The Symbologist

Chapter 2

The commissioner wore a beige uniform celebrated with medals and a stern looking expression. His cap and badge only emphasized his authority, as did his tall stature.

"Good afternoon, commissioner."

The commissioner was greeted by all the officers and sergeants as he stepped inside the police station and walked over to DI Jones' desk.

"DI Jones, you will be handling the Jane Cutters & Suzanne Hilltop cases," the commissioner assigned her, taking off his cap, "I trust that you will solve them well, better than the last DI."

"Yes, commissioner," Jones nodded politely and handed the commissioner a thick folder on her desk, "I have made significant progress already."

The commissioner didn't bother looking in the folder and handed it back to Jones, "I trust that you have, but if at some point you would not like to work alone anymore, there are many good sergeants who would trip over their toes to work with you."

"I'm flattered," Jones replied flatly.

"Think about it," the commissioner suggested, putting his cap back on as he made his exit, "I have a feeling we have a serial killer on our hands."

Later that day, as DI Jones sat at her desk looking for any links between the two victims, her phone rang.

She picked up the phone and a woman's voice came through, "Hello, this is Virginia Mason hospital and Seattle Medical center calling to inform you that your mother has had a heart attack. We-"

"I will be right there!" Jones said urgently, cutting the woman off, "Around 25 minutes."

Jones hung up and stuffed the folder of her case in her desk drawer, locking the drawer. Grabbing her handbag, she hurried out of the office, ignoring the questioning glances from others on her way out.

When she arrived at the hospital, Jones demanded to see her mother. The nurse, a petite woman with round glasses and short, brown hair, hurried to bring Jones to her mother. Jones suspected she had scared the woman a bit.

"How long do you suspect her recovery will take?" Jones asked, walking over to her mother's bedside and taking her hand.

"Around two months, was what the doctor said," the nurse replied, "I'll leave you two now."

Jones nodded and pulled out her phone to give the commissioner a call. It had barely even rung once when the commissioner's commanding voice came through.

"Hello, DI Jones, is there something so urgent that you must bother me during an important meeting?"

"Sorry commissioner," Jones apologized, "I called to inform you that I can no longer work the case you assigned me. My mother is ill in the hospital and I need to take time off to care for her."

A few beats of silence passed before the commissioner spoke, "Very well, I understand. I will find another DI to take your place."

Jones voiced her thanks and the commissioner hung up. Stuffing her phone back in her handbag, Jones took a long look at her mother. All the lines and wrinkles from many years of worry and experience were still there, but she looked less tired, more at peace in her unconscious state, her lips seemingly more red as well now compared to her usually concerningly pale ones. She remembered one of her mother's friends had told her that her mother had been a model, one of the best. As Jones looked at her mother now, she realized her mother's beauty had always been masked behind those lines and wrinkles, stress to be the best mother she could be. Jones had always felt her mother had tried so so hard to be a great mother, like she had failed before even though Jones was an only child. She pushed back her mother's wavy brown hair and counted her mother's freckles, something she always used to do as a kid.

...

The commissioner's phone rang five times before it went to voicemail. An irresponsible DI, the commissioner concluded, would not be fit for the job. They were going to be dealing with murder after all.

Suddenly his phone rang and the commissioner accepted, pressing it to his ear, "Hello, is this DI Sugars?"

"DI Sugars speaking," a male voice confirmed from the other end.

"We have a case if you are willing to take it," the commissioner explained, emphasizing the importance after the missed phone call, "A very important one that needs to be taken seriously, might I add."

"Well what case?" Sugars asked nonchalantly.

The commissioner thought he heard someone munching on a cookie, "Are you eating?"

"Unimportant, what's the case?"

The commissioner took a deep breath before answering, "Two murders have taken place already, as you've seen on the news. Details can be discussed when we meet."

Sugars laughed, "Woah, woah woah, you just assume I'm taking the case, huh? Must be an important one. On second thought, you commissioners are all like that."

The commissioner furrowed his brows, ready to hang up any second, "My apologies, I will give the offer to someone else then."

The commissioner lowered his phone to hang up when DI Sugars shouted into the phone, "Hey wait! I'll take the case, geez. I'll meet with you tomorrow morning at eight to talk about the details."

"I expect to see you at eight," the commissioner replied, hanging up. The nerve of DI Sugars. He better be good. Actually, on second thought, he better outperform DI Jones. And Sugars, what type of name is that!