Cruel Intent

“This is a monster who killed this poor girl.” I looked over at Camron. He was the local police presence. He was young and his eyes were full of hope. He just did not understand how his job would change his life over his career.

It was so humid you could almost see the steam in the air. The skies were a brilliant blue and there was a slight breeze coming from the east. The beaches had been sugary and the people pleasant but now reality hit me in the face. It was not real. It was an imaginary paradise. How could I have been fooled so easily?

The lure of it all had sucked me in. Spending two weeks in this tropical paradise was supposed to relax me and take my mind off all my worries. At this time as I looked around at the tiny 10x10 shack with cracks in between the floor boards, relaxing was something I would not do.

She laid there bare on a tiny makeshift bed, blood pooled around her. She was split from her sternum to her lower abdomen. The crimson stains along with the image of her wounds seared into my frontal cortex. How could someone be so vicious and uncaring? Her dingy yellow shirt was ripped down the front and her upper torso was flayed upon like an animal. I looked away in disgust. Savagery, this is what happened.

I walked around the cluttered shack looking for some clue, some glimpse of anything that would allow me an opportunity. That was all I was hoping for now. Sex slavery was so predominant here. There were no jobs, no way to rise out of the slum. This hopelessness led to crimes like the gruesome one I had the misfortune to stumble upon here. I served as chief investigator for the A.I.P.P for seven years. The American Indigenous People Protection organization was put in place by a President years since gone. He had a special relationship with the Chief of a Cherokee tribe who had lost his daughter to senseless violence. Now I found myself on this hot and miserable humid Island looking at more senseless violence.

“Monster is not descriptive enough. Anyone who will cut open a person and disembowel them is worse than a monster.” I told him. He had taken a cloth out of his pocket and put it over his nose and mouth. According to her smell, she had laid there for at least twenty-four hours.

“This is the second person we have found this way.” I heard him mumble through the cloth.

“What! You mean this is the work of a serial killer?” I stated loudly.

“I do not know. I am new to this job. That is why you have been requested to help. I only know the basics of crime scene integrity. Usually, I handle traffic and domestic issues.” I heard him say with a nervous tone.

“Camron, why haven’t the government officials stepped in to help?”

“You know as well as me that they are corrupt. They just want this to go away. Tourism is their bread and butter; if word of this gets around then the economic impact would be tremendous. Therefore, when they found out who you were, then naturally they contacted you.” He responded.

“Its not always good to have friends inside a government agency like yours.” I said to him. The truth was I had taught some criminal justice classes Camron’s boss attended stateside. This was how I had come to this island; he bragged about the beautiful beaches and serene atmosphere.

“I wish you were here the last time this happened. This could have been avoided. We rarely deal with such terrible crime.” I heard Camron say as I looked around the scene. There were several pieces of cheap flimsy furniture toppled over and broke. Obvious signs of a struggle were apparent.

“Do you know her name?” I asked.

“Tamar, she was well known around town. She was, uh… let us say a woman of the night.” He responded shyly.

“Was the other woman the same?”

“Yes. Her name was Maratha. They both worked in the same spots. Touristy spots, where the drinks and money flow.”

“So, there is our link.” I said as I continued searching for the tiny house. As I walked around, I spotted something strange. It seemed out of place; I walked over and examined it and then bagged it in an evidence bag, keeping it hid from Camron.

“Well, I think we have done all we can do here. You can tell the coroner he can pick up the body. Can I expect a full autopsy?” I inquired as he waived the short and stout man into the room.

“This is a small island with limited resources. I will do what I can.” I heard the man say as he walked over to the body.

“He will perform one. The mayor has told me he will give us all the resources we need.” Camron said as if he were trying to stifle any more comments. Then he waved towards the door.

We headed down the muddy, overgrown path towards the little Toyota pickup truck that had one blue light on the top still flashing. I got in and he closed the door at the same time as I.

“Who do you think could be a suspect?” I asked as he started the truck. He paused and looked out his side window in silence for several long seconds.

“If I had to say who then I would say we need to look at a foreigner who has visited the island multiple times over the stretch both murders occurred.” I watched him take a small cloth and wipe his face after saying this. He was sweating excessively. I took it as him being nervous and upset. After all he had never witnessed such a carnage employed on another human before.

