Granny is hiding behind a row of cars waiting for her third victim to approach. Her second victim is unconscious beside her. A large puddle of blood is pooling around his head. The night creatures shrill in the distance adding to the unnerving feeling. I'll whack her in the head before she can make a sound. Granny raises her cane up to her shoulder as she tightens her grip on the wood. I can do this. She anxiously shifts her stance.  

The drunken lady trips on a parking barrier. Sheâ?¯tries to regain her balance. Her ankle twists she plummets to the ground. She looks over to find her boyfriend lying in the dirt beside. "Get up, George." She grabs his shoulder and shakes him. "Get up you big lug. It's time to go home." George doesn't respond. "You've got to get up, George." She shakes him again; he still doesn't answer. "Come on, get up. We've got to get out of here before they call the cops." The woman sees blood oozing through his collar; she then notices a stream of red liquid spewing from the side of his neck. She opens her mouth to scream. 

"I don't think so." Granny Betty swings her cane; it smacks the back of her head. The lady topples across her boyfriend. The killer whacks her again. Now I'll finish her off. Raising her cane to the victim's neck, she squeezes the handle. The bar door opens again. I need to get out of here before I get caught. Exhausted, she hobbles towards her car. She looks back to find the patrons going back inside. I hurried for nothing. Oh well, what's done is done. I bet I'll sleep well tonight. She yawns as she pulls away. 
*** 
Joe was walking to his house when his phone rings. He grabs his cell from his pocket and glances at his caller ID. The killer couldn't have struck again, could he? "Hello?... There are two more victims at the Pied Piper Pub?" Doesn't our killer ever sleep?"....â?¯ "I'm on my way, Captain." He dials a number as he walks back to his car. "Rachel, it's Joe"... "Jerry already told you... I'll see you in a few." He starts to climb in his car when his phone rings again. Now what? "Hello?" He puts his phone on speaker and then throws it on the dash. 
"Joe, it's Kirk; Sharon wants me to tell you that your victim was killed by an object that's the same shape and size of a 44 caliber bullet and that she believes our killer used some sort of spring-loaded weapon since it would take a great deal of force to go that far into a vein. She also said that our victim was beaten with a rod that's approximately two inches in diameter." 

"Did she find any fingerprints or DNA on the victim?" 

"I'm afraid not, sir. Sharon did say his attack was premortem." 

"How many times was he hit?" Joe asks as he pulls up to Rachel's apartment. 

"He was struck six times across his back and twice in the head." 

"Hi, Joe," Rachel says as she opens the car door. 

"Hey, Rachel." 

"Kirk?" She asks, glancing towards the back. Not seeing anyone, she turns towards Joe, a perplexed look on her face. 

Joe chuckles as he points to his phone. 

Rachel laughs. "Hi, Kirk." She closes the car door
                                                                        
"Hopefully, there'll be more to go on at this crime scene," Joe says. 

"We haven't found anything yet." 

"I'll be there in five." He turns towards Rachel. "Hang on." 

"Oh shit." Rachel grabs the bar above the window. 

â?¯Laughing, Joe pulls away. 

Joe and Rachel see forensics processing the scene when he pulls up to the bar. Joe then notices his detectives interviewing the patrons. 

"The ride wasn't so bad, right?" Joe asks as he turns off the cruiser. 

"It was a little scary." She says releasing her death from the handle. 

Joe chuckles. "But it was fun, right?"
                                                                                            
 "A… A little." She nervously smiles as she hops out of the car. 

Joe meets up with Jerry halfway across the yard. "We have three victims, boss. Two are dead and one is in ICU," Jerry says as they walk towards the crime scene. 

"We have three victims?" Joe scratches his head. Something he does when he's deep in thought. 

"I'm afraid so, boss. The last one lost so much blood, they're not sure he's going to make it; they had to shock him twice in the field." 

"Did he say anything before he was hauled away?" 

"He was unresponsive." 

Joe glances around the yard. "What about them?" He points towards the customers. 

Jerry glances around the crowd. "They claim they didn't see or hear a thing." 

"Keep talking to them, maybe someone will tell us something. Find out if our victims have any enemies, and what their records are like." 

"I can tell you right now all of them have at least one DUI;â?¯I gave it to them when I was working the streets." 

"Find out what else is on their rap sheet." 

"Yes, boss." 

Joe sees Kirk busily searching the ground as he walks towards him. "What can you tell me, son?" 

"They were killed the same way as our first victim, a bullet-shaped object to the artery, but only one was beaten this time." 

"The killer might have been rushed." 

"Maybe; the bartender said the lady left first and the couple about ten minutes later." 

"Is there any evidence?" Joe asks, as he continues to look around. 

"We haven't found any yet and their cameras haven't worked in years." 

"I can't believe someone can just waltz right in, kill three people, not be seen, heard or leaves anything behind. That's just impossible." 

"We'll keep looking, sir." 

"You do that and let me know what you find." 

"Yes, sir." 

Jerry walks towards them. "Boss I found a group that says they saw the couple leave. Said they heard scuffling in the parking lot but thought it was them arguing. I guess they got into a fight and the owner threw them out." 

"They didn't see anyone besides the two victims?"                                                                             
"No."                                                                                                                                         

"Keep asking." 

"Yes, sir." 

*** 
Nancy peeks in to see Matilda is asleep in her bed. The poor dear has been through so much the past few weeks; being forced to move in here and then losing her grandson to a drunk driver. It's no wonder she is the way she is. I'd probably be like that too. Hopefully, she'll settle in now that his funeral is over. The nursing assistant starts to close Matilda's door when she sees bloody clothes in a bag on top of the trash can. She recalls her nurse saying that she and her friend saved a stray dog and that Matilda expected her to clean up the bloody mess. I thought Lisa said she took care of them. I guess she didn't want to risk getting her clothes soiled or break a nail. Sometimes I wonder how that prissy,â?¯germaphobe became a nurse. I guess the better question is why did she choose this profession? She obviously doesn't care about her patients and we do most of her work, everything but pass her pills. It's the only thing she does with a hint of enthusiasm. Maybe that's why she's here; she's taking drugs and then sells them on the street. That'd explain how she can afford that fancy car and all her expensive jewelry. I remember hearing that her medicine count is wrong, and our patients seem to be in more pain the nights she works. I bet she gives them placebos and pockets the real stuff. I think I'll talk to the DON about my suspicions in the morning. She transfers the clothes to a bio-hazard sack. She then notices Matilda's cane lying across the table with the rubber ferrule in front of it. She's going to need it to get to breakfast. She grabs the two pieces and starts to snap them together. Why is it wet, and why does it smell so funny, like a salad? Nancy sees baking soda and vinegar on the table. I bet she cleaned it before she went to bed. Why would she choose those things instead of soap and water; does it preserve the wood or something? I'll have to ask her about that in the morning. Quietly placing the cane on the table, she tiptoes out the door.â?¯