In the bright early morning, Impala drove up in front of the Roadhouse. Trio was standing together discussing as Dean returned his weapons to the truck. "Los Angeles, California."
Sam asked, "What's in L.A.?"
"Young girl's been kidnapped by an evil cult."
They all walked toward the outside seats of the car as Dean was flipping his car keys in his hands. Karina put her hands in her jacket as she looked at Dean, "What is this young girl's name?"
Dean looked up at Sam and Karina as he answered. "Katie Holmes."
Sam and Karina laughed together at Dean's joke. Where Karina another hand, looked down at Dean's set of keys. Seeing two keys and a silver bullet; probably his first silver he shot on.
Her thoughts interrupted as Sam talked to Dean, "That's funny... and for you, so bitchy."
All of the sudden there was a loud argument from the Roadhouse. An argument between Jo and Ellen. It was so loud that the whole world could hear them, including the banging.
As the trio looked after the building, Dean turned to Sam and Karina. "Of course, on the other hand, catfight."Karina scoffed as she rolled her eyes. Boys walked admittedly to the Roadhouse while Karina was standing back. Raising her arms up, regretting following their steps.
"I AM YOUR MOTHER!! I DON'T HAVE TO BE REASONABLE!!"
"YOU CAN'T KEEP ME HERE!!"
"OH, DON'T YOU BET ON THAT, SWEETIE!!"
Trio entered the building, awkwardly standing in front of an intense fight between mother and daughter. Jo continued yelling at her mom, not noticing the audience.
"What are you going to do, you're going to chain me up in the basement?!?"
"You know what, you've had worse ideas than that recently. Hey, you don't wanna stay, don't stay. Go back to school!"
"I DIDN'T BELONG THERE!! I WAS A FREAK WITH A KNIFE COLLECTION!!"
"Yeah, and getting yourself killed on some dusty back road, that's where you belong!?!" Jo's eyes went up as Ellen followed her gaze. Seeing Dean, Karina, and Sam standing quietly. Ellen spoke to them, softly but still harsh. "Guys, bad time."
Sam raised his hand up, "Yes, ma'am."
Dean nodded along, "Yeah, we rarely drink before ten anyway."
Karina smiled at them, "Adios!" They all walked to the exit until Jo stopped them.
Jo marched up to them as they looked at her. "Wait. I want to know what they think about this."
Ellen yelled at Jo as the family of customers entered the building. "I don't care what they think!"
A family of four who were wearing the same yellow shirts including two twin daughters in their arms. The father noticed the argument as he asked them, "Are you guys open?"
Jo and Ellen turned to the customers and yelled at them. "YES/NO!"
Father looked around, chuckling nervously. He awkwardly responded, "We'll just... check the Arby's down the road." The trio looked at them, eyes widened from the tension between two people.
The family left the Roadhouse, leaving the Trio and Harville's in awkward silence.
Suddenly, the dial phone was ringing. Echoing the tension from the bar. Jo turned, looking after the phone that continued ringing. She blankly glared at it, then at her Mom. Not wanting to answer. The trio was shifting together, getting tension from the looks. Taking all in. Finally, Ellen walked to the phone and picked up the receiver. Leaving Jo talking with the trio in front of her.
Jo grabbed a folder from the bar counter and walked up to Karina. Knowing that she would have the same common sense. Jo quickly summarized a case to them mostly to her. "Three weeks ago, a young girl disappeared from a Philadelphia apartment." Karina blankly stared down at Jo's eyes, gaze at the folder, and then returned back to hers. "Take it, it won't bite."
Karina's eyes squinted, not afraid of Ellen. "Duh, your mother might." Jo sighed as she waited impatiently, holding on to the folder. Karina already sees the familiar sight in Jo. Her younger self.
She grabbed the folder objectively, giving the newspaper clippings a sight to her and the people behind her. Jo continued on as Karina was flipping through the clippings, "And this girl wasn't the first. Over the past 80 years, six women have vanished. All from the same building, all young blondes. Only happens every decade or two, so cops never eyeball the pattern. So we're either dealing with one very old serial killer or-"
Dean interrupted her, "Who put this together? Ash?"
