See Part 1 for disclaimer.Chapter 4
City Morgue: 10:00 PM
Nick pulled his caddy up to the front of the morgue and got out. He climbed the steps and walked into the front door. Shortly, he came into the Coroner's office. Natalie was sitting at her desk, writing in a file.
"Hi, Nat." Nick said as cheerfully as he could. Nat looked up from her papers and glanced at Nick. Then she lowered her head and continued writing in the file in front of her. Nick stood there with his hands in his pockets. The silence in the room was deadly. After a few minutes, Nick said in a soft voice, "Well?"
"Well, what?" Nat replied, again not looking up.
Nick was beginning to get a little irritated. She had called him and told him to come to the morgue, as she had some information for him. Now she appeared in no hurry to tell him anything. What kind of game was she playing now? Whatever it was he was not in the mood. He walked over to where she was writing and put his hand on the paper near where her pen was. That got her attention. "What the hell are you doing, Nick?"
"You called me here, Nat. Will you please tell me what information you have that was so urgent that I come ASAP. And I will leave as quickly and as quietly as I can. Deal?" Nick said as pleasantly as he could muster, due to the irritation he was feeling at the moment.
Nat glared at Nick. "Just like that , huh? No small talk? No, how are you, Nat? No, whatcha been up to, Nat? Just give me the information and I'll leave."
Nick looked at Nat with frustration on his face. Straining to be polite and calm he got up to leave and said, "Nat, we've been over this before. Several times. If you don't have any information for me, I will leave."
"Nick! What is the matter with you? I have given six years of my life for you! Six years! I think you owe me something more than this." Nat said with as much irritation as she could. Now that he was here, she was not going to let him get off that easy. He did owe her, and she intended to collect.
Nick turned to look at Natalie, very annoyed, but trying his best to stay calm. "Nat, what do you want from me? I'm sorry. I told you that! I can't live that way anymore! We've talked about this many times. Nothing is going to change. Can't you see that?"
"Oh, I can see more than you think I can. Does she share your feelings too?" Nat said with a sting of venom.
"What are you talking about?" Nick said, knowing full well who Natalie was referring to.
Finally, Natalie lost her temper with Nick. She glared at him with blazing blue eyes and yelled, "THAT TWO-BIT, BLOOD-SUCKING WHORE YOU GO TO EVERYTIME YOU CAN'T GET YOUR WAY, MR. NICHOLAS B. KNIGHT!"
Nick grabbed Nat's arm with his right hand and held it firm. Fighting the urge to attack he looked down at her. Flaring blue eyes met flashing gold ones. "Don't you ever make that mistake again, Dr. Lambert! If you ever call Janette a whore again, I swear by my oath as a knight, I WILL DRAIN YOU OF EVERY LAST DROP OF YOUR BLOOD!" And with that, Nick let go of Nat's arm and suddenly he was gone in a whoosh of air. <Oh, he is so smooth and so good at that> Nat smirked looking into the empty hall. Suddenly she realized what she had said. "No! No! I didn't mean to say. . . ." And she ran after him down the hall crying, "Nick! Nick! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that. Come back!" But Nick had left. The caddy was gone. Nat stood by the outside door of the morgue and leaning against the glass beginning to cry. What had she done?
96th Precinct:
It was 30 minutes later, when Nick walked into the precinct. He was much calmer now. Yes, now that he had drank at least three bottles of human blood, courtesy of his master, Lucien Lacroix. Nick had gone to Lacroix to get rid of his anger, and his master had known exactly what his needs were. Thanks to Lacroix, Nick was able to function again, but was still very angry at Natalie. He had blurted out to Lacroix what Nat had said about Janette before he thought. Now he was a little worried what Lacroix might do. But his master had said that he promised not to get involved in this argument, if Nat's statement did not get back to Janette. And with that, Nick was in full agreement.
Nick walked over to Mike who was going through the unsolved murder file cabinet. When Mike saw Nick approach, he smiled and said, "Hi, Knight. I was begining to think that you and Schanke ha left me to solve this puzzle all on my own."