“Do you not think someone from the island could do such a thing?” I watched him look over in deep thought.

“We have had murder like anyone else. But they were crimes of passion. Jealous husbands or wives. Jilted lovers. Never anything such as this.” He responded and then put the truck in gear, and we drove off. We drove for what seemed like hours. The roads were not in good shape as the ones where I had been staying. In fact, calling them roads was a stretch. Eventually we came into the small town passing coral brown and aqua green colored buildings. After several more turns he turned into the parking lot of the police department. It was a three-room cinder block building, and its color matched the others with a mixture of coral brown and some faded blue.

“Let us go in and we can search the data collected from the hotels and airports. Maybe we can get lucky and stumble on a match from Interpol.” He said as he opened his door and got out.

“We are close to my hotel. Why don’t you search? I want to walk and clear my mind. Then I want to take a shower and get some rest. It has been a long day.” I looked at my watch saying this, noting it was around five a.m.

“Okay. Call me when you wake, and I will come by and pick you up.” I agreed and began to walk.

The air was cool, and the slight breeze continued, which was very refreshing. It seemed somehow to cleanse the thoughts that passed through my mind. I had seen a lot of death over my career but never this brutal. Someone showed a hatred towards Tamar I had never experienced before. I reached in my pocket and pulled the small evidence bag out.

I stared at the necklace with the figure of the Virgin Mary. It was worn as if someone was trying to wear the paint off. It was like many other necklaces I had seen before from people of the Catholic religion. The one difference was the eyes. There seemed to be two small crystals in the sockets of the eyes. The eyes, the story always started with the eyes. Who did the necklace belong too? If I could find this out, then the case would be solved.

I continued walking, passing bars full of people drinking and singing. They were young and old. Tall and short. Some were well dressed in dress clothes and some wearing work clothes. It seemed like a strange mixture of classes, but all were having a grand time. This island was full of surprises. I continued my walk and saw an older man at the corner. He had a guitar and played it quite nicely. I stopped and listened to the smooth strings and felt a sense of comfort. He took a glance at me and stopped playing.

“You look as if the weight of the world is on your shoulders.” He said as he looked at me with a look of concern.

“Not that bad, but I do have a lot on my mind.” I answered.

“When times get like that for me, I find just following the strings is the way I find my way back.” I nodded as he began to play again. I stood and listened to a few more songs with no more words spoken. Then I reached and pulled out a few dollars and put it in his bucket then walked on towards my hotel. His words of wisdom swam in my head. Follow the strings. What were the connecting factors? What ties it all together?

I arrived at the hotel and waved at the receptionist. She waved back as I walked to the elevator. I stepped in and pushed the button for my floor. Oddly, there was guitar music playing on the slow ride up. What were the strings that would bring her back? There were none. But there were the strings that would bring the killer to justice. I just needed to be smart enough to find them. I heard the ding, and the door opened, and I ambled down the hall to my room. I went straight to the shower and cut on the hot water. The heat and steam seemed to cut through the tension in my body. After several long minutes I got out, dried off, and collapsed on the bed.

The figure was distorted. The face was long and wavy, and the expression was greatly pained. “What are you?” I screamed. The figure remained silent, but it grew closer. Its skin was a greenish olive color, and it emitted a pungent smell. “Who are you?” I screamed again.

I felt a strange pull. Not one that was worrisome but like a gentle pull. Like a child grabbing a parent’s hand leading him to some place to show off a piece of artwork or a good grade. It was an oddly satisfying feeling. But the face grew more frightening and closer. I felt my heart race. Then I heard a faint cry then, “Help me. I need to be avenged so I can move on to the safe place.”

I almost jumped off the bed. Sweat covering my body. Gooseflesh prominently rising all over my body. I could clearly see the face in my mind. Like a memory of my own children’s faces when we had a life memory event. I knew then that face would never leave me. I also knew that whatever happened from here forward that I would never leave this island until I found the person responsible for the gruesome deaths of the two women.

