"Billy? Did you just call me Billy?"

Dani rubbed her eyes and looked again. He was a young guy wearing a baseball cap, some beats, glasses, and a backpack...but it wasn't Billy.

"I-I'm sorry. I don't know why I..."

Dani looked desperately at Jax who was shaking his head and cursing under his breath about bad ideas.

"Just ignore her. I caught her dumpster-diving. It's why I'm here. I think she's a drunk," Jax explained, flashing his badge.

"Yeah I've seen her walking around the neighborhood at all hours of the day. I think she's homeless so don't be too hard on her," the young man whispered to Jax.

"Homeless? I'm not homeless! I live here too!"

"You're right. She's really drunk," the man told Jax. He looked back at Dani, "Drinking alcohol won't solve all of your problems."

He walked away before Dani could reply.

"What is wrong with you?" Jax wanted to yell. Instead it came out as a loud whisper. "You can't just say stuff like that to strangers. It's weird enough that you're digging through the trash."

"He really looked like Billy to me," she explained before yawning.

"Let's just go. This was a waste of time."

"No wait! I have one more bag to look through. I think this one's it!" Jax was keeping watch when a trash bag hit his back.

"I told you I didn't want garbage juice to touch me."

Dani rolled her eyes, "Stop acting like a baby and look inside. I'm going to try and get out of this dumpster."

Jax pulled out some thin gloves and began untying the knot that held the bag closed. Inside, he found a disposable razor, a soap wrapper, and a shirt with blood on it.

"It's here," Jax called out.

He looked up to see Dani hefting herself over the side of the large waste receptacle, her shirt riding up her torso.

He grinned before teasing, "Nice view from here Panda Eyes."

"Pervert!" the words were muffled as she fell back, landing on her bottom.

Jax was laughing when he held out a hand that she ignored. She picked herself up and dusted herself off.

"I'll send the shirt to the lab and see if it matches the DNA on the John Doe from the woods. In the meantime, you need to be careful. If your neighbor really is dangerous and finds out you've been snooping around him, I wouldn't put it past him to hurt you."

"How can you be so sure?"

"If I were him, it's what I would do."

"You're really creepy sometimes. You know that?"

"Yeah," Jax answered. "But I'm a cop so maybe it's a good thing that I can think like a criminal. By the way...what the hell was that back there? Why did you call that kid Billy?"

Dani squeezed her eyes to fight them from closing due to exhaustion.

"He looked like Billy, didn't he? He was around the same age and glasses. I don't know. I guess I'm just tired."

"Did you know him?" Jax asked.

"Know who?"

"The guy with the book bag. He said he's seen you around. You don't know him?"

"Obviously not if I thought he was Billy. I didn't get a good look at his face. Besides, it's not like this is Sesame Street. I don't know everyone that lives around me," Dani said defensively.

"Well you should. It might save your life one day."

Dani sniffed her shirt, "Ugh...I smell disgusting. I better get home and change."

Jax waited for her to start walking towards her apartment but when she didn't he asked, "What's wrong, Panda Eyes? You're usually trying to get away from me as fast and far as you can. Don't tell me you've changed your tune."

"Changed my tune?"

"That's right. The tune of love...or lust. Either is fine with me."

"Is everything a joke to you?" Dani asked.

"No, but isn't it better to laugh than cry?"

She didn't respond and Jax nudged her foot with his, "What's wrong?"

"Yeah...I'm just...I don't know."

"You don't know what?" Jax stifled a yawn. "Rule number five, partners don't hide anything. What's going on?"

"I'm scared."

If Jax hadn't been standing so close, he would've missed Dani's answer.

"Of the Maestro?"

She nodded, "What if he comes again when I fall asleep? What if he comes for me in real life? It's not like I can fight him or anything. Sarcasm isn't exactly a weapon. It's easier to have nightmares when I can pretend they aren't real. The Maestro is as real as death and whether I like it or not...he's coming for me. My life isn't glamorous or enviable to anyone. I get that. But still...it's my life. I don't want to die."

Jax watched a single tear make its way down her cheek before asking, "Did you want to spend the night at my place?"

"What?"

"I mean...if you're too scared to stay here. You can sleep at my house. I told you I'd keep you safe, Panda Eyes. I know that you're scared to dream about him but if you can see anything that can help us nab this guy, I'm willing to take a chance on it. Stay at my place."

"Is this a come on?"

Jax laughed, "Not unless you want it to be."

"I don't."

"Then it isn't. So are we having a partner sleepover? Should I buy some pizza and ice cream so we can talk about boys?" Jax was grinning at his own jokes.

"Not funny."

"So I'm not a comedian. You still want to stay at my place?"

Dani nodded, "Fine. Let me grab a change of clothes, okay?"

An hour later Dani was showered and sleeping in a guest room of Jax's house while he was writing a note to her that he was headed to the station. He had to drop off the bloody shirt. He was just about to leave when his partner Roberto Montoya gave him a call.

"What's going on?" Jax asked.

"There's a woman here who claims to know the last Maestro victim."

"The red head, June Danvers?"

"Right. This woman was a friend of Ms. Danvers. She keeps insisting to speak with the both of us. She said she had warned her friend not to go out on a date with this guy because of all the murders. Apparently she has a picture of him. She won't show it to us unless we're both here," Roberto explained. "So get your ass here now!"

"I'll be right there," Jax disconnected the call and ran upstairs to where Dani was sleeping. She looked peaceful and for a moment the image tugged at his heartstrings. He thought about waking her but decided to let her sleep instead.

After he arrived to the station, he met with Roberto and the woman who was clutching her purse, "I warned June. I told her not to go home with any random man but she wouldn't listen to me. She was so stubborn."

"I'm sorry for your loss ma'am," Jax said as he passed her a cup of coffee. "I understand you have a picture of the man she was with last?"

"It has to be him. I mean I later lost her in the crowd but he was the last guy I saw her with. I snapped a shot of him," the woman said digging through her purse. "We had gone to the club together but as soon as we got there, I started dancing. She stayed in one of the booths. I still kept an eye on her though. She talked to a few guys but this one...he talked to her for a long time. He was part of the band playing there."

"Do you know anything else about him? Like his name?" Jax asked.

She shook her head, "As soon as she texted me she met someone, I got on her case about the murders. I mean who in their right mind goes off with a stranger knowing there's a killer on the loose? She had already left before I noticed she was gone. She said I was being too overprotective and refused to tell me anything about him. She wouldn't even tell me his name. She just said that he was really good-looking and I'd freak when I saw him and not to tell her fiancé."

"Then how did you know he was the guy?" Roberto asked.

"Well I'm not but she was talking to him last. At least he was the last guy I saw her with. She has a thing for musicians. Who else could it be?" She handed her phone to the detectives.

Jax frowned, "Sonofabitch."

"Do you know this guy?" Roberto asked. "What's his name?"

Jax swiped his hand down his face in frustration before answering, "If I remember correctly, he's part of a band called The Booty Pirates."