Chapter 2

It was the following morning. Nick was late due to the sudden increase in traffic. He ran down to forensics looking for Simon and Karl. He opened the mortuary doors and found them both. He marched in with heavy footsteps along the pristine white tiles. His shadow was casted against the walls from the bright lights. Karl stopped talking and wagged his finger at Nick.

"Your late. Don't worry I was just about to get onto the interesting stuff." Simon kept quiet. Karl pointed to the neck area. "The instrument used to slice off his head was a very thin sharp blade. It has this curved pattern along the bone which suggests some sort of large curved blade. Like an old fashioned farmers hook or some sort of scythe. Either way it should be really easy to track down. Also, the time between the bullets being fired and the slicing of the head is about an hour. I don't know if that will be of any help, I just think it is a very large time gap. Someone would have heard the shots." Karl paused to look up at Nick and Simon. Simon asked,

"Are there any distinct tattoo's or scars? Anything to indicate a ritual type nature?" Karl shook his head,

"He has one tattoo on his left shoulder which reads Arianna."

"She said they weren't close," blurted Nick, "her cousin has her name tattooed on his arm. If you're not close you wouldn't do that." Simon frowned,

"She's obviously lying. What about scars?" Karl turned to the right side of his neck.

"I'd say it's pretty old, but there are two hole marks on the side of his neck. Pencil size, it could easily be from use of drugs in the past but the holes are too big. I can't really tell you anymore than that. I'm still waiting for the tox report." Nick nodded,

"Okay, thanks anyway Karl. Let us know if you find anything." Karl nodded. Nick lead the way out, followed by Simon. They took a swift left up the stairs and headed to the police entrance.

"Are you going to question Arianna again?" Simon asked shyly. Nick cleared his throat,

"Yes, I'll ask her about the tattoo. Check out his flat for anything. I'll meet you back here."

"Okay," shouted Simon. Nick hopped into his car and drove to Arianna's residence.

Nick parked in the car park across the street from Arianna's address. He quickly crossed the road holding onto the strap of his coat as the strong winds blew him to the right. He hopped onto the pavement and dodged the puddles to the front door. He knocked on the door but got no reply. The was broken with the glass decoration smashed, only to be covered up by very big unattractive panels. Nick knocked again. No answer. He paced along the porch and peered into the kitchen window. The kitchen was immaculate, which was surprising given the external appearance.

"Can I help you?" Arianna appeared out of nowhere right beside him. He jumped out of his skin. She bit her lip to hide her smug expression in doing so. Nick scanned her whole body. She was decently dressed this time. Arianna wore a knee long dress with thick woolly tights and fluffy boots. Nick took a second glance at her in disbelief of how different she looked.

"I need to ask you a few more question Miss..."

Arianna interrupted him, "yeah okay, come in. It's cold so I'll make tea."

"Do you have coffee?" He asked politely. Arianna turned to him with a solemn look on her face,

"Tea or water Mr Hide. It's all I have." Nick fake laughed and followed her in. She showed him to the lounge before going off to the kitchen to boil the kettle. "Well? Are you just going to sit there or are you going to do what you came here to do?" Arianna came through with the tea. She set it down in the centre of her oak wooden coffee table. She spaced the coasters equal lengths from each other and lined up the tea spoons in a perfect line. She then sat down facing Nick with her legs crossed and cushions fully plumped up.

"Forgive me for my curiosity, but you seem very different from last night when we first met." Arianna clutched her legs tight and pulled her mug of tea close to her, but she didn't drink.

"Yes well, the other half of me is a wild thing. Luckily she only comes out at night." Arianna flinched from a sudden ray of sun hitting her face through the curtains. She moved quickly with discomfort.

"Are you okay?" Arianna brushed it off and avoided the sunlight coming in from the window.

"Yes, just a headache." She twitched and rubbed the back of her neck, "what did you want?"

"Your brother had a tattoo on his arm with your name on it. I think you lied about being close to him, because you wouldn't put someone's now on your skin if you didn't care for them. We are going to ignore last night and start fresh. Now tell me to the truth." Arianna played with her hair and giggled.

