I'm back! And my deepest apologies for being away for two weeks, I think. Exam period has begun and I've already had to do a three hour music technical writing paper, which really made no sense to me, but never mind. On with the next chapter.
Disclaimer: Not Mine
Chapter 8- Parents and Reporters
11:00:00
"Yes, it is true that the two women that were found murdered in the previous week were committed by someone whose believe to have been in close contact with Marie Howard: the Red Petal Killer,"
The worst part of his job, Gabrelli thought, was having to addressed the rabid pack known as the media. They were parasites living off the misfortunes of others. Anything slightly morbid and they would pounce on the story; tear the subject into tiny pieces. And although he believed that Marie Howard deserved everything that came to her, he didn't want her to be infuriated at something that a reporter wrote in a newspaper or magazine. That woman was too easily prone to violent outbursts when provoked
If he had his way, then this investigation would be conducted in secrecy, no press involved. He wasn't even sure how they had managed to get the information that they already had on this case. Probably some junior Timekeeper accidentally letting something slip to the wrong person, but he would still be chasing up whoever was idiotic to have it leaked to the papers
There were a ridiculous amount of reporters here today, and all were clamouring for his attention
"Deputy Director Gabrelli, is it true that Marie Howard is working with the Timekeepers on this case?" Kris Allegri from the Times asked over the din of noise.
"Marie Howard is not working with us on this case, although we believe she is heavily linked to the perpetrator of these crimes. She is a criminal being kept in prison," he assured them, "We will be interrogating her on what she knows about these murders, but rest assured, she will be serving her prison sentence, and she will be answering for the crimes that she has committed. The Timekeepers on this case are working as hard as they can to find a connection between these two women, and I strongly implore the public to come forward if they have any information pertaining to these murders,"
"Deputy Gabrelli, do you think perhaps that the Timekeepers that are working this case are perhaps too close to it?" he fixed Cheryl Handel from the Daily with a raised eyebrow, allowing her to elaborate although he had a feeling at what she was getting at, "It's no secret that Timekeeper Leon has a particularly personal agenda to the Red Petal Murders. His-"
"Timekeeper Leon is one of the best Timekeepers on this force and I want the best on this case," Gabrelli cut through her words, "Every personal connection that he has to the Red Petal Murders is an asset us. He spent five minutes interrogating and detaining Marie Howard. He knows how she works and he can use that to find out exactly what she wants with this mindless killing,"
"You definitely think that Marie Howard has been able to orchestrate these two murders from inside Month State Prison?" Miss Kolkov demanded.
"The evidence points that way, and Marie Howard has been placed under even more security in lieu of this revelation until we find this accomplice," he answered stiffly, "She will not get away with this and she will be even more closely monitored,"
He nodded at another reporter, "A serial killer is walking around the streets, and you didn't make a formal statement until this morning when we arrived," Andrew Bertram from the Monthly Post demanded, "Don't you think that the public should have been notified as soon as Sara Luxembourg was murdered?"
"We are dealing with a serial killer who wasn't caught for nearly five years," Gabrelli stressed, "A serial killer who has managed to orchestrate two murders behind bars. Naturally we wished to keep the public from panicking or being whipped up into hysteria. We need this case to be solved unheeded by obstacles. Time is of the essence and we don't want to allow this killer to slip away from us. The Director and the Bureau do not wish for a repeat of ten years ago to occur again,"
"What advice would you give to the public?" Jonathan Swift from the Weekly called out, "Will there be more Timekeepers on the streets to keep a vigil?"
"Common sense precautions," Gabrelli said, "Do not go anywhere alone. Make sure someone knows where you are at all times. Avoid any areas that might be shady, and keep a phone on you. Until we find a connection between the victims, we don't know who is next to be targeted,"
He was prepared to step down from the podium when Miss Handel called put from the crowd, "How do you know that there is a connection between. Sara Luxembourg and Raquel Lighthower? They lived in different time zones, had different lives, were completely different ages. How can you be sure that there is a connection?"
Gabrelli sighed, his hands resting on the sides of the podium, "Because Marie Howard has given us a deadline to find the next person with the same connection," he said tiredly, "No more questions," he stepped down walking into the building. He checked his watch; they were running out of time.
10:30:00
Leon was speeding along the road, hitting his radio on the dashboard, trying for it to work. What was wrong with it? Maybe he just needed to replace the battery.
"Do you want to borrow mine, sir?" Korsqq asked him, holding out his radio. Leon had run into his office, quickly double checking different things on his files, before telling the younger Timekeeper that they needed to visit the Sara Luxembourg's parents.
Leon took the radio, "Timekeeper Ellini, this is Timekeeper Leon," he spoke into the speaker, "Did you find cross reference those people with Marie?"
