He shouldn't have been there that night. He shouldn't have been at that party, at that house. He shouldn't have been lying on the street outside getting beat up by the same boys who had tortured him all his life.  

When Julius left his house that night, he knew something bad would happen. He could feel it in the pit of his stomach. A feeling of dread grew with each step he took toward the party. He knew it was a bad idea to go. Maybe that's why he did it. It had been months since he had felt anything other than numb. Feeling anything, even dread and fear, was welcome.  

He wasn't sure who slipped something in his drink. He didn't know what it was or when it happened, but Julius was sure there must have been something in there. If there wasn't, the world wouldn't be like this. It wouldn't be blurred, and voices wouldn't sound as if they were far away and underwater.  

The kicks and punches that hit his sides and legs, his skull hitting the ground, and the weight of something heavy across his chest would have hurt if he hadn't been drugged. If he hadn't been drugged, his arms would be able to move when he told them to. He would have been able to fight his attackers.  

Julius heard two pairs of footsteps run away from him. Then the words "poison" and "he's going to die" reached his ears just before he heard police sirens. Julius couldn't move. His eyes drifted shut as blood leaked from his wounds. Even in his hazy state he could recognize the flashing red and blue lights of the police car. It was the last thing he noticed before everything faded into darkness.  

Four years ago, Charlie Austin left the quiet town of Anchor Point for the bustling streets of New York City. He hadn't looked back since. Sure, he had come back during holidays to see those he left behind. But his Anchor Point visits were plagued with an overwhelming knowledge that he'd soon be leaving once again.  

However, three months ago, Charlie realized he couldn't stay away from Anchor Point any longer. He may have hated the town, but his heart still lived there. Charlie couldn't bear to be away from him any longer. So, he packed up his bags and moved home. He got a job at the local police department. No one knew he was back, though, not even the man he loved.  

There was a party scheduled for the end of the week to announce his homecoming. But Charlie still had to make it through his first week of work. He planned to start with a case that promised to keep him on his toes.  

It was the case of Aiden Julius Dauer. He had been found the day before, beat up and poisoned outside of a college house party. The man had just under 36 hours to live unless whatever poisoned him was found and brought to the hospital.  

36 hours. Charlie had 36 hours to solve the case before Julius was lost from this world forever.  

Not wasting any time, Charlie knew that his first stop had to be the hospital. If anyone knew of any motives for the attack, it would be Julius's family. Charlie could only hope they'd be willing to cooperate.  

Charlie had to admit that living in a small town had its advantages. For example, everything was so close together that he could get to the hospital in a matter of minutes. This was important when working on a case with a time crunch such as this one. Small town life also meant that almost everybody knew everybody.  

When Charlie approached the front desk at the hospital, he didn't get a chance to speak before the nurse was pointing him toward Julius's room. "It's just down the hall, Charlie. Sixth door on the left. When you see the giant ego of Henry Dauer you'll know you've arrived."  

"So the devil is here," Charlie replied, which made the nurse laugh. He gave her a brief smile to mask his nerves. Even as an adult Henry Dauer scared the living daylights out of him, though Charlie would never admit that. "Got any holy water I can throw on him?"  

The nurse chuckled again and gave Charlie's shoulder a comforting squeeze. "You can do this, Charlie. Dauer's got nothing on you, okay? You got this."  

"Right." Charlie grimaced, standing up a little straighter. He rolled his shoulders back in an effort to look taller. "Wish me luck."  

Charlie sighed before he started down the hallway, counting the doors as he did. Julius's room was a private one, meaning it was slightly smaller than the others but it only had one bed. That was no doubt the work of Henry Dauer. The door was closed, and all Charlie could hear was someone rapidly tapping away at their phone. However, that sound stopped when Charlie knocked.  

"About time the police arrived," said an annoyed voice from the other side of the door. A second later it flew open, revealing the scowling face of Henry Dauer. He sneered when he saw Charlie. "Oh. It's you."  

"Mr. Dauer," Charlie said stiffly. "I'm the officer in charge of your son’s case."  

"To hell you are," Henry Dauer growled, glaring at Charlie with a fiery hatred. A few years ago, that glare would have had Charlie backing down in fear. Now, though, he didn't even flinch. "I told you to stay away from my son."  

"You can't keep Julius away from me," Charlie snapped, glaring back at the older man. He struggled to keep his voice and temper in check. Now was not the time for this argument. Julius was dying. Taking a deep breath, he tried again. "I am the only one who was available to take his case. So, unless you want him to die, I suggest you cooperate."  

"How dare you," Mr. Dauer snarled. He started to take a step toward Charlie when a hand landed on his shoulder. A beautiful young woman with long black hair appeared behind him. Dried tear tracks streaked her face.  

"Dad, please. Let Charlie do his job," the girl begged softly. She gave her dad a pleading look. "For Julius."  

"You have ten minutes. I'm going to go call the office. Don't try anything funny," Mr. Dauer muttered, shoving past Charlie.  

"It's good to see you, Charlie." The girl smiled weakly, stepping forward to wrap her arms around Charlie. She kissed his cheek softly. "We thought Dad had scared you away for good."  

"Are you kidding? I dealt with people worse than your dad in New York, Jess," Charlie replied, squeezing her tightly before she stepped back. Almost immediately she was replaced by an identical girl, who hugged Charlie even tighter than her twin sister. "How are you holding up, Jade?" Charlie asked.  

"I'm okay. Better now that you're here," Jade said, wiping tears from her soft brown eyes.  

Then Charlie saw Julius for the first time. He was covered in bandages. Wires and tubes ran across his body, hooking him up to various machines. One of them was projecting his heartbeat through the room. That sound alone that kept Charlie calm as he gazed upon the nearly lifeless body. But Julius was still alive. For now, at least.