CANNIBAL SAM
I need an actual title for this This is a bit of a filler drabble but I needed to write it.
part 7
Sue Sylvester had never been so angry. A top-priority serial killer case ruined by the oh so determined Rachel Berry. The man, manipulated into a confession, was going to be set free. All the time they'd spent on him could have been used to find the real culprit, the killer who had probably killed again. “You are going to fix this, Berry. You're going to find the cannibalistic asshole that has this city terrorized and bring him here, and when that's finished, you're going to stay home until I decide what I'm going to do with you.”
Sue shook her head and took a threatening step forward. “On the contrary, Miss Berry. He didn't kill anyone, just wounded. We could have gotten him on assault, but surveillance footage shows that the guard instigated the... mishap. Because of the circumstances, we dropped the charges. To top it off, we have an innocent man sitting in a cell when he should be home. And why do you think he's sitting in there?”
Rachel swallowed. “I put him there. But he still ate-”
“So what?!” bellowed Sue. “I don't care who he ate. He didn't kill anyone, he didn't steal a body, he didn't buy the body parts or sell them. He's a disgusting bastard, but then that's his problem. Not ours.”
“But he will. He'll slip up and -”
“We'll deal with that if it ever happens. For now he is innocent and he is going to be released.” Sue looked at her watch. “It's 2 p.m. which means that you need to be outside ready to answer any questions the press has for you. Your reputation depends on it.”
Mercedes, who had been watching the exchange along with the rest of the team, cleared her throat. “Agent Sylvester, may I speak with him before he is released?”
Sue shook her head as she headed out of the room. “I should have specified: he's already gone, Ms. Jones. He left fifteen minutes ago.”
When Sue was gone, the room breathed out a sigh of relief. “That went better than expected,” said Santana brightly.
“Are you kidding me?” snapped Rachel. “I could lose my job over this. Over a cannibal.”
“As disgusting as he is, Berry, if you lose your job it's your own fault.” Mike glared at her over the files he'd been reading. “You do realize that we've been interrogating the wrong person for the last week, right? That means whoever killed those guys is still out there. He might even still be killing.”
“But-”
Mercedes listened to the argument that unfolded around her. Sam had been released, which partly terrified her because she knew she hadn't seen the last of him, and Rachel had lost her credibility. This case was going to be the downfall of the team if something didn't change. Not that it mattered. She wasn't a part of the team anymore. The only reason she'd been there in the first place was because Sam had requested her presence.
*
Her day had been a mess. The press had gotten wind of the situation and were painting Sam to be an unfortunate victim in Agent Rachel Berry's quest for professional recognition. They weren't wrong, but they had certainly exaggerated. Sam wasn't as innocent as he seemed, she just didn't know what he wanted.
Rachel's face covered newspapers and she'd said 'no comment' countless times even after the press conference, but wherever she went, the press followed. People were scared. Samuel Evans was not their cannibal, so who was?
At this point, Mercedes didn't even know where to start looking.
Finally done for the day, she entered her apartment and frowned at the smell of food cooking. “Quinn?” she asked nearing the kitchen.
“Guess again, sweetheart.” Sam turned around when she reached him and smiled. “Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes.”
“What are you doing in my apartment?” Her voice trembled.
He rolled his eyes impatiently and gestured the food. “Obviously, I'm making supper for you. Don't worry, this is fish. Between you and me, I've eaten human twice. One of them was a heart. I don't recommend it. It's actually as gross as it sounds. I was sick for days. The other was a brain. I don't recommend that either but it's certainly the better of the two. Still, it's not something I'd eat again.”
“Why are you telling me this?” She asked, slowly reaching for a knife that was on the counter.
“I stretched the truth to get your attention. Now that I have it, I need to un-stretch it. I value honesty, Mercedes.” He flashed her a smile before turning back to the fish he'd been cooking. “I wouldn't try anything with the knife by the way.”
Confused but not exactly frightened, Mercedes sighed. “Look, why are you here. What do you want from me?”
“Things took a wrong turn along the way.” He turned off the stove and turned to her. “I wanted to meet you, but your job and my,” he paused, “mistake made it nearly impossible to approach you without destroying what you've built for yourself. Imagine if we'd have dated and my murky past had come to light. You would have lost all credibility and I would have been out of your life within seconds."
“And you think that being with you now is fine? That there's nothing wrong with that?” She asked, incredulous.
Sam laughed and crossed to her, cupping face. “You're adorable.” He dropped his hands. “I didn't want to fall in love with me while I was in that cell. I wanted you to realize that you have something dark and twisted inside of you, not unlike me. Because, love, if you didn't then you wouldn't have wondered what it would be like to have me. And you did, even after you heard what I had done.”
Suddenly cold, Mercedes stepped away from him. “That's a lie. I never wondered-”
“I don't like lies, Mercedes. I thought we were past that.”
“Sam-”
“Mercedes.” He mimicked. “Haven't you noticed how the spider has stopped laughing? Ever since you've met me, your dreams have been peaceful. Think about that while I set the table.”
