March 5, 1896, Ouray, France (Aelita POV)

"Darling, where are we going?" I asked, as we drove down a country road towards the warehouse. "I want to show you off to my beautiful Aelita to my co-workers, my love," Jeremy said, as he held my hand and gently squeezed it. I sat there and smiled as we drove on. After a while of driving, we pulled up to the warehouse.

"Come along, they're right through here," Jeremy said as we walked down a steep flight of steps. I walked along behind him, my hand in his. He opened a door at the end of the stairwell and motioned for me to go in first.

"Boys, this is my beautiful girlfriend Aelita, the one I've been telling you about," he said, his arm 'round my waist. "Well, she's as lovely as that picture you've been carrying around, Belpois," piped up one of the men standing against the wall with his arms folded. Jeremy gave him a strange look, but I disregarded it and stood there beaming, Jeremy's arm 'round my waist.

"So this is where you work, darling?" I asked, breaking the silence. "Yes, the boys and I work down here doing matinence for the owner of the building," he said, as he moved away. "What is the own-"

Jeremy POV

"Everything is set up, all we need is the girl," William said, as he put his hood down. I went to the corner where Aelita was slumped on the floor and picked her up.

I set her down gently on the floor close to the drain where everything was set up. "You ready to do this?" William asked, holding out the ax. I stared at the ax for several seconds. "For god's sake! Just do it or I will!" William snapped, the ax still extended to me. I took the ax in my hand while everyone went to their places.

I put up my hood and stood over Aelita's body. I raised the ax over my head and with one swing, blood splattered on the wall and the floor while the men around me chanted the sacred chants.

I took my place at the circle while one of the other men picked up Aelita's head. "This we send to you, Lord of all Darkness. May your messengers pass on this sacrifice to you and may it please you. This we pray in the name of you, our Dark Lord," one of the men said, tossing my girlfriend's head down the old slaughterhouse well.

"Boys, our rite is now complete," said Odd, as he put down his hood with a sinister smile. "No it's not. What are we going to do about that?" asked Nicholas, pointing at the bloody mess. "Take it out into the woods and leave it," William ordered.

The boys carried her bloody body up the stairs, her stomach swollen with our child. "I believe the Dark Lord will enjoy our gift," Odd said as he put his arm around my shoulders, jolting me out of my thoughts. "Yes, I believe he will," I said with a smile.

A few days later, Det. Jim Morales POV

"Dear lord," I said, as I looked down at the sight. "Get her over to Doc. Hertz's office immediately."

"Yes sir," said one of my men, as he and a comrade gently lifted the body out of the straw and dirt. I stared as my men loaded her into the car and sped away.

"Mr. Koltz, thank you for reporting this. My men will see to anything else you need," I said, tipping my hat and walking back to the waiting car.

"Glad I could help, Detective," the little old farmer said.

Dr. Hertz's office, Det. Morales POV

"So what's the story Doc? Do we know who she is?" I asked, as the Doc made her way 'round the table. "It's hard to figure out who she is, but from the looks of it, she was about six months pregnant. There is also something interesting on the bottom of her shoe, look," she said, gingerly handing me the shoe.

"'Beloit Méléard.' I'll have my men look into it. Thanks Doc," I said, tipping my hat as I left her office.

The Police Station, Det. Morales POV

"What do we do next sir?" asked one of the men.

"Well, the Doc gave me one lead. Beloit Méléard…have any of you heard of them?" I asked.

"I have. My wife bought a pair of shoes from them a week ago," piped up Giles Fumet.

"Good! You and Det. Black try to find out if this pair of shoes was bought recently by a young woman," I said, tossing Fumet the shoe.

The men dispersed, eager to get to the root of this heinous crime.

Beloit Méléard Shoe Company, downtown Paris, Det. Fumet POV

"There it is," I said, pointing to the shop we were looking for.

We stepped onto the sidewalk and headed in, the smell of leather and shoe polish hitting our noses.

"Welcome gentlemen, may I help you find something?" a clerk asked, as she approached us.

"Yes actually. We were wondering if you could tell us who bought this from your store," I said, handing her the shoe.

"Ah yes, I remember this one. A young couple came in about a week ago. The young lady was searching and searching for something nice when I suggested this one," she said.

"Did you happen to catch the young couples' names?" I asked eagerly.

"Yes as a matter of fact. The young lady had to sign a slip because she was going to pick them up at a later date. Here it is," she said, producing the slip from beneath the counter.

"Thank you very much for your help," Black said as we both tipped our hats and left, the slip of paper in my hand.

"We should inform her family," I said as soon as the door slammed.

Schaffer residence, Det. Fumet POV

"We are deeply sorry for your loss Monsieur and Madame Schaffer," I said, my hat in my hand.

"I know it was that boy that did this to my little girl!" Monsieur Schaffer snapped as he held his sobbing wife in his arms.

"Tell me how you find out it was my daughter," he said, his voice a little softer.

"We figured it out through a pair of shoes she bought while shopping. The boy you mentioned, can you tell us his name?" I asked gently.

"Jeremy Belpois! That monster and his psychopathic friend Odd Della Robia murdered my baby girl! I know it!" sobbed Madame Schaffer as she buried her face in her husband's chest.

"Do you where we can find them?" Det. Black asked.

