Little Red

Lime was perched upon a desk, Nathan decided to sit as far away as possible, the arrogance leaked from his eccentric fashion dress. Their eyes met and Nathan was greeted with a slimy attempt of a smile.

What the hell are you smiling at? His face remained expressionless, stone cold like his respect for the weasel of a man.

Jack entered and the starring match was ended. He placed the brown envelope upon the desk and turned to the class.

‘Morning, I’m sure you’re all aware of what I have right here’ his finger aimed at the parcel.

‘We can also assume without opening it, what is in the package’ he turned his back to them as the envelope was carefully pulled open. He reached in and removed the Polaroid photos and disk. He collected the evidence and headed toward Doctor Lime, handing him the disc.

‘Do the honours’ he ordered. Lime followed his instructions and prepped the projector. Jack stood at the front of the class and looked upon the images in his hands. He showed no emotion. His eyes scanned the words placed at the bottom of each picture, my, what big ears you have….my, what big eyes you have…my, what big teeth you have. His stomach ached with fury.

The Doctor gave a thumb up to show that the DVD was ready for viewing, Jack moved towards the light switch and decreased the brightness.

The class sat in silence as they heard the same song as before. The howl filled the room.

Nathan watched as the beast performed his ritual. The girl cried as the homemade claw sliced at her skin. He watched the Wolf stalk her in circles, admiring his kill. Nathan sat forward, noticing a difference in the movie.

‘Pause it….now pause it now!’ he bellowed, William gave a ‘tut’ as the footage was frozen. Nathan moved toward the large screen and stood to the left side.

‘There’s a difference…look upon the cabinet…there’ he pointed. The jar gave a slight glimmer as it caught the light, the pink colour plain to see.

‘He collects the hearts Jack…..he’s a trophy killer’.

***

Russell awoke in his den. The needed rest had been caught up on and he leaned forward from the chair. He felt very awake, the pain from his mouth had decreased and he felt the urge to eat. He pondered for a moment on the choice of delicacy. He wanted meat…..fresh meat. He wanted to test his new teeth. The chair rocked slightly as he forced himself up and headed for the back door. The morning light stung his eyes; he wobbled to the shed before they could adjust. The key was removed from his pocket and he clicked open the lock. The movement could be heard from within the depths of the structure, the tiny feet scurrying to and fro. He illuminated the room and observed the small animals. He had decided to go one better then fresh meat…….he wanted to taste it whilst it still had a pulse, whilst its life pumped through its body. The rabbit squealed as he gripped its neck, the feet were thrown in all directions as it fought the hunter; knowing its fate. He withheld the urge to bite it and carried it back to the house, the padlock placed through the bracket and shut closed.

The kitchen absorbed the warmth from the sun as the slither of light appeared from the open curtain. The side unit was now in view for the prepping of his snack. He planned the sequence in his mind, throwing some pros and cons into the mix. He didn’t want to break its neck……he wanted to take its life with his teeth. But to eat the meat he would need to skin it. The small white animal wriggled as he came to a conclusion. The deep pot was pulled from the cupboard and place on the unit. He moved the thick wooden chopping board into view and pulled a knife free from its home.

He turned the creature to face him and he looked deep into its eyes. He felt the fear from within its small body; its heart imitated a small drum…boom baboom baboom baboom….

His teeth sunk into the thin layer of skin, the fur tickling his lips, the warm life flowing down his throat. The rabbit pulled wildly, attempting to free itself from the torture. He held it tight, forcing its neck against his mouth. He bit down harder, the throat ripped like Velcro being pulled apart. His rows of teeth touched as the neck was crushed, a slight whimper of pain came from the red bubbles as the air escaped. He breathed it in…..he swallowed its blood….he welcomed the sensation of fulfilment. The body was lowered to the unit; his teeth had performed as he had hoped. His tongue danced over the smooth surfaces, the cumulated blood licked free from his teeth. He closed his eyes and felt the fresh source pulse through him. Time to flay the carcass…..time to eat.

***

The briefing had ended and Jack spoke with Nathan about the new find. Though it was a small factor, it helped in understanding the killer. The fact that he collected something from each scene meant there was a purpose to the killing, a reason or faint explanation to why he did it. Nathan pondered these facts, coming up with many possible reasons, too many to pin point one to the Wolf. One thing he was sure of is that the heart is key to his murdering rampage. The photos, DVDs and places of kill were irrelevant to the meaning of the organ collection. He considered the chance of a multiple personality or Schizophrenia effected killer. It would explain the reason he believes he is a wolf and collects the hearts of the victims. But still, it was one of many reasons he conjured up.

‘What are you thinking?’ asked Jack as he sat next to him

‘The hearts, there’s a reason he takes them Jack’

‘Okay……..any ideas?’

‘Huh’ he sighed, ‘I wish I could pin point one but there are several, My brain’s racking the choices mate’.

Lime strolled over, his grubby shoes scraping the floor.

‘Is there anything you would care to share?’ his lisp irritating Nathan.

‘Not at the moment….but we’ll keep you informed’ Jacks words spoken as an order to leave the room.

‘I see, well, make sure you do…….you wouldn’t want a in house problem because of withholding vital information’ he turned and exited sharply.

‘What a wanker’ Nathan hissed.

‘Do you have an idea Nathan?’ he pushed.

‘It would be worth checking into previous history and similarities. There could be something with the heart….not sure what exactly, but if we focus on that, we may dig up something of importance’ he had ended as Jacks phone began to ring.

‘I’ll get onto it mate’ he assured as he stood to take the call.

William Lime entered his office. It was peaceful and tranquil, just how he liked it. There was a light stabbing sensation somewhere within his head, the feeling brought on by the ignorance of Jack and Nathan. He felt, as a professional, that he should be included with any progress or discussions involving the case. He was feeling left out. The large leather swivel chair comforted his body, he spun himself slowly with the kick of his leg. He knew how to get the information he desired, it was a risky move; but it was one that could be very rewarding. He pulled the chair towards his desk and reached for the phone. The numbers were pressed and the call was in progress. The female voice answered and asked the relevant details, none of which included the means of his call. The beeping sound told him that he was on hold, he waited patiently.

‘Good morning Doctor Lime, what can I do for you?’ the assertive voice asked.

‘Good morning Director. I don’t mean to intrude on your day but I was wandering if it was possible to complete a full staff psychological assessment……it is a necessary task whilst the investigation is in motion, just to ensure all of your staff are on track and fit to carry on with the job given to them’ his education aiding the lie.

‘I see, how long are we talking here Doctor?’

‘Well, it would depend on the support I receive with accessing the files in archive. If I am able to look up the relevant information from my personal terminal then it should take….several minutes…a day or two Sir’

‘Is there any particular files you wish to view?’

‘No Sir…..Jack Crawford’s to be precise….I will be viewing firstly the individuals