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Authors: Chris Carter
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control,’ Hunter confirmed.
‘How so?’
‘It looks like the killer was inside the church dressed as a priest just before closing time.’
‘What?’
‘The estimated time of death coincides with the church’s closing time – around ten o’clock.’ Hunter searched through a few pieces of paper on his desk. ‘Confessions were due to end at ten to ten. At twenty to ten the church was almost empty, except for two people – a Mrs. Morales and a Mrs. Willis. According to their statement, they were asked to leave at that time by a priest they didn’t recognize.’
Captain Blake squinted.
‘The priest told them he was there to help Father Fabian, and that they were closing early because they needed to prepare the church for a special Mass the next morning. Hermano, the altar boy, knows nothing about a priest helping out. And he said there was nothing special about any Mass.’
‘Have you talked to these two women? Do we have a sketch of this mysterious priest?’
‘I’ve talked to them, yes, but no sketch.’
‘Why not?’
Hunter picked up two sheets of paper from his desk and handed them to Captain Blake. ‘These are the witnesses’ statements concerning the priest who asked them to leave.’
The captain read them attentively. Her brow creased as her eyes jumped back and forth from one page to the other. ‘Is this serious?’
‘Afraid so,’ Hunter said.
‘So Mrs. Morales says the priest was a Caucasian young man, tall with short blond hair and a long nose.’ Captain Blake waggled the sheet in her left hand. ‘While Mrs. Willis thinks the priest was “not so tall” and looked Hispanic with short cropped brown hair, a rounded nose and a thin mustache. Are they both blind?’
‘No,’ Hunter replied casually. ‘They’re old. Mrs. Morales is seventy-two and Mrs. Willis is seventy-seven. Their memories aren’t what they used to be. And you know that our visual memory is our weakest one. No two witnesses ever see the same thing.’
‘Great.’ Captain Blake handed the statements back to Hunter. ‘But the killer still took a big risk by talking to two different people and asking them to leave the church. He had no way of knowing what their description of him would be like.’
‘It was a calculated risk,’ Hunter replied, massaging his neck. ‘If he took the trouble to disguise himself as a priest, it stands to reason that he’d change his appearance as well. Contact lenses, wig, false nose and mustache . . . whatever. I don’t believe he left anything to chance.’
‘Very methodical.’
‘Ritualistic killers usually are.’
‘What if the killer wasn’t disguising himself as a priest?’ the captain asked, leaning against Garcia’s desk. ‘What if he was a priest? Priests are usually very methodical people.’
‘We’re also looking into that.’ Hunter poured himself a glass of water.
‘You don’t sound very sure.’
‘At the moment I’m not sure of anything, captain. There’re too many loose ends.’
‘Like what?’
‘The importance of the ritual, for one.’
‘You lost me already.’
Hunter left his glass on his desk and approached the picture board. ‘In a ritual, the ceremony itself is the most important thing; the victim comes second.’
‘And you don’t believe that’s the case here, do you?’ the captain asked, joining Hunter by the board.
He subtly shook his head. ‘The victim was the most important thing in this murder. The killer specifically wanted Father Fabian dead. And he gave us a clue to that.’
‘What clue?’ She looked at Hunter.
‘The number three drawn on the priest’s chest.’
The captain pouted her lips as she thought about it for a few moments. ‘The fact that the killer went through the trouble of undoing Father Fabian’s cassock, writing the number on his chest and then buttoning him back up.’
Hunter nodded. ‘That means that the attack was very personal.’
Captain Blake pulled a strand of loose hair from over
‘How so?’
‘It looks like the killer was inside the church dressed as a priest just before closing time.’
‘What?’
‘The estimated time of death coincides with the church’s closing time – around ten o’clock.’ Hunter searched through a few pieces of paper on his desk. ‘Confessions were due to end at ten to ten. At twenty to ten the church was almost empty, except for two people – a Mrs. Morales and a Mrs. Willis. According to their statement, they were asked to leave at that time by a priest they didn’t recognize.’
Captain Blake squinted.
‘The priest told them he was there to help Father Fabian, and that they were closing early because they needed to prepare the church for a special Mass the next morning. Hermano, the altar boy, knows nothing about a priest helping out. And he said there was nothing special about any Mass.’
‘Have you talked to these two women? Do we have a sketch of this mysterious priest?’
‘I’ve talked to them, yes, but no sketch.’
‘Why not?’
Hunter picked up two sheets of paper from his desk and handed them to Captain Blake. ‘These are the witnesses’ statements concerning the priest who asked them to leave.’
The captain read them attentively. Her brow creased as her eyes jumped back and forth from one page to the other. ‘Is this serious?’
‘Afraid so,’ Hunter said.
‘So Mrs. Morales says the priest was a Caucasian young man, tall with short blond hair and a long nose.’ Captain Blake waggled the sheet in her left hand. ‘While Mrs. Willis thinks the priest was “not so tall” and looked Hispanic with short cropped brown hair, a rounded nose and a thin mustache. Are they both blind?’
‘No,’ Hunter replied casually. ‘They’re old. Mrs. Morales is seventy-two and Mrs. Willis is seventy-seven. Their memories aren’t what they used to be. And you know that our visual memory is our weakest one. No two witnesses ever see the same thing.’
‘Great.’ Captain Blake handed the statements back to Hunter. ‘But the killer still took a big risk by talking to two different people and asking them to leave the church. He had no way of knowing what their description of him would be like.’
‘It was a calculated risk,’ Hunter replied, massaging his neck. ‘If he took the trouble to disguise himself as a priest, it stands to reason that he’d change his appearance as well. Contact lenses, wig, false nose and mustache . . . whatever. I don’t believe he left anything to chance.’
‘Very methodical.’
‘Ritualistic killers usually are.’
‘What if the killer wasn’t disguising himself as a priest?’ the captain asked, leaning against Garcia’s desk. ‘What if he was a priest? Priests are usually very methodical people.’
‘We’re also looking into that.’ Hunter poured himself a glass of water.
‘You don’t sound very sure.’
‘At the moment I’m not sure of anything, captain. There’re too many loose ends.’
‘Like what?’
‘The importance of the ritual, for one.’
‘You lost me already.’
Hunter left his glass on his desk and approached the picture board. ‘In a ritual, the ceremony itself is the most important thing; the victim comes second.’
‘And you don’t believe that’s the case here, do you?’ the captain asked, joining Hunter by the board.
He subtly shook his head. ‘The victim was the most important thing in this murder. The killer specifically wanted Father Fabian dead. And he gave us a clue to that.’
‘What clue?’ She looked at Hunter.
‘The number three drawn on the priest’s chest.’
The captain pouted her lips as she thought about it for a few moments. ‘The fact that the killer went through the trouble of undoing Father Fabian’s cassock, writing the number on his chest and then buttoning him back up.’
Hunter nodded. ‘That means that the attack was very personal.’
Captain Blake pulled a strand of loose hair from over
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