Short Stories with Tragic Endings
Chapter 7
He hated them. He hated them all. He hated their voices filled with lies. He hated their words filled with greed. He hated them just because. The hot liquid spilled over his hands and he smiled in twisted delight. The texture was smooth on his tongue, velvety on his lips… The taste a bitter metallic he cannot live without.
-Syaoran Li-
Another body, another senseless murder.
I stared at the sight before me. Blood everywhere, a female hacked up, tortured like all those who died before her at the hands of this lunatic. Even with only the photos before me I can still smell her blood overwhelming my senses. It's that same smell I experienced with the first murder and with all the other murders that followed after.
How many have died now? Seven. All from different parts of the journalism world, but all part of newspapers. There is no clear connection between them other than that they are journalists. There is no clear pattern other than the short stories that he follows rather loosely. He doesn't stick to the same order as the book. I have read it and reread it a thousand times. In the stories they all die from freak accidents and or natural causes, no one was murdered, save one.
Save that one. And that is what scares me. He's killed everyone on that list, except a political journalist. Sakura might say what she wants, she might deny that he will come after her but I cannot help but feel uneasy. Not such a long time ago she was the top political journalist. Not such a long time ago she was the top player in the game, and she is still considered the top player…
Damn it. I'm getting involved… I'm getting too personally involved with this case. This fear, this paranoia that has taken control of me… My wife, my child… So much hangs in the balance. We have to find this guy, we have to catch him before it is too late. Before he kills my Sakura.
"Hey, this just came back from the coroner's office." I looked up at Eriol as he pulled out a chair and sat himself down before handing me the file. "It turns out that she had sex before she was murdered, most likely with the suspect. We found semen and you know what that means."
"DNA."
"Yeah, but I can't help but feel that he did this on purpose. As if he is trying to send us a message, you know." I nodded as I paged through the file. Her injuries were consistent with the others, she was butchered in the same reckless pattern, only now… "Why would he have sex with her and practically leave his ID behind?"
"He wants to be caught." Eriol blinked at me. "Every time he left something behind. Hairs, gloves, a tie, paperclips, newspaper cuttings, pages torn form books or magazines, pens… Even cigarettes. He's just trying to fill in the puzzle now." He wants to be caught, he wants to see his name in the papers. Why else would he be doing this? There is another reason behind this…There has to be.
"Sir." We looked up at the voice. "We found a fingerprint and made a positive match." I looked at Eriol.
"It might be something."
"It might be nothing."
-Sakura Li-
Dear Confused
It is sometimes so easy to give up and just to walk away, but it is unfortunately not the right choice to make. It doesn't matter how much we would like to forget about something, we can't just turn our backs on the problem, it is not going to disappear.
My kettle clicked in the background and I smiled as I stood up before making myself some tea. I'm not as good as my dear friend, God rest her soul, at being an agony aunt, but I try my best. Like Marissa I research the topic very well before I tempt to write an answer addressed to the reader. This one is, however, a no brainer. You can't walk away from a problem, no matter what.
Someone knocked at the door and I lifted a brow in surprise. I'm not expecting anyone. "Who is it?" I called.
"Tomoyo, I work with Syaoran."
"Oh!" I know Tomoyo, I've met her a couple of times. A bit weird, but pleasant enough. I opened the door to her smiling face. Her long black hair was tied back and her blue eyes shone at me with her bright smile. "Hi. What can I do you for?"
"You're going to hate me for this, but Syaoran asked me to check up on you and I agreed seeing as I really don't have anything else to do." I laughed at her innocent answer and stepped aside for her to enter.
"Well, you came at the right time. I'm in the middle of making some tea."
"Oh! That would be lovely! Staring at dead people all day is only amusing for so long."
"I'll take your word on that." I handed her a cup and sat myself down on the couch. "I take it he's going to be late tonight." She nodded.
"Yeah, they found some clues that might help them catch the killer. He's starting to leave some very incriminating evidence behind. I have a theory though." I nodded with interest as I listened to her. "Things are going to get a lot worse before he's going to let himself get caught."
"Why do you say that?"
"The patterns on the bodies have changed. In the beginning they were slow and deliberate, now it seems more rushed. But…" She took a sip of her tea and I suddenly remembered mine now cooling in the mug held between my hands. "He's taking his time before hand now. He's interacting with his victims first before attacking."
"Why would he do that?"
"To make the shock worse when he turns on them. I'm not sure to be honest. That the bodies can't tell. All I know is that I've seen this kind of thing before." I nodded in silence, allowing her words to fill me. It's going to get worse.
"How are preparations coming along for the baby?" I smiled at her teasing smile.
"Fine. I finished the baby room. Would you like to see?"
"But of course my dear. What kind of self respecting woman can resist the urge to 'ooh' and 'ah' at everything cute that comes along with a baby?" I laughed at her statement as I lead her to the room. She is a nice person, this Tomoyo. I can see why Syaoran respects her so much. I wonder if she told him her theory.
-Syaoran Li-
This guy is moving too fast, way too fast. Another five journalists in just two weeks… This is a bloody nightmare. He's killed more people in two weeks than he did in the two months before. Why is he rushing? Why is he so dramatically picking up his pace? Why is he becoming so reckless?
He had sex with the one victim. He probably singled her out at the bar she usually hangs out in and charmed her into taking him to her home. She's known for her loose ways and it cost her her life, literally. But he had unprotected sex, leaving behind his seamen and DNA. But DNA doesn't tell you who the killer is unless you can compare it to something.
