ᴅᴀᴍɪᴇɴ.

After wiping off the blood from my cold hands,  I slip on one of my favourite dark suits. Black is one of my preferred colours, along with red, and tonight I chose a matching black tie.

As I fix the tie, I look at my reflection in the wide bathroom mirror.

Sharp.

I grab the comb right next to my hand, running it through my hair and combing it to the sides. I must say I might be the devil in disguise, but nobody would recognize my true nature and what I do in the daylight, if they saw me looking this sharp and composed. A chuckle escapes my lips as I lean, examining my face closely.

Satisfied, I slam the comb down on the counter and turn to the door.

_____

Cruising down the city streets as the sun begins to set, I feel a twinge of irritation.

I hate daylight. I'd much rather prefer the late, dark nights when silence and peace blanket the neighbourhood and city— so quiet and serene as I take a person's life with my hands.

I hum along to the sweet melody playing on the radio, turning up the volume. My fingers tap rhythmically on the steering wheel as I shake my head slightly to the music. Suddenly, the light turns red, and I come to a full stop.

Goddamn it.

Stupid traffic lights.

I glance around, my eyes flickering up to the light, waiting for it to turn green. One hand taps the steering wheel while the other grips the gear shift. As I bob my head to the music, I spot a small coffee shop just barely visible from the road. It's not hidden, but you could easily miss it if you weren't paying attention.

The coffee shop has no brick walls obstructing the view; instead, it's surrounded by pristine, see-through glass. Scanning the inside, I notice a young girl sitting by the large window. Her silky black wavy hair is tied in a low ponytail that rests softly on her beige cream- coloured coat. Her focus is entirely on the man sitting next to her. I grin, turning down the volume. Taking in what looks like, another interesting play thing.

"Oi, can't you see your holding up the line!"

A nerve- wracking voice breaks my concentration on the girl. Gritting my teeth, I roll down the car window, sticking my head out as the cold breeze hits the side of my face. "Oh, fuck off." I snap, flipping the middle finger before driving out of the lane and turning right.

_____

Shithead ruined my mood.

I get out of my car, shutting the door loud behind me not caring even if my car door falls and breaks off.

I walk to the entrance of the cafe, reading "Cocoa's Café" and open the glass door gently, not wanting to make a scene or get into big time fines for breaking a local shop's door.

As I step inside I am instantly hit by the aroma of fresh nicely brewed coffee, what an enticing smell. Other than the dirty smell of my victims, this is ranked number 2.

I make my way inside as I sniff the air and smile, walking to the front register as a young lady is standing behind the cash register looking up and smiling beautifully at me. "Hi, welcome to Cocoa's café! What would you like to order?" She says in a cheerful tone. "Ah yes, I'd like a large black coffee, no cream, and absolutely no sugar." She gives me a weird look as I order what I desire to have right now, what's so wrong about my taste? "Is that all?" She asks, as I nod. "Alright, please stand by." She says as she walks to the back of the cafe to prepare my coffee.

I smirk as I watch, then shift my gaze over to the young lady I last saw from my car, sitting on the chair as she pulls the chair back and stands up from her seat. "A large black coffee, no cream and no sugar!" my gaze quickly snaps forward to the cashier lady holding out my coffee and smiling at me. I quickly take my hand out and reach for it. "Ah, very well, thank you." I say, starting to walk back to the door. The lady watches me leave. "Goodbye, come again!"  I ignore her last few words and walk straight back, crossing paths with her.

She stumbles on her feet, clearly not looking where she was going. A small yelp escapes her as she bumps into my shoulder, causing me to spill some of the steaming, hot coffee. For some strange reason, I let it slide.

Even though my mood had soured from that shithead on the road, I'll let this one go. I don't want to scare away my next toy too quickly.

_____

Her eyes widen  in panic as she rummages through the saddle bag slung over her left shoulder. Amusement fills me as I watch her frantically pull out a bunch of napkins and began wiping my suit. A grin curls upon my lips. Looking down at her, I notice a name tag hanging around her neck.

Ella Hawks.

A detective specializing in homicidal and violent crimes, huh?