TEN
"What do you mean he's dead?" asked Phoebe. "He's standing right there."
"Maybe," Leo said, "but he's still dead. Malator is the demon that controls the domain where evil humans go when they die. If he was in Malators domain, it means he's already died. And he must be very evil. What I don't understand is what he's doing here. How could anyone escape from Malator's domain?"
"I cannot answer that," Scintor said. "I was only hired to retrieve him. Apparently you three vanquished the Searcher sent to get him. As I said, I have no quarrel with the three of you. My assignment is only to return the human to Malators domain."
"What the," Darryl said as the freeze around him wore off. "Okay, what's going on? What's Casey doing here? He's dead. He can't be here."
"Who is he?" Prue asked. "He told us his name was David Markham."
"It's Laurence Casey," Darryl said. "He is....or was, a serial killer. He murdered and then butchered four women and would have murdered a fifth if I hadn't caught up with him. It's because of him that I made Inspector. But he was executed almost six years ago. I was at the execution."
"And as for him being an innocent," Scintor said, "how do you think he was able to evade the police for so long? I understand his crime spree lasted nearly four years. A very long time especially for one such as him. He was granted certain abilities. So he is far from being an innocent. And I have been sent to return him where he belongs."
The sisters all looked at each other. It was clear they were unsure what to do. It was clear they all felt that Casey was as much a monster as any human could be. But in the war of good versus evil, he would still be considered an innocent. One without the powers or abilities to combat demons.
"You have to let him go," Leo said. "He's been judged and punished. He belongs with Malator. It's out of your hands."
The girls looked at each other one more time. Finally, Prue simply nodded. Scintor just smiled, and then shimmered out of the manor with Casey. Except for a minor cut on Prue's throat, there was no indication either had ever been there.
* * *
"It didn't feel right," Piper said later. "Letting a demon just take a human like that."
"Casey wasn't human," Darryl said. "I won't tell you what he did to his victims. Let's just say that he might have made Jack the Ripper jealous. It was the most horrible case I've ever worked. I hope I never have another one like that."
"Well, he got what he deserved," Leo said. "Not much is known about Malator. He doesn't have much contact with humans. Only those who are thoroughly evil. He only has contact with them once they die. I'll bet he has some special punishment in store for Casey when he gets there. No one has ever escaped him before."
"Why wasn't he a ghost?" Phoebe asked. "If he was dead, shouldn't he have been a ghost coming here?"
"That's a little hard to explain," Leo said. "Technically, a ghost is the spirit of a dead person who comes back to earth. But they can't fully come across from the other side. That's why they're insubstantial. Only a part of their essence can cross the void between this world and the next.
"Somehow, Casey found a way to come back fully. That's why he was solid. He couldn't have stayed long at any rate. Eventually he would have been forced back to the other side. That's where he belongs whether it's for punishment or reward."
"But he could have done a lot of damage while he was here," Darryl said. "I'm just glad we were able to get rid of him again."
"I guess so," Prue said. "While I'm not sorry for vanquishing that Searcher demon, I hate to think we nearly helped someone like Casey escape his punishment."
"Well, I'm going home," said Darryl. "I've had quite enough excitement for one day. I hope it's a long time before we have to repeat anything like this again."
"You need to report to the Elders, don't you?" Piper asked Leo after Darryl had left.
"Yes," Leo said. "If Casey could escape Malator once, it's possible someone else might be able to in the future. The Elders need to be made aware of that. There's no telling who might come back next time."
"Won't this Malator see to it that no one can do it again?" Prue asked. "I would imagine his superiors weren't exactly pleased he lost one of his charges."
"Maybe," Leo said. "But there might be other ways out. The Elders need to be aware of it just in case."
"Hurry back," Piper said.
"I will," Leo said, smiling as he orbed out.
"Careful there, sis," Phoebe said. "You know what they say about long distance relationships. Besides, what would Dan say?"
"I just meant he should come back and tell us some more about this Malator," Piper said. "That's all."
"Sure you did," Prue said, smiling coyly.