Nick returned the smile and said, "Well, I thought about it, Mike. I mean you do seem to know as much as either of us do. But I realized that you couldn't get along without me." Then Nick rolled his eyes and chuckled. He looked back at Mike and said, "Sorry, too much Don Schanke!"
And they both had a good laugh at that one. Nick felt totally relaxed with Mike, as if he had known him for a long time. And Mike felt the same way. They seemed to hit it off right away and perhaps having an older brother to compete with was all it took. They had a lot in common.
They both began to look through the files again to see if they could come up with any leads on the serial killer case. About an hour later, Schanke came strolling into the police station.
"Well, howdy, partners!" He said as he walked up to his desk. Nick and Mike looked up and smiled at him. "Got anything for me?"
"Not really, Schanke. This is one helluva jigsaw puzzle if you ask me." Mike said as he flipped through a file on a killer in Montreal, circa 1991.
"How was the play, Schanke?" Nick said, as he too, flipped through some reports.
"Oh Sheeze. It was good, but too long! Jenny was great with the part of Eliza Doolittle. But she really needs to work on her accents." Schanke replied in a formal British accent. For the next few minutes he told Mike and Knight all about the props, the costumes, the music and the sets. Schanke loved the theatre, and show-biz. Mike was very amused at Schanke's stories of his daughter's life. But Nick was the one who really knew how proud Don Schanke was of his daughter.
Suddenly Captain Cohen came running out of her office. "Knight! Schanke! Lovejoy! We got another one, corner of Queen St. W. and 57th. Same mo. Get on it now!"
"Gotcha Cap'n. We're on it!" Schanke answered for all three of them as they grabbed their coats and headed for the door.
Chapter 5
City of Toronto:
Nick pulled the Caddy along the curb of Queen St. W. and the three of them piled out of the car. As they began to walk to the crime scene, Nick noticed Nat near the body looking in his direction. He turned away from her and began to walk towards another detective who was getting information from a small, blonde man in a black leather jacket. Nick nodded acknowledgment to the other detective and listened to what the young man was saying about what he had seen.
Schanke watched Nick and got a puzzled look on his face. Nick always went straight to Nat to get information regarding the wounds inflicted on the body. But it appeared that he deliberately moved away from a confrontation with Nat! That was odd. Obviously, they were not on speaking terms at the moment. He and Mike walked over to Nat to see if he could find out what she knew.
Nat looked up at Schanke and Mike and gave a weak smile. "Hi, Guys."
Schanke looked at Nat to see if he could tell if she was in a good or bad mood. But he wasn't sure, so he proceeded from a professional tone. "What do we have, Dr. Lambert?"
Natalie bent down over the body, with Mike and Schanke following her gesture. "Same as the others, young blonde woman, approximately 25. Hands and feet tied with a red scarf and suffocation, apparent." Then Nat looked at Schanke and said, "Last night, I was going to tell Nick about something else I found on the previous killing. But I offended him, and now he apparently does not want to talk to me. I really can't blame him, though, for what I said was cruel." <I can't believe I just said that! And to Schanke, of all people. Oh well, it is true and maybe when Schanke tells Nick, he will come to me and forgive me and we can start over.> Natalie appeared deep in thought as she looked over in the direction of Det. Knight.
"Natalie?" A slight pause with no answer, and then Schanke repeated, "Dr. Lambert?"
Natalie suddenly moved her gaze from where Nick was standing, talking to another detective, back to Schanke. "Huh?" she blinked for a minute trying to remember what she was telling him.
"Are you alright? You were going to tell us of information you found on the other victim." Schanke reminded her.
"Oh, yeah." Nat said as she looked back to the body. "The last victim's body had something carved into the shoulder. And this body has the same mark. Looks like some kind of symbol. Anyway could be a clue as to the identity of the killer. It appears to have been made with a scapula, razor blade, or perhaps just pressed and cut into the skin from some kind of stencil type object." And with that she moved the sheet and exposed the shoulder. Mike and Schanke took turns looking at the marking on the shoulder. But when Mike looked at the marking, he took in a small gasp of air.
Schanke looked at Mike and said, "Look familiar, Mike? Have you seen something like this before?"
