Redemption

Saturday #12

Lee tried to be busy as he recalled the few remaining pages from the threadbare police archives that he was able to luckily locate from the remnants a few years ago. That was all the resources he was given in his praiseworthy journey to seize his megalomania, and he chose to extract the most from it while he still can. For four years and six months, he implanted every last line of detail the case reports had to offer into his brain over and over. As a result, or as an award for his blind endeavors, he received an ability to recall and comprehend as many pictures, as many lines of sentences he wanted from the papers without having it shown in front of him. With such little information acquired, fueled by his excessive interest in the past East End serial murder, he spent years simulating and producing theories that might serve him well when he truly received a chance to investigate the case. He practiced and rehearsed what he'd think and do when the time finally comes – when he seizes the moment.

And now, he was facing himself faced by an irresistible sensation yanking his chain toward a particular destination, to a truth unseen and unreplicated by any other sages or warriors that has ever lived the opportunity Lee had right now. It was, however, still his job to prove it, as he makes strides along the unpaved roadway.

He recalled the murder case that happened many years ago, even before the serial murderer was officially recognized on the same island he was currently standing amidst. 15 dead bodies in total, though the investigators suspected more than 50 unfound victims. All of the victims were found bodiless – all their missing bodies are yet to be found. The culprit, the agent of truth, was never authentically identified.

He had an idea, and to him it seemed as solid as a thesis validated over decades of testimonies – or at least the one closest to the truth among all unwarranted arguments they abundantly possessed. And while he knew that excitement was probably not the most appropriate emotion to utilize, he was nevertheless joyful to be 'right.'

According to his utter brilliance, there were some facts unjustly ignored and omitted years before; that is, the case that happened prior to the 'traditionally considered' prelude to the bloodshed.

The archives available contained little detail about the particular case, but that told him enough to derive a 'concrete' conclusion for his own. Two days before the discovery of the first head, two people were found dead with either of their heads nearly severed into two in a nearby construction site only 200 meters away from where the first head was buried and found 48 hours later.

When Lee first realized the vague yet present contour of some indefinite similarities, he became astonished at what he had found and dubious that nobody else made this discovery sooner than he did. Lee saw them as easily relatable – with excessive confidence, he did.

The victims were struck by the shiv on their way home. There lay a crude, handmade knife underneath the strangely vigorous clot of blood that belonged to not two but three distinct individuals. Blades stolen from a pair of scissors and repaired with a leathery strand of tape. As imperfect in its figure it seemed, the knife bore an attachment so deep and personal that none other than the owner themself could comprehend.

Now, whether the police force had apprehended whoever was responsible for that particular killing or not in the past, Lee didn't know, and neither did it concern him. It was ascertained in Lee's own limitless boundaries of imaginative wisdom that even if they had found the murderer years ago they must have accused the wrong person -- since murders by the same criminal continued afterward. Such was his belief, and he chose where to put the milestones for himself. Lee, either way, thought it was a solid foundation to start.

Whenever the malicious hands of ill-determined doubts arose from the abyss, he suppressed the uprise with the repeated one-on-one sessions with himself. Along the stumbles printed on top of lines of thin air, forward was the only concept he had to understand.

'Hope, and wait' -- the words of wisdom that Lee would grasp at the end of the road.

The knife not taken into account, the only official clue they were aware of was a fragment of a full fingerprint from the thumb found in one of the heads. Needless to say, this was far from enough, both for the officers who were and Lee who currently is. So really, neither team had enough clues to even begin their journey to the truth. Finding any additional pinch of physical evidence would be almost as hard as solving the conundrum itself. So with limited information, Lee merely inferred that the case that happened just before the discovery of the very first head was in any way related to this murder case.

With this premise established, here was the million-dollar question: Who, how, and why? But the pages of the reports ended way too early, and the lack of papers to further flip through urged Lee to perform actual actions.

"I think I ought to see the head for myself," said Lee, at the end of Lily's patience. "before it gets too dark."

"Do you take the case, then?" Said Lily, bearing a glimmer in her eyes.

It took Lee quite the determination to refrain from gleefully announcing, 'absolutely!' He tried to create an impression of an arrogant detective and a harbinger of truth, he who uncovers what ought to be revealed from its state of unjustified obscurity. At last, in a time of total tribulation and lunacy, the redeemer of justice was taking his first step into his conquest. "That's our job."

We'll have the truth in our hands – you do not have to worry, A voice whispered.

Lily noticed Lee's usage of the word 'our.' When she was in the moment of throwing a query regarding the intentions behind using a particular pronoun, Lee spoke.

"This is a murder case and a dream of mine – it's not something I can take lightheartedly. Two is always better than one."

His intentions were made utterly clear, and Lily had to admit. She made a slight change in her standing posture and inquired. "Lee, was it? Should I call you Lee?"

Knowing that Lily, too, should have been a part of the obligation, Lee smiled merrily and replied. "I was – I am a police lieutenant."

Lily narrowed her eyes, but not in a judgmental manner. She knew that taking this step in one way or another was inevitable if she wished to see the truth revealed. It, therefore, took less than a few seconds for her to make the final call. Drawing an imitated grin, she offered a handshake.

"I will take you to the crime scene, lieutenant."

Lee gladly accepted.