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Crossover: with Psi Factor
Warning:
Xipe Totec
“Sheriff Ellison? I am Lindsay Donner with the O.S.I.R.. These are my associates Dr. Claire Davidson, Dr. Mia Stone and Peter Axon. I called your office two days ago, so I hope you’re expecting us.”
Greeting the scientists, Jim studied them carefully. As Blair had pointed out, these people could be really dangerous for him. Although his partner always insisted that his senses were perfectly natural and these group was looking for the paranormal, maybe their definition was different from Blair’s. And that could mean spending the rest of his life as a lab-rat. He could sense no thread at the moment. The faces were open and friendly, and respiration and heart-rate were normal. So far, so good.
“Yes, I was informed. I understand you want to investigate the murder of poor Mr. Jenkins?”
“That is right. We were informed about the rather … unusual condition he was found in. We would appreciate if you’d share the results of your investigations with us.”
Okay, no signs of lying. If these group had another motive, Ms Donnerknew nothing about it. But it was still to dangerous to let them meet Blair. The combination of their names could trigger a memory of the press conference and that he would avoid at all costs. He pointed at the door of the conference room.
“Let’s sit down. I’m afraid I have to disappoint you. All we learned so far indicates a natural cause of death. I mean, natural as in a killer belonging to the human race. I won’t deny that whoever did that has a serious mental problem.”
When his guests were seated he went to get the forensic report from his office. All the time he kept his hearing dialed up, still not trusting them.
Well, it seems, this time we don’t have to fight for information. A man’s voice. Axon.
That’s nice for a change. That was the cute Dr. Stone.
He went back to the big table. Still, nothing suspicious. He gradually started to relax.
“This is the forensic report. Richard Jenkins was stabbed in the back. The position of the wound indicates a rather fast death. The murderer used a knife with a long and sharp blade, then he changed his weapons and skinned him with a rather blunt knife and cut his heart out. Looks like a bad imitation of an Aztec sacrifice ritual.”
Dr. Davidson took the report and leafed through it. Axon peered over her shoulder and than asked Jim:, “Why a bad imitation?”
“He was killed the wrong way. In Aztec rituals the victim was killed by cutting out the heart. He was skinned after that. Our murderer skinned him first and cut the heart out afterwards. Either he doesn’t know the right way or he doesn’t care. I don’t think there is anything supernatural in that.”
Dr. Davidson looked up from the papers and nodded.
“I think you are right, Sheriff. Everything in the report supports your theory. Would you allow us to collect some environmental data from the crime scene? Just to make sure there is nothing unusual. We use different methods than crime scenes investigators, so we can look from a different angle.”
“Knock yourself out. There was a thunderstorm in the night of the murder, so there wasn’t anything useful to find anyway. Only a few fibers, and we secured these.”
“Thanks for your cooperation, Sheriff. We will let you know if we find anything,“ said Lindsay Donner, smiling friendly and standing up to go.
“Was the skin found?,“ Stone threw in.
“No. Neither skin nor heart. If he follows the ritual we’ll find him by smell.”
Axon looked bewildered.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, the Aztec priests used to wear the flayed skin till it rotted and fell off. That insured a good harvest. That points to a farmer as most likely suspect, but we investigate in all directions.”
Jim didn’t let his grin show at the decidedly green complexion of Axon and Davidson. When Sandburg explained the ritual to him he felt nauseous too. After another thank-you from Donner he showed them out and went back to work.
~-~-~
Blair fidgeted on the couch. Jim was due any moment now and he was dying to know how the meeting with the O.S.I.R. went. He jumped up and started to pace nervously.
Ellison grinned at his pacing guide when he entered the room. The kid was so worked up, he didn’t even hear him entering.
“Calm down, Chief. They don’t know or don’t care. They’ll go over the scene tomorrow, find nothing and will be gone the next day.”
Blair startled at the first word and than visibly relaxed. Relieved he grinned at his Sentinel.
“Did they say what brought them here? I admit this is not your every-day-murder, but paranormal? That’s quite a leap. Speaking about the murder, did you make any progress? What did you tell them? Did they tell you who informed them?”
Jim stopped the rambling with laying his hand above his guide’s mouth. Blair looked surprised at first but after a moment the Sentinel felt the grin in his palm. He released the younger man and let him to the couch. Than he sat down beside Sandburg.
“No, yes, just the rough facts and no.”
Now he had a confused guide sitting beside him. He decided to show mercy with the kid.
“No, they did not tell why they came. Yes, I made progress. I gave them the forensic report and told them about the ritual aspect without going into detail other than the skin-suit. Two of them looked fairly green after that. No, they didn’t name the informant but I would bet my money on Lizzy Cramer.”
