24 March
9:13AM Logan Police station
Sergeant McKinley was heatedly defending his actions to John when Monica decided enough was enough.
"Look, you know you shouldn't have suppressed that evidence, but it's done now. As far as any future prosecutions go, it didn't happen. That's not our interest. But, it *is* vitally important to our case. Whether or not the victims enjoyed intercourse with the suspect is beside the point. We think they were drugged – therefore their ability to consent was taken away from them. *Why* they were drugged and bled is our main focus."
Sergeant McKinley had the good grace to look a little sheepish. "Agreed."
"So is there anything else you're not telling us?" John asked.
There was a slight hesitation. "No. Nothing."
John looked like he didn't believe him, but let it drop anyway. "Okay then. I think we need to talk to the other victims. See what they have to say."
"You'll only be able to speak to Karen Fahey. Rosemary Green and Lisa Frampton left town not long after their attacks."
"An' you're only just tellin' us this now? John asked incredulously.
"I was going to get around to it." the sergeant defended. "But you were busy with Annette Franklin yesterday."
"Is Karen still at 59 Grey Street?" Monica asked quickly, noting John's clenched fists.
"Yeah." McKinley nodded.
"Then we'll go talk to her."
XxX
"Well that was a big waste of time." John grumbled, as they drove away from Karen Fahey's house.
Monica silently agreed. Karen had been unable to tell them anything more about her attack, other than what had already been noted. She hadn't seen any silver lion, and was unable to pick out Daniel Winfield from a photo array.
"Maybe if we tracked down Rosemary and Lisa we'd have a bit more luck."
"Maybe if the sergeant and everybody else in this town quit tryin' to sabotage our investigation we'd actually get somewhere."
"John?" Monica looked at him in surprise.
"Look at the facts. We've got a crooked judge, a doctor who by all rights probably shouldn't be practicin' medicine, and a police sergeant who quashes evidence. We're not on a level playin' field here, and I want to know why."
Monica thought about it for a moment. "Daniel Winfield." she put forth.
"Probably."
"You want to go talk to him again?"
"Not just yet. I would like to talk to the doctor though – see if I can't lean on him a bit."
Monica was silent.
"Mon? Where's your head at?"
"Something just doesn't make sense. Why so long between attacks? Why on those days? This isn't just something you start doing out of the blue. It's been nagging at me..it's almost as if…"
"As if what?"
"As if he's working to a calendar." Monica murmured, eyes lighting up in a sudden insight. "John, drop me off at the station. I want to back track through their unsolved case files, see if there's any possibility of more victims. I also want to check out something on the net."
"You gonna share?" John asked, making the turn to take her back to the station.
"This case has ritualistic overtones, are we agreed?"
"Well, the perp might think so."
"John, just for minute put your scepticism aside. He's following a plan – doing things in a certain order. The drugs, the assault, the blood. Why is he doing them? If he's a follower of Priapus it's an offering. Sex to appease the god, blood in exchange for life. Do you know what the 21st of March was? It was the Spring Equinox."
"So?"
"So it's an important date to pagans and wiccans around the world. One of many dates celebrated throughout the year, starting with Samhain. Otherwise known as Celtic New Year. A.K.A. Halloween."
"You're losing me."
"The wheel of the year John. Stands to reason that members of an ancient cult would follow a different calendar to us. Maybe not exactly the same as the pagans, but certainly closer to theirs than the anglicised one."
"And?"
"Traditionally, the spring equinox represents the youth of both the Goddess and the God. Priapus and Ayana. When were the other victims abducted?"
"Rosemary Green on the 2nd of February."
"Imbolc." Monica said excitedly. "Celebrates the inspiration of the Goddess. She is young and growing."
"Ah, Karen Fahey on the 22nd of December."
"Winter Solstice. The great mother gives birth to the God anew."
"And Lisa Frampton on the 31st of October."
"Samhain. The God and Goddess are old. It's a time of death, leading to rebirth. A new cycle."
"What exactly does all this mean though? Unless it helps us catch the perp in the act it's just a co-incidence."
"The next date in the calendar is Beltane. The Goddess and God mate and celebrate their sexuality. Kind of an important date if you're involved in a sex cult, wouldn't you say?"
John pulled up at the station. "When is this Beltane?"
"The 30th of April. If I'm right, I don't think they'll be any further attacks until then."
"But-"
"I'll see you later John." Monica called back over her shoulder, exiting the car.
