Part 1

Detective Superintendent Adeline Thompson walked towards the car. As a greeting she had been sent a car and a driver to pick her up from the airport.

Adeline climbed into the car, coming face to face with a familiar face.

"Hello Addie" Assistant chief constable Jack Wilson smiled at her.

"Hello Jack" she replied, a smirk tugging at one of the corners of her mouth.

One of the last times they were in the backseat of a car it was with far less clothing between them. She smirked at the memory.

"It's nice to see you again" he smiled.

"Likewise" she replied as he handed her the file he was holding.

"This case needs to go to trial, this guy needs to be found. I have a media frenzy focused on this guy already and we don't even know who he is" he grumbled.

"I've worked these types of cases before. I'll get the job done. Sir" Addie smirked again.

The last time she called him Sir was years ago when he had gotten promoted above her. They had stayed hours in one another's arms, the only word that could be heard was 'sir'.

"I have no doubt about that" He replied, turning to look at her, not seeing the smirk on her face "I heard your sticking around?" He pressed her.

"Yes. Yes I am" she said turning to face him.

"I'm glad" he almost whispered. Adeline turned back to face the window, knowing that if she looked into his eyes any longer she wouldn't regret her next move.

"Your team is ready and waiting" he said, his voice no longer a hushed whisper. He saved all of his hushed whispering tones for the words he knew he shouldn't mutter to other women whilst he was married, especially to those who are his subordinates.

For the rest of the ride to the office Adeline played with the silver band on her index finger, the same ring that Jack had given her years before. The only physical lasting show that their love had existed.

Jack walked Adeline through the station and into a briefing room fit with offices. He introduced her to the detectives that she would now be working with: Abbot, Taylor, Pierce and forensic coordinator Scott Owens.

"Well, I'll have the case files dropped off at your new place" Jack said filling the now silent room.

"Thank you sir" Adeline gave a weak smile and began taking off her coat. Jack knew he should've left her to work, but something was telling him to stay in that moment, stay with her. He didn't want to move for fear that she might just disappear again, far away from him, out of his grasp. He hesitantly left the room anyway.

"Let's get to work" Adeline smiled at her new team.

Adeline was filled in on the case, there was three women found dead in their homes. They all had ligature marks on their wrists and ankles yet they were all laid out on their beds as if they had died in their sleep, no sign of the ligatures used. They had all been sexually assaulted and their nails had been freshly painted red.

"Due to the sexual assault, I think it's safe to say that this guy is a sexual sadist" the forensic coordinator Scott Owens suggested.

"I would agree. Did we check and see if we had his DNA from other crimes?" Adeline asked.

"Yes we did but we turned up nothing" Owens replied.

"The first victim, Molly Stone. She doesn't look like a first victim, everything was carefully planned out down to the last detail, no finger prints, no witnesses. This guy may have killed before but may not have sexually assaulted them" Adeline suggested.

"The painting of the nails and displaying them like they're asleep could be part of his ritual" detective Taylor suggested.

"Yes I think they are" Adeline agreed.

"Why lie them back in bed? You tie them up, you rape them, why dress them and put them to bed?" Detective Abbot asked.

"This guy is calculated and he clearly hates women. Everything he does, no matter how small or insignificant it may appear to us, has a purpose to him. Putting them back to bed clearly has some significance to him it's up to us to find out what that is" Adeline said and her team nodded