Mike stood up and looked at Schanke. He had seen this symbol before. But he did not want Schanke or Nick to know where just yet. He must find Steve and tell him what he saw. "I'm not sure, Schanke. I think I have seen something similar but I don't know if it is exactly the same. Let me think about this for awhile, ok?" Mike replied and walked back toward the caddy.
Natalie turned to Schanke and put her hand on his arm. She had a sad look on her face as she spoke. "Schanke, would you please tell Nick that I am truly sorry for what I said, and I hope he can forgive me?"
Schanke took Nat's hand in his and squeezed it gently. "Sure, Nat! I'll tell him." he said, as he looked down at her face and could see the sadness grow stronger. She looked as if she was almost ready to cry. "Nat? If there is anything I can do, I......."
"No, Schanke! I have done plenty, already. Please, just tell Nick what I said, ok?" Nat said and then she turned to walk back to her car.
Schanke watched her for a moment and then turned around toward the caddy and walked slowly, deep in thought. <Nick and Nat must really have had a big fight! I'm not sure I want to get into this. Are they not happy with each other anymore, or what? It is not my place to judge, either of them. But Nick is my partner, and he has helped me many times. I must be careful how I approach him.>
Nick and Mike were already in the car when Schanke opened the car door. Getting in he settled in his seat and asked Nick what he found out from the other detective.
"Jacobs said Jerry Holmes had been walking down the alley near 57th when he heard screaming coming from Queens. He ran down the alley to this intersection and saw a tall, dark-haired man bending over the body. He turned around to look at Mr. Holmes and fled down Queens. Mr. Holmes said that he thought he could give a composite of the suspect. Hopefully that will give us something to go on." Nick said, turning the key in the ignition to start the caddy.
"Great! Looks like Nat gave us something else to go on as well." Schanke said, turning to Nick. But Nick did not look at Schanke, he stared straight ahead. <What is it with these two, anyway?> Schanke continued, "She says she was going to tell you earlier, but apparently you and sh..."
"Yeah, I know!" Nick said with an impatient air. It was clear he did not want to discuss what had happened between Dr. Lambert and himself. "What is this something else?"
Schanke knew his partner well enough that it was clear he was not in a mood to be probed about his earlier encounter with the coroner. He simply shrugged and continued. "Nat said the last body had the same markings this one has. Looks like a crescent moon inside of a large sun. Probably some kind of gang marking."
With this last comment, Mike began to remember where he had seen this mark before. "That's it! That's where I've seen that mark."
Schanke and Nick looked around at Mike who suddenly became very silent. "So? Don't just sit there like a zombie, Mike! Tell us what you are thinking." Schanke said as he observed the now nervous and very uncomfortable young detective.
Mike looked at Schanke and then at Nick and slowly and softly said, "I am not really sure, but I think my brother Steve knows what that mark is. Let me talk to him, first. Please!"
Nick could see that there was a great deal of recognition in what Mike knew about that mark. And he could also see that whatever the memory was, it most definitely was not a pleasant one, and must have something to do with Capt. Steve Lovejoy. Mike was awfully nervous and cagey at the moment. And Nick suddenly remembered a night, long ago. . . . . .
Castle Brabant 1213 Evening:
Nicholas was brushing his horse down in the stables, when his brother Eitenne came in. Eitenne stood at the door for some time watching his brother. Nicholas, aware that his brother was observing him was growing very nervous with the constant eyes on him. Finally, he dropped the brush and almost hit Wildfire in the shin. The horse side-stepped and snorted, showing his master that he certainly did not approve of that action!
"If you continue with those gestures toward Wildfire, I am sure that he will kick you eventually, little one." Eitenne said with an amused grin on his face.
Nicholas looked back at his brother, frowning and then continued to brush Wildfire's back. The horse calmed down considerably with the renewal of the brushing. And to show his master that he was pleased, Wildfire moved his head towards Nicholas and rubbed his nose against Nicholas' body. Nicholas chuckled and said, "That's right, Wildfire. You know that I did not mean to hit you with that brush, eh, proud runner?!"
