Detective Danny Hayes
Detective Danny Hayes
I’ve never seen a body mutilated like this before.
Detective Danny Hayes
Detective Danny Hayes
Any idea who our victim is, Detective?
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
Not a clue…
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
The killer made sure we wouldn’t be able to recognize her.
Detective Danny Hayes
Detective Danny Hayes
Did you check the body for ID?
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
I was waiting for the forensics team.
Detective Danny Hayes
Detective Danny Hayes
We don’t have time to wait.
Danny leans down over the desecrated body…
Digging in pockets for any sign of identification.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
But we don’t want to tamper with the—
Danny
Danny
Ah, here we go! Found her license.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
You shouldn’t have done that…
Danny
Danny
Finding who did this before they kill again is more important than petty rules right now.
Danny knows how the local authorities operate…
Slowly and by the book.
Which is precisely why Detective Jones hasn’t solved the case yet.
And why the FBI had to send her.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
Who is she?
Danny
Danny
Callie Moore…
Danny
Danny
Know her?
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
Yeah, I do.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
She must’ve been on a run—
Danny
Danny
Wait a second…
Danny
Danny
Is this some kind of joke?
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
What are you talking about?
Danny
Danny
Look at the license photo…
Danny holds up the ID to show Jones where a photograph has been glued onto the original photo.
Danny
Danny
Does that look like “Callie Moore” to you?
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
No…that actually looks like—
Danny
Danny
Preston Hughes.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
You know him?
Danny
Danny
Unfortunately yes…
Danny
Danny
We have…history.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
Oh, I forgot, you grew up here, right?
Danny
Danny
Yup…
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
You probably know this town better than I do.
Danny
Danny
I used to…
Danny
Danny
But I have no idea why Preston’s photo is glued onto Callie’s license.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
I think we have our next victim.
Danny
Danny
What do you mean?
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
The killer, whoever they are, likes to play this game…
Danny
Danny
Right. I was briefed on this.
Danny
Danny
They leave behind clues?
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
Clues that point to their next victim, yes.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
But this is different…
Danny
Danny
How so?
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
The killer has never been this forward before.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
Callie for example…
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
She was an avid runner.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
Ran a couple marathons last year.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
Even qualified for the Olympic trials.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
And the last victim, the one before her…
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
Had a pair of pink running shoes tied to their feet.
Danny
Danny
The running shoes were the clue.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
Right. But we weren’t given her name.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
Same with all the others.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
The killer has never just handed over their next vic like this.
Danny
Danny
Then maybe it isn’t Preston.
Danny
Danny
Maybe it’s someone associated with him.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
So, Preston is just part of the clue?
Danny
Danny
Could be…
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
Poor guy can’t get a break.
Danny
Danny
Why do you say that?
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
His parents were the first victims.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
And now this.
Shock hits Danny like a truck.
She turns away from the Detective…
Trying to maintain her resolve.
It’s one thing to investigate the murder of a stranger.
But when you know the victim—
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
You okay?
Danny takes a deep breath…
And collects herself.
Danny
Danny
Of course, Detective.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
Well, whoever it is — Preston or not — we have 12 hours before they’re dead.
Danny
Danny
That’s right. Every 12 hours there’s a new vic.
Danny
Danny
Why 12 hours though?
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
Not sure. But it never fails.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
A new body shows up at noon.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
Then again, at midnight.
Danny
Danny
And how many have died so far?
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
Including Callie — 11 humans.
Danny
Danny
Humans?
Danny
Danny
Why make that distinction?
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
We’ve found dismembered livestock at several crime scenes.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
And various body parts scattered along roads…
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
Some were even strung up in trees like Christmas ornaments.
Danny
Danny
Jesus.
Danny
Danny
And you don’t have any leads?
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
None…I’m sorry.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
This killer hides their tracks well.
Danny
Danny
We need to tell Preston.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
Tell him what?
Danny
Danny
That he’s been identified by the killer.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
And then what?
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
He hides in his house, waiting for the killer to come get him?
Danny
Danny
No. We move him somewhere safe.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
Where though? The killer is thorough…
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
They know their victims’ routines.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
And they always find a place to commit the murder where there aren’t any witnesses.
Danny
Danny
He can stay with me.
Danny
Danny
We’ll move him to the house I’m staying in, just outside town.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
Are you sure about this?
Danny
Danny
It’s the safest place for him.
Danny
Danny
No one knows I’m there.
Danny
Danny
Besides you.
Danny
Danny
And we’ll keep it that way until we find this killer.
Danny
Danny
Plus, it has an alarm system.
Danny
Danny
I’ll set it up so you get an alert if it’s triggered.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
I don’t know…I have to tell my higher ups—
Danny
Danny
You can’t do that, Detective.
