The Calm Before the Storm (Jay Halstead)

Chapter 22

Cassie's P.O.V.

The cold chills trickled up my spine causing my entire body to shake. I clenched my teeth as I looked up at him.

"Your crazy"

"I like to consider myself an artist" He said with a freakish smile "You should see the portraits in my room, they're beautiful"

"It's you"

"The one who sent you text messages? Why yes. But you've known me before then"

I furrowed my eyebrows "I don't understand"

He began to walk backwards "Oh you will my doll... you will"

The sound of his voice sent more chills up my spine. I didn't want to be here, I wanted to go home, I wanted to be in Jay's arms. But I had to face reality. I wasn't going to get out of here anytime soon.

"Help me" I raised my voice up thinking and hoping someone would hear me outside.

"You can scream all you want doll. Nobody is going to hear you" He taunted.

He laughed in a creepy way as he creaked open the door to walk out.

"Help me!" I yelled loud "Somebody help me! Please! Somebody help me!" I yelled at the top of my lungs "Help me!"

When I heard nothing but silence afterwards I picked up my legs to press them against my chest. I wrapped my arms around my legs and slowly began to sob.

~

Jay leaned on his desk as he stared at the white board. Slowly they were beginning to fill it up. They had a lead. But it had been 12 hours since she went missing. It also had been 12 hours since Jay hadn't slept. He could feel his energy level draining by the hour but the coffee was doing its job. He spotted Hailey in the coffee room preparing her own coffee. He stood up and walked inside to make his own coffee.

"Hey" He said grabbing an empty cup.

"Hey" She said in a soft low tone.

He reached and grabbed the pot of coffee "I want to apologize for the way I acting yesterday" He poured the coffee and put down the pot.

She began stirring her own coffee after adding in sugar "Look Jay. I understand what Cassie means to you. And the rest of us want to find her just as much as you do. But the way you spoke to me and the landlord at the apartment"

Jay poured only a little bit a sugar before he stopped to turn to her "I know, I know and I'm sorry for that. It's just, it hurts me to know she's out there and there's nothing I can do about it"

She let out a sigh "Jay, we're partners. We're supposed to be able to talk about things. Whatever you need to talk about I'm here, don't keep things bottled up" She touched his shoulder before walking out of the room.

~

"You did it...? You killed all of those people?" I whispered the last few words. I looked up at him.

That smile didn't leave his face "Surprise" He sang.

I scoffed "All of those innocent people, you killed them, murdered them in cold blood" I kept the outline of my mouth straight and my eyes flickered with anger.