DARK SOUL

Chapter Seven

The phone rang, its shrill call breaking the silence that pervaded the room, D.C.I Williams looked up from his desk and the report he had been digesting with his eyes. The phone let out a final cry before it was silenced as John Williams reached out and lifted the receiver to his ear

"Chief Inspector Williams." he said answering the phone. "John. It's Marcus. I have been going back over the files you gave me from the original killings and I think I have found a link. Try and keep an open mind when you listen to what I have to say. I cross referenced the missing persons bureau with murder inquiries over the past thirty years."

John glanced up at the large oval shaped clock above the door in his office as he listened to his friend Marcus and noticed the time was approaching seven p.m. his gaze followed the wall along towards the large double windows and looking out of them he could see the day had turned to night already; the night seemed particularly dark tonight he thought.

"The reported murders coincide with reports of missing people. I'm not talking about gang violence or crimes of passion though. These murders are the unsolved ones. The cold cases that have gone no where and for every one discovered there are at least three or four missing people reported within a day or so of the murder who are never seen again." Marcus's voice had pitched to a level of fervor now as he finished his revelations to John.

"Good God Marcus; if you are correct and I don't doubt you but if you are then we are talking about a group or an individual who has been preying upon people for the past thirty years." John's voice trailed off into a whisper as he finished speaking.

"I still believe Cain is the key and if we can link someone or somewhere to him then we may be able to crack this. You are going to have to get authority to exhume the body so we can get a DNA sample to compare to the police database. With over thirty years worth of samples collected we may just get a match to an unknown family member." Marcus finished the call saying he would be at home carrying on his research until he heard back from John who in turn was making his own phone call to another old friend who happened to be a crown court judge. Finishing his call to his old friend Justice Shaw; John sat back in his chair and mulled over what Marcus had told him. He had long ago learned to piece together the excited ramblings of his old friend to make a more coherent picture in his mind. As he sat there thinking it dawned on him that Marcus could quite easily be right and that if his theory about the missing people being abducted at the same time as the individual murder cases we could have a generation or more of unsolved serial murders. The thought was as terrifying as it was sobering to him and suddenly he felt his age again. It was quite possible that the same person or people were periodically abducting several victims at once and murdering them whilst leaving one of their victims for the police to find taunting them into trying to catch them. John sighed as the possibilities of what he and Marcus might uncover tonight filtered through his mind and he once more looked at the clock on his wall before reaching for the phone on his desk.

Greg glanced at his watch as he reached into his coat pocket to fish out his mobile phone that had just begun to vibrate; a quarter past eight he thought to himself as he flipped open his phone and pressed it to his ear.

"Hello" he said calmly as he helped Emma to put her coat on; she smiled and slipped her slender hands into the coat then walked over to the restaurant doors.

"Greg, its John Williams here." Greg stiffened slightly almost bringing himself to attention

"Hello Sir". Was all he managed to get out before he was interrupted by the caller

"I have just got off the phone with Justice Shaw, an old friend of mine, and he has given us permission to exhume the grave site of Cain's body. I was speaking with Professor Tremane earlier this evening and he is convinced that there is a link between the killings associated with Cain and this new murder; maybe some type of cult. I need you to meet him at Trinity Chapel and contact the on call C.S.I while you are about it as they will need to be there for samples and the like." John paused and waited for his detective to acknowledge the instructions he had just been given.

"Not a problem sir. I will head over there now." Greg replied as he digested the orders being received from his D.C.I

"Good man Greg. Give me a call soon as you know what we have there. Oh one thing before you go. Did you get to Cain's address yet?" John tried to keep the concern from his voice but the mere mention of Cain brought his nerves on edge.

"Not yet sir it was next on my list." Greg answered as he began jotting down notes in his notebook

"Not a problem. You carry on and meet the professor at the chapel and I'll check out Cain's old address then meet you back at the station. Call me as soon as you have anything."

John Williams returned the receiver to the phone cradle on his desk and sat back in his chair with sigh.

"Will do sir" Greg slowly closed the clamshell phone shut and turned to see Emma stood waiting patiently by the doorway. He smiled halfheartedly and walked over to her. "Are you on call tonight?" Emma shrugged her shoulders and furrowed her brow quizzically before replying

"Yes, why?"

"That was D.C.I Williams and he wants me and the duty C.S.I to meet a Professor Tremane at Trinity Chapel to exhume Cain's body. They think there may be a link between the murders he carried out thirty years ago and this recent murder." Greg said with an even and earnest tone to his voice

"Well Detective Lawrence. This is an interesting way to end our date." Emma winked at Greg as she pushed open the door leading to the street outside the restaurant.

"This is a date?" Greg said half joking and half with a sincere question. Emma pulled up the collar of her coat against the chill wind of the night and called back

"Maybe."

As he ended his call to his detective John paused for a moment to reflect on how his life had come full circle and that once again he was headed to 112 Hornsbury Avenue to make inquiries about Ian Cain. With this in mind he made his way over to his safe where he kept his standard issue police revolver and small supply of ammunition before loading his gun and slipping it inside its well-worn holster that tucked firmly on his belt. With a sigh he once more dialed his old friend Marcus

"Its all arranged. His body resides at the old Trinity Chapel across town and you will never guess who the current chaplain is there?" John said almost teasingly as he heard Marcus answer the phone.

"You can't mean Jacob? Surely not I thought he had gone off on some damn fool missionary work?" Marcus replied with a tone of exasperation in his voice.

"The very same; anyway its all arranged and I'm sending my man Detective Lawrence over there to supervise things. There should be someone from our scenes of crime department joining him too. Try not to be too much of yourself Marcus; Greg is very much like I was at that age when we first met and I don't want you filling his head with your damn fool ideas." John sighed inwardly as he finished his sentence.

"Those damn fool ideas are what helped us catch Cain last time" Marcus snapped back.

"Damn it man I'm not saying you weren't responsible for solving the case! I'm just saying people are likely to think you mad if you start on with the whole supernatural thing again. Please Marcus for my sake just go along and see what there is to be seen." John tone was almost pleeding but held a slightly frustrated edge to it also.

"Fine. Fine. I will make my way over now. It will be good to catch up with our old friend McMasters. So when shall we expect your arrival?" Marcus asked.

"I won't be coming over anytime soon I will be heading over to Cain's last know residence." John slipped his arm into his overcoat and switched the phone to his other ear as he replied.

"On your own? That's just foolish John. Let me meet you there. I can be there in twenty minutes." Marcus tried to insist.

"Marcus just do as I ask and go to the Chapel; they will need you there far more than I will at Cain's old address. The chances are it's been bought and sold a half dozen times since he lived there but I might be able to trace the line of sale through the current occupiers. I will meet you all there afterwards or give you a call and update you later." John snapped shut his mobile phone before Marcus had the chance to protest and slipped it into his coat pocket before stepping out of his office and shutting the door.