"What do you mean he's dead?" asked Phoebe. "He's standing right there."
"Maybe," Leo said, "but he's still dead. Malator is the demon that controls the domain where evil humans go when they die. If he was in Malators domain, it means he's already died. And he must be very evil. What I don't understand is what he's doing here. How could anyone escape from Malator's domain?"
"I cannot answer that," Scintor said. "I was only hired to retrieve him. Apparently you three vanquished the Searcher sent to get him. As I said, I have no quarrel with the three of you. My assignment is only to return the human to Malators domain."
"What the," Darryl said as the freeze around him wore off. "Okay, what's going on? What's Casey doing here? He's dead. He can't be here."
"Who is he?" Prue asked. "He told us his name was David Markham."
"It's Laurence Casey," Darryl said. "He is....or was, a serial killer. He murdered and then butchered four women and would have murdered a fifth if I hadn't caught up with him. It's because of him that I made Inspector. But he was executed almost six years ago. I was at the execution."
"And as for him being an innocent," Scintor said, "how do you think he was able to evade the police for so long? I understand his crime spree lasted nearly four years. A very long time especially for one such as him. He was granted certain abilities. So he is far from being an innocent. And I have been sent to return him where he belongs."
The sisters all looked at each other. It was clear they were unsure what to do. It was clear they all felt that Casey was as much a monster as any human could be. But in the war of good versus evil, he would still be considered an innocent. One without the powers or abilities to combat demons.
"You have to let him go," Leo said. "He's been judged and punished. He belongs with Malator. It's out of your hands."
The girls looked at each other one more time. Finally, Prue simply nodded. Scintor just smiled, and then shimmered out of the manor with Casey. Except for a minor cut on Prue's throat, there was no indication either had ever been there.
* * *
"It didn't feel right," Piper said later. "Letting a demon just take a human like that."
"Casey wasn't human," Darryl said. "I won't tell you what he did to his victims. Let's just say that he might have made Jack the Ripper jealous. It was the most horrible case I've ever worked. I hope I never have another one like that."
"Well, he got what he deserved," Leo said. "Not much is known about Malator. He doesn't have much contact with humans. Only those who are thoroughly evil. He only has contact with them once they die. I'll bet he has some special punishment in store for Casey when he gets there. No one has ever escaped him before."
"Why wasn't he a ghost?" Phoebe asked. "If he was dead, shouldn't he have been a ghost coming here?"
"That's a little hard to explain," Leo said. "Technically, a ghost is the spirit of a dead person who comes back to earth. But they can't fully come across from the other side. That's why they're insubstantial. Only a part of their essence can cross the void between this world and the next.
"Somehow, Casey found a way to come back fully. That's why he was solid. He couldn't have stayed long at any rate. Eventually he would have been forced back to the other side. That's where he belongs whether it's for punishment or reward."
"But he could have done a lot of damage while he was here," Darryl said. "I'm just glad we were able to get rid of him again."
"I guess so," Prue said. "While I'm not sorry for vanquishing that Searcher demon, I hate to think we nearly helped someone like Casey escape his punishment."
"Well, I'm going home," said Darryl. "I've had quite enough excitement for one day. I hope it's a long time before we have to repeat anything like this again."
"You need to report to the Elders, don't you?" Piper asked Leo after Darryl had left.
"Yes," Leo said. "If Casey could escape Malator once, it's possible someone else might be able to in the future. The Elders need to be made aware of that. There's no telling who might come back next time."
"Won't this Malator see to it that no one can do it again?" Prue asked. "I would imagine his superiors weren't exactly pleased he lost one of his charges."
"Maybe," Leo said. "But there might be other ways out. The Elders need to be aware of it just in case."
"Hurry back," Piper said.
"I will," Leo said, smiling as he orbed out.
"Careful there, sis," Phoebe said. "You know what they say about long distance relationships. Besides, what would Dan say?"
"I just meant he should come back and tell us some more about this Malator," Piper said. "That's all."
"Sure you did," Prue said, smiling coyly.