"I did it myself."
Dean Winchester and Karina Leone were both really impressed. Karina continued on reading Jo's eyes as she looked at her. Seeing Karina's impressive mark on her face filled with curiosity.
Sam looked at Dean and Karina, "I got to admit, we hit the road for a lot less."
Ellen walked over to them, after finishing the call. "Good. You like the case so much, you take it."
Jo turned to Ellen, "Mom!!"
"Joanna Beth, this family has lost enough... I won't lose you too. I just won't."
***
Impala began roaring on the road, heading to Philadelphia. Trio walked up to the apartment, sneaking into the witness's home since the woman disappeared. Sam picked the lock as it was successful. Entering the empty home with furniture laying around still.
"I feel kind of bad, snaking Jo's case."
Dean passed Sam as he was starting up the EMF. He spoke out, "Yeah, maybe she put together a good file, but could you see her out here working on one of these things? I don't think so."
Karina turned her head to Dean and began to question him. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Dean looked at Karina whose face was bottled up with fiery eyes on Dean. He began to defend himself, "Come on, Kay! You have to admit you know I'm right. Just because she's your number one fan doesn't mean you should defend her."
"I didn't say anything about defending; I'm asking why you're being a sexist hypocrite judging the sweet, little blonde wanting to rebel of going out instead of staying in. That's all...'
Dean shook his head, not wanting a fight with Karina's belief. Karina rolled her eyes, smiling and scoffing at the same time. Sam looked down on Karina, reading her thoughts. They all turned on their EMFs and began scanning around the apartment. Not getting any readings.
"You boys getting anything?"
"No, not yet," Sam answered as his EMF began reading the senses. He noticed something familiar as he walked over to the circuit. "What's that?"
Dean and Karina walked over to Sam eyeing down the substance of the black goo.
They all touched the substance as Sam exclaimed at the sight. "Holy crap."
Karina rubbed the tiny goo, announcing the familiarity. "That's ectoplasm."
Dean lifted his eyebrows as he spoke out. "Well, guys, I think I know what we're dealing with here..." Sam and Karina looked at Dean as he dramatically exclaimed to them. "It's the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man."
Sam cocked his head to Dean's comment. "Guys, I've seen this stuff, like, twice. I mean, to make this stuff you have to be one majorly pissed-off spirit."
Karina continued caressing the substance on her fingers as she took a closer look. "Yeah... I have seen it before in my time more than twice. Not the best experience."
Karina nodded as she grinned at them. She looked down on Sam's jacket and began cleaning the substance on him. Sam blankly stared at Karina, cleaning the substance on the bottom of his jacket. Angry. She shared a look of Sam's glare with her, and she grinned. "You're welcome."
Dean announced, not seeing Sam and Karina's moment. "Alright, let's find this badass before he snags any more girls." Dean walked away as Sam and Karina followed him behind.
As the trio was walking down the hallway, they all heard the distant chatter from the other side of the hall. They all quickly hid around the corner and backed up against the door to another apartment. Until they all heard a familiar female voice talking to the landlord.
The landlord and a familiar blonde turned to the corner. Walking down the hallway.
"It is so spacious. You know, my friend told me I absolutely have to come to check it out, and I have to admit, she was right. You did a really good job with this place."
The trio was shocked one of them was getting fed up. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"There you are, honey." Jo was smiling her way through, walking up to Dean. Putting her arm around his waist, and looking up at him. She turned to the landlord, "This is my boyfriend, Dean, and his buddies, Sam and Karina." Leaving Sam and Karina impressed with Jo's acting.
The landlord walked toward them as he shook Dean's hand. "Good to meet cha. Quite a gal you've got here."
Dean smiled as he smacked Jo's ass as he responded. "Oh yeah, she's a pistol!" Sam and Karina shared a look at each other. Taking the scenery between them.
"So, did you already check out that apartment?" The silence was deafening as Dean slightly glared at Jo. She continued on, "The one for rent."
"Yeah. Yes. Loved it. Great flow."
