by De Freitas
“This leads me to think he is innocent, Your Grace.”
“I would tend to agree with you. However, let us suppose he did commit the murder using a knife that he knew he could not be associated with, just to add to the element of doubt.”
“I know Simon quite well. I will tell you now, he did not commit that murder.”
Bishop Connor gave the priest a stern look. “You misunderstand me, Fr. Mark. I am not interested in the innocence or guilt of Simon Holman. If this is just another murder then it is a job for the police. However, if there is some element of evil connected to it, then it is very much my responsibility to look into it. When I look at the writing on that cloth, at the brutality of the murder and now the murder weapon, I have no choice in this.
“Father, you are well aware that demons enter this portal from time to time. They can exist both outside of us, as well as within us. If allowed to, they can take full control of an individual.”
“Your Grace, I have thought about this and I have looked into his eyes, as I have held up the bread and wine before him. There is no demon in Simon Holman.”
“We have two other members of his family.” Bishop Connor looked down at the notes on his desk. “His mother, Martha, and her sister, Annamae. What do you know about them?”
“Martha I know quite well. However Annamae less so, as she comes to church only on special occasions, like Simon’s baptism. Otherwise, I only see her in town occasionally.”
“Fr. Mark, I will need to establish if there is an infestation in the house. There may be a demon, or even some disembodied entities, that have attached themselves to that house. I want you to visit Simon’s home. Look around for any unusual objects; statues, idols, books on witchcraft, sacrifice, anything disturbing. Find somewhere quiet, close your eyes and say a prayer for guidance.” Bishop Connor then opened the drawer of his desk and held up a small black book. “Do you recognise this, Father?”
“Yes, I do. I got it during my training. However, I have never used it.”
“Everything you need is within this book. Take it and study it carefully. When you use this book, you will quickly know if there is an entity in the house. Be warned, it will react violently. You will have no doubt regarding its presence.”
“It may take some time to arrange to get into the house, Your Grace. I will get back to you when I do.”
*
Martha, Annamae and Fr. Mark took their seats at the graduation ceremony. Martha could not be prouder of her son. In her eyes he had overcome so much and still managed to graduate with honours. At the end of the ceremony, Fr. Mark excused himself and apologised for not being able to attend the after-graduation party. Martha ran over, threw her arms around Simon and hugged him.
“I’m so proud of you, I love you so much.”
“Mom, not in front of everyone.”
“I don’t care what they think. You are my only son and I could not be happier for you. You should be so proud of yourself. Not one of these kids here has had to deal with what you have been through. You have come out the other side of it, with your whole life ahead of you to look forward to.”
“I think you and Aunt Annamae have had a few too many cocktails, Mom.”
“Trust me, son, it is not the alcohol talking. Your Aunt and I are so proud of you. Now, tell me who is the girl I saw you dancing with?”
“Just a friend, Mom.”
“Just a friend, huh?”
“Yes, Mom. If you must know her name, it’s Linda Bernstein.”
“Her dad isn’t Martin Bernstein, by any chance, is he?”
“Yes, you know him?”
“Well, he is the Manager at Horizon Bank. He turned down my last application for a loan.”
“What did you want a loan for?”
“Do you really need to ask?”
“Oh… are we getting a new car, Mom?”
“Well, we would have been but for Mr Bank Manager. Is he here? I’ll go give him a piece of my mind.”
“No, Mom.”
“Just joking, son. I would not embarrass you like that. Well, not without at least a few more cocktails. Anyway, how long have you and Linda been together?”
“We’re not together, Mom, just friends.”
“Friends that want to be together or just friends?”
“I’ve got to go, Mom. Hope you and Aunt Annamae enjoy the rest of the party.”
“We’re actually leaving soon. How are you getting home?”
“I’ll get a lift with someone. No problem, Mom. I’ll see you later.”
“So, did you find out who she is?” asked Annamae.
“Her name is Linda Bernstein. Her dad is the Manager at Horizon Bank.”
“I did not like how they were getting so close, Martha. Did you see that dress she was wearing? She looked like a tart. He can do so much better that that.”
“I quite liked her dress and Simon looks happy, happier than I’ve see him in a long time and that is all that matters to me. Two years ago, I would have given anything to see him like I see him tonight. Don’t ruin it for me, Annamae.”
“Well, we need to keep an eye on her, that’s for sure.”
*
Robert and Beth Osbourne enjoyed their holiday so much that they stayed on a few extra days. Sheriff Amos had given them the best advice they have ever received. Of course, individually, they thought of Julia but they never discussed her. They were both determined to make the most of every day of the holiday. They returned home feeling refreshed and with a completely new mindset. The following day, Sheriff Amos came to see them.
“Well, I don’t even need to ask how the holiday was. What a difference! Both of you look fantastic.”
“We really enjoyed it, and thanks again for all the help and advice.”
“Don’t mention it.”
The sheriff reached into his case. “I’ll leave this on the table here for you. Remember what we discussed before you left. Try and stick to it. Julia would not want to see you the way you were.”
“Thanks, Amos, and you take care.”
