I put my hand over my chest and sniffed. “I am so proud of you, Cas.” I patted his shoulder and wiped invisible tears from my eyes.
He shrugged my hand away. “Don’t we have work to do? Let’s get to that.” He sighed.
“Of course, follow me.” I led him toward my set up in my living room, and he groaned softly behind me. “I know, I know. But I really think I’m on to something, I just don’t know how to connect them. I’m missing something,” I explained as I took a seat on the floor.
He sat down next to me and leaned closer to my laptop. “Victor Baldwin?” He grabbed the laptop and placed it on his lap. “Who is that?” He scrolled through the article.
“He’s, um, a guy whose name popped up that could somehow help this case.”
“Meadow…” He gave me a pointed look, his blue eyes showing disappointment. “Where did you get his name?”
I smiled sheepishly, scratching my head. “Don’t worry about that, Caspian. Just know that he is crucial.” I shifted to get comfortable and leaned back into my couch. “What I need you to do is research this guy and find out anything important about him that will help our case. Work your magic, because apparently I have none.” I chuckled lightly.
“Magic shall be worked.” He grinned at me, and we both nodded at each other in agreement and started our work.
I still had the files I took from work, one from 1866 and the other from 2008. I had skimmed over them and was mainly focused on getting the medical examiner’s report, which was my mistake. I held the 2008 file and put the others on the floor next to me, then started from the very beginning. Of course, it was similar to our current case, those similarities being the cause of death and the crosses. But one thing the other cases had, which mine didn’t, was witness statements.
Skipping to the witness section, I read through the statements in the case of the first pale body found in 2008 to see if anything connected. One thing that stood out was that the victim took a cruise to a place called The Island right before he died. Grabbing a pen from my table in front of me, I circled ‘The Island’ because this was the first clue connected to Victor Baldwin.
I glanced over to see how Caspian was doing. He was focused, his fingers flying over the keyboard. I smiled softly, glad that I asked him to help. Even though he could be really annoying sometimes, I considered him my best friend. I didn’t have many friends, and none I would consider a best friend like I do Caspian. He was it. Turning back to my file, I looked at the other cases in 2008 and the witness statements.
I froze. It seemed like I was reading the same statement in each different case. The witness stated that they saw a man in all black, with a black cross earring dangling from his right ear, and he was at least 6’1”. What really threw me off was that the suspect’s eyes glowed a vibrant violet, the last thing each witness saw before being knocked out.
I huffed and leaned back into my couch, trying to process everything. Violet eyes? Almost no one had purple eyes, and definitely none that glowed, so I didn’t understand. The notes also said they weren’t drugged or anything, so why would they say that? Shaking my head to clear all the information I had just dumped in it, I looked to see who the witnesses were. The first witness was an older woman named Mary Taymer.
According to her, she was almost a victim but survived by stabbing the suspect with Jestraetrium. I looked at the word again and tried my best to sound it out. I didn’t even know what that was. It sounded like a type of element, but I’d never heard of it. I circled the word to remind myself to research it later.
Whoever conducted the toxicology report for these witnesses must not have done it correctly. This lady sounds insane. Thumbing through the rest of the witnesses, there was one name that kept popping up for many cases. I almost dropped the file I was holding.
“Caspian, look!” I basically shoved the file in his face. There was a picture of a man in it and underneath the picture, was a name. Victor Baldwin.
Caspian’s eyes grew wide, and he turned my laptop so that I could see what he had pulled up on the screen. The headline read ‘Captain Witnesses Death of Tourists.’ The photo attached to the article was of an older-looking man with gray hair, standing in front of a ship—the only photo I’d seen of Victor. During my research, I tried my best to find a picture of him to see what he looked like, but I had no luck.
“Where did you find that article? I could barely find anything on him.”
Caspian shrugged and turned my laptop back around. “I guess I’m just that good.” He clicked on something else and angled the laptop to me. “If you really want to find out more about him, I just found out where his ship is located.”
I grabbed my laptop from his hands and searched through the information he had pulled up. It was a website about Victor and the cruises he conducted for anyone interested in visiting The Island. How people found out about his cruises, I had no idea. I didn’t even know about it until I started researching this case.
As I continued to read, I finally saw the location of his ship. In a city called The Harbor, which is only about a thirty-minute drive from the town I lived in, The Angels. Caspian finding this website was a miracle. I didn’t know how he did it, but I did know I was grateful and definitely going to pursue this lead.
I turned to Caspian with a huge smile. “Time to go on a road trip?” I asked.
He chuckled and stood up, stretching. “I actually have things planned to do today, sorry.”
I frowned and got up to stretch, too. The feeling of my bones popping was actually soothing and felt great. “But I really need your help on this. Please?” I batted my lashes playfully and smiled when he rolled his eyes for the millionth time.
“Not this time, Meadow. I do have a life, you know.” He gave me a look and raised his eyebrows. I may have told him one too many times that he didn’t have a life because he was always working.
I feigned confusion. “You do?” I tried my best to sound sincere but ended up laughing.
“I do, and now I need to be on my way.”
