Chapter 47: Dean
"Tsk tsk… it's not just hatred—you even feel a trace of gratitude toward Frank. After all, he shielded you from all those... toys Sheila owned."
"Heh, such complex and beautiful emotions. That's exactly why I find you so irresistibly fascinating. It's the most exquisite nourishment for my soul."
'Officer Eddie' grinned as he spoke.
With every word, the real Eddie trembled more, each sentence exposing secrets he had kept buried, things he was unwilling to admit even to himself.
"I have one principle—I always fulfill the deepest wish of the person I become. Think of it as a form of compensation."
"The person you hate the most is Frank. So I'll help you kill him. I'll bring you his head… and then I'll send you on your way, before moving on to my next target."
"Oh, by the way—this is the photo you've been longing for, right?"
'Officer Eddie' reached inside his coat and pulled out a photo.
It was taken from Sheila's house—the one snapped on the night of the Purity Ball, showing Officer Eddie and Karen just before they left together.
"Normally, I only fulfill one wish per person, but something this small—consider it a freebie."
He tossed the photo at the real Eddie.
---
Meanwhile, on Frank's side, things weren't any better. While he was still dealing with John's situation, Kevin and Veronica had run into trouble of their own.
Veronica's brother had shown up.
"I was a bridesmaid at your wedding, and I had no idea you even had a brother, V." Fiona said in surprise.
"I didn't think Marty would come either. He should be in prison. He broke out just last night," Veronica muttered, pacing in her leopard-print lingerie.
"What was he in for?" Fiona asked.
"Assault, theft, arson… He's got mental issues. Hates women, loves setting fires. Oh, and he's got Tourette's, bipolar disorder, and a drinking problem. He's basically every psychiatrist's dream case," Veronica said flatly.
"She's not lying," Kevin added. "Once, I was eating dinner and he just charged at me. I had to fight him off while he screamed stuff like 'Fck! Sht! Die!' It was terrifying."
"So, what do we do?" Fiona asked.
"Kick him back into prison, of course. The last thing I want is him crashing my wedding, tackling the groom, and screaming profanities mid-ceremony," Veronica replied.
"Need my help?" Frank offered, sipping coffee.
"Deal with your own mess first. How's that guy from last night—the one with his stomach sliced open?" Veronica asked.
"He's stable. But still unconscious," Frank said.
"He looked kinda hot," Veronica mused. "There's something about older guys. I was this close to catching feelings."
"John's about my age," Frank said dryly.
"V!" Kevin said, sounding jealous.
"Kidding! I still love you most, my handsome groom." Veronica kissed him.
"We'll go take care of my brother. You deal with your monster."
With that, Fiona and the others left for Veronica's house.
---
Knock knock.
Shortly after they left, there was a knock at the door.
"Who are you?" Frank asked, opening the door to find a boy standing outside.
"Is John here?" the boy asked.
"And you are…?" Frank eyed him warily.
"I'm his son. Name's Dean."
"Oh—you're Dean! Yeah, John mentioned you. You've got a younger brother too, right? Sam?" Frank stepped aside to let him in.
Dean walked in and immediately went over to John, who lay unconscious, his torso bandaged.
"What happened?" he asked after checking the wound.
Frank explained what had happened the previous night.
Since Dean was John's son, he might know more about what exactly that 'Officer Eddie' creature was.
"So the shapeshifter wasn't you… but it's definitely targeting you." Dean looked at Frank grimly.
"Shapeshifter? What's that?" Frank locked on to the key word.
"A creature that can turn into anyone—indistinguishable from the real thing. Voice, appearance, even memories—it copies them all. The only reliable way to spot one is through its behavior. Some intel says their pupils turn white under strong light or when caught on camera," Dean explained.
"Yeah… its eyes did turn white." Frank recalled.
"Wait—are you saying… you thought I was the shapeshifter?" Frank asked, wide-eyed.
"It committed several crimes. We tracked it to this area, but didn't know what form it took. It's been hiding, and we've been investigating everyone," Dean replied.
Now Frank understood why he had been a suspect.
As Dean explained, shapeshifters were nearly impossible to detect unless certain conditions were met. The only way to tell was by their actions—and Frank's recent behavior had changed drastically.
That shift in character was enough to put him on Dean and John's radar as the prime suspect.
Still, since it was only a suspicion, they hadn't acted against him. Instead, John had gotten close to observe and confirm.
But before they could determine anything, the real shapeshifter had attacked Frank—while taking the form of Officer Eddie.
"Why me? Why would it want to kill me?" Frank asked.
He was just a regular guy. Even the old Frank had been a nobody. Why would a supernatural creature target someone like him?
"We don't know. But since it turned into that cop—Eddie—it might be influenced by his memories. Did you do something to piss him off?" Dean asked.
"Uhhh…"
Frank hesitated.
Let's see—he stole Eddie's wife, stole his daughter, took over his home, banished him to the basement, and punched him in front of everyone.
Yeah… that probably counts as "offensive."
Thinking about it from Eddie's perspective… Frank would've wanted himself dead, too.
---
"Mmgh…"
Just then, John stirred awake on the bed.
"Dad!" Dean rushed to his side.
"Dean...? What are you doing here? Where are we?" John was groggy, still dazed.
But he quickly pieced things together.
"Thanks for last night," he said, sitting up and clutching his wound as he leaned against the pillow.
Frank had every chance to abandon him and run, but instead, he'd risked his own life to help him escape.
"No, thank you. You saved my life," Frank replied sincerely.
Without John's help, he never would've survived that indestructible shapeshifter.