We entered the outskirts of a large city, and Alexandre became more somber.

"I want to know if you become upset by this, or if it become too much for you in any way.  Do you understand?"  He demanded softly.  I nodded my head in agreement and then realized he probably couldn't see that with his eyes on the road.

"Yes"  I said weakly, then cleared my throat and more strongly replied "Yes."  I had never been to this city to my knowledge, well other than when I had died, did that mean this is where the killer lived?  Or was it random?  Did murderers usually kill in their hometowns or travel?  I needed to do some research.  Alexandre drove to what looked like the old center of the city, now mostly a bunch of abandoned and condemned buildings, though it looked like reconstruction and re-purposing was under way on many places.  A large complex was coming into view in front of us, and the irony was not lost on me.

"A medical complex?"  I shook my head.  "Had a whole theme didn't she?"  I mumbled.  Alexandre shot me a worried look.

"My tailor still lives on the other side of this complex, and is more than happy to accommodate my...eccentricities...like my preference for late evening visits...if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have been passing through that night and smelled..."  Just as Alexandre said it, the smell of blood hit me.  It was old, my senses could tell me that, but it was still strong, because there was a lot of it.

"That was my blood?"  I asked with fear and revulsion.  Alexandre slowed the car to a stop.

"We can stop here if you'd like."  He told me gently.

"No I, ...  I need to see it."  I swallowed hard.  Alexandre nodded slightly and advanced the car slowly.  The smell of blood grew stronger.  He pulled over into an abandoned parking garage, not bothering with the parking spaces.  Silently, he got out of the car and came around to open my door.  I felt like my heart should be pounding and I clenched my fists in my lap, taking a deep breath before I stood up.  Alexandre softly took one of my hands.

"Are you sure?"  He asked gently.  I nodded, not telling him that my biggest concern wasn't fear of seeing the place I died, but fear that I would find nothing there to lead me to my killer.  Alexandre tucked my arm in his, supporting me as if I might collapse at any minute.  I was equally ashamed and grateful to him for the gesture.  Ashamed because I was using him, and he was being so very, very kind to me, which also made me grateful, which made the shame even worse.  He led me across the street and the smell of blood intensified as we entered the building.  Going down a long hall, I realized we were headed towards a large amphitheater of some kind.

"They used to offer classes and demonstrations here as well."  Alexandre said, his voice hushed.  I let out a hoarse laugh.  Of course they did.  She had me on display, like some perverse medical study.  Alexandre glanced at me again with worry in his eyes, and then wrapped an arm around me, holding me tighter as if afraid I might fall apart.  I wondered again about his previous experience with family and companions.  What had he gone through to treat me so carefully?  The thought inspired another bout of outrageous guilt over my current manipulation of the situation.

I recognized the large room as we entered it.  Or rather, I recognized the broken staircase on the opposite side.  My newly enhanced vision zeroed in on the broken railing where she had leaned, looking down at me.  Alexandre and I had entered on the ground level, which I assumed was the direction Alexandre had come in when he found me.  The sight of the blood pool, now almost blackened and nearly absorbed by the concrete and dust, had mold growing on it, and the sight of it made my knees weak.  I was shocked by my own body's betrayal, and then the swarm of emotions hit me and a sob wracked my frame.  I sunk towards the ground.  Alexandre was right to have a hold on me.  At the moment, he was the only thing holding me up, and holding me together.

I let him hold me as I covered my face and struggled to get my emotions back under control.  He was strangely silent, as if sensing this was something I had to work through on my own.  As for me, this was turning out to be more traumatic than I had expected.  Taking deep breaths, I got my tears under control, and then pulled free from Alexandre.  He acted as though he didn't want to let me go, holding on to me gently until I cleared his arm's length.  A bit of yellow near the edge of the dried blood caught my attention.  As I drew nearer I realized what it was.  There was broken yellow tape at the top of the stairs too.  Someone must have reported this as a crime scene at some time in the past few weeks.  Now that I was paying attention, a confusing jumble of human smells overlapped each other in the area.

"No..."  I whispered desperately.  "No, no, NO!"  I sunk to my knees at the edge of the dried puddle and Alexandre was next to me in a flash.  He hovered for a moment, unsure what to do, and then he crouched beside me.

"What do you need from me?"  He asked me softly.  Damn him, the guilt ate me up anew over his kindness and compassion.

"I...I don't know..."  I replied.  I wanted to tell him to chase my murderer down.  I wanted to tell him to tell me if he knew what she looked like.  I wanted to tell him to trace her scent up the stairs if he could...and then it occurred to me.  The 'nurse' had been on the staircase!  She had leaned on this very rail before going down the hall!  Maybe, just maybe there would be some sort of trace...

I was on my feet in an instant, jumping up the stairs, following my nose.  There was some kind of powder muddling the scent!  Fingerprint powder maybe?  I brought my nose closer to the rail.  Damnit, it had completely obscured the scent!

"No, NO!"  I growled, then turned on my heel and raced through the yellow scraps of ribbon in the hall.  The confusing human scents overlapped here too.  In and out of doorways and corridors.  How was I supposed to pick her scent out alone when I didn't even know what she smelled like because my human senses were dull compared to now, and I couldn't see which way she went and there had been so much human traffic.   I turned a circle and ran face first into Alexandre's chest.  I had forgotten all about him.  He grabbed me by the shoulders and held me at arm's length.  I looked at him, shocked and sheepish.

"You could have told me you were looking for her."  He stated.  There was a fierceness in his eyes and I wasn't sure if it was meant for me.  I flinched and ducked my head.  Alexandre used a hand to lift my face to his.  "I told you, I will never harm you, do not be afraid of me Carys.  This anger is not for you.  Even before you told me your story I had some vested interest in finding this killer.  The murder was too ritualistic, too cruel, and I had a feeling it was not the first.  After you told me of your past, I renewed my search, because then I had a score to settle.  I was determined to right at least one of the wrongs you had to suffer, especially if you chose not to blame me for my hand in your plight.  Carys, she's a serial killer, she has done this multiple times, in multiple cities and states.  I have been trying to locate her.  If you had only told me what you wanted..."

"Carys, I have her scent, I can help you find her."  He offered sincerely.

I blinked in surprise.

"You would do that for me?"  I asked in a whisper.

"Yes."