Eitenne continued to watch his brother, and then began to advance closer to him. Nicholas became very uneasy at the close proximity of his brother. Eitenne placed his hand on Nicholas' shoulder and he jumped almost a foot at the touch. He wheeled around to face Eitenne and said, "Stop that! Don't touch me like that again!"
Eitenne backed away a few steps and stood looking at Nicholas with a puzzled look. "What have I done, little one, that you react to me so?"
"I know what you do with other men, Eitenne. And I am not that kind. I do not wish to be loved and touched by another man, least of all by you!" Nicholas burst out before he thought. And then he was sorry he had even opened his mouth. He saw the amazed look come over his older brother's face. And that was followed by hurt and then by total anger.
"Just what does that mean, Jean-Phillippe de Brabant? Exactly what do you accuse me of, my young whelp of a brother!" Eitenne spit the words at Nicholas.
"Oh, Eitenne, my elder! I saw you with the young peasant boy. I am sorry that I ever followed you. But why? Why do you act this way? You are the one that has told me not to be close to the peasants, but what you have done is unforgiveable! Not only by our family, but by the Church!" And then Nicholas, (with tears forming in his eyes), "Please, Eitenne. Tell me what I saw was a mistake! I do not wish to have you leave us for this reason."
Eitenne, now seeing that his secret was out and that this was what had upset his brother, looked at Nicholas with sadness, and total love at the same time. "Oh, my little one. What you have seen is most unfortunate. Not only for me, but for you as well. Why did you follow me? All would have been well, if you had not tried to pry into my private life." Eitenne began to explain to his brother. "I live this way, because I must. I do not find love and fascination in women, my little one. I find love and lust in other men. I do not expect you to understand this." At this point, Eitenne put his hands on Nicholas' shoulders and looked into his eyes. "You must promise me that you will never reveal to anyone what you have seen. Promise me, Nicholas! On your honor as a Brabant!"
Nicholas could not understand what Eitenne saw in other men, and why women, with their soft, tresses, large ample breasts, and lucious lips could not be as pleasing to him. But he also knew that it must be so. Somehow, it must be so, or his brother would not risk his life, and shame on not only himself, but his family to keep up these relationships with other men. <Oh, Eitenne! Why? Why? What can I do to get you out of this mess? Yes, I must swear, and I must not let it be known that my older brother does not love women! I love you too much, Eitenne to let you go!> And looking back at his brother he raised his hand up in front of his chest and said, "I swear to you on my honor as the second son of Anthony de Brabant, that I will never tell anyone what I have seen and heard!"
Eitenne looked back at his brother, and then pulled him to his chest. "Oh, my little one! I trust you with my life. Do not fail me. Do not reveal my secret to anyone, ever!"
And Nicholas again was moved to tears. But he shed none. He simply hung onto his brother as a gesture of support and love to the one man he cared for more than life itself.
Chapter 6
When Nick and Schanke and Mike pulled into the parking lot of the precinct, Mike was on edge. Both partners could see that the new detective was holding information from them. But they also knew that they had been in that postion many times themselves, and so they left him alone for the time being. Hoping that soon, Mike would reveal to them what he suspected.
They had gone over all the information they had on the serial killer up to this point, and had talked for quite awhile to Mr. Holmes, the witness who had seen the possible murder suspect bending over the body.
"Christ! He was really creepy. He just stood there and stared at me. And then he ran off down Queens. I was really glad when he was gone. He made my skin crawl." Jerry Holmes said.
"Did you notice anything unusual about this man, Mr. Holmes?" Nick asked quietly. "A limp when he ran, any scars on his face? Anything that would help us to track him down?"
"Like I said, he was real creepy. Sort of the kind of guy you would find in a horror show. His clothes were good. I mean, he looked like he was rich or something. Like he had a lot of money"
"Anything else, Mr. Holmes?" Schanke asked.
"No. Only. . . .only. . ." Holmes looked as if he remembered something.
"What, Mr. Holmes? If you remember anything, tell us. It might help us capture this lunatic." Schanke replied trying to encourage the man to say whatever was on his mind. Might be relevant, or might be worthless, but if he didn't talk they would never know.
