The guy in the gas station wasn't the only one to recognize you.
Some gave you nasty looks as they strolled by, picking up the pace when they came near, and some even called you names under their breath, but you shrugged most of them off. You figured small towns weren't the friendliest when it came to newcomers who looked like a fucking mess and some probably knew you as the detective who you left after the case.
It's never easy to catch the monster that killed someone's child, friend, spouse, etc. and then just flee town. It didn't leave the loved ones with any closure and you couldn't stick around to explain everything.
There was one woman who seemed overly distraught by the mere sight of you, going as far to cover her mouth with her hand and sob.
"Ma'am?" You called after her and she spun around with wide eyes.
"How dare you come back here!" She shouted and then slapped you across the face.
"I'm sorry, but I don't remember everything that happened." You confessed, rubbing your cheek, mainly because she hit your already bloodied face and it stung.
"Must be nice to forget the awful things you've done," She scoffed, tears falling from her eyes, "Or should I say what you didn't do."
"Maybe this is one case you should just let go. Let another hunter help you or take it on."
"Oh, so they can do the same thing Kenny did? Give up?" You spat into the phone.
"The vampires probably just packed it in. It's a small town, they probably knew they got too comfortable and were bound to get caught."
"And that's what I'll tell the parents?" You rolled your eyes, "I'm not leaving."
"You'll spend months there and come up with nothing. The trail is cold. It's time to move on and maybe start another hunt."
"Fuck you." You hung up, shoving your phone in your pocket, and loading your shotgun with dead man's blood bullets.
"I never caught the killer."
"You're damn right you never caught the killer," She sneered, "Some detective you are. You know I called your office after that? Tried to get your badge taken away. You terrorized this town!"
"Your daughter," You thought out loud with your eyes closed, before opening them again to see her jaw dropped, "You lost your daughter, Grace."
"How dare you say her name."
"I buried that years ago," You admitted, looking down, "It's not that I forgot, I just couldn't deal with my failures. I'm so terribly sorry, Mrs. Hannigan."
She looked at you like you weren't, well, you. Her face softened some and you wiped away a tear that spilled onto your cheek, looking away.
"It's been years," She looked over at the mailman delivering to a house across the street, "I think about her every day. My husband left me. It's been...worse than hell." She looked back to you, "It's really the not knowing."
"You didn't get the closure that comes with a funeral." You nodded in understanding.
Connecting with the victims' loved ones was never something you cared for. Typically, you only went to them when you had no other leads, like in the case of Grace Hannigan, but it was mainly because your people skills were...lacking. You tended to be insensitive or impatient with people because the whole thing made you uncomfortable.
"What happened to you?"
"Oh, just a run in with some old friends." You smirked, looking down at yourself.
"Why are you back?" She asked, crossing her arms.
"I'm not sure," You told her honestly, "And I hate to ask this, but can I use your phone? I seem to have lost mine."
"Fine." She nodded after hesitating for a moment, handing it to you.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you."
You tried really hard to remember his number and when you finally got it, you put the phone to your ear and prayed he'd pick up.
"Yeah?" His voice was cracked, and he sounded distracted.
"Dean." You breathed in relief, feeling tears rush to your eyes because you were so overwhelmed.
"Holy shit, Y/n, where are you?"
"Springdale, Utah."
"We're in Nevada, we tracked your phone here, and when we found it on the side of the road-"
"Supply run, eh?" You teased and heard him laugh.
Something caught your eye and you saw the same man from the gas station with the black suit watching you from across the street, but he didn't notice you spot him. He was casually sipping his coffee, pretending not to pay you any attention, but you felt like you were putting Mrs. Hannigan in danger and needed to go.
"Sweetheart, we'll be there by the morning."
"You find my car?" You asked, watching the man finish his coffee and ditch it in the trash bin before waiting at the crosswalk for the light to change.
"Yeah, doesn't seem touched."
"Listen, I've uh, got something stuck to my shoe, so get here as soon as you can, okay?"
"Shit, okay, stay low and don't do anything impulsive."
"Yeah, love you too." You said as the man started to cross, and you looked to Mrs. Hannigan.
"Everything all right?" She asked, reaching for her phone after you hung up, missing the last thing Dean said.
"I'm sorry, I'm gonna have to take this."
You turned away and started jogging, throwing the phone into garbage bin after taking both the sim card and battery out.
"That's my phone!" She shouted angrily in the distance, just like you hoped she would.
This way the man wouldn't harass her or worse to get it.
You dropped the card and battery into a storm drain before picking up the pace and ducking into an alleyway.
After only a moment, he came down the way and you jumped him from behind, holding your blade to his neck.
"Come here often?"
"Only when hunters come to town."
"So, am I ever gonna meet your boss?" You smirked.
"She wanted me to tell you she's waiting on Mull road," He gasped as the blade dug further and added, "The old junkyard."
"Thanks."
You stabbed him, watching the light spark through his head before he died. You didn't know he was a demon, but this woman sure has a variety of monsters working for her and they're giving their lives for her too?
