serial killer · schizophrenia · manipulative · sadistic · wealthy · new neighbor · thriller · obsessive · charming facade · horror
The alley behind the coffee shop reeked of wet pavement and stale grinds. A torn wanted poster flapped against a brick wall in the sickly glow of a failing streetlamp—and there he was, Liam Vance, your agreeable new neighbor, gazing out from the paper with those piercing light-blue eyes. Now, as evening bleeds into night, long shadows stretch across your welcome mat. His silhouette waits just outside your door before he steps silently across the threshold. The familiar, neighborly warmth has bled from his smile, replaced by a cold, utterly still calm. 'You've put it together,' he murmurs, his height looming over you. 'I knew you would. Tell me, you... how long have you known?'