Cold Case - 6. Chapter 6

"Oh my god, what happened?" Steve asked in bewilderment. "You look as if you’ve seen a ghost."

"So to speak," Adam replied. He told Steve of his conversation with Timothy Baker.

"I’ve meanwhile read on that Aztec ritual. The heart was cut out, arms and legs were cut off, the corpse was skinned, parts of the bodies were burned, parts were fed to animals, and...," Steve said, swallowing. "Parts were eaten," he finished his sentence.

"Ritual cannibalism," Adam confirmed.

Steve closed his eyes for an instant. He shook his head when he opened them again. "Could it be? I refuse to believe it," he said.

"We have no evidence, neither for a ritual murder nor for ritual cannibalism," Adam said soberly. "In fact, we have nothing. We’re just speculating."

"No," Steve said forcefully. He had regained his composure. "I talked with Janet Walker. She was hesitant at first, but then she could not hold back. I guess she has never confided to anybody."

"What did she tell you?" Adam asked curiously.

"She said Reginald Osborne was a pervert, not just a man with S&M preferences, but a man who really enjoyed torturing others. Janet said that she agreed to one of his games, but when she begged him to stop it, he ignored her request. Her hands and feet were bound and her body was tied to wall bars. Osborne started to cut her skin with a knife. She begged him to stop it, but he continued. He left her alone in the room for several hours Janet was certain he would kill her in the end, but he let her go the following morning. Osborne bribed her to silence. She was in need of money, and so she took it and held her tongue," Steve recounted.

"Did she take part in the ritual Kia attended?" Adam asked.

"No," Steve said. "Janet knew of Osborne and Kia’s fling. Kia was a friend of hers, not a close one, but they now and then hung out together. Janet said she had wanted to warn her friend. She confronted Kia and told her of her own night with Reginald Osborne. Kia didn’t believe her and refused to talk with her again and Janet let her be, particularly when she heard of Kia’s breakdown and her weird talk about a bloody ritual. Janet was certain that Osborne had abused her. I asked Janet. She never took part in an Aztec ritual."

"Can we believe her?" Adam asked.

"Yes. I trust my guts," Steve replied.

"Reginald Osborne. Who else belongs to the circle?" Adam asked.

"Joseph Peterson?" Steve asked back.

"Most likely," Adam replied. "We need to find out more about the men."

Steve nodded and looked at his watch. "We’ll continue tomorrow," he said.

They left the building and walked to the parking area. Steve pointed at the far end of it.

"My car’s over there," he said.

"Mine’s right here," Adam replied.

"Well, see you tomorrow," Steve said and walked on.

Adam looked after Steve. Could it be? Or did he read something into things?

***

Steve showed Adam a list the following morning.

"They have searched Jeremiah Iron’s apartment and his office in London. They retrieved a large amount of documents that are currently being examined. This is a list of his latest deals that he had recorded in an order book," Steve said.

He handed the list to Adam. Adam read the names, but none of them rang a bell.

"They’ll question the men," Steve said. "I suspect, however, these deals and transactions were legal and we won’t find a hint. I’m going to research on Reginald Osborne now. How about we meet up for lunch? Is this fine with you, Adam?"

Adam smiled briefly and nodded. He returned to his research on Joseph Peterson.

"What deems me odd is the red hand print on Iron’s abdomen," Adam said when they were having lunch in an Italian restaurant.

"I was already thinking about it as well," Steve replied, eyeing his plate with spaghetti. "Sassetti sent me a brief summary of the autopsy. Irons had been knocked unconscious. His hands and feet were tied. He had a cut on his neck, not a deep one, but it bled briskly. They think the murderer soaked his hand with the blood and then made the hand print on Irons’ abdomen."

"No fingerprints?" Adam asked.

"The murderer wore a disposable glove. He took it along. The hand print is hard to see anyway as the murderer cut Irons’ abdomen and diaphragm in order to get to his heart. You can imagine the mess," Steve said.

Adam eyed the red tomato sauce on his plate in disgust. "Hard to believe they found the hand print at all," he said weakly.

"They did, but they can’t say if it is a man’s or a woman’s hand print," Steve said.

"The hand print wasn’t part of the ancient Aztec ritual," Adam said thoughtfully.

Steve nodded. "The murderer set a personal sign, it seems, demonstrating his personal power," he said. "The red hand print is a common trope in horror movies. We’ve already assumed that the murder was not a ritual murder. The ritual performed on Irons was a mock ritual, a warning to others. The bloody hand print would stress this assumption, I think," he said.

"Perhaps," Adam said. "But it still deems me odd. Was Irons killed on top of the Spanish Steps?"

"Yes," Steve replied. "The murderer carried the unconscious man there, killed him, cut his heart out and threw his body down the stairs."

"And not one single person witnessed the crime?" Adam asked in disbelief.

"Who knows," Steve replied. "So far, however, nobody has contacted the police. I could imagine that any witness refrains from doing so, out of fear."

Adam nodded. "Where is Irons’ heart? Did the murderer take it along?"

"Apparently. At least, they have not found it," Steve said.

Adam looked at his meal and swallowed. Steve gave a laugh.

"Let’s change the topic. I don’t want to spoil your appetite," he said.

They finally went back to the office and resumed their work. It was already half past six when Adam returned home. He switched on the TV in order to distract himself. They showed a report on the Irish province of Ulster. Adam was about to switch the channel when a coat of arms appeared on the screen. Adam gazed at the image that showed a red hand. Adam leaned forward curiously. He learned that the Red Hand of Ulster denoted the Irish province of Ulster. Its origins were said to be attributed to a mythical figure and the symbol appeared in various mythical tales. The symbol rooted in Irish Gaelic culture and was particularly associated with the Uí Néill clan of Ulster. The red hand was also known as the Red Hand of O’Neill.

