As Vicki made her way into the kitchen, the phone rang.
"Hello?" Gwen answered, "Sure honey, hang on..oh, how are you feeling?...I give it two more days," she smiled into the phone.."a mother know these things.."
Vicki was putting London in her highchair, still amazed at her ability.
"Vicki.." Gwen handed the phone over to her. Henry started tickling London's feet making her giggle. Vicki hoped he wouldn't make her start clapping until she had a chance to show him herself.
"Coreen, why aren't you resting?" Vicki said without a greeting.
"Well, good morning to you happy.." Coreen said back to her and then started chattering..
"Hey, I'm e-mailing you those crime scene photos, something very interesting about those markings," Coreen told her excitedly.
"And you found this out...??"
"Well, I couldn't sleep so I was just laying them out on the table, looking at them." Okay, Vicki knew at that moment that Coreen had definitely spent too much time with her. For relaxation, this girl was looking at gory crime scene photos. Vicki had to smile at the thought.
"So anyway, as I laid them out I noticed the markings looked like ancient writing."
"What? How...okay, keep going, I'm not even asking how right now. That is bizarre." Vicki said.
"I know right? Okay, I took pictures of the, looked it up and they are some kind of ancient Aztec or Mayan writing.." Coreen was smiling, Vicki could just sense it.
"Aztec or Mayan.." Vicki muttered out loud. Henry cocked his head at her and she mouthed.."tell you later" as if she needed to because he could hear their entire conversation.
"Okay, send them but I'll wait until I get to the office.." Vicki told her.
"Is there anything else I can do Vicki? I'm sooo bored.." Coreen whined. Gwen could hear her daughter too, she shook her head as she fed the twins, with Henry feeding London.
"Actually, you know what you can. Look up any abandoned buildings in the vicinity of the killings, let me know what you can find out. That's all internet work missy, no out and about." Vicki said knowing Coreen would go out and hoof it if she got a chance.
Coreen agreed then told Vicki, "Thanks! I love you so much..kiss, kiss.." Vicki rolled her eyes, shook her head and hung up the phone.
"Henry darling, I need to show you something.." Vicki sat down next to London, Abbie and Ward both stopped eating, waiting to see their father's reaction.
"Momma." London said again, pointing to Vicki. Henry frowned.
"She said momma first." Henry stated. He was disappointed. At least Abbie had said daddy first, Ward had said momma.
"No, that's not it.." Vicki looked at Abbie who was stifling a laugh. Ward was just wide-eyed.
Vicki began to clap, playing patty-cake with London. Gwen watched intently too, feeling the magic in the room, her skin was tingling.
As soon as London clapped, again sparks and objects started moving around, London's oatmeal began to float in the air, Henry grabbed for it before it made a huge mess.
"Now that...is not what I expected," Henry said wide-eyed. Vicki stopped London's clapping, kissing her hands as she did. London kicked her feet and giggled gleefully. The twins burst out laughing.
"I'm so looking forward to the teen years, aren't you honey?" Vicki said facetiously.
Flashback
"I cannot find it. It is gone, please let me go.." he asked.
"No, it is out there. It may take many lifetimes, you must find it..you cannot rest until you find it. It will be in someone of ill-repute, in a woman, someone who does bad things with her body. You must find it, release it and then you can be free." the being told him.
"Why a woman? I am a man. I cannot be a man while it is trapped?" he pleaded.
"Because, you show no respect or appreciation for women, this is to teach you a lesson, so that in your next life, you will learn to love and be loved in return in the right way..." the being was gone.
He hated this, hated feeling like two halves, not man, not woman. He hated it but would complete the task..he needed to move on..
Vicki left Gwen in charge of the children, taking Henry with her to the office. Mike was there waiting.
"Hey Mike. You're here early." Mike was hunched over looking weary. Vicki eyeballed Henry reminding him of her earlier suggestion. Henry furrowed his brow, not wanting to take him to lunch and ask him what was going on.
"Yeah, well, we got a girl missing, reported this morning, another hooker," Mike said as they entered the office.
"Can you say lady of the evening versus hooker Mike?" Vicki sighed out. No, she didn't like the term either but after working undercover in the strip club, she had become a little more understanding of the desparation of young woman.
"Sorry, Vic, didn't know there were standards for being politically correct concerning streetwalkers," Mike spat out. Henry sniffed.
"Hey! Stop that!" Mike knew what he was doing this time. Henry smelled nothing this time. No wonder he was grumpier than usual.
"Henry.." Vicki shook her head at him,"Mike think we might have somewhat of a break..come on."
She explained to him what Coreen had done. She sat down in front of her computer, pulling up the e-mail Coreen had sent over. Mike and Henry stood over her shoulder.
"Coreen deciphered it already, let's see.." Vicki pulled everything up. The pictures were laid out differently showing the pattern of writing.
"How in the hell did she catch this? This would be next to impossible.." Vicki was amazed at what Coreen had done.
The lettering was ancient. Coreen had typed out what the words said, each body the same although the letters were arranged differently on each body.
"The difference in arrangement explains why there as no connection made." Vicki pointed out.
"Yeah, I can see that Vic, what the hell does it say?" Mike was getting impatient.
"Patience is a virtue Detective," Henry said.
"Yeah, well wooden stakes kill a vampire, what's your point?" Mike growled out.
Henry growled low in his throat, he did not take well to threats. The two were directly over Vicki, eye to eye.
"Boys!" Vicki stood up pushing them apart.
"Work here??" She pointed to the screen.
Coreen had written out what was carved into the poor dead women:
Not this one. Evil persists, must find it soon."
Mike blinked at it.
"So.." Mike shrugged his shoulders in confusion.
"So, the killer is looking for something." Vicki said.
"No shit Vic." Mike was becoming beligerent.
"Come on Henry, I"ve got to paint myself up, undercover time." Vicki told the men.
"No..wait a minute. Why? What is that going to solve? How is that going to help us find out what they are looking for? NO, no this is too dangerous." Mike insisted.
"The women won't talk to cops, maybe I can find something out, maybe someone's been lurking around. Besides, Coreen is checking out old, empty buildings closeby. You got a picture of the missing girl?"
Mike pulled it out..the girl was Starr from Ward's drawing. Vicki was not suprised.
"I know what he's looking for." Henry suddenly said, he had been studying the markings. There was one that was not a letter or word, it was a symbol.
"This symbol, it's the symbol of the soul, " Henry pointed to it.
"So he's killing women in search of his soul? I don't understand.." Vicki said.
"Neither do I, but we've got to find him quickly. Back in London, he killed many many woman, you know the case."
Vicki and Mike looked at each other.
"No...couldn't be.." Vicki said.
"What? Who?" Mike yelled.
"Jack the Ripper." Henry and Vicki said in unison.