Skar: Eight

Skar: Seven

[SP] every time you kill someone, their fatal wound shows up as a scar on your body

“Sandra…S-Séance? Uh,” I pretended to stutter.

He grinned from ear to ear, like the cat that got the cream. “Yes. Eight months ago or so, in New York City, Murdered in the park - gruesome scene it was – at night on her way back from work? It was all over the news stations then, you’d have had to be living under a rock or something not to have heard about it,” he said, looking at me sideways and smiling

I regained composure. “Yeah, I’ve heard about it. It’s just weird to be talking about your criminal cases out of the blue with me, we’re not even that close, to begin with, are we?”

“Ah, yes. Actually, it’s not my case, since it is in a different city. It just struck me as pretty interesting, you know? Okay, do you also remember the murders of Felicia Wells and Stan Ivanovic the next day after the murder, hmm? A weird assassination it was, they were shot right outside the nightclub they both worked. The news stations did reveal that they both knew something about the man who killed Sandra, and then they were silenced as they tried to report this to the police.”

We were now in front of my house, but I had barely noticed. I was in awe and shock at the fact that this guy had pieced together a good chunk of the puzzle on his own, after one look at my body. If I didn’t move quickly, he’d have had officers at my doorstep in a few days, and the fiasco that would ensue will be a headline for weeks to come.

But I wasn’t going out like that. Karma? That was some bullsh!t made up by guys who were unfortunate or unskilled enough to not make sure they weren’t caught. I was a different breed from losers like that. If Karma was a b*tch, then I’d surely make her my b*tch.

“Yeah, I heard about that too. But isn’t that news washed by now? The police weren’t able to get the guy right? How sad, huh?”

He smiled brighter. “I wonder about that, hmm? Well, moving on, the cases I’m about to mention are closer to home. They happened right here in Florida, in fact, this one took place at Miami Beach. Eric Lietchner, I believe that was his name. Businessman and owner of a new tech company here that was fast-rising and on a sure course to unseating many of the big brands here. The strange thing is that he was isolated and killed, even though he was a martial arts expert. I guess the killer then was quite the skilled fighter, wasn’t he?”

“I’d guess so too. I don’t remember seeing on the news that he knew martial arts. But he was old, wasn’t he? In his late fifties, if I remember correctly,” I said, making sure to stick to the information that the news channels carried. “Would it even matter if he was a martial arts expert?”

He nodded. “Interesting take. I’m of the belief that the discipline and ability don’t quite leave one, especially since he still looked quite fit. But then again age takes its toll too so you may be right. Lastly, there’s Vanessa Kang, the actress. Just got the lead role in that movie that was canceled, but then she was shot and killed during a robbery at her home. I personally felt it was an assassination staged to look like a robbery, but my superiors ruled it as a robbery and an accidental murder. Vanessa was known to be hot-blooded after all.”

I looked at him. “Something tells me that you think that’s all a setup.”

“Obviously,” he said, looking pissed now. “I know someone paid to make sure things remained that way, and then they purposely put those whack, lazy detectives on the case to make sure it goes cold.”

“Uh-huh?” I asked rhetorically.

“Anyway, that’s old news. Do you know why I’m bringing all these cases up? It’s because they, and possibly a few others, have something in common. Something that proves they are all linked.”’

“Linked? How? From what I just heard, they happened in different states.”

“Well, other than the fact that they follow a sequence, which is from New York to here, Florida, I believe they were all carried out by the same person. An assassin, rather than a serial killer, if I may say too. Or maybe an assassin with serial killer tendencies.”

“On what basis did you arrive at this conclusion?”

“You’re about to prove it because that’s where you come in. You’re right at the center of the whole thing, Lenard. The fatal wounds that did all those people in, I saw them tattooed on your body, Lenard. I know this because I was obsessed with the cases and studied them. The moment I saw them, I knew they were very peculiar and very familiar. I know that some serial killers keep items of their victims as mementos, and then there’s you, Lenard – you tattoo the death-wound on your body.”

“That makes no sense,” I said, moving to open the door and get out.

“I’m right, aren’t I? I know already that you’re an assassin because most of those cases are high-profile cases or they have some strange circumstances surrounding them. You had to be paid to execute them, now didn’t you? Sandra seemed to be an exception, but then I learned that she was the long-lost descendant of a wealthy businessman, and then I understood. You’re the man who did them all in, aren’t you?”

“Stop reading all those Sherlock Holmes Books, Terry. All you said now are just coincidences.”

“If you leave this car, then I will take my findings to the FBI, and it won’t be long before they dig up some incriminating dirt, especially since they know where to look and who to look at.”

I stopped.

“Good. Why don’t we go somewhere to discuss this in detail?” he said, laughing as he drove off.

Hook, Line, and Sinker, I thought, trying to suppress my smile.

****

Please Like and Comment, thank you!