A Valued Memory
#1 of Lunar
*Warning: When I uploaded this story to DeviantArt, I put it in the Mature section, I have come to believe, the Clean section here is just like the Mature section there, This story is lised under Clean because it does not contain any reference to or any signs of present of upcoming sexual behavior or 'Yiff' However, this story does contain Death, I believe it also contains Profanity, If the Elements of Death would terminate Eligibility for this to be considered 'Clean' I apologize*
As I sit here - The fireplace wrapping itself around me. I sighed with the matter of forgotten and relocated thoughts and memories. My mate was away and I wouldn't see her until later. It was the holidays, the home shone with colors of Emerald and Ruby decore. Christmas, the house was alive with spirit. Perhaps, I should tell you of a case I did many seasons ago, To some it was just another notch on my detective belt, but to me, it was more then that, it was personal and I learned something..
That no matter how much you try and see the past as a forgotten, dead time of your life, be known that the past is like a vengeful ghost, it will always present itself in your present life, at least once.
Anyway, it was December 13, 2005; their is a reason I chose to tell you this being it is the 5th anniversary of this case, Though not as imprtant to anyone else, it really defined me. Ah christmas, the time of Giving, Friendship, Family, Love and also the time of heavy marketting and Business however, it is also the time of Oppurtunity.
I had just solved my 100th case and everyone was focused on family matters, christmas. Noone knew someone was planning, someone out in the distance, scheming. Then it happened. The killer became active, but unlike the normal thug or criminal, this one was smart, directly challenging my legendary deduction with his own antics, We glared down each other, two pistols in our hands filled with just one bullet, blinded to see who the other was.
Then, he fired the first and only shot, unable to take it back. During the time of the first murder, me and the rest appeared on scene, this was very uncharacteristic of me, usually I would hide behind the shadows, this was only the second time I chose to show myself, It was the busiest time of the year, we made sure any photos of me were burned after this case was done and over with. I had come out once before, so the team knew what I looked like and I fully trusted each of them with my own life.
While others were wearing heavy coats and gloves, I was wearing nothing more then a silk white shirt and tattered jeans, I was barefoot, the silver fur on my legs feeling the cold icy breeze, the paws of my feet touching the cold ground, people looked at me like I was crazy, I simply said "Im fine.." in my low monotone voice.
The body of the deceased was positioned as if he were pushed from behind and fell face first, No sign of struggle or restraint, The killer could of been a close friend or someone whom the deceased trusted, he was a scientist and his name was Rob Velman, because of his profession with chemicals and toxins, the people began to say he probably just committed suicide. To reason with them I spoke "I don't think so, if you are so focused on the holidays please leave..." then I got down ext to the body and mimicked the position it was in.
"This person is Robert Velman, one of the best and successful scientists this state has seen, he haden't shown any signs of depression or any behavior hinting at any self injury, Plus, if he were of committed suicide, why go outside? If he was to ingest toxins, he wouldn't of been this far from the house, most would been the front steps, It looks as though he was led out, I believe he was killed, the chances of a suicide are 0.5%" I knew him personally, growing up in the institution where only prodigies were, he excelled in chemistry, after I left that acursed institution, he vanished to make something out of himself, Im sure a corpse wasen't his idea..
As I laid there, I noticed something in the deceased pocket, I reached and gently picked it up with my thumb and index finger. It was a letter, it read.
"Hello detective, poor Robert, came to him under the facade of a friend... he wasen't that smart like you and I, he even supplied me with the weapon of his own death...... All I had to do was pour a few chemicals into his drink when he was away and have him make movement, then the next second, Boom...His laid on his stomach on the sidewalk, But your probably thinking 'You probably left fingerprints.' Oh detective, be assure, I have removed me fingerprints from my own self, burned my fingers, but just incase I did I simply swiped the place for gerprints and only found his... I also destroyed the computer. This letter has no return address, I typed and printed it on robs computer after he laid on the gorund dead and before I destroyed the computer, ta-ta."
I let out a low toned growl, he was bragging, already?After just one kill? Was he foolish, egotistical or just craving for atteintion, I looked at the body of rob and saw that the killer had carved a '.P' into his back, was it his marking?
I remembered the institution, their were 40, and after 20 committed suicide, 16 snapped and were put into mental facilities, Only me, rob and two others made it out of there. But now, rob was dead...Murdered.
