Vineswill Murders

Chapter 2

Sunday, 26th March, 2006

I woke up to the ringing alarm in the morning. I came downstairs and walked into my kitchen to prepare my coffee as I read the local newspaper.
Detective Rodger Hills fails again. Fifth murder in a row.
I slammed the newspaper on the kitchen platform. Just one failure and the media starts bashing you, no one has kept record of all my successes and now I get tagged as a failure on the front page of the newspaper!

I grab my phone from the dining the and check my messages. Inspector Jacob had sent me the details of the victim from the murder last night.
Name : Adrian White
Age : 15
Work : Student
I had also received a picture of the victim.

It was the afternoon now, I had reached Professor Emsworth's office. She asked me to occupy the seat facing her on the opposite side of her desk and then offered me some tea. As we sipped our tea, I said, 'Am sorry for the inconvenience last night Professor Emsworth. I assume you must've read about the murder in the newspaper, I had to rush to the crime scene.'
'It's alright, I understand officer, and I had no trouble reaching home last night whatsoever... Anyway, I've got something really important to show you.'

Professor Emsworth was 28. She had completed her PhD at a relatively early age and had settled her career goals quite early on. She had moved to Vineswill to set her art gallery business up. And we were seated inside her office at that very same art gallery. Her PhD though was minimally related to her profession, she studied religions, signs and symbols and was an expert in that area. The police had been consulting her for a few weeks now to help solve this series of mysterious murders.

'Yes mam, tell me about it.' I said.
'Officer, the symbol that has been found on these dead bodies, as I have told you before is an anti-christian symbol. But I haven't found any religious literature suggesting that it is related to any sort of killing. However, on investigating I've found out a name. Davie Ruth. On going through the many case files of satanic cults and anti-christian cults I found out about this guy.'
'But what is it about this guy that relates him to the case?'
'Well, he has been a part of a satanic cult in the past. About 15 years ago most members of the cult were arrested as they were involved in murders exactly like the ones that have been going on in this past month. Davie had run off though. The cult was based in Venice in the early 90's. Davie was last seen in a hotel just outside Vineswill by an active member of our theology community just about 6 months ago. Previously he had been sighted in several parts of London. But as the latest sighting suggests, I think he's the man behind these murders.'
'That means that if he is the murderer, he must be in Vineswill itself.'
'Yes, officer.'
'Professor, could you help me with a photograph of this guy? I need it to be able to find -'
I was interrupted by the ringing of my phone.
It was Inspector Jacob.
'Hello?'
'Sir, you need to come to the old post office right now. We've found something very surprising.'
'I'll be there.'