"Well, it's just that I saw something reflecting near his chest. Like a necklace that had a long chain. It picked up the light. I think he had it in his hand and was doing something to the body, then he dropped it and it fell around his chest. Wonder why he did that?" Holmes said, rubbing his chin.
This bit of information really seemed to make Mike more nervous than he was before. And Schanke and Nick knew that Mike was on to something. But they also knew that if they pressed him at this point, they might lose any new evidence or information that Mike had as he would be reluctant to share it. They had to let Mike sort out the details himself. But they made it clear to him that they had very little time to hold to these facts without revealing them to the PD. They could only cover for him for so long. Mike assured them that he would let them know as soon as he talked to Steve.
For the rest of the evening, they continued to fill out reports and go over the information they had on the serial killer. At almost 4am all three were exhausted enough to call it a night, and left their separate ways. Schanke to his wife, Myra and daughter, Jenny. Nick to his love, Janette, and Mike to his brother, Steve.
Steve Lovejoy's apartment, Toronto:
Shortly after 5 am Mike went to his brother's place to tell him what he had found out. He was not looking forward to this at all. But he had to confront his brother. Nick and Schanke would not let him get away with holding out on information forever. So, having taken a deep breath, Mike rang the doorbell. Steve answered the door having been awakened by Mike's phone call earlier that he was coming over with something important to talk to him about.
"You had better have a very good reason for interrupting my sleep, little bro." Steve said as Mike entered the apartment and went into the living room, sitting down in one of the big cushy chairs.
"Believe me, big brother, if this was not of dire necessity, I would not be here. I don't want to be around you anymore than you want to be around me."
"Well said, little bro!" Steve said with a smirk on his face. He too, sat down on the other cushy chair oppoiste his little brother. "Now what is of such importance that you came to insult me with?"
Mike moved in the chair with a great deal of nervous tension. Steve could tell that something was bothering Mike and that he wanted to tell him, but was having trouble getting it out. Even though he and his brother had a habit of engaging in tongue lashing all the time, they really did love each other. It's just that they never knew quite how to show that love. But perhaps now, was one of those rare times to show Mike that he was aware of his nervousness and truly wanted to help. "Look, Mike. Whatever it is, we can talk this through. We may not see eye to eye on all facts of life, and may get on each other's nerves at times, but you know that you can talk to me about anything. So out with it, man."
Mike knew that his brother was really trying to help him reveal the reason for the visit, but it was kind of awkward. <After all, he was not supposed to know about the "Lusty Sex Lovers!" and if he told Steve, what kind of reprimand and lecture would he set himself up for. But, this was different. He was not in trouble. Steve was, or might be, anyway> So Mike took a deep breath and said, "Steve, tonight, when Schanke, Knight, and I went to the scene of another homocide, courtesy of the Red Scarf Serial Killer, we found something that was very puzzling to everyone. A clue that no one understood." He paused for a brief moment before he continued, "Except me! On the shoulder of the last two victims, was a mark made by either a razor, scapula, or imprinted into the flesh by a sharp stencil. The mark was what brought me to you."
Steve sat listening intently to his younger brother. And watching him he could tell this was leading up to something, he knew he really didn't want to know. "And what was special to me about the mark, Mike?" he said in almost a monotone.
"It was of a Crescent Moon inset on a Sunburst! The symbol of the Lusty Sex Lovers!" Mike said as quickly as he could and then cringed to hear his brother's reaction.
"WHAT?" Steve said, staring at Mike. Then regaining his composure, he said, "Are you sure it was a crescent moon inset on a Sunburst?"
"Yeah, I'm sure, Steve. Schanke saw it too!" I didn't want Knight and Schanke to know about this until I told you, but they will find out sooner or later. Do you know who it is that would be using your gang's symbol?" Mike said imploring his brother for information.
Steve got up from the chair and poured himself a drink. <No! It can't be. It just can't! He wouldn't do that! Would he? Things had changed so much from those days.> He turned to Mike and said, "I appreciate your coming to me first, Mike! I promise you that I will look into this. In the meantime, you will say nothing."
Mike stood up and faced his brother. "Steve, I can't just withhold information, you know that! What am I supposed to say to Capt. Cohen? Or Knight, or Schanke? You are going to get me fired, Steve."
