Jessica was a first year undergraduate studying psychology. Dani hadn’t thought much of that when she’d first read it. After all, there were close to thirty thousand students at the university studying all manner of subjects.

But psychology?

Dani opened the internet browser and started searching. After a few minutes she’d found the syllabus for Jessica’s course, including the various mandatory and optional modules. Several were related to criminology. Steven Grant’s area of expertise.

Dani didn’t like that connection one bit. She thought about Grant for a few moments. She really couldn’t fathom how he could be in any way responsible, given his own history at the hands of a killer. But what about Ethan, who was already linked to at least one dead person? Then there was that snoopy neighbour who lived opposite the Grants’ house too…

A rattling noise from out in the hall shook Dani from her increasingly disturbed thoughts. The vivid and horrifying images of what might have happened to Jessica and others were still playing in her mind as she looked around the now darkened room, another wave of panic taking hold.

When she’d first started working on her computer it had still been light outside. Dani glanced at the time on her laptop: seven p.m.

Another noise came from the hall. Quieter. A scraping sound. A throbbing pain began to take hold at the front of her skull.

Dani got up from the sofa. Groggily, she moved out into the hall, heart already racing. She spotted the note on the floor. Not poking out from under the door like the last one, but in the middle of the welcome mat. Her heart lurched. Her legs felt weak.

She rushed over and picked up the note, trying her best to unfold it, with her trembling hands.

Another one bites the dust. Are you enjoying this as much as I am yet? I came over to chat but you looked too busy. Maybe next time.

The note still in her hand, Dani’s whole body was quivering as she reached for the door. She whipped it open and stuck her head out. The corridor was empty, yet again, but she heard the clunk as the lift doors closed.

Without thinking, Dani raced along. Just like the other night the red light above the lift blinked with each floor as it descended.

Dani raced down the stairs, pushing away all rational thoughts about why this was probably a really bad idea. She crashed through the doors at the ground floor and darted out into the foyer. Off to her right, the lift doors were just closing. With her eyes still on the lift, Dani started rushing towards the outer door and ran slap bang into a hefty figure…