Lizzy Cramer was the self-announced spiritual healer and medium of the town. She did palmistry (a bad guesswork), read the cards (one out of ten predictions came true) and told everyone about her imminent abduction by aliens. Jim hated her with a passion. Blair found her rather amusing but was very careful about what he said around her. She had a suspicious mind and believed nobody, yet expected everyone to trust her. On top of that she was a bad gossip and every other week they found a complaint - about someone who offended her or was suspicious in her opinion - in their mailbox.
“Sounds convincing. What progress did you make? Too bad I can’t help you till they’re gone.”
With that statement Ellison agreed wholeheartedly. He really missed his partner at work.
“Well it looks like you were right on track with suspecting Tucker. The fibers we’ve found on the scene are from a blanket with a Mexican pattern. It was pure coincidence that I saw the blanket in Hanks shop and recognized these nice shade of blue, and the red was a match too. So I had a little chat with Hank; he sold one of them to Bruce Tucker. He bought only the blanket and – guess what - yellow dye. He practically wrote ‘I’m guilty’ on his forehead.”
“What I don’t understand is why he made so many mistakes following the ritual. He performed it at the wrong time. Tlacaxipehualiztli is long over, and this kind of sacrifice was only performed during these month of the Aztek calendar. He killed him with stabbing in the back and cut the heart out at last. But on the other hand he knew that the skin has to be dyed yellow and he used a traditional knife with a blade made of stone. I just hope he stays close to the time frame and wears the skin for at least a few days before he buries it.”
Jim was taken aback by that. He was hoping that nobody was wearing the skin of Martin Jenkins. Just the imagination of the smell made him sick. Blair seemed to read these emotion in his face because he hurried to explain it.
“You see, the next ritual in the Aztec calendar, after the skin was buried, was sacrificing a child. More than one actually. Of course, that was no longer an offer to Xipe Totec. But who knows how many gods he wants to warship? If he’d stick to the rules we’d know what to expect. His ignorance makes him even more dangerous. Don’t we have enough evidence for an arrest warrant yet?”
“I think it should be enough. I sent the information to Judge Parker. We should hear from him any moment now. The O.S.I.R.-group is going over the crime scene, so they should be out of our hair. Care to join our little bust?”
“Sure. I’m your partner, remember?”
“Always, Chief. Let’s make a little call to the judge to speed things up.”
~-~-~
They checked the crime scene for magnetic fields, rays, organic residues – anything that would strike them as unusual – finding nothing. Axon just finished his last test, shaking his head.
“Absolutely nothing. No green jelly like we found in the other cases. The rain can’t be the reason, in Seattle it was raining too and we found it anyway. So, it’s not our skin-eater this time. Like the sheriff said, a twisted mind. I think we should pack our things.”
“I think you’re right,“ Lindsay countered. ” Well, we knew from the start that this one didn’t exactly fit in the pattern. The other five victims had no injuries besides the missing skin, and the heart was always untouched. I already spoke to Anton. We’ve got no new case at the moment, so we could stay for a few days. How often do you see a Sentinel at work?”
Claire shook her head.
“I have to be home Wednesday. I’d rather head back now. By the way, I think Ellison would be glad to see us leaving. Did you realize how tense he was? With an ability like that I would be suspicious of a group of scientists looking for the uncommon.”
“Don’t you think he would be relieved learning about the other Sentinels?”, Mia cut in. “A man with his background would be concerned about the government and it’s various agencies.”
“I still think we should leave now. We could send a letter to Mr. Sandburg, explaining the whole thing, and get out of their hair. I wouldn’t want to be in the way of catching a sick bastard like that.”
Lindsay thought about Clair’s words, reluctantly admitting that she was right. She didn’t want to obstruct them either. But on the other side she was really curious how the Sentinel would solve the crime.
“I think the letter is a really good idea. So Mia, what do you think, staying or leaving?”
“Leaving. Let them work in peace and read about the result in the paper. I’m sure they’ll get whoever did it.”
“Okay then, lets pack our things and say our goodbyes to sheriff Ellison.”
~-~-~
The message of the scientists leaving reached the Sentinel halfway to Tucker’s farm. He shot a quick grin to Sandburg, who answered equally. Both were more than relieved that another thread to the Sentinel was removed. The mood sobered quickly, remembering what might be awaiting them.
Jim looked in the rear view mirror at the two patrol cars following them. Tucker wasn’t known as violent, but the murder of Martin Jenkins showed a brutality which stated clearly that they misjudged Tucker’s character. If he was guilty. What Jim didn’t doubt for one second. There was just too many circumstantial evidence.
“What I always meant to ask you, Chief, why did you start to suspect Tucker? I know he wasn’t on best terms with Jenkins, but so were several people. Jenkins had a real gift to make enemies; so why Tucker?”
