The Witch's Doll ⚢

Chapter 19

A/N: Thank you to all of those people who reviewed the previous chapters! Your comments have been very encouraging. Here's your next chapter; I hope you enjoy it!

Death is a test of what being human means. It probed human responsibilities and the community and asking what value humans place on their links to the past.

As a concept, it seemed vague, but to see it happen to someone she held dear made it real. Death was frightening. Yet perhaps more frightening and fascinating are the monsters closer to humans—the ones that walk among the crowds, the ones who look like ordinary people, the ones who were people.

It was because of Isla that Henri would not die of old age as he had deserved. And that mere thought crushed Isla more than the knowledge that today she lost the only childhood friend who had ever believed in her. She felt like she was losing a brother. She now saw just how much the young man meant to her, just how essential he had been all this time.

Isla had been so wrong about everything and every day she was paying the price for her ignorance.

"This is turning out to be such a beastly day." DI Soleil said, bringing her out of her reverie. "Isla I'm glad to see you safe. I didn't expect more bloodshed."

Isla found herself wrapped with a blanket that ambulances give to traumatized victims. Her face bare and her eyes reddish, she was well hidden and seated back at her car with the Welsh woman. Benjamin was nowhere to be seen, however.

"Has Henri's father responded to your calls?" Isla asked.

"Why yes. The Minister of State is such a serious and cold man, partly due to his detachment on feelings as a statesman, although the news of his son's death rattled him. I never want to talk to him again if not for my job."

Isla squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to remember. Henri, pale, bloody, and dead, the ground soaked through. Mouth parted, and eyes open, empty and unseeing.

"This new death must be connected to the first, don't you think?"

DI Soleil grunted. "I thought you would have enough."

Tired and dejected-looking, Isla wilted in her seat. "Oh no, I have to go back. I haven't solved the stream of cases yet." Even so, she clenched her teeth at the memory, too fresh and still too painful.

"Very well then," she crossed her arms. "You sure you will be able to see clearly without any emotions attached to your deductive reasoning?"

Isla stared back from beneath her confounded gaze. "Yes."

Studying DI Soleil's eyes, Isla found nothing familiar and felt a small tinge of disappointment.

"You should be glad you know. I'm finally taking the unprecedented step of releasing confidential correspondence with you because who would normally share details about a serial killer's latest victim to a 17-year old girl? If we are to do this, Isla, I would like you to not bandy about my name for your own convenience."

"I concur."

A sudden knock on the tinted window caused them to halt their conversation. Benjamin was back with a ramen cup filled with hot water for the Welsh. After expressing her gratitude, Benjamin pried away from the topic.

DI Soleil slurped a huge deal of noodles before speaking. "You see, the problem with some detectives is that they take everything at face value and call it a day. They ruled Ferrers's death out as suicide."