The Janus Project (ONC 2020 - LGBTQ)

21. Resolution

Ash waited, but Kai didn't return.

Eventually he decided he couldn't wait any longer. Much as he wanted to see that his lover was safe and unharmed, he couldn't stand around here waiting for ever. He had his own work to do.

Ash was almost certain Kai's assailant had been the Butcher, and that Kai had taken them both back to his world. He presumed Kai would be occupied for some time with whatever procedures were involved in returning Fuller—or whatever his name was—to prison. Now would be a perfect time to search the Butcher's house in Londa. Who knew what evidence they would find there?

Decision made, he left Kai's apartment, closing the door behind him and hailed a steam carriage back to the police station.

"I'm going to interview Keith Miller again," he told the constable at the Reception desk. "Is George Pappas in?"

"Yes sir. He came in a few minutes ago."

"I've had a tip-off about Keith Miller," he told his Sergeant. "I want to interview him again in connection with Clive Jenkins' murder. We'll take the police wagon in case we need to bring him back with us."

The police wagon was garaged at the back of the station. Seldom used, except when they needed to transport a prisoner, it took Pappas a while to get the coal burning hot enough to fire the steam engine. Ash strongly suspected Miller wouldn't be there for them to arrest, but it would have looked strange to call on a suspected murderer in a public steam carriage.

Eventually they set off, Pappas looking quite happy with the opportunity to steer the wagon along the cobbled streets.

Miller's house was a narrow building in the middle of a terrace. Ash left Pappas banking down the coals, and went quickly up the steps. By the time Pappas joined him, the door was ajar. His Sergeant gave him a quizzical look. Ash shrugged blandly and led the way inside.

"Hullo? Anyone home?" he called. "Mr Miller?"

Silence.

Ash made a show of sniffing the air. "Do you smell something?"

"No sir," replied Pappas, looking puzzled.

"Gas," said Ash firmly. "I think we should check through the house. We wouldn't want any sort of explosion."

Ash led the way determinedly upstairs, ignoring the doubtful expression on Pappas' face.

His expression changed considerably when they found the axe in the bathroom.

Methodically, the two men searched the house from top to bottom. Then they climbed down into the cellar.

"Do those flagstones look uneven to you?" asked Ash, seriously this time.

"Yes sir, they do indeed," answered Pappas, in grim tones. Gingerly, he prised up one of the heavy flagstones. The recently disturbed earth was only too obvious.

"I think it's time we called in the rest of the team," declared Ash. "Including the Police Surgeon."

Keith Miller was still recognisable after a month in the ground.

"It can't be the same man!" declared Pappas, shocked. "He was walking around as large as life only a few days ago."

"His brother, perhaps?" suggested Ash, taking a leaf from Kai's book.

"Definitely a relation of some sort," agreed Pappas.

It wasn't until they were moving the body and the rest of the evidence to the police wagon, that Ash remembered what Kai had said. That you could only use the transporter safely, if you had a living match.