"I did, but I didn't find very much," the female Timekeeper answered, "Her lawyer Jacques Le Blanc has crossed those time zones, but then he's been making trips like that nearly every month. The Timekeepers that work in the prison, the guards that work there, Gabrelli...the Director. There's too many variables to see with this. Did you find something?"
"Five months ago, the court records for Marie's trial were released," Leon told her, and Korsqq looked at him, "The next day, Jacques Le Blanc conducted a two hour phone call with Marie. She then started to subscribe to the National Medical Society magazine. Sara Luxembourg was a trained nurse,"
"And you think there is a connection amongst all of this?" Ellini inquired, "I'm not sure, Leon, this seems to be very tenuous, and slightly easy. How do you know that you're on the right path? We've got ten and an hour hours left,"
"I'm going to talk to Sara Luxembourg's parents," he replied, pressing the accelerator on the car, "I need you to talk to Jacques Le Blanc, or at least hold him until I get back to Headquarters,"
"All right, Leon," she relented, "I'll pick up Le Blanc," the receiver clicked off and Leon tapped the side of the car as the car speeded along.
"What do you think the connection is, sir?" Korsqq asked, "Something to do with the Medical Society?"
"No, I think the magazine was a way of checking something to do with Sara Luxembourg, which shows that Marie at least knew the first victim," Leon explained, "And somehow that ties into the court files, but that doesn't put us any closer to who the perpetrator is or who is next on the killer's list,"
"Then shouldn't we be looking at the court files?"
"We could, but I much rather get information straight from the parents," Leon told him, his mind involuntarily lost in memories, "Talking to the parents is always difficult,"
15 Years Earlier
"I hate talking to the parents,"
Leon looked over at the woman who was paired with him. Amused green eyes looked back at him, and he shook his head, involuntarily smiling.
"They cry, they plead, they are rarely helpful," Marie Howard continued, as they walked towards the house, "Most of the time you can't hear what they're saying,"
"You're not very good with sentiment, Marie," he answered, "Perhaps you ought to let me do most of the talking. We don't want another complaint on your behalf," she shrugged lightly, her jacket hanging loosely on her frame, "Did you go and see the doctor?"
"Doctors?" she muttered, "Yes, he said I should take the antidepressants earlier in the evening," they stopped in front of the gate, "Tell me, Leon, do you think that perhaps the drugs just make everything worse? I'm not sleeping, I'm feeling fat, and I've still got pain in my shoulder," Leon looked at the house, "And we're just about to inform two parents that their precious daughter has been tortured to death,"
"A family deserves to be told what happened," he said shortly, "And who knows, maybe their daughter was in contact with the killer,"
He saw Marie flash a wry smile, "Now that would be rather...fortuitous," she answered as they crunched up the garden gravel, "Did you hear what the papers are calling these murders? Amazing how quickly they come up with...little monikers. Well they mustn't disappoint their readers,"
"I didn't see the papers this morning," he remarked, "What are they calling them?"
Marie appeared to study the front door, running her tongue over her teeth slowly before answering. "The Red Petal Killer,"
She knocked on the door.
Present Day- 10:00:00
The door opened to show a man dressed in casual slacks and a jumper. He didn't look surprised to see the two men. Leon saw that his eyes were slightly red rimmed.
"Mr Luxembourg?" Korsqq said and the man nodded, "I'm sorry for intruding again, but my colleague and I have some follow up questions pertaining to your daughter. May we come in?"
"Of course," Mr Luxembourg held the door open wider for them, "My wife is in the living room, please go through," they walked into the living room, and Mrs Luxembourg smiled watery at them, "They just have a few follow up questions for us, Gloria...concerning Sara,"
"Of course," she said, clasping her hands together tightly, "Anything to help catch the person who did this," she looked at Leon, "The papers say that it appears to be an accomplice of Marie Howard,"
"Yes," Leon answered, "And you will be aware that another woman was murdered as well: Raquel Lighthower," the two parents looked at each other, "Does that name mean anything to you? Because we have been made aware that there is a connection between your daughter and Mrs Lighthower. And we need to find this connection before seven tonight,"
"The name Raquel seems familiar but I wouldn't be able to tell you where from," Mrs Luxembourg replied, tears threatening to fall, "Sara was a good girl, she wouldn't have gotten involved with anything dangerous. Kept her head on...only just started her clock, gave her a week to celebrate,
Leon surveyed her carefully, she was hiding something but he wasn't sure what, "Very well, Mrs Luxembourg, what connection did your daughter have with the National Medical Society magazine?"
The woman looked confused, "She sometimes wrote articles for that magazine," she shrugged, "It was part of her course, to get something published, but she would always use a pseudonym, thought it was kind of fun," she picked up a copy of the magazine that was lying on the coffee table, and opened it to a page, "See," she handed it to Leon, "Patricia Strozzi. Does this have something to do with her death?"
