Scully stared absentmindedly though the window of Mr. Larsons's third story apartment.
"You haven't noticed anything strange about your neighbors? No loud noises? Yelling maybe?"
The short, disgruntled man squinted at Mulder from his recliner. "It all seems like a coincidence to me. It's a shame, goddamn law enforcement has turned this place into a circus."
"Six people going missing on one block is not a coincidence," Scully said, turning to the man. "The tenant on your left -- Mrs. Gallard -- she said that she noticed a strange smell coming from Kyle Dempsey's apartment the night before he disappeared. Did you notice anything similar?"
He sighed, realizing that the agents were not going to leave until he told them what they wanted to hear.
"What day would that have been?"
"August 28th."
The man's brow furrowed in concentration. "Ah that was the night that I stayed up to watch "Wheel of Fortune", but then I think the power went out and I missed my episode."
"Do you know if Kyle was still in his apartment at that time," Scully asked. She tried to hide her impatience, but the man's reluctance to talk was starting to irritate her.
"No, he left at around 11:30."
"Do you know where he was going? Was he meeting anyone perhaps?"
"Well, you know," the man chuckled. "I try not to get mixed up in anyone's business."
Mulder and Scully exchanged a look before showing themselves to the door.
"That'll be all. Thank you for your help, Mr. Larson."
◇◇◇◇◇time skip
The two agents arrived at the "Black Sky Tavern", a place frequented by one of the most recent victims. The main room was dimly lit and filled with cigarette smoke. The majority of the patrons were men; Scully felt slightly uneasy and one of them looked her up and down. She could, however, use this to her advantage, because the only people who didn't eye her and Mulder would be the people that feared law enforcement, the people who had something to hide. As she examined the crowd, Mulder saw an opportunity to question the resident bar tender.
"Do you, by any chance, know Eileen Gonzalez?"
"Maybe. Why?"
The man was an absolute brute and he loomed over Mulder with great suspicion.
"My partner and I are here to investigate her disappearance," he gestured to Scully. "We were told Eileen came here often. Do you know if she was in any sort of trouble? Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt her?"
Scully sat down at the nearest table and unfolded the menu. She wasn't hungry, she just wanted to look busy. A few minutes later, Mulder appeared and plopped himself on the stool across from her.
"Any luck with the bartender?"
"No, not really. He just told me that Eileen was an upstanding citizen, even if she did frequent this dismal place, there's no reason for anyone to come after her. See, that's the thing that bugs me, Scully. All the victims are connected by living in the same building, yet none of them seem to have been murdered at that location, and there's no real motive. I mean, it could just be that someone is taking advantage of the low security in the appartments. Maybe we're chasing a sloppy serial killer."
"Well I --" before Scully could reply she felt a man's hand on her shoulder.
"I heard you guys talking about Eileen," a voice sounded behind her. "You here about her disappearance?"
