(Y/n) pushed her finger into her ear and wiggled it around. She had to have been hearing things, right? Either that, or she must have misheard what Ed had just told her. Her eyes lingering on the now empty corridor, as she did her best to work out whether all this was real, or some strange dream scape or alternate reality that she had slipped into. Ed.......Ed had just said that that tiresome Kringle creature was dead, and that he had killed her. And now the man that had just said that, was in her apartment...........(Y/n) quickly turning to look back into her home; the notion of two possibilities presenting themselves. First, Ed had actually killed Kringle, and she now had a real murderer in her home; or second, this was all a joke.........the worst joke possible......but still a joke. Though (Y/n) had to think that that just wasn't Ed. He would never joke about killing his precious Kristen.......so that could only mean........(Y/n)'s grip on the gun in her hand, getting a little tighter, as she took a breath and made her way back into the apartment; not bothering to close the door behind her. For if Ed was willing to kill the girl he loved, what would he be willing to do to one that he had described as a jealous, ugly creature that he cared nothing for. The thought of a quick getaway paramount in her mind, as she slowly made her way to the sitting room. The breath catching in her throat as her eyes fell on Ed as he sat, nonchalantly on her sofa, smiling at her.

"Ed..........."

"(Y/n)..........." His smile getting even broader, as she inched a little closer to him.

"When you said that you killed Kringle.......did you actually mean........"

"I meant I killed her. Admittedly, it was by accident, unlike that awful Dougherty who I took great delight in killing; but she is still dead........"

"Wait......what.........? You.......you killed that shit, Tom Dougherty too........?" Her new question just getting another smile and a nod. (Y/n) quickly raising her gun again, and pointing it at Ed.

"So.......so now you are here to kill me, is that it.......? Well, I can promise you........."

"Not at all........." Ed interrupted. Pushing his glasses once more back up his nose.

"As I said, I need your help. I realised that I needed someone to talk to about all this; someone that would possibly be willing to aid me in disposing of Kristen's remains, and the only person I could think of; the only friend I had, was you. I have no intention of hurting you, (Y/n), far from it. I need you. So please, sit down........." The forensic technician patting the place next to him on the sofa.

She just stood there. All of this was far too much to take in for a Tuesday evening. Until a few moments ago, this had been just a normal night; one more of the countless nights that she would spend alone, reading until her vision became blurry and then she would take herself to the bathroom and bathe, before climbing into bed. It was a routine that she had got used to; and even though it might sound a little dull to others, it was comfortable to her. So, the last thing that she had expected was Ed knocking on her door, at all; never mind knocking on her door and then telling her, quite matter of factly, that he had not just killed Kringle, but that atrocious shit, Dougherty, too. Her mind spinning, as she dropped herself into the nearest chair.

"How...........how did you..........how did you kill them..........?" (Y/n) finally managed to ask, as she looked over at Ed, who seemed to be a little hurt by the fact that she hadn't chosen to sit next to him.

"Well...... Dougherty I stabbed....several times in fact. Not that anyone knows he is dead; they just think that he's moved away. And as for Kristen......as I said, that was a mistake. I told her about killing Dougherty; about how I did it for her, for both of us. That I did it so she didn't have to fear him any longer, and we could be happy together; but instead of understanding, instead appreciating what I had done, she called me a freak and said that I would be going to prison. She just wouldn't listen.......all I wanted her to do was listen; but she tried to get away. Hit me around the head with a water glass; so I held her.....held her so that she would let me explain. But I held her too tightly and well......I choked her to death. Now all that is left of dear Kristen, is in a large case in the boot of my car." Ed explained, as he pulled a small piece of material from her pocket and took off his glasses, so that he could clean them. (Y/n) just sitting there in silence.

"You seem shocked. I would have thought given you job, you would have seen and heard everything by now.........."

Her job........ok so it was true that she had worked on The Gotham Gazette, reporting on the many crimes that went on in the city, before moving on to write her own books about true crime. And ok, she had seen many a crime scene photo, and even interviewed killers; some more than happy to tell her exactly what they had done to their victims. (Y/n) coming to believe that she was pretty much unshockable after all that. But this was different....this was Ed; a man that she had once been friends with, that she had cared for a great deal, telling her all these things. A man that worked with the police, helping them try and solve some of the many unsavoury crimes that occurred in the city. And not only was he informing her about what he had done, he wanted her help. He wanted.......needed her to be his confessor; to aid him after the fact.

"(Y/n)..........?" The sound of her name bringing her back to the moment.

"So..........." She replied, taking a deep breath before getting to her feet.

"Just to make sure that I have not misunderstood any of this........" (Y/n) continued as she began to pace the loungeroom.

"You killed Tom Dougherty, for Kristen. Disposing of the body in one way or another. Then you killed Kristen because......well it sounds to me like you killed her because you loved her and you just wanted to make her see that killing her ex-boyfriend was all for her.......for the both of you. Then, because you were desperate and had no one else to turn to, you came here in hopes that I would understand; that I will help you and become implicated with your crimes, and possibly get arrested and imprisoned, even after all those things you said about me, accused me of being. And given that......" (Y/n) stopping walking and turning back to look at him, before raising the gun once again.

"I fail to see why I should help you in any way. Why I should not shoot you here and now, then call the likes of Bullock and Gordon and tell them what you confessed. Tell them that they will find what is left of Kringle, in the boot of your car. Because believe me when I say I wouldn't lose a moments sleep if I did put a bullet right between your eyes. So, Ed........give me one good reason I shouldn't..........."