Steve put his hand on Mike's shoulder and said, "Mike, I promise you that I will take care of this, and I will not let you get into any trouble.
This is my problem, and I appreciate you coming to me first. I will take care of this! You must trust me."
Mike touched his brother's arm and said, "I never thought I would say this, but. . . . .be careful, Steve!"
Steve looked at his brother, and smiled. "I intend to. But I also intend to get to the bottom of this!"
Raven:
Nick walked into the club and strolled over to the bar. Miklos smiled up at him and said, "Hi there, stranger. Want the house special, tonight?"
Nick smiled at him and replied, "Yeah, sounds good. Thanks!" Then looking around the room, he asked, "Have you seen the owner, lately?"
"Over here, my sweet Nichola." Janette answered as she glided over to Nick.
Nick stood up and caught her hand in his, putting his lips to it. "My love! You look exquisite. Almost good enough to eat!" He said smiling, with that playful crooked smile.
Janette smiled with a wide grin and said in a soft, sexy voice, "Really? Then come to my chambers, my knight, and my love and we shall see how good I taste!" Then turning to Miklos, she smiled and said, "Take over for me, eh Miklos? And be sure to lock up when you leave."
Miklos grinned at the two of them and nodded. Nick grabbed the bottle from the bar Miklos had placed for him earlier, and taking Janette around the waist they walked toward the back rooms. He was so glad that he had come here first, instead of going home. And now, it would be a great night, indeed!
Chapter 7
Steve Lovejoy's apartment, Toronto:
After Mike left, Steve wandered around the room in deep thought. He thought his past ahd been forgotten and would never be brought up again. When he was in High School, he and five of his friends had taken on the roles of sex adventurers and thought of themselves as the "hunks" of the school. They formed a group and a pact to show the girls of the school, that they were the best at sex! There had been rules, and that was, only blondes were the allowed prey of their "lust hunts", and they would engage in any and all kinds of sexual exercises. They had decided they would call themselves the "Lusty Sex Lovers" and would even have a symbol that would mean nothing to anyone else but themselves. They chose the sun, because of its great strength and energy, and the crescent moon for its mysterious and shadowy nature. They had even had medallion's made with this symbol, and wore them all the time.
One of the members, actually their fearless leader, Roger Arthur, had so immersed himself in the role of dominate leader of sexual conquest, (he had 13 girls within a one month period) that he was unable to disassociate himself with the role. He actually thought he was a god and no one could touch him. The girls all said that he was a great lover, but he was also cruel. He loved to use bondage and there were times that his lust for the art had gotten him suspended several times from school. After a few years in High School of this group, Steve had decided enough was enough and it was time to grow up. Shortly after this the group disbanded. Steve had wandered away from the actions of the "Lusty Sex Lovers" and became interested in criminal justice. He really wanted to be a lawyer, but was too impatient to take the time required to prepare for that position. He, instead had joined the police academy and decided to become a cop. Roger Arthur had also decided to join him. They both had made it through the rigor of the academy and found themselves as "street cops", but were assigned to different areas of the city. That was indeed a blessing for Steve.
It was at this time, that it became apparent to Steve that Roger would never make the grade. He was to forceful with the perps, and those arrested, and too zealous when he came to bringing in the suspects. And he still could not keep his hands off the blonde female cops. At the time Steve made it to Detective, Roger's job was on the line. He had been again suspended without pay for unnecessary roughness, but couldn't seem to understand why. All he knew is that he was a good cop. And there were many times he was a good cop. He just couldn't calm down and be rational on the job. And so, when Steve was up for promotion for Captain, Roger was fired. And Roger never seemed to get over the fact that Steve had moved into a position of authority, while he was given his "walking papers".
