Jenner tossed and turned while he slept, trying to push away the frightening images that filled his dreams. Frightening faces were watching him from dark shadows, looking at his skin and longing to feel it but something kept what ever is was from reaching out. As an incessant beeping gradually filled his subconscious, Jenner felt his mind pulling itself out of it's deep sleep.

"Shit!" He yelled out as his eyes snapped open. It was eight thirty already and he had to be at work by nine.

He flew out of bed and threw on the most "business casual" looking clothes he owned, pulled on a denim denim jacket and ploughed down the stairs, only to be greeted at the door by Matilda.

"Oh, hi...what's going on?"

Matilda stepped aside to reveal the U-haul parked on the street behind her. She stared at her feet as she said, "I'm moving in today, remember?"

"Oh God! I forgot!" Jenner glanced at his phone and noticed his time was ticking away, "I'm totally sorry, I know I said I'd help but I'm late for work!"

"It's okay." Matilda continued to look away. "Maybe Duchess can help?"

Jenner snorted and glanced back up the stairs toward the apartment. "Yeah, good luck with that. Look, I gotta go, maybe tonight I can cook us dinner and we'll get to know each other a little better? There's an extra key hanging next to the fridge, have fun moving!"

Before Matilda could respond Jenner was gone, running down the street to catch his bus. He got to the stop just as the driver started to pull away from the curb and with a frantic pounding on the windows convinced the man to stop and open the doors again.

"Thanks man," Jenner said with a smile as he counted out his fare from a handful of change.

"What ever." The bored sounding driver didn't even look at him.

Jenner watched the time as the bus wound through narrow streets, making its way to the larger main roads. As if on cue, every street light turned red as the bus approached and traffic quickly filled in the asphalt. Jenner sighed and tapped his foot impatiently until he decided he was close enough to work that he could run and beat the bus there.

He leapt out three stops early and pushed through the people on the sidewalk. As he approached the office building he started patting his pockets and swore out loud when he realized he'd forgotten his key card. Tapping on the window, he made eye contact with the receptionist through the glass who rolled her eyes as she got up to let him in.

"Carlos, this is the fifth time in two weeks you forgot your card!"

"I know Betty, I'm sorry." Jenner feigned a frown as he waited for her to sign out the temporary key card for him.

"Save your sorries for Mr. Kohl, he wants to see you right away."

Jenner gulped and suddenly his v-neck collar seemed to be too tight. "Thanks Betty."

"My pleasure Carlos." Betty handed the white plastic key to him and as he headed for his supervisor's office he shouted over his shoulder to call him Jenner but Betty just chuckled softly to herself.

"Mr. Kohl?" Jenner creaked open the door to Kohl's office and the large man stared up from his chair with disdain.

"Mr. Costas, do you know what time it is?"

"Heh, um...nine thirty?"

"And what time does your shift start?"

"Um...nine?"

"Okay, so now I know you're not late out of ignorance."

Jenner opened the door wider and slipped into the room, "I'm so sorry Mr. Kohl, I had the new subletter moving in today and I had to help her, then the bus was stuck in traffic."

"We all have to contend with traffic, Mr. Costas, the difference is you're the only member of my staff who is consistently late."

"Please, Mr. Kohl, just give me one more chance!"

"Carlos I have given you three 'one more chances' and you've yet to prove yourself as a trust worthy employee."

"I know, I know! I'll be better though, I swear!" Jenner flopped into the empty seat across from Kohl's desk and clasped his hands in front of him.

Kohl sucked his teeth impatiently, tapping his pen on his desk and wiggling his thick moustache, "Very well, but only because we've got calls to make! We're back logged here and I can't afford to be understaffed."

"Oh thank you so much Mr. Kohl!" Jenner smiled and hopped to his feet, "I really need this job."

"Then prove it to me, Mr. Costas. Be on time, and cut your damn hair!"

"Okay, absolutely," Jenner half lied; Although he would try to be more punctual he had no intention of cutting his hair, "Thank you sir."

"And be aware that I am most certainly NOT doing this out of compassion. I continue to allow you to work here solely for logistical reasons."

"Yes, of course."

"Your track record, however, has been a logistics nightmare thus far. If you don't step it up I will be FORCED to fire you."

"Yes, I know."

"Now stop blathering and get to work would you? I've got better things to do with my time, as do you." Mr. Kohl stared back down at the papers on his desk, shaking his head as Jenner saw himself out, "Oh and Mr. Costas, next time I wish to see you I expect you'll knock before allowing yourself into my office."