2 Days passed and the killer struck again, at 9Pm, the body of Governor Chris Plenshi was found, Bruises on his jaw, forehead and body, The bruises weren't of fists, but a hammer, a broken arm, tied up, slashes all over his suit, bloodstained and the acual blade of the knife stuck right out of the throat of the deceased, The killer had broken the blade form the hilt completely. The scene was to gory and frightening for some of them, but I had seen worse, I have seen things that nightmares are made out of.
I hunched over the body, and finally realized the connection, whomever the killer was, was aware of the people who came from the institution, first rob, then chris.. But, the killer was to experienced to have only two kills, Their had to be other victims, experiements. Chris was prodigy of politics and goverment. I sighed and spoke "The killer is getting more determined... More ruthless, More ahead of himself, He brutalized this man, tortured him, The first kill was so clean, he used poison. But here, he just hacked and sliced, bloody, ruthless..." I saw and noted their was an '.M' carved into his forehead, I went home and got directly on my laptop.
Looking up the people of the institution who were put into facilities, My emerald green eyes widened in shock, All were killed, some were stabbed to death, some were shot, others suffered more sadistic ends.. Put all 16 had either a letter, or a number, or both carved on them. I listed them. " 40, 60, 10, 25, 5, 8, 2, 100, 50, 5, 5, 20, 30, 60, 70, 10, D, e, m, b, e, c, r, e, /12, /25, /05/ .P, .M" I wondered for a second, then realized it was a code, when put in order, you added the numbers which got you " 450" It began to make sense.
4:50pm December 12/25/05
It was a date, probably when the killer was going to make his next kill, but that couldn't be, the only one was him, Mark had die years ago, No, he would not wait, he would make the last move before the 25, If I were to wait, I would of gave the killer his own advantage, playing by his rules, be nothing mroe then a mere puppet.
The killer must of gone to the institution or known about it and has a hatred that fuels him.
In our little Psychological duel, I shot the bullet.
The next day, Bob Shoul was released from prison, serving a life-term, he was the founder and person that made the institution, He had a partner but back at his trail, once it was known Bob was the head man, he was thrown in jail. Now it was found that the partner was the head and bob was released, Everyone who went to the instution knew bob was the real head, As bob was set to make a speech later that day, The killer caught the bait and rose from the crowd shooting bob in the head and several times in the chest, before the killer could escape, He was detained and apprehended by the authorities.
As I took off the blindfold that hid the other so well, I was surprized and stunned, It was Mark, someone who was thought to be dead for 10 years, he fell to the ground, defeated for the last time.
It was interview time, the killer was mark, it stunned me but then again, me and him were always rivals, We were the smartest, his anger and desire turned into obsession, then the insitution was closed and he dissappeared, as did I.
I sat on the chair, In a meditation like position, Starign at the male, a folder infront of me, the prinsoner mark was chained and shackled.
"Very clever, You pulled experiements on the 16 that were in mental facilities, blocked off from the rest of the world, so their murders wouldn't of caught the media eye. Then, after perfecting your skill, you killed robert, posioning him and then leaving that note in his pocket, alittle reminder of the dead zodiac killer I presume, then came chris, I must say, we were always called dopplegangers and not even I suspected you had that hate in you."
Mark laughed, still taunting me "Let's see...you let me kill, 1...2...3..19 people...what kind of detective are you lunar? You are refered to be the best detective, but truthfully, your not, you let me kill 19 people before stopping me, and you had to have me detained, S-See w-w-while you...okay while you were making yourself modelled into the perfect deducter and detective, I hid, I hid! and well, became the best criminal, You think I only have 19 kills? Please! I have murders all over the word, Y-You are never going to make anything out yourself, s-see like you, I have pupils, and even though I failed, they won't, and even though you solved countless cases, as soon as you are killed, the only thing you are going to be remembered for is the person who was killed by the pupil of the greatest criminal ever...."
I sighed and continued "You have proven yourself worthy of such a title, You'v outsmarted some of the best, killed some of the greats, See it was your anger, bob was fated to be put to death today, But he was killed thanks to you, I knew because of your anger, because you wanted to completely secure yourself by killing everyone who worked or was at the institution, how could you let up a chance of killing the person that ran it all, And as for your pupils, We have your computer, I cracked the code and found every single one of your pupils, they will be put to justice and the next time I see you mark, you will have a needle in your arm." then, I added as I got up. "We were a draw in chess... well, checkmate." then I left.
Well, that concludes my story, Have a happy holiday.
~L.C