9:13AM Logan Police station
Sergeant McKinley was heatedly defending his actions to John when Monica decided enough was enough.
"Look, you know you shouldn't have suppressed that evidence, but it's done now. As far as any future prosecutions go, it didn't happen. That's not our interest. But, it *is* vitally important to our case. Whether or not the victims enjoyed intercourse with the suspect is beside the point. We think they were drugged – therefore their ability to consent was taken away from them. *Why* they were drugged and bled is our main focus."
Sergeant McKinley had the good grace to look a little sheepish. "Agreed."
"So is there anything else you're not telling us?" John asked.
There was a slight hesitation. "No. Nothing."
John looked like he didn't believe him, but let it drop anyway. "Okay then. I think we need to talk to the other victims. See what they have to say."
"You'll only be able to speak to Karen Fahey. Rosemary Green and Lisa Frampton left town not long after their attacks."
"An' you're only just tellin' us this now? John asked incredulously.
"I was going to get around to it." the sergeant defended. "But you were busy with Annette Franklin yesterday."
"Is Karen still at 59 Grey Street?" Monica asked quickly, noting John's clenched fists.
"Yeah." McKinley nodded.
"Then we'll go talk to her."
XxX
"Well that was a big waste of time." John grumbled, as they drove away from Karen Fahey's house.
Monica silently agreed. Karen had been unable to tell them anything more about her attack, other than what had already been noted. She hadn't seen any silver lion, and was unable to pick out Daniel Winfield from a photo array.
"Maybe if we tracked down Rosemary and Lisa we'd have a bit more luck."
"Maybe if the sergeant and everybody else in this town quit tryin' to sabotage our investigation we'd actually get somewhere."
"John?" Monica looked at him in surprise.
"Look at the facts. We've got a crooked judge, a doctor who by all rights probably shouldn't be practicin' medicine, and a police sergeant who quashes evidence. We're not on a level playin' field here, and I want to know why."
Monica thought about it for a moment. "Daniel Winfield." she put forth.
"Probably."
"You want to go talk to him again?"
"Not just yet. I would like to talk to the doctor though – see if I can't lean on him a bit."
Monica was silent.
"Mon? Where's your head at?"
"Something just doesn't make sense. Why so long between attacks? Why on those days? This isn't just something you start doing out of the blue. It's been nagging at me..it's almost as if…"
"As if what?"
"As if he's working to a calendar." Monica murmured, eyes lighting up in a sudden insight. "John, drop me off at the station. I want to back track through their unsolved case files, see if there's any possibility of more victims. I also want to check out something on the net."
"You gonna share?" John asked, making the turn to take her back to the station.
"This case has ritualistic overtones, are we agreed?"
"Well, the perp might think so."
"John, just for minute put your scepticism aside. He's following a plan – doing things in a certain order. The drugs, the assault, the blood. Why is he doing them? If he's a follower of Priapus it's an offering. Sex to appease the god, blood in exchange for life. Do you know what the 21st of March was? It was the Spring Equinox."
"So?"
"So it's an important date to pagans and wiccans around the world. One of many dates celebrated throughout the year, starting with Samhain. Otherwise known as Celtic New Year. A.K.A. Halloween."
"You're losing me."
"The wheel of the year John. Stands to reason that members of an ancient cult would follow a different calendar to us. Maybe not exactly the same as the pagans, but certainly closer to theirs than the anglicised one."
"And?"
"Traditionally, the spring equinox represents the youth of both the Goddess and the God. Priapus and Ayana. When were the other victims abducted?"
"Rosemary Green on the 2nd of February."
"Imbolc." Monica said excitedly. "Celebrates the inspiration of the Goddess. She is young and growing."
"Ah, Karen Fahey on the 22nd of December."
"Winter Solstice. The great mother gives birth to the God anew."
"And Lisa Frampton on the 31st of October."
"Samhain. The God and Goddess are old. It's a time of death, leading to rebirth. A new cycle."
"What exactly does all this mean though? Unless it helps us catch the perp in the act it's just a co-incidence."
"The next date in the calendar is Beltane. The Goddess and God mate and celebrate their sexuality. Kind of an important date if you're involved in a sex cult, wouldn't you say?"
John pulled up at the station. "When is this Beltane?"
"The 30th of April. If I'm right, I don't think they'll be any further attacks until then."
"But-"
"I'll see you later John." Monica called back over her shoulder, exiting the car.