I jumped back into the shower and shaved, then dressed. I came out of my room and sat on the chair next to the window and found myself lost in deep thought about the day before. A loud knock struck my door. It was a familiar knock, but it scared me all the same. It was a knock of official business, and I knew he was there before he announced himself.

“Elu, are you awake?” I turned and looked at the door. Hearing my name took me back to the times my father explained the meaning of my name, Full of Grace; that was what he named me because he said I would treat people well in life. At this moment, I knew one that would not receive grace from me. I got up and opened the door.

“Camron, I said I would call you when I was ready to go.” I said as he rushed into my room.

“I have a list of names that have visited the island multiple times since the week before the first murder.” I thought he was overly excited, but it was a good lead.

“That is excellent work. Have you run the backgrounds of the names?” I asked.

“Yes, there were only three. Two men and one woman. None of them had criminal records.” I knew the chances of that were slim to none, but I did not want to discourage his enthusiasm.

“Are either of them Catholic by chance?” I noticed a strange expression on his face. I pulled the charm out and showed him. He looked at it strangely.

“I have never seen one with eyes like that. Where did you get this?” I thought about that for a moment knowing what was about to happen.

“I found it at the scene last night.”

“What! You took it. What kind of DNA evidence could have been discovered by now? What about fingerprints? It has been rubbed down. Why would you take it?” Those were legitimate questions.

“I do not know. It just drew me in, and I needed time to ponder.”

“This is unprofessional. I should…” He paused and I put my arms up in mock surrender.

“I think you do not trust me. You think that I am not capable enough to help you in this case and you were going to pursue this matter alone. I watched red rise from his neck up to his cheeks.

“That is not true. I just needed time to think. It is my process. The D.N.A theory is a longshot. Is there even a lab here on the Island?” I curtly responded.

“No, but…” I cut him off. “Let’s sit and calm down then discuss the facts.” He looked at me angrily, but we sat him on the chair and me on the bed.

“So, you found three people that fit the criteria?”

“Yes, like I said two men and one woman. They have visited before both murders.” He responded.

“None have any criminal records.”

“No, but we would have to go back to the station to look at the files. The printer was down so I saved them on the computer.” He shifted slightly and reached towards his neck, paused, then scratched his chest.

“I think we should. Religion plays a factor.” I replied. The same strange feeling that came over me last night returned. It was strange but I could not put my finger on it. Something was hanging there but I could not understand what.

“Are you ready to head there?” He asked.

“Yes, I just need to grab my wallet.” I stood and opened the bedside cabinet then retrieved my wallet. I turned back toward the door, and I saw something headed towards me. I tried to move out of the way, but it was too late. It hit me and I felt a hot burning sting on my right upper chest. It stung and almost immediately I felt woozy. I looked at the young Camron and there was a look on his face. It was mostly the eyes, but it was there. A look of anxiousness and excitement. A crazed look. I went to raise my left arm to hit him, but I fell over onto the bed then rolled to the floor.

I lay there looking at the white popcorned ceiling and the fan that had given me a cool breeze during my sleep, turning. My body was completely paralyzed. I heard a noise; it was a rustling sound. He must be going through my bags and other belongings. How could he have fooled me this way? The feeling I had last night and moments ago was trying to tell me there was something off about him. Why didn’t I listen?

My thoughts turned to home. I had so many people depending on me. But no more so than my two sons. There mother had died years earlier from cancer and I was the only one they had except for their grandmother. What would they do? How would they survive? A cold shiver of fear ran through me. How foolish had I been not to listen to the ancestors trying to tell me? Then I heard a thumping sound, and it was as if the ceiling was splitting. I saw them. They were there around the fire in full Cherokee dress. Was this it? Was my time of death at hand?

I heard his footsteps head toward me. I tried with all my might to move but it was useless. The drugs he had injected into me were too strong. He came into my view and looked me directly into my eyes. He smiled the sweetest smile.

“I did not have a choice. Please, sleep. Just sleep and it will all be over soon.” I watched him with the necklace rubbing the woman with vigor. I thought to myself earlier when he reached for his neck. He did the same thing last night at the house. It was a habit that should have cost him, but I could not put it together. I did not follow the strings. Then slowly the light started to fade. I fought it but it was too strong. Then it all faded and there was nothing but darkness.