"Korsqq, could you radio Headquarters and see if a Patricia Strozzi was ever mentioned in the court files," Korsqq nodded at the instruction, "And find out whether Raquel Lighthower ever wrote something in a newspaper or magazine," the other Timekeeper disappeared into the other room, and Leon looked back at the Luxembourgs, "You are both lawyers," they nodded, "Did either of you have any connection with the trial of Marie Howard ten years ago?"
"We were both in the prosecutor's office at that time," Mr Luxembourg answered, "But we weren't part of the team that trialled Miss Howard. We were just about to leave and start our own business during the trial actually,"
"We sat in on some of the court trials," Mrs Luxembourg added, "But I think everyone wanted to. I'm sure you remember that, Timekeeper, there was such a hysteria and fascination that she had been arrested and been brought to trial. Sara was only fifteen and we all went to see one of the trials," she swallowed heavily, "Poor thing had to leave halfway through, she wasn't feeling well,"
She was babbling now.
"Mrs Luxembourg," Leon leant forward, looking at the woman in front of him, and the woman looked up at him, "Mrs Luxembourg, I have ten hours to find a connection between your daughter and Raquel Lighthower, and find the next person who had been targeted. I do not have time to be lied to," a red blush spread over her face, "My colleague is in the other room, he will not be able to hear what you have to say. Believe me; I know what Marie Howard is capable of. Now, do you want to try again?"
She looked at her husband who nodded, "I don't know the details but I know that Sara had to talk to the Timekeepers, ten years ago," she sighed, "But I swear I don't know what it was for. All Sara would say was that she could help with something,"
"And Raquel Lighthower?"
"I told you that I don't know that name," Mrs Luxembourg insisted, "I remember a Rachel that she mentioned once around that time," Leon nodded in thanks before standing up, "Sara was fifteen when Marie Howard was killing people. All she used to do was schoolwork and volunteer part time. There's no way that she was involved in something to do with Marie Howard,"
"Where did she volunteer?" he asked swiftly.
"A support group," she answered, "They had meetings biweekly. Saturdays and Wednesdays. She stopped going when she turned eighteen,"
"Then it's rather lucky that today is Wednesday," Leon replied dryly.
Korsqq returned to the room, "Raquel Lighthower had something published a few months ago, it was amongst her possession, but she went by the name Rachel Lichtenstein," he told Leon, "But this was in an real estate magazine. The name Patricia Strozzi was interesting though. Apparently we interviewed someone with that name during the investigation of Antonia Kentwood. But there isn't any statement, only a note at the bottom of the front sheet,"
"Somehow I'm sensing a recurrence with that victim," Leon remarked, "Signs of an accomplice and now this. I remember working Antonia Kentwood's murder, but I don't remember anything to do with interviewing anyone other than her friends and parents. Who was the Timekeeper that interviewed her?" Korsqq hesitated; "It was Marie, wasn't it?" he turned to the Luxembourgs, "Thank you for your time, it's been extremely helpful,"
He turned to the door.
"Timekeeper Leon?" he looked back at Mrs Luxembourg, "Whatever the connection is between Sara and Raquel, they didn't deserve to be killed like that," she looked at her husband, "Sara was a good girl...I have to know...why someone would have done this. That's all I want to know,"
He turned to her, tapping his mouth, thinking hard, "Your daughter didn't deserve to die, Mrs Luxembourg, and your assessment of her is probably correct," he stepped closer, "And I am sorry that she is dead, because no one deserves to die because of Marie Howard,"
"But why?" she repeated.
"Because there is a very damaged woman in this world who likes to play games and push people to their limits," he admitted, "And she is someone who will never stop if I don't find a way to stop her. But I promise you that I will stop her, even if it takes a thousand years. I will stop her because I know her,"
"Thank you, Timekeeper Leon," Mr Luxembourg told him, and Leon inclined his head, heading out of the house.
"That was nice, sir," Korsqq said.
"I meant every word,"
8:30:00
"So this support group," they were walking towards a hall situated at the end of Month End, after getting obtaining the address, "We know that Sara Luxembourg volunteered here, and Raquel Lighthower might have been associated with it. Antonia Kentwood was also a member. And Marie Howard seems to be targeting its members," Korsqq clarified, "Her M.O. ten years ago was targeting random women. What do you think has changed?"
"She's acting through someone else this time," Leon reasoned, "It may have something to do with Marie, but it also has to do something with her accomplice. Whoever they are, they have an attachment to this place," he opened the door, "I'm interested to see how long Marie has planned this out,"
They walked into the reception room of the hall. It was painted a cream white colour, and it was of a moderate size. Not somewhere that Leon was familiar with. It held a warm feeling, and gave the impression of a safe atmosphere. A girl was at the computer in the reception area, and she looked up when the two men approached her.