Landlord asked, "How'd you get in?"
"It was open."
"Now, Ed, when did the last tenant move out?" asked Jo.
The landlord nodded as he answered the question, "Uh, about a month ago. Cut and run, too. Stiffed me for the rent."
Jo smiled brightly, "Well, her loss, our gain!" She looked at Dean, adorably. "'Cause if Dean-o loves it, it's good enough for me."
Dean smiled at Jo as he smacked her ass again, "Oh, sweetie."
Jo pulled up a band of cash, passing it on to Landlord. "We'll take it."
The landlord took it as Karina returned back to the apartment then Sam nodded as he followed her. Dean and Jo were smiling together as they both followed their buddies. As soon they all entered the apartment, Jo pulled off Dean's body. Setting her bags on the table as they all picked up their weapons.
Sam and Dean were cocking their guns as Karina was sharpening her knives and blades on the table. Knees toward her beside Sam as Jo was standing beside Karina. Looking straight at Dean.
"I'll flip you for the sofa."
"Does your mother even know you're here?"
"Told her I was going to Vegas."
"You think she's gonna buy that?"
"I'm not an idiot. I got Ash to lay a credit card trail all the way to the casinos."
Dean shook his head in disbelief, "You know, you shouldn't lie to your mom. Shouldn't be here either."
"Well, I am. So untwist your boxers and deal with it."
Sam asked Jo, "Where'd you get all that money from, anyways?"
"Working at the Roadhouse."
Dean looked at Jo, "Hunters don't tip that well."
"Well, they aren't that good at poker, either."
Suddenly, Dean's phone began ringing with a heavy metal ringtone. He got up from the table, answering the call. "Yeah... Oh, hi, Ellen." Dean looked at the rest of them as he walked to the end of the table. Jo marched up to Dean, and they both spread a whispering, furious argument while Ellen was talking to Dean. Sam and Karina looked at the scene in amusement.
Dean responded back to Ellen, "I haven't seen her... Yeah, I'm sure... Absolutely." Dean hung up the call as he looked down at Jo's eyes. She grinned widely as she looked at Dean.
After a short while, Sam, Karina, and Jo were sitting at a table together. Along with the blueprint spreading out on the table since Jo has some familiarity. She was twirling a small knife in her hand as she explained the deal. "This place was built in 1924. It was originally a warehouse, converted into apartments a few months ago."
Dean was pacing around the room as he asked, "Yeah? What was here before 1924?"
"Nothing. Empty field."
Sam was reading the papers in his hands, "So, a most likely scenario, someone died bloody in the building, and now he's back and raising hell."
"I already checked. In the past 82 years, zero violent deaths, unless you count a janitor who slipped on a wet floor. Would you sit down, please?" Jo asked Dean who was standing behind her, he looked down smirking as he sat down on a chair beside her.
Sam and Karina shared an eye widened as they smirked at each other.
"So, have you checked the police reports, county death records-"
Jo inferred Dean, "Obituaries, mortuary reports, and seven other sources. I know what I'm doing."
"I think the jury's still out on that one." Jo continued twirling as Dean stared at her, "Could you put the knife down?" Jo's eye was widened by his tone as she set it down on the table.
Karina shared a look with Sam as she shouted out the tension between Dean and Jo. "Okay. Um... maybe it's a different entity. Maybe there was a cursed object that drew the spirit."
Jo looked at Karina, "Well, we've got to scan the whole building. Everywhere we can get to, right?"
Dean nodded as he leaned toward Jo, "Right. So... you and me, we'll take the top two floors."
He got up as Jo walked up to Dean, "We'd move faster if we split up."
"Oh, this isn't negotiable."
***
After Dean and Jo set good terms with each other and found evidence of ripped blonde hair, Sam and Karina found out there was another blonde victim missing last night. Sam and Jo were in the apartment researching the case as Dean and Karina began to investigate the crime scene.
Without caffeine in their systems, of course.
"Theresa Ellis-- Apartment 2-F. Boyfriend reported her missing around dawn," said Dean as he entered the room along with Karina by his side.