The fingerprint they found was a dud, it's the maids. And she only comes once a week, on Mondays. She was the poor sap who found the body and had is being treated for shock now. I doubt it that she was the one who hacked her employer up. In any case, all evidence is pointing to a male perpetrator.
A male with long blonde hair, a charm that got him into most homes without force, and a long blade to hack people to death. He's in his middle to late twenties, alone, jobless and extremely angry at someone. All of his crimes show towards hate and anger. The only thing is who caused that hate and anger in him? I'm too scared to answer that question.
I turned to look at Sakura sleeping next to me. Her stomach is big now and she is starting to have problems getting up and sitting down. I let my fingers glide through her long hair and she smiled in content. She's no longer the little witch I made her out to be in my mind to try and forget about her. She never was a witch, just a girl unsure like I was unsure.
She seems more relaxed recently. I think it is the baby. I keep feeling guilty. I haven't been there for her like I should be. Work and this damn killer in particular has been keeping me busy non-stop. I'm either at the scene of the crime, interviewing possible witnesses or at the station working through a mound of evidence trying to pin down the bastard and figure out his next move before he makes it.
The damn problem is that I can't figure out his moves. He's like a fly, in the one direction then the next, you can't pin him down. And it is damn impossible to put a trace on every damn journalist in the city, there are hundreds of them. And there is nothing to indicate that he will stop at just the journalists in this city, if he branches out to other cities and towns we have thousands of potential murder victims on our hands.
Damn it!
Sakura turned next to me and with her my stomach… Dear lord Sakura, I can't help but feel that you are next on his list, that he will somehow manage to get his ugly clutches on you and then… And then I will be lost.
I sighed as I stood up and moved to the bathroom to wash my face. I haven't been sleeping well, if I even sleep at all. All I can think about is her and that she is on his list, that she will be killed. It's driving me insane. And she… I stared at her from the bathroom sleeping peacefully. And she refuses to leave, to go stay with her father until all of this is over.
If he really wants me, he'll get me she said. I cannot help but feel that she's right, but I would have felt so much better if I had known that she was at least some distance out of his grasp.
I paged through the files that I had brought home. Sakura had made notes about things she thought strange when she paged through everything herself while I was asleep. Sometimes a fresh eye helps, but I don't want her involved in something like this. Her neat handwriting smiled up at me from the white page and I sighed once again. Oh Sakura, what am I going to do?
I frowned at a list she had printed out and placed with her notes. It's the recent journalist awards results. She had highlighted the names of those already murdered, those out of the country, and those who one the awards for being considered the best in their fields. She herself was nominated for her stories on the senator, but some other guy won it for his piece on I can't remember what. I thought it both bull and a blessing in disguise. Maybe the killer will go for him.
Shit. I can't think like that.
My feelings are really starting to affect this case. I should kick myself off this, it is the most responsible thing to do. Yet, I can't. I can't quit now, not when we are so close.
And it breaks your heart to know the only reason you are here no is
A reminded of what I'll never have.
-Sakura Li-
I watched him sit at the table with his hands in his hair as he continued to stare at the files laid out before him. Syaoran… he's always been a dedicated cop, but if he doesn't watch out he's going to wear himself out.
I softly made my way to the kitchen and put the kettle on before making us both a cup of tea. It will help him relax just a little and then maybe he will be able to sleep for a bit more. He smiled up at me when I touched his shoulder and placed his mug down on the table. He leaned his head against my stomach, resting against the large bulge that had replaced my one flat belly.
"You can't go on like this. You need to rest." I voiced my concern.
"I know, but I can't quit."
"No one said that you have to quit. There is nothing wrong with taking some time off once in a while, even just a day." He pulled me on his lap and kissed my cheek tenderly.
"Do you have something in mind?"
"There is this movie I've been dying to watch and the travelling flea market is back in town, we can go and have a look there. They had really nice handmade teddy bears the last time they were here."
"For the baby?"
"And myself." I giggled at his rough laugh. "What do you say?"
"Okay, fine. I'll take some time off to spend with my wife, how does that sound?"
"You're just doing this to please me, aren't you?" He didn't say anything. "Syaoran…" I whined. "You need to relax Urban Wolf. You can't hunt all the time."
"How does a week sound?"
"Promise."
"Promise."
"And no work at all?"
"And no work at all, we'll do all the stuff married people do with a baby on the way. Okay?" I know he's just trying to please me, but I have to give him credit. He's at least trying. I leaned in to kiss him and was rewarded with a warm response.
"I'm due in a month." I whispered between his kisses.
"I know." I could feel him grin against my lips as he kissed me softly. "We can move when this case is closed."
"To where?"
"I thought Tomoeda. Your dad will be pleased to be close to his grandchild and daughter." I played with the idea for a moment in my mind and smiled, I would like that. "I already asked your father to keep an eye out for any possible houses we could buy." His kisses trailed down to my neck and I could not help but grin. To be back in the small town I grew up, and to raise my own child there… It just seems so perfect. "You like that idea, don't you?" I moaned softly in response.
"Come on sweetheart, let's get back to bed." I let him lead me to the bedroom and we climbed in together. For the rest of the night he slept well and I was content with his hold on me, keeping me safe and warm.
I'll never have… I'll never…
