Privet Eie

U.S.M: part 3

As the week wore through, ten more murders happened, this time in Maine, 3 were death by hanging, 4 by drowning, and 3 by being bludgeoned to death. Despite not having a suspect yet, Privet and Saundra had made some progress, as well as more threats from this mysterious killer. So far they had found the relative pattern of killings, they were whittling the country down to the middle, it was also determined that whoever they were, clearly knew more than they let on, as the notes kept appearing in very specific locations. For their protection, the president had sent SSS members to guard the two detectives as they continued their search.

Saundra was up late looking over some case files when she noticed something, "But how? I saw-". As if electrified, she jotted a quick note, and bolted up from her chair and rushed to open the door. As she entered the hallway, it dawned on her that the two SSS guards who would usually accompany her out of her room were not at their usual posts on either side of the door. She looked down to see them slumped against the wall, she felt their pulses, dead, and cold, they'd been here a while.

"Oh, Saundra..." a masked figure stood tall above her, holding a bat, "So glad I finally get to meet you," Saundra's eyes widened in confusion and terror before the bat swung down and the world became dark.

The next day started as it had been recently: Privet would wake up, brush his teeth, and join his guards at the hotel breakfast. Saundra had not arrived yet but Privet supposed she was still asleep. She deserved it, with all the hard work she had been doing-staying up late while he slept. Privet supposed he'd see her at their meeting with the president.

On the way to the White House, Privet observed both his escorts seeming a bit on edge, "What might be the problem gentleman?" He asked with a smile.

The burlier of the two answered first, "Unfortunately, for your safety, we cannot tell you but don't worry, at this moment everything is a-ok," ironically, this did not comfort Privet, who was now obviously suspicious but decided it would be best to wait till he arrived at his destination.

The president wasted no time when Privet entered the heavily guarded conference room, startling Privet.

"Good, let's get started. Today the cameras at the hotel your partner Saundra was staying at broke suddenly. Staff thought it was merely a blown circuit however, upon checking on people to see if they had been affected by the surge, they found your friend's two escorts dead, and Saundra gone.

Privet blanched, the notes had held true, and Maine wasn't extremely far from D.C.

"Did they find anything at the scene?"

"Yes, actually, but it makes no sense," a paper was brought in. Looking it over, Privet felt his stomach turn. It was in Saundra's hurried handwriting and read: "Death isn't permanent"

Privet stood perplexed for a few moments, wondering what Saundra could have meant by this spooky letter.

"Is there something you want to tell us, Detective Eie?" the president mused as he examined Privet's shocked expression.

"I-I have no understanding of what she means..."

"Well, you must find her, she clearly has valuable information"

"I'll go check her apartment as soon as possible, maybe there is something else there"

"Do what you must, this is important"

"Yes, Mr. President," Privet left, accompanied by four guards to Saundra's hotel.

At the hotel room, Privet found several notes and papers spread around the room. She was never at rest, and she was determined. Glancing around, Privet noticed several pictures of what seemed to be the murder weapons, on a board above them were more pictures, arranged in a variety of orders, the last of which appeared to have been recently thrown on.

"What were you up to, Saundra?" Privet asked in the empty room.

    Over the next hour or two, Privet began to search through all of Saundra's notes, mostly coming to dead ends. A jail suspect here, and a death row inmate here, none seemed to do it, they all had alibis. Privet was ready to give up when he noticed the trash can, several soda cans protruding from the top. One stuck out like a sore thumb. Of course! Privet rushed back to the board to finally discover Saundra's secret.

    The bullets, the poison, the pressure, but the heart? Every one of these was some part of a sprite can, the steel core to the white-gray, the green arsenic to the vast majority of the can, and the pressure was the carbonation. It was Sprite, both the can and the girl Privet himself had watched plummet from the top of her office building, could she somehow have lived? No...it was too big a drop. Saundra had clearly thought Sprite had lived, but it was impossible. And what of the stab and the hanging? Was it a metaphor for something? Obviously, but what for?

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