And at last, August 22nd.
The day the man behind the Wara Ningyo Murder Cases was to be arrested... but we can say that because we have history to tell us, and like all historical events, when it was happening in real time, none of those involved knew that, and the way events unfolded was hardly smooth sailing. In fact, Tabitha Germain's day started with any number of inconsistencies and anxieties.
6:15 and fifty seconds.
They had managed to read that as the message left behind by the killer at the third crime scene, but was that 6:15 in the morning? Or in the evening? After they had solved the clock puzzle, Germain had searched the scene all night looking for anything that said "a.m." or "p.m."
She found nothing.
"If we've looked this hard and found nothing, then maybe it doesn't really matter," Sebastian had suggested. "He made the victim look like an analog clock rather than a digital one, so trying to find something to indicate a.m. or p.m. might be a waste of time."
"Yeah." Germain nodded.
Regardless of whether this was true or not, they had to assume it was. She began to decipher the message both as 6:15:50 and 18:15:50. The first scene had pointed them to Quarter Queen, and the second scene to Glass Station, so what was the third scene pointing toward? Germain and Sebastian both turned their energies toward this problem, but it was Sebastian who first came up with something.
061550. The construction approval number for a condominium. In Pasadena, in the valley, a massive complex. The sizes ranged from two bed room to four bedroom, with over two hundred condos in all. And a woman named Blackberry Brown lived in condo number 1313. Her initials were B.B., and her condo number was too.
"It must be her," Germain said. All condo approval numbers began with zero, so there was no 181550. She had been worried about the am/p.m. thing, but now that they'd found the answer, she could relax. As Sebastian had said, with an analog clock it really didn't matter. Germain was greatly relieved, but Sebastian himself did not look very cheerful. Not that he ever did, but even so, he seemed particularly down.
"Something wrong, Sebastian? We've finally figured out what the killer's going to do, and can get ahead of him! We can lay a trap for him. Prevent the fourth murder, and if we're lucky, catch the killer as well. Nah-no luck about it. We will catch him, and catch him alive."
"Germain," Sebastian said. "The thing is, there was another candidate in the condo. Another B.B. A man named Blues-harp Babysplit, who lives alone in room 404."
"Oh..."
Two people with the target initials. In a massive complex of two hundred condos, not everyone lived alone there were any number of people with families. Even if you downplayed that number there were easily four or five hundred people... and simple arithmetic suggested that one out of 676 people had the initials B.B. It was not particularly surprising that there were two of them in the complex. It was statistically reasonable.
"But," Germain said, "no matter how you look at it, room 1313 is our target. Thirteen is a code for B, Sebastian. And 1313 is B.B. The fourth murder... judging from the number of dolls, the final murder... what better location could the killer ask for?"
"I suppose..."
"I'm sure of it. I mean, 404?"
Certainly, four was one plus three, which was B, but faced with a choice between 1313 and 404 the killer would undoubtedly choose the former. No matter who the killer was, Germain was sure he would choose the former. But Sebastian apparently wasn't.
"Sebastian, do you know how rare it is for there to even be a thirteenth floor or a thirteenth room in America? They usually skip that number. I'm sure the killer would want to take advantage of that... in fact, he probably chose this building specifically because it did have a thirteenth floor."
"But remember, Germain. The number of days between the murders. The crossword puzzle reached the police station on July 22nd, the first murder happened nine days later on July 3 1st, the second murder four days later on August 4th, and the third murder nine days later on August 13th, and if the fourth murder is to happen on August 22nd, that will be nine days again. Nine days, four days, nine days, nine days. But why was it nine four-nine-nine and not nine- four-nine-four? Even though nine plus four is thirteen."
"Well..."
It was Germain who had first pointed out that nine and four were thirteen. But since nothing had happened on August 17th, she had assumed it was just a coincidence. She hadn't been able to find a connection between seventeen and B, and it just hadn't seemed like that big of a problem. Germain had no idea why Sebastian was bringing it up now.
"We have a four. But three nines... it's so unbalanced."
"Yeah, but... alternating was..."
"Not alternating. Four and nine should be viewed as a set, and the numbers as a series of thirteens. But that hasn't happened... this doesn't strike you as odd?"
"But room number 404 gives us three fours and three nines."
"Oh..."
Was that what he meant?
"If it had been any room number other than 404, I would have agreed one hundred percent, no, two hundred percent that the fourth victim would be Blackberry Brown in room 1313, but since yet another B.B., Blues harp Babysplit, lives in a room with two fours in the number... I can't ignore that."
"Yeah... I agree."
When he explained it like that, Germain was starting to think that room 404 was actually more likely. After all, she had been a little bothered by the gaps between the murders. Was it really okay to dismiss them as coincidence? Nothing had happened on the 17th, but that was after the fact. It had never really locked into place. But if the final murder were in room 404, it would take care of that a lot better than room 1313.
Germain clicked her tongue.
They hadn't been able to decide if the dock was a.m. or p.m., and now that they'd found a good candidate for the final murder scene, there were two potential victims... all this work, and the final piece refused to fall into place. It bothered her. She was sure they'd read the message correctly, but still doubts remained. There was every chance this would lead to some decisive mistake...
"Oh, well," Sebastian said. "We'll just have to split up. Fortunately, Germain, we have each other." They might be working together, but nothing further.
But this was not the time to point that out.
"One of us should wait at each of the scenes. You take room 1313, Germain, and I'll take room 404. After all, Blackberry Brown is a woman, while Blues harp Babysplit is a man. Seems like a natural arrangement."
"And do what, exactly?"
"Just as you said, Germain. Lie in wait. Today or tomorrow, we should speak to Blackberry Brown and Blues-harp Babysplit, and get them to cooperate with our investigation. Obviously, we can't tell them they're being targeted by a serial killer. If they know too much the media might find out about what's happening and blow the whole thing."
"But they have a right to know?"
"And a right to live, which is more important. We will pay an appropriate fee, and borrow the room for the day.
"Pay?"
"Yes. The simplest means. Fortunately, my patrons are providing me with expense funds deep enough to cover the charges. If we solve the crime, they will be only too happy to pay. If this were an ordinary murder, this would never work, but these victims were only being targeted because of their initials, and there is no real reason for them to die. Their murders only have meaning if they are killed in their own room--whether that be 1313 or 404. So if we pretend to be them, and wait in their rooms, we should be able to meet the killer. Obviously just in case, we should have Blackberry Brown and Blues-harp Babysplit stay in a safe place all day on the 22nd... put them up in a luxury suite at a four-star hotel, for example."
''And then we... I see."