"They're probably at their apartment in Beauvais. Please, find them and find out why they did this to my family," said Monsieur Schaffer, as he rocked his still sobbing wife, tears falling down his face.

"Thank you Monsieur and Madame Schaffer," I said, as we both tipped our hats and left them to grieve.

We got into the car and drove silently back to the station.

The police station

As we walked in, Det. Morales was pointing to a board. "What did the two of you find out?" he asked.

"The family seems to think it was the girl's boyfriend and his friend that did this. They asked us to check their apartment in Beauvais," Black said.

"You and Fumet go to the apartment. Track them down," Morales said, a glimmer of determination in his eyes.

We nodded and set out once more.

Beauvais district, East Third Street, Det. Fumet POV

"Pardon me, Madame, do you know if two people by the names of Jeremy Belpois and Odd Della Robia live in this apartment complex?" I asked as we approached a woman weeding her garden.

"Yes. They live in 45B. Are they in trouble?" she asked, brushing dirt from her knees.

"We just want to ask them some questions. Thank you Madame for your help," I said as I tipped my hat.

We headed up the stairwell and began our search for the apartment.

"Here it is," I said. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

I stepped back as I heard click from the inside.

"Good afternoon Detectives. How can I help you?" asked the young man, his friend right behind him.

"We're looking for a couple of young men by the names of Jeremy Belpois and Odd Della Robia. Do you know where we could find them?" I asked.

"I'm Jeremy Belpois and my roommate here is Odd Della Robia. What can we do for you?" he asked.

"You both can turn around and put your hands behind your backs. You're both under arrest for the murder of Aelita Schaffer," Black said, as he arrested the young man.

The police station, Det. Fumet POV

I stood in the dark room staring at the young man before me, trying to figure him out.

"So you're telling me that Odd Della Robia killed your girlfriend?" I asked as I sat down in the empty chair.

"Yes. He was the one that killed her," Jeremy said coolly, leaning back in his chair.

"Why in the world would he murder your girlfriend? Especially when she was so close to having her baby?" I asked, puzzled by the young man's story.

"I don't know, detective. You'll have to ask Odd. She was my girlfriend, but I can assure you, I did not murder her," Jeremy said coolly, a hint of a smile on his face.

I got up and left the room, no longer able to bear being in his presence.

As I shut the door, Det. Black came into the hallway, shaking his head, a disgusted look on his face.

"He's saying he's never heard of Aelita Schaffer, but he was friends with Jeremy Belpois," he said.

I shook my head and went back into the room where Belpois sat reclined in his chair, his feet popped up on the table.

"Stand up. My comrade and I are taking you and Della Robia to the prison," I said from the doorway.

"For what? My roommate and I haven't done anything wrong!" snapped Jeremy as I dragged him up out of his seat.

I lead the young man to the car and placed him in the back seat, where he joined Odd Della Robia, his new cellmate.

The prison, later that night, Jeremy Belpois POV

"Well, it looks like this is coming to an end," I mumbled from my bunk.

"I want you to tell them you had nothing to do with this. Tell them you weren't even there. Odd, I want you to save yourself," I said, sitting up.

"You know as well as I that I'm not going to tell them that. You're not going to be the martyr, Jeremy," Odd said, as he rolled over and fell asleep.

I went over and sat by the window and pulled out a cigarette. I watched the sun come up over the guard tower as the priest came in.

"Good morning gentlemen," he said, pulling out his sash and his bible.

"I have been called here to give you both your last rights as well as to have you both confess your sins," he said.

"The only confession I have is that I was in fact going to kill the girl, but I wasn't going to tell her," I said coolly from my seat at the windowsill.

Odd said nothing, which was the priest's cue to leave. "Well gentlemen, I bid you good day, and may god have mercy on your souls," he said, as he shoved his things in his briefcase, placed his hat back on his balding head, and left our cell.

As he left, the sheriff came in. "Come on boys, its time."

As we walked to the courtyard, we were met by the governor. "Now is your last chance: tell me where the girl's head is, and I will see to it that you and your friend are given a lesser sentence," he said in a hushed voice.

"Sir, before you, the sheriff, and my friend, I can honestly say I have no idea where her head is. And I can also say I'm not lying when I say I have no idea," I said, looking the governor dead in the eyes. "Governor, I want you to know that my friend, Odd Della Robia is innocent. He had nothing to do with Aelita's murder."

The governor walked on down the hallway towards the courtyard, where the scaffold was.

We continued to walk until we finally walked out to the courtyard of the prison in the blistering sun, surrounded by spectators and their families. I wonder if Aelita's family's here, I thought to myself as we were lead to the scaffold.

We stood side by side, the sun beating down on us as the executioner fastened the ropes 'round our necks. "Ladies and gentlemen gathered here on this day, I will die an innocent man. I was not present when the girl was killed," Odd said, his voice echoing off the courtyard walls. "LIAR! YOU AND BELPOIS MURDERED MY BABY GIRL!" roared Monsieur Schaffer who violently stood up from his place. "MURDERERS! MURDERERS!" roared the crowd.

I closed my eyes, knowing very soon, I would see my beautiful Aelita again.

Jeremy Belpois and Odd Della Robia were the last men to be hung on March 20, 1897 at 12:01 am Sunday morning at the prison. To this day, no one knows where Aelita Schaffer's head is. Its whereabouts are a complete mystery that has baffled authorities for the past one hundred years.