Chapter 4

Death walked towards him, her hands stretched out, beckoning on him. He took her hand and brought her closer, kissing her cold lips, she led him to a room, the floor was filled with bodies he couldn't identify, there was a throne made of bones, she pulled him towards the throne and let him sit, she smiled as she handed him 'death's rod', he took the rod, a smile crept on his lips as he felt a sudden gush of comfort and power, the feeling was ecstatic. He reached for her mask, eager to see the face of death, unlike other times, she didn't stop him, he pulled the mask and stared in horror at the face before him. It was Dr. Farleigh.

He woke up with a start, his bed sheets drowned in his sweat. He didn't understand how Dr. Farleigh could be death. He was sure his subconscious was making a fool out of him. Was it because he had been around her often?, or that he had told her a part of his story, he shook his head and got out of bed, he couldn't let this little glitch stop him.

"he canceled all his appointments?" Dr. Farleigh asked her receptionists

"yes ma'am"

"and did he give any reasons?

"his reason was that he didn't want to follow your methods"

Dr. Farleigh nodded and went back to her office. She sat down and grabbed Sterling's file. He thought about what he said. She compared his behavior throughout their sessions. She laughed as she picked up her phone and made a call.

"you were right…..she said as she looked up at his papers….he's our guy"

Sterling took in the afternoon air as he felt the familiar presence of death. He looked down at the corpse in front of him, a shaded smile on his lips, he watched as forensic picked up the body, they were sweeping the place for evidence and Parker was interrogating the person that found the body. It was already obvious that it was their guy. He wasn't careful this time. It was like he was rushed. Nora had followed forensic to get a rushed autopsy. Parker walked towards him with an expression he had already gotten used to, no one knew anything and nothing was caught on camera. It was like the killer researched his victims, but there was no way to find out his next victim, he never left any traces, even when he was sloppy. A painting caught Sterling's eyes, blood was all over the painting as if sending a message. He moved closer to the painting and tilted his head, he reached for the painting, his hands shaking as he examined it. His head began to ache and the ringing in his ears was back. He covered his ears as he staggered backward, he kept seeing flashes in his mind and it was like his dreams had come alive, he felt someone's hand on him, trying to steady him.

"are you okay?" Parker asked

He shook his head as he sat on the floor, his hands still over his ears. He shut his eyes as he kept seeing the flashes, he steadied his breathe and stood up when he had mastered breathing again. He knew who the killer was.

Nora came back with the autopsy result and Parker had already started the investigation. Sterling stared at the result Nora handed to him, but he kept thinking back to the killer, he was in a dilemma, he didn't know how to expose the killer, and exposing him would take his job. He decided to forget what he knew.

Dr. Farleigh hugged her bag tightly as she felt a scared chill run down her spine, a man had been watching her as she closed her office, and now he was following her, keeping a safe space from her, his cap covered his eyes and he faced the ground so it was hard to identify him, she quickened her space as she reached the parking lot, she ran to her car and got in, quickly leaving the place.

He raised his head and smiled at the car as it disappeared in the night. "running only makes it better darling" he whispered as he walked out of the lot.

He watched as she left for work. He waited for her car to be out of sight before he went to her door, he typed in the pass code and walked inside, he looked around, taking in her apartment, he imagined the kind of person she might be through the furnishing. He looked at the awards and certificates, he picked up a picture, it was Dr. Farleigh when she was graduating, he walked into her bedroom and jumped on the bed taking in the scent of her pillows, he stood up and laid the bed, he went to the drawers and opened the top left, he pulled out a purple pant, he took the pant to his nose and inhaled her scent. His phone began to ring and he picked it up, "I'm on my way, give me a minute", he said as he looked at the pictures on the wall, he closed the drawer, he went into her bathroom and looked into the hamper, he picked out a handful of her underwear and put them in his pockets with the first one and walked out.

"name?"

"Dr. Stephanie Farleigh"

"purpose of your visit?"

"I'm here to report a stalker"

"how long has this been going on?"

"well it started yesterday, he followed me from my office to the parking lot"

"that's it?" Farleigh nodded and Nora looked at her with annoyance "look Doctor, from the looks of it, you're a smart woman but you can't assume that you have a stalker because you were being followed once"

"what do you expect detective?, I'm just being safe"

"well can you be safe with someone else? My team and I are very busy, look at those lazy ass right there….she pointed at team two…..they have nothing to do"

Farleigh gave her a dissatisfied look and was about to leave when the door flung open, it was Sterling, he walked up to her, looking her up and sown he said "there's nothing you can say to change my mind Doctor, I'm not interested in your methods"

Farleigh laughed "relax smart mouth, I'm not here for you"

"then why are you here?" he asked, his expression full of embarrassment

"how do you two know each other?" Nora asked

"she's my...or was my therapist, now back to the question Doctor"

"I think I may have a stalker"

"and?"

"I came to report it obviously"

"we're busy….talk to the other team" he said, pointing towards team two

she rolled her eyes at them as she walked out of the precinct, she couldn't believe they were supposed to be detectives.

"where have you been?" Nora asked, her hands on her hips

"here and there….he said picking up her coffee and taking a sip…..what did I miss?"

"we found a clue"

"mmhm….wait...what?…...he looked at her, there was a flash of horror on his face….we have a clue?"

"well we had a clue, it was a dead end"

"where's Parker?"

he's sick, took a day off which you would have known if you weren't so 'busy'"

he rolled his eyes as he took another sip of her coffee

Sterling fell to the bed and let out a heavy sigh, his thoughts trailed back to Dr. Farleigh, she had been appearing in his dreams. He picked up up his laptop and searched for her. He had been following her Instagram, but it seemed like she wasn't active on it, his only hope now was the web. It wasn't much help, it only had her professional qualifications, the school she graduated from and nothing to really tell him who she was on a more personal level. He dropped the laptop on the bed and laid down, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips. He took out his phone from his pocket and called her office.

"Dr. Stephanie Farleigh here. Who am I speaking with?"

"well doctor, it hurts that you don't have my number"

"Smart mouth…"

"there we go doctor" he smiled

"are you calling to fix an appointment?"

"not a chance doctor"

"then what do yo want Sterling?… her voice sounded serious and he hesitated a bit… Sterling?"

"I'm still here doctor"

"I know that, now what do you want?"

"advice…"

"on what?, your brain function?"

"ha ha very funny. It's about this girl"

"well I don't give relationship advice Sterling. I'm a doctor not a love coach. We're not even friends"

"you know what?…. You're right, we haven't been well acquainted, how about dinner?"

"what's this about Sterling?"

"I just want to have dinner. It's on me"

"I don't have dinner with clients"

"well, I am not your client anymore"

"Sterling?"

"just one meal doctor, what do you have to lose?"

"fine, one meal. Be here by eight"