John’s relationship with Felicia seemed to blossom faster than anyone could have anticipated. Rather than try to get John to remember his past, Felicia preferred to create new memories with John and look forward to happy days ahead. It was an attitude that John appreciated and one that he also adopted. Rather than trying to look back, look towards the future which looked rather bright. It wasn’t six months later that John moved into Felicia’s condo and shacked up. While Wilson and the FBI were a little concerned about the development, Max did his best to keep them all at bay. Felicia didn’t actually match the preferences that Reaper used to look for in his victims, so that was cause for the feds to believe that John was still moving forward without his memories and that nothing was coming back to him. Max also alleviated fears by setting up double dates with John and Felicia. Max’s wife loved the idea as she was desperate to have more friends, and she got along with Felicia quite well. Pretty soon the women were planning all their social meetings, which was Max’s plan from the beginning. Once they women kicked their social calendar into cruise control, the less suspicious it looked for Max to keep his eye on John. Wilson himself was very impressed with that angle but still cautioned the lawyer and his wife to be careful. Things were never perfect between the couples, and there were times that Max even acted weird which was only noticed by his wife. There was one day when she did something unexpected for a double date, but Max’s reaction what anything but normal. When Max walked into the kitchen when returning from work, he was so stunned by what he saw that he jumped as if he had seen a ghost.

“Jesus Christ!” Max screamed, also dropping everything he was carrying at the same time.

“What?” Janet said, with a face that showed genuine disappointment, “All I did was color my hair. I know you’re surprised but do you have to act like that?”

Max took a deep breath and attempted to compose himself. What Janet had done was completely out of left field for her. Not only had his wife dyed her hair at the saloon that day, but it was also a bright and very intense blonde. She looked stunning in it, almost like a young Marilyn Munroe. Max checked his watch and then back up at Janet.

“We’re supposed to meet John and Felicia for dinner,” Max informed her.

“I know that,” Janet confirmed, “That’s why I did my hair!”

“This is a disaster,” Max said pulling out his cell phone. “I’ll call John and cancel, tell him that I’m being held up at work.”

“Excuse me?” Janet said, as she became hostile, “Did you say we’re going to cancel?”

Max turned off his phone and looked back at her. “I’m sorry, but unless you plan to change your hair back, we can’t go.”

“So, now you’re telling me what to do?” Janet asked, as it was clear to hear that someone might be sleeping in the guest room or on the couch tonight.

“I asked you not to do this last year,” Max reminded her, “I told you not to change your hair unless passing it by me first.”

“I remember you telling me,” Janet replied, “But I also remember thinking what a sexist, controlling, chauvinistic asshole you were for even making the suggestion.”

“I had a reason for saying that!” Max snapped back at her, raising his tone to her. “That was for your safety!”

“Excuse me?” Janet said again, “What the hell are you babbling on about here, Max?”

“I can’t tell you,” Max said, remembering his oath. “That case is sealed, and I’m not allowed to discuss it with anyone.”

“Oh, that’s rich,” Janet said as she didn’t seem impressed. “I am leaving to meet with John and Felicia for Sushi tonight. You can come with me or stay home; your choice councilor.”

Janet went upstairs to change for their upcoming double date, while Max was left downstairs to panic. It wasn’t just the fact that his wife dyed her hair that upset him, but it was the fact that she looked so damn stunning that worried him the most. That kind of bombshell blonde could be enough to trigger the Reaper. It wasn’t a risk he was willing to take. He went on the phone and started to make some calls. Close to twenty minutes later, two black sedans came screaming onto the road and came to a screeching halt in front of Max’s house. Four black suits walked out of each car and quickly ran up to the front door, which Max had opened for them so they could immediately enter without drawing more attention to themselves. The last man to walk in stopped after he entered, took off his sunglasses, and looked Max right in the eyes.

“Where is she?” Wilson asked, taking what Max had told him very seriously.

“Upstairs getting ready for our date,” Max answered, “I don’t mean to panic, but I didn’t know what to do.”