Blair started to chew his lower lip. He thought he would get away with it. Trust a Sentinel to outdo a cat in curiosity.
“I’m not sure. It was kind of a gut-feeling, you know? Sometimes your subconscious just knows the answer, so you have to trust your feelings. Don’t look at me like that. It’s the way I do crosswords. I’m not kidding you. If I don’t know the answers I read through it again, lay it aside and don’t think about it. After half an hour I start again and than I usually know the answers without having to think about it. You should try it, works for me every time. It’s the same with every riddle, even a crime. If you have the true facts, that is. God, I hope we’re right.”
“Me too. Searching for another word for your little procedure? Try cop-instinct. It’s the same thing, just without explanation. – I can see Tucker’s house now. He seems to be at home. There’s light and movement.”
“Anything specific? Like, maybe a bit more yellow than usually?”
“Not from here.”
“God, I hope he’s not really wearing it. I saw the statues of Xipe Totec where he wears a flayed skin. It was only stone, you know, but to imagine that someone wears the face of another man above his own – and the hands hanging down at the wrists. It used to make me feel pretty queasy.”
“Thanks for that mental image, Sandburg. I feel so much better now.”
“Sorry, Jim. I can’t get my mind to shut up. I wish it was over.”
Now they were near enough that Blair could see the house too. The light was shut down now and there was no movement to see.
“He plays possum. I can smell him; I’m afraid you’re about to see if your imagination was right.”
He stopped at the house, waiting for the patrol cars. Extending his hearing he listened for the sound of metal. He heard a accelerated heartbeat and the sound of stone scraping on wood. Maybe the stone blade. He directed his deputies to the backdoor and the windows and knocked at the door, his guide at his left side, slightly behind him. There was no reaction from the inside, so Jim identified himself loudly and demanded the opening of the door.
Still no reaction. He signed to Sandburg to move beside the door and kicked the door down. Although the house was dark he saw the inhabitant immediately, training his weapon on him. Tucker was indeed wearing the skin of his victim. He was crouched down in a dark corner where he could see the door without being seen by normal eyes. In his hand he held a knife with a blade of stone.
“Drop the knife! Now!”
Tucker, startled, did just that. He showed no resistance when Ellison handcuffed him, read him his rights and handed him over to a deputy who led him t the patrol car. Jim desperately wanted to wash his hands, but didn’t want to use the bathroom of Tucker’s house to not destroy possible evidence. Blair anticipated his need and handed him a bottle with disinfectant and held another bottle, this time full of water, ready.
“You thought of everything, huh? Thank you, Chief.”
“You’re welcome. I’m glad I didn’t have to touch him. I would have tossed every meal I had today for sure. I thought my imagination was bad, but these sight combined with the smell. I’ll never forget that.”
“Make that the two of us. Let’s head back to interrogate Tucker. Simmons can stay here to wait for forensics. Got an idea what he did with the heart?”
“Not really. If he followed the ritual he should have offered it at some kind of an altar. Maybe he’ll tell us.”
~-~-~
Tucker was seated in the interrogation room after having been divested of his awful clothing. Although he had been cleaned before he was dressed in a clean overall the stench still surrounded him. In moments like this the Sentinel was grateful for his ability to dial his senses down. He looked with pity at Blair who didn’t have a choice in the matter and noticed the fine film of oil under Sandburg’s nose. He dialed his sense of smell up for a moment. Peppermint oil. In moments like that he admired his guide’s intelligence. The kid was not only book-smart but had a great deal of common sense and was able to anticipate things Jim never would have thought about. Like carrying disinfectant when there was the possibility to touch something repulsive.
“Do you wish the presence of a lawyer?”
“No. The great god will protect me. I don’t need no man to do the work of my god.”
“Does your god have a name?”, Blair threw in. He was curious how much the suspect did know about the rituals he performed.
“Of course he has. But it is not for unbelievers like you to know. My god only talks to true followers of his path.”
“We don’t want to talk to your god, we’re talking to you. You are arrested for the murder of Martin Jenkins, not your god.”
Ellison’s irritation about Tucker’s I’m-better-than-you-attitude began to show. His guide laid a soothing hand on his forearm and told him on Sentinel-level to let him handle the questioning for a while. The Sentinel nodded; this was Sandburg’s domain anyhow. The kid could talk him dizzy, so it should be easy for him to confuse Tucker. Jim laid back, gesturing to his friend to take over.
“Well, Mr Tucker, I know only one god who would demand a sacrifice like that. But this god would be very disappointed by your work. He would never listen to someone unable to perform the ritual right. I think you insulted him with your failure. Your arrest might be his revenge.”
“No, no, no, the great Xipe Totec would never leave his follower. He will protect me. Your walls won’t be able to contain me.”