I followed him to the door and opened it. He stepped outside and paused, turning back to me. “I would advise you not to go out researching this little lead we found right now, but knowing you, you’ll go anyway. So please, be safe.” He pulled me into a hug. He knew me so well.
“You don’t have to worry about me, okay?” I patted him on the back reassuringly.
His body relaxed after my statement, and he pulled away, looking me straight in the eyes. “Promise?” His crystal blue eyes widened for emphasis.
I chuckled and tapped his chest with my index finger. “I promise.”
He finally looked convinced. “All right, let me know how it goes,” he called out as he walked away toward his car. He waved at me once he reached it.
“I will. Be safe driving home!” I watched as he laughed, knowing fully that I was mocking him.
“I will!” He shouted back, his voice high pitched, trying to mock me.
I shook my head, smiling as I went back inside and closed the door, locking it behind me.
Now I needed a plan.
7
“Interesting place,” I muttered to myself as I crossed the boardwalk. I finally made it to The Harbor after being stuck in traffic for like an hour, and the place was nothing like I’d imagined. The whole area was vacant, as if no one lived here or had visited in a long time.
There were boats everywhere. Some were little sailboats to relax and enjoy the water close to home, and others were actual cruise ships for nice vacations to many different islands. What stood out as I scanned the scenery and analyzed the boats was that none floated in the middle of the beautiful blue water. All were docked. The scent of fish and other sea creatures filled the air, creating that relaxing seaside feeling.
The area was super clean, and many restaurants bordered the water. But just like the water, they were empty. I passed many storefronts with CLOSED signs on them. Not even a bird made a peep in this part of town. Wh
at happened here? I kept walking farther down the boardwalk and looked at the waterfront where the boats were docked to search for the cruise ship in the picture with Victor.
I couldn’t see the whole thing in the picture, but part of it was black. I also saw part of the name—the ending of it: -teros. The boats and the water and smell all took me back to when I was younger when I would always go sailing with my mom—one of the things she made sure to do every year in my dad’s memory. I smiled softly at the memories.
I missed my mom and definitely needed to visit her at some point soon. As I reached the end of the boardwalk, I still didn’t see a ship matching the description I saw in the picture. So much for talking to Victor. Scanning the area, I spotted a seafood place that didn’t have a CLOSED sign. Instead, it had Ted’s Seafood plastered on it, and it looked like people were actually in there.
Maybe they had some information I could use. Walking up to the door, I hesitated, taking in a deep breath. Here goes nothing. I opened the door, and a briny odor hit my nose. I gagged. I wasn’t a fan of seafood, just a fan of seeing them in the water. The restaurant seemed more like a diner, with a rustic feel to it. Bare, dark brown wood everywhere. The bar counter, every table and chair, the whole structure. All wood. I could see the kitchen from the bar area, which was right by the door as soon as I came in.
Everyone stopped what they were doing when I entered the diner. Curse that stupid bell. Not that it mattered because everyone meant the only three people in the whole place. The bartender, the cook, and an older woman sitting in the very back, staring out the window.
“Can I help you?”
I turned to the voice and found the bartender looking at me. He was an older man and rugged. His beard was large and long, but nicely trimmed. It matched the dark hair that went past his shoulders.
“Yes, actually. I have a few questions for you, if you don’t mind.” I made my way over to where he stood at the bar.
As he took his time wiping the inside of a glass, his eyes assessed my attire and eyed my hip, probably looking for a gun. He wouldn’t be able to spot it, though. I hid it exceptionally well.
He grunted and picked up another glass, wiping the inside. “You a cop?” he asked, jutting out his chin defensively.
I pressed my lips together and tapped my fingers on the bar counter. “Not today. Just an inquisitive person looking for some answers to connect the dots,” I returned. I wasn’t getting a good vibe from this man.
He grunted again and scrunched his face up in slight disgust, putting the glass he was wiping down on the counter. He placed his hands down and leaned forward. “Listen here, lady. I can tell you’re not from around here based on how you’re dressed. It’s too professional, and no one here dresses like they’re from the government. So, you can take yourself and your questions and leave my place.” He stared me down, heat blazing in his eyes.
“Calm down, Ted. This young lady was nothing but nice to you. Don’t take your anger toward the government out on her. Shame on you.”
Ted, the bartender and owner, averted his gaze from me and looked over my shoulder, his heated stare softening a bit for the speaker. I also turned and saw the older woman staring back at Ted.
“But you know what happens when people like her start snooping in business that doesn’t concern them,” he retorted, his tone more respectful with her than it was with me. I wondered what he meant by that.
The woman turned her attention to me, ignoring Ted. “What’s your name, sweetie?” She smiled softly.
“Meadow,” I answered, smiling back. She seemed really nice.
“That’s a beautiful name. My name is Mary. I heard you have some questions that need answering. I might have some answers for you.” She patted the space in front of herself, inviting me to sit with her. Ted growled a little at her invitation, and I chuckled at his reaction as I made my way over to her. I sat down, and Mary clasped her hands together and leaned on the wooden table. “Now darling, what can I do for you?” She nodded her head at me to speak.
