• "Pathros, please give me the verdict." Do we have a lead or is it another copy cat?" The stiff inspector stood before the nervous forensic. Her dark eye shadow just made her blue eyes all the more intense.

    "W-well, if what the scene inspectors tell me is true, and I wouldn't doubt our rowdy Archy, the evidence does suggest it's our guy." The young doctor paused only to push his greasy, fair hair out of his eyes.

    "But then again, in all of the other murders he did avoid 'ny place which would produce large sources of light." and I don't count a lighthouse, of all places, to be void of the ever helpful stuff."

    "The lighthouse was not activated at the time of the murder."

    "What? But the switch-"

    "Didn't Archathold tell you?" Inspector Kels dropped one hip.

    "It was not activated until after the estimated time of murder."

    The doctor made a face.

    "That damned Archy!" I swear he does not understand the relevance of the smallest details." Swinging his chair around from his desk he handed Margret Kels a file.

    "My report, do with it what you will." And do not forget the head wanted to speak with you about the case."

    Margret walked out of the small lab, she had always pitied Pathros, his talents were wasted on small robbery crimes and break-ins. She always made a note to follow up the reports of the other forensic teams with him before continuing a case.
    And what a fell of a case this one was.
    Eight murders so far, all situated in Europe. The deaths always unexplainably gruesome in the way the blood was syphoned from the body. The idiots down in the tabloids had even given this strange killer a name-
    "Dr. Acula"
    Not unique, but it still made the pressure of catching him a race against time, and not to mention headache enduring when another victim showed up on the side of some cold street.
    Ah, the victims, the number one mystery of the case. All of them had some sort of untraceable connection to each other, at least until the next one was dead, and then you could join the dots and groan about something else.
    The newest victim, Joel Mangle, had been missing for over 3 years. When his identity had been confirmed Margret could only groan, for his abandoned daughter had been the previous victim.
    Who would the next victim be? The two were the last of their line, no family left. The only other lead would be whoever was sheltering Joel for all these years. Margret doubted they would ever find that person alive.
    Continuing her quick pace down the hall she rubbed her temple as the Director’s office came into view.
    Just what I need, a lecture

    She would get something much different.