Jenner considered a sarcastic retort, but thought better about it and slipped away to his work station. Amid a long line of telemarketers, each with his or her own phone and computer, Jenner managed to find an empty seat in the middle of the room and sat down with a sigh. As soon as he sat down and plugged in his head set he heard the ringing sound in his ear which indicated the beginning of a call and sighed.

Eight hours later, after repeatedly being harassed by strangers for calling them to try to upgrade their cable package, or convince them to bundle their Internet connection with their landline service, Jenner was finally done with another day of work. As he slipped past Betty's desk he dropped off the temporary key card she'd signed out for him and she shook her head.

"Remember yours tomorrow Carlos!"

"I will Betty, I swear!"

As Jenner rushed for the bus stop, he watched as it released its air brakes and pulled away. This time, however, he wasn't lucky enough to stop it from leaving without him. He swore and checked the time, thinking about the promise of dinner he'd made to Matilda he decided it would be best to just walk home rather than sit around waiting for the next bus to arrive. He traveled with long strides through back alleys and parking lots, compelled to take a route he'd never been down before. Perhaps he thought it would be a new short cut, or maybe he wanted a change of scenery; what ever it was he could feel something inside of him pulling him along the path he'd chosen.

As he turned down a darkened alley between a condo building and a grocery store, he felt the air around him change. He recognized the smell of blood mingled with the rancid dumpsters and it had a strange dual reaction in his gut. First it leapt with excitement and macabre curiosity, then it sank into a pit of shame and sadness for whoever's blood had been spilled.

In the dim light, he could make out a puddle of red seeping out from behind the large garbage receptacles. With a deep breath he walked towards it, stepping carefully and craning his neck to see what had happened. First there was a blood spattered hand with finely manicured nails, the hand tapered into a slender wrist, then a long arm. Jenner's excitement and sorrow grew stronger as he saw the red smeared face of a woman, her final expression had been one of fear and pain; it was plastered over her face even now in her death and Jenner's heart leapt as he saw what he could safely assume was the cause of her blood loss.

The left side of her neck had been torn apart, the flesh and muscle were tattered from her shoulder to her ear, the blood had stopped seeping from the wound now but Jenner could tell it was still fresh. This woman couldn't have been dead for more than a few hours.

Before dialling 9-1-1, Jenner snapped a few photos of the scene, careful not to catch the woman's face as he knew from experience that wouldn't go over well. Faces only led to creepy fanatics expressing feelings of unrecognizable lust, or family members hounding him in any way they thought would force him to take the photos down.

While waiting for the police to show up, Jenner felt eyes watching him. Someone's gaze was burning through his flesh but he just couldn't see anyone else. He spun around and around, catching glimpses of mysterious shadows in his peripheral vision and hearing malicious whispers in his ears. As he heard the sirens of police cruisers growing closer, he tried to rationalize what he was experiencing. He'd just discovered a dead body, it was natural to feel paranoid or afraid, but he'd seen dead bodies in the past and never before had they given him this reaction.

As the first officers on the scene came wondering down the alley, Jenner became suddenly relieved that he was no longer alone, "Thank God you're finally here."

"I recognize this guy," Jenner heard the darker skinned police officer whisper to his partner. It was the officer from the car crash.

"Hey, she's over here guys!" Jenner gestured to the body and the police officer's partner came to examine the scene, while he decided to take the task of questioning Jenner.

"You know, this is the second time I've seen you poking around the scene of a crime."

"What?" Jenner's forehead wrinkled with confusion.

"First the car crash, now this?" The police officer looked around at the blood on the ground and walls of the alley.

"First of all, I had nothing to do with this or that accident, second of all the crash was just that -- an accident!" Jenner could feel his face growing hot as he flushed with anger.

"Yeah, right," The police officer raised a brow at his partner.

"What's your name anyway?" Jenner crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'm sergeant Williams, this is my partner Caruthers."

"Well sergeant, I'm Jenner Costas --"

"I know who you are," Williams' expression could only be interpreted as one of disdain.

"Great, you've heard of me, that makes things easy," Jenner motioned with one hand towards the dead body, "I've seen enough dead bodies and crime scenes to know just by looking at her that this murder is fresh, I've just been at work all day. I was on my way home when I found this lady hidden back here and I did the right thing by calling you right away."

"Right away huh? Gimme your phone and I'll be the judge of that."

"Yeah, give me a warrant and I'll give you my phone."

"Williams, leave the guy alone," Caruthers seemed to be reciting a well known script, as if this wasn't the first time Williams got too pushy. "Mr. Costas, if you could just leave the alley and wait for our back up to arrive, we've just got a few questions for you and you'll be free to go."