Now it appeared that Roger had turned to the opposite side of the law. He was returning to his role of "Lusty Sex Lovers", but was adding a new dimension. Murder! But Steve had to be sure. It looked like Roger's handiwork, but was it? Could he be misjudging him? <No! I'm sure it's Roger. He would be the only one so bold as to use that symbol on the body. It is a direct wake-up call for me. He wants to be sure I know who the murderer is as if he knows he can get away with this. Just like he did in High School with his sex conquests. I am going to have to let the PD know what is going on, and try to stay out of the line of fire at the same time. But I must protect Mike, too! He could also be a target. After all, the way I used to complain about my "little bro" to Roger, he might decide that it would be fun to torture his friend's kin for added amusement. That would be a big mistake, Roger!>
Having decided on a course of action, Steve went to his bedroom to dress, and then was out the door, heading for the precinct. He had to find out the last address of Roger Arthur. And then he intended to pay a call on the leader of the "Lusty Sex Lovers"!
It had been two days since Mike had gone to see his brother, Steve. He had no contact with his brother since that time. What was Steve up to? How much longer did he think that Mike could hold this information from his partners? There had been another murder. A beautiful high school senior, blonde, petite, and breathtakingly beautiful. The hands and feet had been tied with a red scarf, the cause of death had been suffocation, and there again were multiple stab wounds on the body. And, as before, the imprint of a crescent moon inset on a Sunburst was made on the right shoulder. The killer, at least was still operating the same, no new tricks.
Mike had tried to contact Steve and he was beginning to get very frustrated. He decided to go see Nick and perhaps the more experienced detective could tell him what to do. He had found a kindred spirit in the older, tall, blonde cop. There seemed to be a growing friendship between them, and he was beginning to realize that for all of his apparent aloofness, and bizarre methods of investigation techniques, (at least according to Schanke), Mike was beginning to trust Nick Knight.
It was 2PM when Mike drove his red Ferri over to the warehouse district and parked in front of Nick's loft. He went to the alarm panel and pushed the button. After a few minutes, Nick answered the buzz, "Yeah?" a somewhat fuzzy, sleepy voice replied. Mike stood in front of the camers and said, "Knight, I know its early and I'm sorry if I woke you, but I need to talk to you about the Red Scarf Serial Killer case."
A slight pause, and then, "Ok, come on up." The door to the lift suddenly slid open and Mike stepped in. He had only been to Nick's place once, and he always thought as he did now, <what a recluse Knight is!> A few minutes later, the lift stopped and Mike opened the door. Nick was standing by the kitchen cabinet wearing a black silk robe and pajamas and bare foot. He had a glass of some kind of red liquid in it and Mike thought, <Drinking? Schanke said he thought Nick might have an alcohol problem. I hope he doesn't, because I need someone who is thinking clearly.> Nick looked very sleepy, but he smiled at Mike and said, "Hey, Mike. What are you up to?"
Mike walked over to the couch, and sat down. Nick put the glass on the cabinet and followed Mike, sitting down in the big leather chair, next to the couch. Mike was rubbing his hands together deep in thought, and Nick could tell by his rapid heartbeat that he was very nervous and something was bothering him.
Nick looked at Mike and said, "What is it, Mike? What's bothering you?"
Mike looked at Nick and saw a look of concern on his face. <He sure is a nice guy. So caring. I can't believe that people think he is so dumb and unfeeling. He seems to be genuinely concerned for others.> Mike took a deep breath and began, "Nick, I need your advice. What if I was to tell you that I do know a lot about that mark on the victims and I know where it came from? And that it is a memory from my past with my brother Steve?"
Nick, now knew why Mike was so nervous and apprehensive to discuss the knowledge of that mark. He looked at Mike and said softly, "Will this information implicate your brother in some kind of criminal activity, Mike?"
Mike looked back at Nick and said slowly, "No. At least I don't think that it will. But it could get him involved in an investigation that IA would not be happy about. And it could jeopardize his postion as a captain."
Nick sat there with a serious look on his face, contemplating what Mike had just said. He knew how hard that was for Mike to say. It was obvious that he loved his brother and had a sense of loyalty toward him. But it was also apparent that Mike had a good sense of responsibility and duty to his profession. Nick understood that. He had been in this situation before, himself. Now he looked at Mike and said gently, "Why don't you tell me what you know about that mark and its relation with your brother, Mike. And perhaps, between us, we can find a way out of this mess without involving your brother."