“You did the right thing,” Wilson said as he walked into the living room where the other several agents were. “Secure the exits. Mrs. Sheppard doesn’t leave until we have a chance to speak with her.”

As the other agents walked away to guard the doors, Janet was coming down the stairs to speak with Max. She was wearing a stunning black cocktail dress which made her newly dyed hair really stand out. She looked surprised to see Agent Wilson who was standing in the living room with Max, who face was just as stunned as the lawyers was earlier.

“My gaud,” Wilson said out loud when saw Max’s wife descend down the stairwell, “You really did the right thing, Max.”

“Excuse me,” Janet said as she walked closer, “Who is this man and what is he doing in our house?”

“Sorry to interrupt your day ma’am,” Wilson started, as Max could tell he was kicking in the FBI charm, “Special Agent Wilson, F.B.I.”

‘What are you doing here?” Janet asked.

“Max called us,” Wilson answered, “Because he informed us of your new hair style.”

“What?” Janet said, shocked beyond belief. “The Feds are here because I dyed my hair?”

“Ma’am,” Wilson said, not making light of the issue. “This isn’t a joke. Your hair style could cause triggers that could put everyone’s life in danger.”

“Is he serious?” Janet asked her husband.

“I am,” Wilson said answered for him, “You are not allowed to leave the building until we have taken care of the situation. We can have a stylist here in ten minutes to correct this.”

“Excuse me?” Janet said again, highly offended, “This hair looks amazing on me.”

“That’s the problem,” Wilson replied, “It looks too amazing. We fear the unsub might suffer heavy triggering by it.”

“Unsub?” Janet repeated.

“I’m sorry,” Wilson answered, “It’s law enforcement lingo for unknown subject.”

“Who is the unsub?” Janet asked, and then it occurred to her. The only person she knew who didn’t know his own name. “John?”

“Yes,” Wilson replied, “The man is far more dangerous than you can imagine. Max and only a handful of people know the truth about what he could be. This is why we can’t take any chances.”

“What he could be?” Janet repeated. “If you think he’s dangerous, why isn’t he in jail?”

“He lost his memory,” Max replied, “Legally defendants aren’t fit to stand trial if they have no memory of committing any of the crimes he or she are being accused of.”

“Crimes?” Janet then repeated, noticing the plural. “What kind of crimes is John suspected of committing?”

“What I’m about to tell you Mrs. Sheppard is under seal,” Wilson said, his face as stern as it was since they started talking. “We suspect John might be responsible for the abduction, torture and murder of over a hundred women.”

Janet eyes went wide as saucers. “Over a hundred?”

“At least,” Wilson confirmed, “We are able to connect him to all these homicides because the method of operation was identical. Since his accident and his apparent amnesia, the killing has stopped. We prefer to keep it that way. He’s been under constant surveillance ever since he was released from the hospital. To make sure there are no triggers, no flashbacks that might cause him to want to kill again.”

“This is insane,” Janet said, motioning to her hair. “So, you think my blonde hair will trigger John’s dormant memories and turn him into a raging psychopath? What the hell is he, the Night Reaper?”

There was a long uncomfortable pause in the room. Max covered his mouth, shocked that her sarcasm managed to hit the bull’s eye of the situation.

“Yes, he is.” Wilson answered, “Ever since John’s accident, the Reaper hasn’t touched a single person. John very well might be the most lethal serial killer in our nation’s history.”

Janet turned to face her husband. “Is he serious?”

“He is,” Max confirmed for her, “Without his memories, they didn’t have a case. They couldn’t even confirm his identity. His face was smashed up and none of his prints or DNA was in the system. A first-year law student could have gotten this case tossed out of court.”

“You knew all this time!” Janet said, disappointed in him. “You’ve been defending this monster!”

“Ma’am,” Wilson said as he stepped in, “While the odds are not good, there is still a chance that John isn’t our man. We’re just not willing to take any risks. This is why you cannot attend your dinner with your hair looking this amazing.”

“I can’t,” Janet said, “What about Felicia?”