"No men," she said immediately and Leon looked at Korsqq, "Sorry, you can't go in,"
Leon held up his badge, "I'm Timekeeper Raymond Leon; this is my colleague Timekeeper Korsqq. We are investigating a murder, and we need to talk to the members of this group as soon as possible," he looked at her coolly, "Can you go and tell them that we are here?" she looked at Korsqq, her mouth slightly open, "Now,"
"Yes, sir," she stared at them as she walked through the two doors. Korsqq looked rather amused at Leon, as the latter roller his eyes in irritation. They were running out of time. The girl shortly returned, "Mrs Cavalli says that you can come through," she told them, "Sorry,"
They nodded at her before entering through the doors. This room was bigger, and a chandelier hung from the ceiling although it gave off the same safe feeling as the reception room. Around twenty women were all positioned in a circle, all appearing twenty five, but Leon could see that they were from all different Time zones, although no one from Dayton was present. They wouldn't have been able to afford to cross the Time zones.
"Timekeeper Leon," he looked a rather stiff woman dressed in something that he was sure was from New Greenwich, "This is most unprecedented. I hope that you have a good reason to barge into this meeting,"
"I am investigating a double homicide, Mrs...Cavalli?" she nodded stiffly, "As you have no doubt heard Raquel Lighthower and Sara Luxembourg were murdered this week by someone connected to Marie Howard," he was getting tired of continually explaining this to people, "What does this support group do?"
"A bit of everything," she informed him coldly, "We started off helping women who had been affected from domestic violence before branching out to help women of all different backgrounds. I don't see how this has anything to do with your double homicide,"
"Sara Luxembourg volunteered here ten years ago," she looked faintly disbelieving, "Perhaps you know her as Patricia Strozzi," recognition bloomed on her face, "Is it a policy of this group to have fake names?"
"It helps," the woman next to her informed him, "Some women don't want to reveal who they are and so we use fake names to make them at ease. If they want to tell us their real names then they can, but we don't insist on it. It's worked well so far,"
"So if I said: Rachel Lichtenstein," the women looked at each other, "So Raquel was a member of this group as well," he looked at Mrs Cavalli, "So if we include Antonia Kentwood, three of your members have been killed in connection to the Red Petal Murders. That is shaping up to be quite a connection," she folded her arm, "What does Marie Howard have to do with this group? As far as I was aware she never joined a single group, and yet she is killing your members?"
"Marie Howard?" she laughed slightly, and Leon felt himself getting irritated by this woman's attitude, "Well, we all know how well you knew Marie Howard, Timekeeper Leon," he held her gaze, and she raised her hands, "Marie and her sister Anna joined this group thirty five years ago, with Lisa and I," she gestured to the woman next to her, "Didn't you know?"
"This is extremely inconvenient, Timekeeper," Jacques Le Blanc informed Ellini, "I had a very important meeting today which I have now had to reschedule. Would you care to tell me why I have been dragged in here?"
"We need to discuss your business with Marie Howard naturally," she replied, "We have reason to believe that you are connected to the subsequent murders," the man in front of her chuckled slightly, "Is that funny?"
"Yes," he told her, "I would be breaking my client's confidentiality if I told you what business I had with her. She is entitled to the same privileges as every other inmate at Month Close Prison," Ellini audibly scoffed, "I don't make the laws, Timekeeper, I only make sure that my client is not deprived of her rights as a person. I see you don't agree,"
"Marie Howard is someone who I believe shouldn't be entitled to the same privileges as usual prisoners," she admitted, "She killed over thirteen people and has now gotten someone else to kill another two. She abuses the rights that she has and no one ever questions it. Why do you defend someone who is clearly guilty?"
"Well she does pay very well," he said, "All her time collecting seconds while not being used. Her investments paid well, especially when it came to her trial," he leaned back, "And I have to admit, she is certainly a very interesting individual. I'm sure you could testify to that, Timekeeper Ellini, you did work with her,"
"And I regret every day that I was her friend," she answered, "I think that every single Timekeeper that worked with her wishes that they could redo those years again. She fooled a great many people," Jacques merely smiled, "You don't believe me?"
He spread his hands in an apologetic manner, "I am merely interested in what you have to say about Marie, I know that she's interested in how the Timekeepers are coping without her," he said, "I'm sure she'll be happy with the assessment that you give her,"
"I could care less what Marie Howard thinks," Ellini said frankly, "The woman is insane and a monster,"
"Yes, but she was made that way," Jacques replied, "She wasn't born like that," Ellini didn't say anything, "I am sure that Timekeeper Raymond Leon can testify to that,"
So onwards and upwards...tell me what you think
Next time- Past and Present