For the past month Casey had been working with Detective Connors to track down and apprehend whoever it was behind the disappearance of the five missing persons who had seemingly vanished with no explanation.

The facts of the case were this:

•None of the victims showed any signs of wanting to leave or gave any indication that they were going to leave prior to their disappearance.

•None of the victims were reported as acting strangely by any of their loved ones.

•All of the victims were reported as having met the acquaintance of an intelligent, middle-aged man with dark hair and dark eyes.

•When Casey and the detective found the first four victims, physically, they were unharmed.

•The only instructions each of them reported being given from their kidnapper was to figure out how to escape.

Upon finding the fifth missing person, Casey and Detective Connors were also brought face to face with the man behind all the abductions.

They tracked him down to an apartment building Casey knew all to well. It was where Casey used to live, where she first met Troy Miar. The dark haired, tall, intelligent man who moved in just a few doors down from her.

She had loved him and she thought he loved her—which he did, in his own way. But he wasn’t happy with the way things were, he couldn’t be.

They challenged each other in a way no one else did, in a way he thought no one else ever could. She tried to see the good side of things, he only saw the bad and he tried to make her see it too.

Before her no one was ever good enough for him, no one could measure up. They often say common sense isn’t all that common and he was determined to prove that the two of them were the only two people with it.

He said he wasn’t doing it to be malicious, he was only trying to make a point. He gave them a scenario and if they could think their way out of it, if they could figure it out then they were free to go. If they couldn’t, then they didn’t deserve to in the first place.

By the time Casey had figured out he was the one behind all of it, it was too late. She had grown attached. She loved him, she trusted him and he turned out to be the monster she was hunting.

She sold her apartment and he went to prison. He had been there for a year and one month. She had beaten him. She won, and one year and one month later she was back. Back at the apartment building where she first met him. Back on a case of abductions, chasing a man that always seems to be 10 steps ahead.

She and the detective walked into the apartment that used to be his to find a man sitting at the kitchen table with his back to them, drinking a cup of tea.

Detective Connors removed her gun from her holster and called out. “Put your hands on top of your and, stand up slowly and turn around.”

There was a soft clink as the man set the tea cup down and did as the detective requested.

When he turned around the detective lowered her gun, confused. “Who the hell are you?”

She thought they had been chasing Troy Miar, they both did. But looking at the man in front of them, the Detect had no idea who he was and neither did Casey.

Yet somehow, it all made sense. Casey sighed, defeated. “A pawn. He’s just the fall guy so whoever orchestrated all of this wouldn’t be caught, or rather because the person who orchestrated this already is.”

The man smiled. “You’re just like he said you’d be.”

“Who’s he?” Detective Connors asked, not connecting the dots Casey already had.

The man ignored her and spoke directly to Casey. “He’s sorry that he couldn’t be here to greet you himself, but he wanted me to give you this.”

He held out a puzzle box to her. Before she knew the kind of person Troy really was, he would often come to her with different puzzles and riddles—he loved to see which one of them could solve it first. She used to love it until she realized it was all just a test.

Her blood ran cold. She didn’t reach out to take it, she didn’t want to.

“What is that? Casey what’s the matter?” Connors asked.

“Nothing, I have something I need to do. I trust you can take it from here.”

She turned on her heal and walked out of the apartment. Detective Connors called after her but she did not stop to turn around.

Now she walks into the prison and he is exactly where she left him. Behind the glass he reaches over and pulls the phone off the hook. She takes a seat opposite him and does the same.

“How was the puzzle?” His smile is wide, much too pleased with himself.

“Wipe that grin off your face.”

“How long until you finally figured it out?” His smug grin melts off his face. He almost seems displeased.

“Too long.”

“I could’ve told you that. I had thought you would’ve been in here sooner, I didn’t think it would take five. I expected more from you.”

“Yeah, me too.” She says it softly and makes sure to move the receiver away from her mouth, she hopes he doesn’t hear. “Why did you do it?”

“Well after you missed the anniversary of my incarceration I had to do something to get your attention. I thought it would’ve been important to you, seeing as how you’re the one who put me in here.” He smiles.

It’s not over, not even close. She can feel it. He’s no where near being done with her.