world.’” He shrugged. “He’s quoting text relating to women being the root of evil.”
“Who said that?”
“No idea but he’s got a point.” Google added. Annie raised her eyebrows in mock offence. Google was oblivious and continued. “Then we have the numbers 3-71-73.”
“That means nothing to me.”
“Nor me, Guv.”
“I’m assuming he means ‘women’ when he refers to snakes?” Annie asked.
“He seems to think of them as one and the same. I don’t think he’s paying homage to an evil entity. In fact, quite the opposite.” He picked up another sheet of paper. “On her chest it says, ‘The finest skill the Devil has, is to make us believe that he is male and there is only one of him. In truth there are millions of them everywhere we look.’ Followed by 4-76-77.” He shrugged. “Can you see where I’m going with this?”
“It’s as clear as mud.”
“Sorry,” Google reached for another pad. “‘If there is a God, he will spit in your face. He will take your deal with the Devil, the whore of Babylon and he will let you burn.’”
“Oscar Wilde said that?” Annie frowned.
“That wasn’t him,” Google shook his head. “Not as far as I know but he may have,” he added flatly. The others exchanged amused glances and raised their eyes to the ceiling. “That is followed by 37-68-75. The numbers don’t fit any obvious sequence so we’re leaving them to work on later. We’re trying to pinpoint where all the quotes are taken from but we haven’t found all the sources yet.”
“I’m still not sure that I can see a message here,” Annie grimaced. “Is it just the ramblings of a lunatic?”
He pointed to another line. “‘The world ceases to believe in God yet it still believes in evil. And so it should for ‘you’ are proof that the Devil acts through you. Then 6-71-72.’” He took his glasses off again and looked for her reaction. “Do you see?”
“He’s obsessed with Devil worship?”
“He is obsessed by evil, not the devil.” He shook his head. “He is not worshiping the Devil, he is denouncing him. But everything he is saying is written as if it is aimed at the victim personally. It’s accusing ‘her’ of being evil. In his mind, women are evil personified.”
“You’re sure?”
“The more I read, the more certain that I am,” he nodded, “‘The Devil pulls the strings that make you dance, you are entertained by loathsome things that they do.’ I think ‘they’ in this case, are females.” He shrugged. “I can’t see anything but accusations of collusion with evil rather than admiration of it.”
“So you think it’s personal,” Annie asked thoughtfully. “I mean is it aimed at her specifically?”
He shook his head and turned a page searching for something. “‘While men desire women, women will never be at a loss and the Devil will stand beside them for desire is his bait.’” He sighed. “Some of it is aimed at ‘women’ in general so I can’t be sure that it is aimed at your victim specifically. It is written by someone who has little respect for women. I would go so far as to say he hates them.”
“The crime scenes would back that up,” Annie nodded. Her new found knowledge that Jackie Webb was a prostitute slotted right in with the evidence carved into her flesh but until forensics made a positive identification, she couldn’t share that. “What he did to them shows that he hated our two victims for sure.”
“Hates them or blames them?” Gwen joined the conversation. She pushed her ginger hair from her forehead as she spoke. “I’m sensing blame in the text. Accusations and blame.” She picked up a piece of A4. “‘Bring food to a dog and watch it wiggle and dance. Buy a gift for a woman and watch her do the same. When the food is eaten and the gift tarnished by time, both may bite your empty hand
“Who said that?”
“No idea but he’s got a point.” Google added. Annie raised her eyebrows in mock offence. Google was oblivious and continued. “Then we have the numbers 3-71-73.”
“That means nothing to me.”
“Nor me, Guv.”
“I’m assuming he means ‘women’ when he refers to snakes?” Annie asked.
“He seems to think of them as one and the same. I don’t think he’s paying homage to an evil entity. In fact, quite the opposite.” He picked up another sheet of paper. “On her chest it says, ‘The finest skill the Devil has, is to make us believe that he is male and there is only one of him. In truth there are millions of them everywhere we look.’ Followed by 4-76-77.” He shrugged. “Can you see where I’m going with this?”
“It’s as clear as mud.”
“Sorry,” Google reached for another pad. “‘If there is a God, he will spit in your face. He will take your deal with the Devil, the whore of Babylon and he will let you burn.’”
“Oscar Wilde said that?” Annie frowned.
“That wasn’t him,” Google shook his head. “Not as far as I know but he may have,” he added flatly. The others exchanged amused glances and raised their eyes to the ceiling. “That is followed by 37-68-75. The numbers don’t fit any obvious sequence so we’re leaving them to work on later. We’re trying to pinpoint where all the quotes are taken from but we haven’t found all the sources yet.”
“I’m still not sure that I can see a message here,” Annie grimaced. “Is it just the ramblings of a lunatic?”
He pointed to another line. “‘The world ceases to believe in God yet it still believes in evil. And so it should for ‘you’ are proof that the Devil acts through you. Then 6-71-72.’” He took his glasses off again and looked for her reaction. “Do you see?”
“He’s obsessed with Devil worship?”
“He is obsessed by evil, not the devil.” He shook his head. “He is not worshiping the Devil, he is denouncing him. But everything he is saying is written as if it is aimed at the victim personally. It’s accusing ‘her’ of being evil. In his mind, women are evil personified.”
“You’re sure?”
“The more I read, the more certain that I am,” he nodded, “‘The Devil pulls the strings that make you dance, you are entertained by loathsome things that they do.’ I think ‘they’ in this case, are females.” He shrugged. “I can’t see anything but accusations of collusion with evil rather than admiration of it.”
“So you think it’s personal,” Annie asked thoughtfully. “I mean is it aimed at her specifically?”
He shook his head and turned a page searching for something. “‘While men desire women, women will never be at a loss and the Devil will stand beside them for desire is his bait.’” He sighed. “Some of it is aimed at ‘women’ in general so I can’t be sure that it is aimed at your victim specifically. It is written by someone who has little respect for women. I would go so far as to say he hates them.”
“The crime scenes would back that up,” Annie nodded. Her new found knowledge that Jackie Webb was a prostitute slotted right in with the evidence carved into her flesh but until forensics made a positive identification, she couldn’t share that. “What he did to them shows that he hated our two victims for sure.”
“Hates them or blames them?” Gwen joined the conversation. She pushed her ginger hair from her forehead as she spoke. “I’m sensing blame in the text. Accusations and blame.” She picked up a piece of A4. “‘Bring food to a dog and watch it wiggle and dance. Buy a gift for a woman and watch her do the same. When the food is eaten and the gift tarnished by time, both may bite your empty hand
Similar Books