The name rang a bell. Adam straightened, alarmed. He seized a piece of paper and jotted down the information.

He went to bed, but awoke at four in the morning and was unable to go back to sleep. His thoughts were running. Adam showered, dressed, and hurried to the office. He entered his office room at five in the morning and, without taking off his jacket, sat down at his desk and searched for Steve’s list. Adam went through the names and stopped at the seventh name from the top: Rory O’Neill. The man had ordered an Aztec calendar stone.

Adam put the list aside, rose to his feet, took off his jacket and went to the automatic coffee maker at the end of the corridor. The coffee maker worked loudly. Adam seized the cardboard cup and sipped on the hot coffee. He was about to go back to his room when the door to Steve’s room opened and Steve looked out with a frown.

"Goodness," Steve said at Adam’s sight. "Did you make the noise? The coffee maker must be repaired. Why don’t they buy a new one anyway? Why are you here already, Adam?"

"Same question," Adam replied. "What are you doing here already?"

"I had a date not far from here and I thought driving home made no sense at all. So I came here," Steve said.

Adam sensed a twitch in his stomach. He took another sip of coffee. Steve snickered and made a dismissive gesture with his hand.

"Not what you’re thinking," he said in an amused voice. "I called one of my informants yesterday. The man insisted to meet me at half past four in the morning. He works in a dubious night club. It didn’t please me at all, but I went to see him. I asked him if he had heard anything about Reginald Osborne. I asked him to ask around a bit."

"A dubious club?" Adam asked, moving towards Steve.

"A bondage club," Steve replied. "The man owes me a favor. He’ll ask around. Why have you come here early?"

Adam recounted his finding. "You said the murderer set a personal sign. I saw a documentary on TV about Irish province of Ulster. They mentioned the Red Hand of Ulster, the Red Hand of O’Neill. This rang a bell. The name Rory O’Neill is on the list you gave me," he said.

Steve nodded appreciatively. "Find out about the man. Any connections between O'Neill and Osborne or Peterson? I bet you’ll find some," he said. Steve went to the coffee maker and got himself a coffee also.

Adam and Steve stood in the corridor and made small talk until the door opened and a co-worker entered the hallway. The man gave them a questioning look. Steve greeted him cheerfully whereas Adam retreated to his room quickly.

Adam took the list again and gazed at the name. He typed his father’s telephone number. David Johnson answered the call in a scratchy voice.

"Did I wake you, Dad?" Adam asked guiltily.

He told his father of his finding.

"Rory O’Neill," his father repeated the name slowly. "O’Neill. The name sounds familiar to me, but I cannot grasp it right now. How about we have dinner tonight, Adam? Can you spare some time? I’ll be thinking on the name."

Adam agreed. He ended the call and gazed into the room thoughtfully. Finally, he resumed his work. He looked for a connection between Rory O’Neill and Joseph Peterson, yet did not find one. Frustrated, he left his office room at five in the afternoon. He knocked on Steve’s room and finally opened the door. Steve was absent, which frustrated Adam even more. He drove to his father’s house. David Johnson was already awaiting him. He ushered his son into the living room.

"Rory O’Neill," he said excitedly after they had sat down. "I do remember the man."

Adam leaned forward curiously. "Tell me, Dad," he said.

"Rory O’Neill was one of Reginald Osborne’s students. He was an eccentric, a flamboyant personality with extravagant behavior, arrogant, exclusive, and picky. Only few liked him, but those who liked him downright fell for him. He was always surrounded by his little group of followers, men and women, groupies in a sense. Yes, the man came across like a crazy rock star. He had no real interest in his studies. I think he just visited the faculty out of curiosity, like visiting a zoo, or so. He disappeared after six months. I have never seen him again," Adam’s father said.

He paused and looked at Adam thoughtfully.

"Now that I think of the man, it deems me Reginald Osborne copied him. He was a serious academic, but his personality changed drastically after he had met O’Neill," he said.

Adam nodded slowly. "I suspect that neither Kia not Janet met the man at the university," he said.

"No, definitely not," his father replied. "O’Neill had left many years before Kia and Janet entered university.

"They could have met him anyway," Adam mused. "Assuming O’Neill and Osborne were still in touch."

"At a private party or so, yes, of course," his father said. He cast his son a meaningful look. "You think O’Neill is the head of the sect?"

Adam shrugged. "We have no evidence at all. But a certain Rory O’Neill ordered an Aztec artifact from Irons. Is he the same Rory O’Neill who studied with Osborne?" he asked.

"I don’t think it’s sheer coincidence," his father said seriously. "You must find out about Rory O’Neill. Where did the man go to? Where did he come from? Where is he now?"

Adam nodded. "That’s what we will be doing, Dad." He smiled at his father. "What have you prepared for dinner?"

His father smirked. "Roast beef. I haven’t eaten it in months," he said. "Now that I’m single, I need to cook. I don’t like fast food. I dare say that my meals taste good."

He rose to his feet and looked at Adam.

"What about you, Adam? Are you still single?" he asked.

Adam smiled, yet refrained from replying. He followed his father into the kitchen.

Adam left two hours later and again promises his father to keep in touch.

The week passed by. Nothing happened, but on Tuesday the following week results followed in quick succession. Adam and Steve finally made progress. A bigger picture unfolded.

***