"We moved here together. The only way we could make money was through the club. I became a stripper and earned money by taking my clothes off. He didn't like it, but I can never get a proper job." Nick leant on the sofa's arm rest and gripped his mug tight. Nick pursed his lips and asked softly,

"Why couldn't you get a proper job?" Arianna tilted her head,

"Because I'm crazy. There are two minds inside me. The one you met last night is my dark side." Nick looked at her speechless. She looked sane to him. "I was never tested but Damien knew what I was like and he knew I'd never be normal. I couldn't help the way I am and neither could he." Nick blinked to break from her hypnotic gaze. Arianna sprung herself onto his lap pinning him against the sofa. Nick dropped his mug. It made a loud noise as it shattered on the floor. Arianna stroked the side of his face and whispered, "do you know what it's like to be crazy officer Hide?" Nick was silent. Arianna kissed his neck tenderly and wrapped her legs around his torso. She paused and slowly opened her mouth above his neck ready to bite. Her eyes flickered red. She quietly hissed about to bite. She could feel the blood pumping through his veins and through his big, juicy, throbbing neck. Arianna stopped and her eyes turned back to normal. She pulled herself away and fell onto the floor. Nick looked at her stunned as she cowered away. "Stupid. Stupid, little girl. They'll find you and kill you. No. Stupid. Stupid." Nick stood up and squatted beside her.

"Arianna, listen to me. You need help."

"I don't need help! You dirty pig!" Arianna growled. She looked away then back again. Her body language changed. She covered her mouth and started to cry. "I'm so sorry, I'm sorry. You have to go. You can't be here anymore. Get out of my house." Nick held her hand.

"Do you know who killed Damien?" He asked confidently. Arianna looked at him and mumbled,

"No. I've never met them. Only whispers. Fears among us all. They can't be true, but they are." Nick frowned. Arianna stood up and pushed him out of the door. "Leave me be," she instructed. Arianna slammed the door shut and locked it. Nick spun on his heel confused. He touched his neck as it cold from where she had been. Nick stepped off the front porch and called Simon on his mobile.

"Hey Simon. I don't think Arianna is a good lead, she seems a bit insecure. She needs medical help. I'll meet you back at the station."

Nick met Simon at the cafeteria. Nick stabbed his fork into his creamy orange pasta and melted cheese. Simon sat down opposite him with a salad and cheese and onion pie. "I'm not kidding Simon. Arianna has a split personality, she invited him in for a cup of tea and was really polite. The next thing I know she's jumping on me, saying really weird things. She has some sort of psychological disfigurement. She wasn't very helpful but I got a bit more on their background. What did you find?" Simon played with his salad before taking a bite.

"Nothing unusual at his flat. It was in a state like my bedroom was when I was at university, complete mess. I did find one something though. There was an old blood packet in the bath, like the ones you see at blood banks or in hospitals. I took a sample of the dried blood and gave it to forensics." Nick laughed and shook his head in disbelief,

"With the blood and holes in his neck sounds like some sort of vampire folklore. This case is just insane." Simon nodded and held his head,

"Tell me about it. We have no other leads. The hotel was clean and so was the body. Karl hasn't got back to us on the hair found." Susan another forensic stumbled over to them in her lab coat and clipboard. She stopped just before walking into the table all flustered.

"Karl sent me up here to tell you the hair found has a match. It's from a woman called Celia Cutter. She's on record for domestic violence of her son ten years ago." Nick swallowed a pasta curl and wiped the sauce away from his chin.

"That's great, thanks Susan. How come Karl didn't come up and tell us?" Susan pointed at the tuna in his pasta.

"Karl can't stand your breath when you've had tuna pasta," Susan smiled and tapped her clipboard, "well I'll catch you later." Simon sniggered under his breath. Nick's eyes followed Susan out of the cafeteria. He put his hand in front of his mouth and breathed on it. He then pulled his hand towards his nostrils and sniffed. Nick pulled a face of disgust and took his hand away from his face. Simon continued to laugh. Nick grabbed a tomato from Simon's salad and threw it at him. Simon picked the tomato and dropped it on his plate.

"Don't start sulking Nick, or I'll call your mother," joked Simon. Nick groaned in response.

"My mother does nothing, but moan at me these days. 'Nicholas find yourself a wife '", Nick impersonated his mother again using a nagging tone, "'Nicholas why can't you be like your older brother' yap, yap, yap..." Simon looked at his watch and coughed to interrupt him,

"Nick, I'm not your therapist." Nick stopped and quietly apologised. "Let's go find Celia Cutter," added Simon.