The Sentinel noticed the nearly imperceptible smile of his guide. Strike one for Sandburg. He remembered very clearly the reaction of the younger man when he saw the crime scene the first time. “Looks like the victim of a sacrifice to Xipe Totec to me,” Blair said and then spent the next two hours explaining everything significant of the ritual and its purpose to Jim.
“If your great god will get you out of here anyway, why don’t you just tell us the whole story? I mean, what do you have to lose? Gods love to get sacrifices and I’m sure they like to hear us humans talk about it. I’d really like to know, how a great god like yours is properly worshipped.”
Blair’s gentle coaxing took effect. Tucker looked confused.
“Tell me, how did you come across Jenkins. Was is a chance meeting?”
“No, nothing in the service of the great god happens randomly. I asked Jenkins to meet me, told him there was a problem with the fences. He showed up, I distracted him and stabbed him. Then I performed the holy ritual. I won’t tell you about that. You will see, tomorrow I am free and my harvest will be greater than those of all other farmers combined.”
“I don’t think so. Xipe Totec demands that his sacrifices are killed by cutting out it’s heart. Only then he will accept it. You were too arrogant or too ignorant to do it right. I don’t think any god wants to have anything to do with you.”
Jim noticed the minute vibration of the tabletop. Tucker had started to tremble, showing fear for the first time. Determined to use the weakness of the murderer Jim tapped his partner on the shoulder, silently asking for permission to take over. Blair nodded.
“Where is his heart? No god would accept this offering, so what did you do with it?”
No answer, but Ellison noticed how Tuckers hand moved slightly to his stomach.
“You ate it, right? Instead of offering it you ate it yourself. You denied your god his sacrifice!”
“I was the god! The great Xipe Totec used my body and he ate it. He will help me and I will escape. You can’t stop a god! You can’t stop me!”
Jim gestured to his guide to leave the interrogation room. They left Tucker to his ramblings and one of the deputies took over.
“I don’t think he will ever see the inside of a prison, Chief. The psychiatrists will have an interesting time with him.”
“Maybe. Let’s head home, get a little sleep.”
They did just that.
~-~-~
The next day brought the results from forensics. It showed a clearer picture of the crime. The Mexican blanket was found in Tuckers house. A hole was cut in the middle of it. The pattern of the blood on it showed that he wore it like a poncho while he mutilated the body his neighbor. Also, a kind of a primitive alarm system was discovered, explaining how Tucker was alarmed of their arrival.
Everything they learned so far showed a very well planned crime. Tucker lured his neighbor to a fence which didn’t border to his own property, so he wouldn’t be suspected. He timed it very carefully expecting that the forecasted rain would destroy all traces. Which it would have, if the fibers of the blanket wouldn’t have been captured by the wooden fence post.
During the search of Tucker’s house Blair found out what made him suspicious of him the first time, when he saw the book the murderer had bought two weeks ago. A book about South American sacrifice rituals. He had seen Tucker in the book store, but was in a hurry and didn’t realize what the other man had bought. His subconscious obviously noticed it and linked the information of the crime.
The Sentinel and his guide finished their paperwork and headed home. Whatever would now happen now to the murderer was in the hand of the justice. They had six free days now and would spend them fishing and relaxing. The tribe was safe now.
~-~-~
Five days later
Blair studied the letter again. Sighing he gave in to the questioning look of his Sentinel. He handed the letter to Jim and sat back. Silently he studied the face of the older man, amusement winning over his confused emotions at the look of astonishment on Ellison’s face.
“Did you read that, Chief? That’s unbelievable. To think that there’s a whole department of Sentinels! For twenty-six years! I can’t believe they knew about this so long without anything becoming public knowledge. By the way, congratulations Dr. Sandburg!”
“Do you think this is for real? How can they award me with this doctorate when I didn’t submit my dissertation to them? And without a defense. How did Ms Donner know about all that and why did she do all that for me? I mean, it is one thing to know that they use my dissertation for their work but they would never have bothered with me getting my Ph.D. if she wouldn’t have stepped on their toes. And all that in such a short time! I don’t know what to say.”
“It looks authentic to me. We’ll check that. What’s bothering me most is that you did all that for nothing. To think that there has never been a thread by the government! Well, except for rogue agents. And mad scientists would have been dangerous too. And if the criminals would have realized… Forget what I said, Chief. Your sacrifice was not in vain. Have I told you lately how much I appreciate what you did for me?”
“Not in the last five minutes.”
Blair was grinning broadly, finally starting to believe the good news. A burden was taken from his shoulders, knowing now there were people he could ask for help if he ever was confronted with a Sentinel-problem he was unable to solve. But he didn’t really think it would come to that. Their friendship was stronger than ever, both paying more attention to the needs of the other. It was just nice to know that there were other options.
The End
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