I heard the front door open and my heart slammed. I carefully put the knife back as Skeet Skeet barked. I gripped the movie tightly, taking a deep breath and mentally calming myself before heading back downstairs.

                “What were you doing upstairs?” Fuller asked curiously as I entered the living room. He was sitting on the floor petting his dog’s dead. Skeet’s tail thumped the ground happily and he licked Fuller’s face. Fuller pretended not to notice as his eyes stayed fixed on mine.

                “I was getting this movie for Charlie. He asked me to,” I said truthfully, holding up the movie. I handed it to Charlie.

                “Thanks Shay!” he said joyfully before jumping up. He put it in the VCR player and started it, sitting down and patting the seat next to him, smiling at me.

                I held up my finger to him, signaling I’d be over in a minute. “I’m going to make us popcorn,” I said and he smiled even wider as I went into the kitchen. As I had hoped, Fuller followed me.

                “You’re hiding something,” he said simply and stroked his dog’s fur as it sat next to him loyally.

                “Fuller, have you ever killed anything?” I asked, getting right to the point.

                “Casey?” he guessed, and I nodded. He snorted and gave me an annoyed look. “I was eight years old. I didn’t know any better,” he said flatly.

                “What did you light on fire?” I asked. Now it was my turn to watch him carefully, in case he tried to lie or avoid the question all together.

                But he didn’t. He simply shrugged. “Like I said; I was only eight. I didn’t know any better. I set a mouse on fire, but it put itself out. I lit one more spider after that. I stopped doing that shit when I was nine years old.”

                I grabbed a bag of popcorn and put it in the microwave, my thoughts having hit a wall. There was nothing that we could really use to pin Fuller to the animal killings. His dad now seemed more of a culprit than Fuller did.

                But there was always the possibility that Mr. Polivka was just a hunter or something. Or maybe he had cut himself with the knife and never cleaned it off. There was a whole realm of “what ifs” and possibilities as to why his knife had dried blood. It didn’t mean he was an animal killer.

                I casually hit my pocket to make sure I had my cell phone. I would pretend to use the bathroom and lock it just in case Fuller got his hands on it. The last thing I needed was for Fuller Polivka to know I had been creeping through his room.

                “I don’t understand why you and Casey are so fixed on the idea that I’m the killer. I haven’t even done anything wrong,” Fuller said, irritation slipping into his voice. “It’s really annoying. Rumors like that get around, and people get the wrong ideas.”

                “If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to be worried about,” I said, my voice emotionless.

                He grabbed my arm roughly and spun me around, getting right in my face. He had a terrifying grin on his face.

                “Have you ever seen the 2004 version of Salem’s Lot? Look at what happens to Mark and Susan when they get a little too curious and try to investigate on their own,” he hissed dangerously.

                “Yea, and the people they were curious about turned out to be killers,” I hissed right back, yanking my arm out of his grip and shoving him away from me. “Don’t touch me you creep.”

                “You’re a dirty bitch. And the dirty bitch in Salem’s Lot ends up dead,” he growled. “Well this isn’t a movie!” I snapped and grabbed the popcorn as the microwave began to beep.

                I poured it into a bowl and grabbed two cans of Arnold Palmer for Charlie and myself. I shoved by Fuller roughly and he grabbed my arm again, almost causing me to drop the drinks and the popcorn to the floor. I balanced them just in time, though.

                “I didn’t do anything wrong. I didn’t hurt anyone or anything, but I will hurt you if you keep accusing me like this,,” he snarled dangerously before releasing me. I flipped him off and went into the living room.

                I forced a smile as I sat next to Charlie and handed him the can. I put the popcorn in between us and we opened our Arnold Palmers.

                I could hear Skeet Skeet whine in the kitchen. It was a few minutes before Fuller reappeared, looking slightly under control of his anger. He sat on the ground and Skeet Skeet rested his head in Fuller’s lap. Fuller absentmindedly pet him.

                I didn’t trust Fuller, but I didn’t necessarily think he was the killer. I’d have to investigate more before I came to the same conclusion as Casey. Fuller was right; rumors got around, and people got the wrong ideas.

                His comparison of me and Casey to Susan and Mark bothered me. He was right. They had gotten too curious, and been caught when they got in over their heads.

                Casey and I would have to be much more careful. If we weren’t, Fuller was on the lookout now, and he would catch us. There was no doubt in my mind about that. We had to be as sneaky as the killer was.

                A night watch. Yes, it would be risky. But maybe we could actually catch the killer. Even if it was from afar, we could get somewhat of a profile on them and their looks. They would no doubt hide their face, but something to go off of was better than nothing.

                Tomorrow night, Casey and I would stage a night watch around the town together. I would get some way to find out where Fuller was. If he wasn’t home, and we saw someone, well…maybe I would agree with Casey.

                I looked over at Fuller at the same time he turned to me. Our eyes locked, and in that moment, I realized he fit the profile of a typical killer. Dangerous, short tempered, and extremely attractive.