Mike was genuinely pleased with Nick's considerate and kind response. He really did know how to treat people. Just as if he had experienced something like this before in his life. And so Mike told Nick how, when he was about 6 or 7 years old, his brother Steve was involved with several other friends, who thought of themselves as sex Adonis' and how they formed a sort of club or gang with the purpose of promoting that belief. He told Nick how he remembered seeing his brother and his friends on many occasions with blonde girls in sexual situations. Mike laughed and said, "It was then that I got my sex education, and I didn't need any 'dirty magazines' to demonstrate the techniques."
Nick laughed at this, as he too had learned much of the sex life from his brother, Eitenne. <Eitenne, who went from beautiful women, to handsome young boys....> And Nick's mind drifted to another time and place. . .
Castle Brabant 1213
Lord deLeBarre and his family had arrived from Wales to visit with Lord Anthony de Brabant and his family. LeBarre had brought his family and his beautiful daughter, Ambrosia with him in the hopes of joining her with Brabant's eldest son, Eitenne. They had seemed to hit it off and he wanted to encourage this union. Anthony did not seem to disapprove either. There had been a large feast held in the main dining hall, and both families were enjoying themselves.
During the feast, Nicholas kept his eyes on his brother. Although Eitenne was gallant, and attentive towards Ambrosia, he was far from romantic. He seemed to be extremely uncomfortable, and also a slight bit bored. But Ambrosia did not seem to notice. She found Eitenne fascinating, and loved his recitation of poetry. That was one area that Eitenne excelled. He could not only recite, but write beautiful poetry. And on the spur of the moment as well. While they sat at the table eating, Eitenne managed to amuse Ambrosia with his inventive and creative poetry regarding her beauty. At first, Nicholas thought that his brother was going to get away with this.
Anthony and Henri were very pleased that Eitenne and Ambrosia had hit it off so well. It would make the union so much easier, if the couples liked each other. And Lord de LaBarre was very content to see that Anthony was doing all he could to encourage the union. Anthony stood up from his chair and raised his chalice high. "I wish to welcome the LaBarre family to our home, and to the union of Eitenne and Ambrosia. May they enjoy all the happiness that love can bring." To this was added the general response of, "To Eitenne and Ambrosia!" Even though Ambrosia smiled widely and was very pleased with the proceedings, Eitenne, though smiling himself was very uncomfortable. And only his brother, Nicholas was able to tell just how uncomfortable he was.
Later, all retired to different rooms to engage in conversation or relax. Nicholas was wandering from room to room as he usually did during these celebrations, when he spotted through an open window, Eitenne and Ambrosia in the gardens along the side of the Castle. He walked closer to the window where he could hear the conversation between them.
"You are so very warm and kind, Eitenne. You have made me feel at home in this strange land of yours. But you seem so sad to me. Is there nothing I can do to end your sorrow and bring you back to the joy I feel?" Ambrosia said as she ran her finger along Eitenne's cheek.
Eitenne flinched at the touch, and grabbing Ambrosia's hand said, "I am sorry, my betrothed. But you cannot ease the guilt and pain in my heart when I am with you. And I cannot tell you from where that pain comes from." Eitenne said, taking Ambrosia's hand in his. "I am sorry, my beautiful Ambrosia, but I must take my leave of you for a short while. Please accept my humblest apologies. And I shall return to you soon." With this, Eitenne kissed Ambrosia's hand and walked away.
Nicholas stood there, not knowing if he should intrude or not. He watched Ambrosia, as she looked longingly at the departing Eitenne, until she could no longer see him. Then she turned and headed into the castle. Nicholas moved to the corner of the landing, as far into the shadows as he could so as not to be seen by Ambrosia, as she climbed the stairs and headed toward her room. When she had left, Nicholas looked out the window. He knew where Eitenne had gone. And he stood there for sometime trying to decide if he should follow. Before very long, he heard Lord deLeBarre's loud booming voice. "What do you mean he left you alone in the garden? What kind of a nobleman leaves his betrothed on the night of the engagement? I must talk to Anthony about this! This will not be allowed to continue!" And Nicholas, again moved into the shadows, just in time to see Lord deLeBarre come storming out of the upstairs chambers and down the stairs toward Anthony's private rooms.
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