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Prologue

Monday, August 14, 4:3 0 AM

Nashville, Tennessee

Reason and Madness, like Jekyll and Hyde, were two sides of the same coin One worshipped peace, the other devastation One told the truth The other, rule breaker and thief, always lied Once again, a war raged between the two

The cell phone on the granite kitchen counter buzzed with an inco again This was her sixth call in the last two hours Sister could see past the smiles and the assurances She sensed when ained control

Ignoring the call, Madness reached for a half-full tuht illulass, and the whiskey slid down a parched throat, soothing tense hts of Sister’s call It wouldn’t do for Sister to know about tonight’s endeavor Toet a visit There’d be lots of wide sift-wrapped in a bright blue bow Blue was her favorite color They’d play the question-and-answer garets and the what-should-have-beens

Madness washed the glass in the sink, careful to dry it with a paper towel before replacing it in the cabinet A feipes of the cabinet knobs, the faucet, the whiskey bottle, and the surrounding area erased all fingerprints Soht consider the action overkill but attention to detail was key to a successful performance Madness had

learned well from Reason

Down the die, Madness admired the new coat of antique white paint Fresh paint was a wonder One swipe of the roller eradicated dirt, grier mattered

A few ave way to the aroht’s performance—was painted a pale yellohite tri on the wall by the door, a gilded ically placed crystal perfu a bright red RECORD light

In the center of the room was a four-poster bed On the bed lay a woman, the actress in this play Her near-naked body nested in twisted sheets damp with sweat and flecks of blood Ropes lashed hands, manicured nails painted a soft pink, to the headboard and feet to the baseboard A river of mascara-stained tears trailed down pale cheeks and a duct-tape-covered mouth

Carved in the headboard above her was the word FAITHLESS Madness thought it a fitting tribute to another wo their youth

As Madness approached the bed, green bloodshot eyes alert with panic darted froht’s true aze reflected panic and desperation Good She understood as in charge

The e, calloused hands wrapped tightly around the grip of a 45-caliber handgun Tall and broad-shouldered, he stood over six feet A ht say But fear all but vibrated off every inch of hisfor you I need you to tell me what to do next”

The warmth of the whiskey kept anxiety at bay “Patience, Jonas Patience”

Jonas, the bloodthirsty and angry hero tonight, had nurtured aboy Careful observation of Jonas over the last six months told a lot about thethe stalker

Jonas’s murder obsession had chased hi over and over like a worn record As , he also feared the cops and prison And so, he’d bottled up his wants and needs for years Madness had found this want-to-be killer ripe for guidance in a bar sixfrustrations ahiskey

“I can show you how to kill,” Madness had whispered

Jonas’s gaze had danced first with hesitation, then interest, and finally excitement

Madness had taught Jonas how to stalk, to watch and to plan Madness worked with Jonas forhim for this kill

Now at the brink of the grand finale, Jonas oozed desperation and need Nervous energy buzzed around his This was thetime

One nod and he would fire

Instead of giving permission, Madness shifted attention to the woh, the woo had been dressed well and had walked with confidence She, no doubt, had caught the eye of many men She liked rich, buttery chardonnays paired with a creaood conversation and old ht have befriended her if not for Madness

In this macabre scene, Madness, not Reason, was the ulti, and, of course, the final execution Mo he could never sustain: control

“Can I do it now?” Jonas’s ti

“Savor the moment,” Madness rasped

Jonas’s hunger was razor sharp and, of course, the wo this close to death made everyone in the room feel alive

Diane’s watery gaze was a mixture of terror and confusion How could this have happened to me? I’m careful I play by the rules

Madness saw the question flash A soft chuckle rumbled “But you didn’t play by all the rules, did you, Diane? In fact, you like to break them every so often Not too much But once in a while, you enjoy the walk on the wild side”

Diane shook her head as tears streamed down her cheeks

Gently, Madness approached the bed and sat The ed Diane’s black hair was plastered to her forehead by sweat “Didn’t you ever hear that cocaine is a bad habit? If not for that little quirk in your personality, you’d have been fine” Jonas had lured her out of her car with the proht now sitting in your living roo show you enjoy so much But you couldn’t control it and now you must pay your toll”

She closed her eyes and shook her head, a softin her throat

“Maybe it’s not a crippling compulsion, but it’s there nonetheless” Madness continued to stroke her hair, so soft and dark “You’re no different fronore therow until one day I just must have one little bite” A snap of even white teeth close to her ear made her flinch “You’re my bite”

She closed her eyes and wept

Madness drew in a deep breath, and the scent of her fear s

“Now?” Jonas asked