Danny
Danny
It’s the only way to ensure his safety.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
I don’t like this…
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
It goes against protocol.
Danny
Danny
I was sent here to solve this case and protect the town’s citizens.
Danny
Danny
And if that requires breaking protocol, that’s what I plan to do.
Jones crosses his arms defiantly.
And Danny can tell she’s got him.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
Fine.
Danny
Danny
I’ll call Preston.
Danny pulls out her phone.
But before she dials Preston’s number…
She laughs.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
Why are you laughing?
Danny
Danny
Because this whole situation is just a little too absurd for me.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
What are you talking about?
Danny
Danny
The irony of it all.
Danny
Danny
For my first assignment, I’ve been sent here…
Danny
Danny
Back to my crappy home town.
Danny
Danny
And now I’m forced to protect my ex fiancé.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
Wait. Y’all were engaged at one point?
Danny
Danny
A long time ago…
Danny
Danny
He’s the reason I ran away from this place.
Before Jones can ask another question…
Danny dials Preston’s number…
Which she can’t believe she still remembers…
And walks a few feet away for some privacy.
The phone rings a few times.
Preston
Preston
I’ll be damned…
Preston
Preston
Danny? Is it really you?
Danny
Danny
Hello, Preston.
Preston
Preston
I nearly fell off my chair when I saw your number.
Danny
Danny
Look. I don’t have time to play catch up with you right now.
Preston
Preston
No? And why is that?
Danny
Danny
Because you’re in danger.
Preston
Preston
Danger?
Danny
Danny
I’m in town…back home…
Danny
Danny
Investigating the murders.
Preston
Preston
Right. I heard the FBI was sending some big shot to save our poor little town.
Danny swallows the lump of anger rising in her chest.
Preston
Preston
So what’s that got to do with me?
Danny
Danny
We have reason to believe that you might be the next victim.
Silence falls over the line.
Danny gives Preston a moment.
Danny
Danny
Do you still live in the farmhouse?
Preston
Preston
I do.
Danny
Danny
And you’re there right now?
Preston
Preston
I might be.
Danny
Danny
Preston this isn’t a game.
Preston
Preston
Still the same feisty Danny I see…
Preston laughs.
And Danny can practically feel the steam coming out of her ears.
Preston
Preston
Yeah I still live at the farmhouse, but I’m out right now.
Danny
Danny
How quickly can you get home? I’m coming over.
Preston
Preston
At least give me some time to tidy up the place—
Danny
Danny
We don’t have much time.
Preston
Preston
I know…12 hours until another body shows up.
Danny
Danny
Exactly. We need to move you to a safe house.
Preston
Preston
And where would that be?
Danny
Danny
An undisclosed location outside of town…
Danny
Danny
With me.
Danny
Danny
You’ll stay there until I catch this murderer.
Another silence.
Danny wishes she could see his reaction.
He might be excited about the idea of shacking up again.
Or he could be loathing the thought…like she is.
Preston
Preston
Fine. But if I’m staying with you tonight, at least take me to dinner first—
Danny hangs up.
Before she can hear another word.
Danny knocks on Preston’s farmhouse door.
There’s no response.
Danny
Danny
Preston! Hello!
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
He wouldn’t go out on his own, would he?
Danny
Danny
Wouldn’t put it past him…
Danny
Danny
Preston?! It’s Danny and Detective Jones.
Danny tries to turn the door handle…
But it’s locked.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
I’ll walk around the house.
Detective Jones
Detective Jones
See if I can’t peek inside the windows or find another way in.
Detective Jones disappears around the side of the house.
Danny is about to knock again.
But before she can…
She hears a loud thump from inside.
Then a shout.
Danny
Danny
Detective? Is that you?!
Then suddenly…
From right behind the door…
There’s a crash.
Danny draws her gun.
Danny
Danny
Open up!
Somewhere inside…
She hears glass break.
Danny rams her shoulder into the door…
But it doesn’t budge.
She takes a step back…
And kicks the door.
It crashes open.
Splinters fall around her.
Dust blows in her face.
With her gun held out in front of her…
Danny advances in.
She sees broken vases and glass cups shattered all over the floor.
Pictures hang awry on the far wall.
The couch is pushed over.
And near the backdoor…
Danny hears a groan.
She runs over and sees…
Preston.
He’s lying on the ground, barely conscious.
She kneels beside him.
He has cuts and bruises all over his face.
Blood gushes from his nose.
Preston
Preston
Someone tried — he tried to take me.
His eyes flutter close.
And his body goes limp.
Detective Danny Hayes
Detective Danny Hayes