Jo asked, "And her apartment?"
Karina informed by shaking her head, "Ripping cracks all over the place--walls, ceiling. Finally, there was a lovely ectoplasm."
Sam inferred, "Well, between that and that tuft of hair, I'd say this sucker's coming from the walls."
"That's an amazing observation, Sam... We still don't know why this guy's connection to the building. History's clean."
Jo noticed a photograph as she picked it up from the table, "Well, maybe we're looking in the wrong place."
Dean asked, "What do you mean?"
"Check this out."
Jo gave a photograph to Sam, giving him a view of the trio. They looked closely, not seeing anything.
"An empty field?" Sam asked.
"It's where this building was built. Take a look at the one next door." They all looked at the building next to the field. There were concrete buildings with windows that specified one thing. "The windows."
"Bars." Karina shared a look with Jo. She grinned at her, eyes lit up. "We're next door to a prison."
Jo was talking with Ash on the phone for more information, after a short long information, she began to threaten him. "Thank, Ash. Oh, and if you breathe a word of this to my mom... That's right. I will... with pliers.'
She hung on the call, grabbing the same photograph. She began explaining the history of the building to the trio. "Moyamensing prison. Built in 1835, torn down in 1963. And get this-- they used to execute people by hanging them in the empty field next door."
Trio shared a knowing look on each other before Sam proceeded. "Well, then, we need a list. All the people executed there."
"Ash is already on it."
As Sam was strolling through the list of names of prisoners on his laptop, it lasted longer than they all thought. Sam spoke out loud as he shook his head, "157 names?"
Karina responded, "We have to narrow it down."
Sam agreed before Dean made a side comment, "Or else we're gonna be digging up a hell of a lot of stiffs."
Sam continued to narrow the names down as he saw a name quite familiar on the screen. He read out loud, "Herman Webster Mudgett?"
The other two people were familiar with the name as their eyes were shocked except Jo, "Yeah?"
Karina looked at the screen as she asked the boys out loud, "Wasn't that H.H. Holmes' real name?"
Dean looked at the screen as he exclaimed, "You gotta be kidding me.'
Dean took a seat on the chair and began typing down the name on Sam's laptop. Karina was standing beside Sam as he was sitting down on the corner of the table, waiting patiently for the reveal from Dean.
"Yep. Holmes was executed at Moyamensing; May 7, 1896."
Sam looked at each of them as he nodded with the connection. "H.H. Holmes himself. I mean, come on, what are the odds?"
Jo asked them, "Who is this guy?" Karina began to explain to Jo as she knew the details about him.
"He was as the term states "multi-murderer." He was the original serial killer in America before anyone knew the era of serial killers."
Sam inferred, "Yeah, he confessed to 27 murders, but some put the death toll at over 100."
Dean inferred as he looked at Jo, "And the victim of choice- pretty, petite blonde." Jo was tensed up with guilt with her grin as Dean continued on. "He-he used chloroform to kill 'em... which is what I smelled in the hallway last night. At his place, cops found human remains, bone fragments, and long locks of bloody blonde hair. Boy, you sure know how to pick 'em."
"We just find the bones, salt them, and burn them, right?"
"Girl, I don't think that's possible. After he was executed, his body was buried in town with tons of concrete.", answered Karina.
"What, why?"
Dean pointed out, "The story goes that he didn't want anybody mutilating his corpse 'cause, you know, it's what he used to do."
"You know something?" All eyes turned to Sam as he looked at a photograph from the table. "We might have an even bigger problem than that."
Jo asked, "How does this get bigger?"
"Holmes built an apartment building in Chicago. He called it, the Murder Castle. The whole place was a death factory. They had trapdoors, acid vats, quicklime pits. He built these secret chambers... inside the walls. He'd lock his victims in, keep them alive for days. Some, he suffocates. Others, he'd starve to death."
"So Theresa could still be alive. She could be inside these walls."
Dean stood up as he looked at each member, "We need sledgehammers, crowbars. We've got to smash these walls, anywhere thick enough to hide a girl."