Elysium Dreams

Eight

"When we figure out who he is, I am going to take point when we breach his lair.  I am going to secure any innocents and hostages while keeping an eye out for our killer.  Chances are good that if we get into a physical altercation, I am going to walk away with a few bumps and bruises, but he'll need a body bag.  If he's smart, he'll surrender when I come through the door.  Because that is what I do, I convince serial killers to surrender," I sat perfectly still after I finished speaking, staring at Arons.

"I love it when you're angry," Lucas stood up.  "It always gives me ideas.  We don't know how he is taking the ones that would normally resist, Ace suggested he uses some sort of device to keep them from struggling.  Zip-cuffs wouldn't leave a mark."

"Zip-cuffs break," I answered.

"True, but most people don't know how to do it," Lucas replied.

"I like the idea," Gabriel said.  "And if he is on the inside, he'd have access to all the zip-cuffs he'd want."

"Even if he isn't, he would still have access to zip-ties.  They can be found anywhere," Arons finally started talking again.

"Very true," Gabriel looked at Xavier.  "You seem hung up on something."

"It's the victims.  I've been staring at these spots here for a few days now and I think I just figured out what they are from," Xavier started circling the marks he was talking about.

"All ears," I chimed.

"I think it's the hook end of a tanner's knife.  And a tanner's knife would be sharp enough to do the work," Xavier answered.

"A tanner's knife?"  Arons asked.

"A tanner's knife," Xavier repeated.  "It's a very sharp blade used to separate dermis from the layers of fat under it when taking the hide from an animal.  It usually has a weighted handle to keep the tanner from cutting too deep or not deep enough.  Once in, it's stable as it cuts the flesh.  It has a small curved tip used to puncture the skin without leaving much of a mark.  In this case, I think they are mistakes made by the killer.  They don't appear on any but the first three."

"Different knife?"  Gabriel asked.

"I doubt it.  Few things are made specifically for the task of removing flesh.  A scalpel would work, but you wouldn't get the nice thick cuts that you would with a tanner's blade," Xavier looked at me.

"Don't look at me, dead animals creep me out.  I know nothing about tanning," I shrugged.

"Dead people don't bother you, but dead animals do?"  Lucas gave me a look.  It spoke volumes.  Mostly it said my lack of humanity and compassion had just shown through.

"I did not mean it quite like that," I adjusted my position.  "I just meant that the process of butchering animals for food grosses me out.  The same with tanning."

I stopped and sat down.  I was just digging myself in deeper.  I couldn't explain why animals bothered me more than people.  It had something to do with the makeup of my psyche.  Dead people bothered me, but I didn't eat people and for some reason, my mind made a distinction between the two.  I would end up a vegetarian after a visit to a slaughterhouse.  I was fine eating after a crime scene.

"Ace's mental state aside," Gabriel pressed forward.  "There are probably dozens of tanneries in the area.  So are we looking for a tanner?"

"The first three, I'd say yes," Xavier looked at the fourth victim.  "After that, I'd say no."

"How many young men died in that four-week period?"  Lucas asked.

"If I was in a team and murdered my partner, I would make sure he wasn't found," I said.