"No pleasantries necessary," Nicky muttered, ignoring the disturbing sensation she felt, looking into the eyes of this killer.

Ken was quiet, but Bernard was only looking at Nicky. She felt uncomfortable under his stare. According to his file, most of Brown's victims had been men. But maybe he hadn't seen a woman in a long time, and that was why he couldn't stop staring at Nicky.

Either way, it made her skin crawl.

"So," Bernard said, "how can I help you fine folks?"

Nicky cleared her throat and tried to look strong as she met his eyes. "You were John Wentz's cellmate," Nicky said.

A flicker of emotion crossed Bernard's face. Maybe even joy, likely at the memory of killing Wentz. "I was."

"We understand that Wentz confided in you about a friend," Nicky said. "A friend he claimed abducted a girl."

"Wentz was a liar," he said. "He liked to talk a lot, but he always lied. He was a very bad person."

"Just tell us the truth, Brown," Ken said. "We're not here to play games."

The old man smiled at Nicky. "You're a very beautiful young woman, Agent Lyons, he said. Its too bad you chose such a… masculine career path.

Nicky's eyes narrowed. "I'm here to ask you about John Wentz," she said. "Not about my looks."

"I'm only saying the truth," Bernard said. "I see you're a woman. I'm only saying your beauty is a truth I see. You would be much better suited for something that complements such beauty, but then again, if that were the case, I wouldnt be blessed by your image on this fine day.

Nicky wanted to slap him. She wanted to get up and leave, but she had to be professional. She had to be the agent that the FBI needed her to be, so she ignored his dehumanizing comments and continued, "Are you suggesting that Wentz lied about what he said about his friend?"

"Oh, no, that might have been a truth," Bernard said. "But how can we really know?"

"Did he ever mention the name of that friend?" Nicky asked.

Bernard went quiet. "Hmm. A name, you say. Wouldn't that be valuable information? If only I had it.

"Listen, shitbag," Ken said. Still, not once, had Bernard looked away from Nicky, not even as Ken spoke. "If you give us the information we need, you might get rewarded with a book to read inside your isolation cell."

"Young man," Bernard said, eyes still on Nicky, "if one cannot sit alone with their thoughts and be content, then they are not complete individuals. Wouldn't you agree, Agent Lyons?"

Nicky didn't reply, but she felt like bugs were crawling all over her skin. Browns stare was unnerving. Nicky had met dozens of psychopaths and creeps alike in her career, but something about this one felt… different. She couldnt place what it was.