“She’s safe,” Wilson assured her, “We have people watching her as well, but we’re not overly concerned. She doesn’t meet the preferences of the Reaper, so this is why we think she’s a good thing for him. Being with her will keep him grounded and living a normal life.”

“You’re going to let her marry that monster?” she asked.

“She’s marrying a man she loves,” Wilson corrected her, “If even a little bit of that monster peeks out, we will take him down. The whole reason I’m here is to protect everyone from that possible threat.”

“If you think this is possible, why not lock him away and throw away the key?” Janet said, as she was clearly confused to why the feds and Max were going to all this trouble.

“Because John is an American,” Max replied, “He has rights.”

Janet replied by slapping her husband across the face with a hard open hand, which caught both Max and Wilson by surprise.

“That is such bullshit!” She charged, “John’s rights are not more important than a hundred women’s right to exist! Those rights are no more important than the rights of the hundreds of other women he might kill next! Your priorities are really fucked up here!”

At that moment, there was a knock at the door. The agent called from the front door to let them know they stylist had arrived.

“Show her in,” Wilson ordered.

“You’re not kidding about this?” Janet asked.

“No ma’am,” Wilson ordered, “I’m not.”

It took the stylist close to an hour to change her hair. To avoid doing damage to Janet’s hair, the stylist just went straight to something only a little darker to cover it up. Something new that didn’t look the old look so people would assume this was the dye work Janet had done earlier in that day.

When Janet walked in with a stunning auburn hair do, she looked at her husband with disgust. “We’re already forty-five minutes late!”

“I already called them,” Max told her, “They think I’m being held up by work and you’re waiting for me to come home.”

“Maybe I don’t want to go,” Janet then told the two men, “Maybe I don’t feel like breaking bread with a serial killer!”

“Mrs. Sheppard,” Wilson said to her, “We need to keep things as normal as possible. Please co-operate with us and keep all the information we provided you today to yourself. You cannot tell anyone about it, especially Felicia.”

“You idiots are playing with fire,” Janet said as she grabbed her purse, “The fact that you think you can control the situation is laughable, and this will all blow up in your ignorant faces!”

Without saying anything else, Janet stormed out of the house and walked out to their car.

Max looked back at Wilson as he put his jacket on. “Are you sure we’re not making a mountain out of a molehill?”

“No, we’re not.” Wilson coldly replied, sighing deeply. “When we raided one of his hideouts, he had several of Marilyn’s DVDs in his collection. We even suspect Munroe is the reason he prefers to attack only blondes in the first place. The last thing I wanted John to see was that hairdo. Trust me, you made the right call.”

“Doesn’t feel like it,” Max said rubbing his chin.

“Just make sure she doesn’t talk,” Wilson informed him, “If Felicia leaves him for no reason at all, there’s a chance it could also cause a trigger. Our profile suspects his rage against women might have resulted from abandonment issues from a woman he cared about deeply. This could come from his mother, or a former spouse or lover. This man’s mind is like a mine field, so we need to be careful or we’ll all get blown to smithereens.”

“Understood,” Max replied, aware of the dangers.

Max could tell that Agent Wilson looked relived to see her with the new style, and he had no doubt that their relief confirmed to his wife as she left that they were telling the truth about John. All this information had to be upsetting to his wife, but he could tell she was doing her best to keep most of her anger to herself as she stomped out of the house.

“She’ll get over it,” Wilson said to Max, “Eventually.”

“Thanks,” Max said, but he really didn’t care. Her anger was the least of his worries. If John truly was the reaper, then like Wilson said he was a mine field. Any trigger could cause him to go dark and there was no telling what he would do from there. As he walked out of the house and stepped into the car, Max could tell by the silence that he was in the most trouble he had ever been in during the entire history of their marriage. He started the car and paused for a moment.

“Am I on the couch tonight?” he asked.

“I’m not sure yet,” Janet replied. “Let’s not talk about it right now. We’re late enough as it is already.”

“Yes Ma’am,” Max said as he started to pull the car out of the driveway. He already knew this wasn’t the end of the conversation. He was going to get a long telling off after their double date. At least he would have time over dinner to prepare a defense, which thankfully was his specialty.