they work. What makes them tick." "And have you?" "well I've learned this. Every serial killer has a type, John Wayne Gacey had young boys, Jeffery Dahmer targeted gay men, and Ted Bundy targeted women. Even the Zodiac went after a specific type- couples. They all have a type they look for." "And what's this have to do with your case?"

"Our killer has a type as well, he goes after the defenseless." "I thought he went after children." "Yes." Fancy said, pointing a finger at him and affirming what he said. "He did, but did he go after them because they were children or because they were easy access, defenseless targets. Would he also kill an elderly person or an incapacitated person if given the chance?" "I don't know.. Would he?" "Exactly, Mike, we don't know so we can't rule it out. Second thing, for serial killers, killing is like an itch that has to be scratched. It's like drugs for an addicts or.. Masturbation for um. Some people."

Mike's face got red. Really red.

"But once they start it, they can't stop. It's a habit they can't kick. So chances are, unless they're caught they'll kill again. Even Jeffree Dahmer said he was glad to put an end to his own horrors. Its an addiction, thus, our killer, if he is still alive, will kill again." "okay, noted, I'll be on the look out for child murders."

"final thing. Killers are narcissists and most of them think they can do just about anything without getting caught. They'll offer concerns to the community in mourning while plotting their next horrific act, and they testify and give tips to police just to get information on the case without getting too close. They think they are above the law."

He thought he was above the law when he had her tied up in a house in the middle of the woods. A house that would later burn to discard any evidence of his presence there. No stop thinking about that. It's in the past, on the back burner. This was the focus. This was the case.

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"There should be Stouffers in the fridge, heat that up around five if you don't mind for her." Fancy made a face. "What?" Mike asked. "Stouffers?" "Yeah." he said. "I'm paid barely minimum wage what do you expect?" "We will not be having Stouffers." She said, more in a whisper to Abby who giggled. "Fine do what you want just don't poison my sister." "I won't." Fancy assured him.

"I'm like the best baby sitter. Summer of 97 I made so much money watching my neighbors kids every day for the entire summer. Plus the kids loved me and called me auntie Fancy." "Is that supposed to be reassuring?" "It is reassuring." Mike chuckled, he was teasing her.

"Your little sister is in good hands, I'm like Allstate. You know? In good hands." Mike shook his head. "Lame joke." "It's okay Mike, we can't all be funny." she teased him back. "Whatever." he said as he turned to Abby and crouched down to her level. "Behave, okay?" He told her. "I always do." She said. "Unless I have a reason not to." "right." Mike said with a sigh.

"Keep her safe, okay?" he said to Fancy who smiled, not in a cocky fashion but a genuine sweet smile. Fancy knew what it was like to be that little girl on the verge of danger. With others worrying about you constantly. She would never let anyone else feel what she had felt, the fear, the raw terror, the unknowing if you'll see your parents again, your friends, any of your loved ones.

No one should have to deal with that, especially not another innocent little girl. "I will keep her safe, Mike. I promise." He didn't know the weight of what she was saying, he didn't know the history behind her words- her lore. But he didn't have to. The look in her eyes, the said it all. It had all the sincerity she meant to convey without saying a word.

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"Watcha drawing?"

Fancy asked as she sat down next to Abby as she colored a picture in front of the tv playing Tom and Jerry. Fancy remembered this episode from when she was young, Tom or Jerry- she couldn't remember which one- had flooded the kitchen by leaving the sink running, and now they had opened the fridge and the entire kitchen floor was covered with ice. The two cartoon characters skidded across the slick icy surface as they chased one another, the basis of the show. The chase. The adrenaline. Tom slammed into a wall and screamed. Abby giggled.

"I'm drawing my friends." She said as she finished coloring in her hair, a deep brown color. "What are their names?" "I dunno." "You don't know their names?" Abby shook her head. It was an odd response, sure, Fancy knew the names of all her friends back at home. But she gave Abby the benefit of the doubt, there were people that Fancy had met in her classes, her lectures. People she got along with and only talked to about things relevant to class and she couldn't recite their names to save her life.

"Who's that one?" Fancy asked as she pointed at the one Abby was adding her finishing touches to. "That's me, silly." Abby replied. "Oh of course, I see it now." Fancy replied with a nod. "And this one?" "That's Mike." "This one?" "That's you!" "Aw, Abby you didn't have to draw me." "I wanted to." She said.

"How many of these friends do you have?" "Five." five? A coincidence, surely. Pure coincidence. Fancy refused to let it affect her or her investigation. Coincidence. The sound of metal churning against metal caused the two girls to turn their heads in the direction of the front door. A lock unlocking. "Mike!" Abby said as she jumped up and her brother stepped in through the doorframe.