“I am here because of an investigation. A few deaths have occurred, and they all lead back to this town.”
Mary nodded and chuckled softly to herself, smoothing her hands across the table. “I knew one day someone was going to come back here asking questions about this. No one ever found out who did it, did they?” she asked, taking in the shocked look on my face.
“So you know about the murders?” I asked her, wanting to know more.
“Of course, child. I was almost a victim myself, you know.”
It clicked that her name was Mary. As in Mary Taymer from the police report. The one witness in multiple cases. The crazy one.
“I read your statement about that. Can you tell me exactly what happened? Because it seemed kind of…” I trailed off, trying to think of a nice way to say crazy.
She reached across the table and placed her hands over mine. “Darling, I know you want to call me crazy.”
I opened my mouth, but she held her hand up, stopping me. “Don’t worry, they all think that. They tell me what I’m saying doesn’t make sense, but it does if you’re aware.” She paused and looked down at the table in deep thought. I gave her time to collect her thoughts. She looked back up at me. “It was dark, and I heard a scream. I live just right over there, you know. So I put on some decent clothes and went out to see if anyone needed help. I made it all the way to the end of the boardwalk, and there he was, standing over someone with blood on both of his hands.”
“How did you know it was a man and that he had blood on his hands if it was dark?” I interrupted successfully this time.
Her brown eyes widened, and her hands tightened around mine, but not enough to hurt. “I couldn’t see anything properly, so I pulled out my phone for brightness, and that’s when I saw the blood. When my light hit him, he turned around, and the next thing I knew, a hand was around my throat, choking me. I don’t know how he moved so quickly, but I couldn’t breathe at all. But that’s when I noticed the cross earring in his right ear.” She paused again, breathing heavily.
I took my hands out of hers and placed mine on top.
She looked grateful for my small gesture of reassurance and continued. “And his eyes! Oh, the eyes! That was the most frightening part. They weren’t normal. They were violet. So that’s when I knew. When I knew I had to use the ultimate weapon.”
When she spoke of the weapon, I remembered her statement about how she used some type of element.
“You mean, getraum?”
“Jestraetrium, dear. The ultimate weapon. I reached in my pocket with the strength that I could muster, grabbed it, and shoved it in the side of that monster with all my might. Oh lord, the screams he made. It sounded like a large animal dying mixed with nails dragging down a chalkboard. I collapsed when he let me go, and I was coughing really hard and gasping, trying to get air back into my lungs. I didn’t wait to see what happened to him after that. I just ran home as fast as I could and prayed I never had to encounter a dark one like that ever again.”
I scrunched my eyebrows together. A dark one? First violet eyes, now a dark one/monster. She was really out of her mind. “What do you mean, a dark one? And what is Jestraetrium?”
“Whatever you think of when you hear or see the words ‘dark one’ is what I’m talking about. Jestraetrium is a powerful element, the only thing that can truly kill a dark one. It can be forged into weapons and can only come from one place.” She leaned forward, getting as close as she could to me, and whispered, “The Island.”
I was so confused. I didn’t even know what came to my mind when I thought of a dark one. A dark-skinned man? Someone in dark clothing? I was right about Jestraetrium being an element, but everything else just confused me. Nothing really made sense, and I wasn’t sure if anything she told me even helped my case.
I sighed heavily and massaged my forehead, trying to figure out what else I wanted to ask. “Okay, okay. I need some time to process all of this. But I do
have a few more questions if that’s okay.”
Mary nodded at me to continue.
“There’s this man who was also a witness in one of the cases. He owns a ship that takes people to The Island. Do you know who he is?” I asked.
Her lips pressed together tightly and she leaned back into her chair, away from the table. She shook her head, and I was about to ask another question, but she kept shaking her head. “No, no, no!” She smacked her hand on the table. “Do not trust that man!” She pointed her finger at me, her soft, loving features turning hard, and the anger that flowed from her was very evident. She wasn’t done. “That man is the reason these dark ones are roaming this place! Why so many people are dead! He brought them here on that godforsaken boat. That island is cursed, I tell ya! I went there myself! That’s where I got the ultimate weapon!”
I tried my best to keep up with what she was saying, writing furiously in my little notepad I kept in my pocket. The weapon came from The Island.
“Mary,” I called out to her, hoping she would calm down for this last—maybe last—question.
“I’m sorry. I haven’t spoken about this in so many years, and it dredges up so many memories that were suppressed. Go ahead and ask your question.”
I smiled at her. “You’re very brave for doing this, knowing it would bring up the bad memories. My question is about the ultimate weapon. What did it look like?”
She motioned for my notepad, and I handed it to her along with my pen. She flipped until she reached a blank page and started sketching. I turned my head so I could see what she was drawing. She wasn’t the best artist and not close to being done with it, but I could already tell that she was drawing a dagger. I groaned internally, knowing I would have to see Donatella again. This definitely wasn’t a coincidence. As she drew, I thought back on everything she told me.
One thing that stuck in my mind was the cross earring. The crosses from the warehouse wall looked similar to the ones engraved on the bodies. I wondered if what she described was the same as the ones I’d come across.
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