Over the next week, Robert and Beth stuck to Sheriff Amos’s advice. There were still the tears and some sleepless nights, but they were slowly building up an inner-strength. They were determined that, whatever the outcome of their efforts, they would do everything possible to find Julia’s killer.
“Ok, Beth, between the police report and evidence, what have we got so far?” asked Robert.
“The size nine and a half footprints have never been matched to a particular brand of shoe. The Holman home was searched numerous times, but no shoe matched despite the fact that he is the same size.
“The hair length and colour matches Simon Holman. It would be nice if we had a sample of the hair from the crime scene. These photographs of the sample in Julia’s right hand and later here next to the ruler, shows the exact length. We also have photos of Simon Holman’s hair, taken by the medical examiner the following day.
“This photo here is of the report done by the medical examiner. Dr Brockman’s report states that he examined Simon Holman’s scalp the day after the murder and it cannot be determined with any certainty that the hair came from his head. His report also goes on to state that he did not find any sign of blood or cuts on Simon Holman.
“The knife used was examined for fingerprints and compared to Simon Holman. They were not a match. These are the photos of both the prints on the knife and Simon’s Holman’s prints.” The knife handle was a dark colour with a symbol of some sort on the handle.
“The police report states that, based on the footprints, the killer came from the field west of the house. He came across the ground to outside the bedroom window. The same set of footprints was then traced from the bedroom window and headed west back across the ground and into the fi
eld. So he came and left from almost the exact same point. The killer entered through the bedroom window and left the same way. Prints on the knife matched prints on the window and the victim’s blood was found on the window. The report also states that the field is in the direction of the Holman home.
“Simon Holman lives with his mother, Martha. His father, John A Holman, died in Vietnam. Simon Holman has no brothers or sisters, just one Aunt. He lives approximately 2.5 miles from the victims home. He is sixteen years old and fit. Running, it is estimated he would take approximately thirty minutes, presuming he knew the fields. An almost full moon would have aided navigation that night.
“The report states that the victim was last seen alive by parents at 8:30pm and discovered the following morning by her mother at 6:45am.
“No clothes with blood have been found at any of the searches conducted at Holman’s residence.
“Fingerprints from the knife were checked against the data base, within the county and state wide, and no matches were found. Finally, Sheriff Joe Cabral has signed off the police report.
“So, Robert, what do we want to start with?”
“I think a trip to the library. Let’s take the photo of the footprints. We need to try and match it to a brand of shoe. Perhaps we can see where he purchased them. And the knife, it would be a good if we could trace it. I’d also like to know a bit about his father, John A Holman. We may as well look into him while we are there.”
*
Martha lay in bed reading My First Bible. She had just about completed reading The Book of Revelations. This is so difficult to understand, she thought, I’m getting nowhere. Martha had underlined everywhere she saw the word “Apocalypse.” She had read and re-read the paragraphs. The frustration was getting to her.
CHAPTER 7
At the end of Mass, during the singing of the final hymn, Fr. Mark always walked to the back of the church and stood just outside the door. It was his way of greeting everyone as they left the church and welcoming any new faces.
“It’s great to see you again, Martha, and how are you doing young man?”
“I’m doing great, Father I’m really enjoying just relaxing; the last eight months was so much studying.”
“That is wonderful to hear, Simon. You deserve a well-earned break.”
“Yes,” said Martha, “but it does not mean sit around all day.”
Fr. Mark laughed.
“You know, Father, I’ve been reading Revelations, I’ve nearly finished and I have not a clue how to interpret it. What exactly is the author talking about?”
Fr. Mark saw his opportunity. “Why don’t we make a deal, Martha?”
“What do you have in mind, Father?”
“A meal!”
Martha smiled.
“What if I help you with The Book of Revelations and you make dinner?”
“That sounds like a fair enough deal.”
“What would you like?”
“Roast beef and macaroni is my favourite with lots of gravy.”
“When do you have in mind, Father?”
“What about Wednesday this week?”
“Yes, I can do Wednesday. How does 7pm sound?”
“I’ll see you then, Martha.”
“But Mom, I’m not going to be home on Wednesday. I’ve made plans that night, so I’m going to miss it.”
“Going to see Linda, are we?”
“Maybe, but the point is you never make roast beef and macaroni for me.”
“If you cut the grass more often, perhaps I would. Anyway, I’ll make extra and you can have it for lunch the next day.”
Fr. Mark smiled. “I’ll see you Wednesday, Martha. Bye, Simon.”
“Okay, Father”
*
“Good morning, Ma’am. My name is Robert Osbourne, this is my wife, Beth.”
“My name is Irene, I’m the head librarian, how can I help?”
“We have some items that we are trying to research. We have a photo of some footprints and I’d like to find out who manufactured the shoes that made them. Where would be the best place to look for books on that? We also have a knife with an unusual—”
Irene cut Robert off before he could finish the sentence.
“Sir, we have a dozen newly installed computers against the wall over there. Type in what you want and it will direct you to the relevant section. The books are in alphabetical order, based on the author’s surname and the rows of books are numbered from one starting here all the way to the far end, with row number seventy-eight.”
“Thank you, Ma’am.”
Robert and Beth walked towards the bank of computers. Beth turned to Robert and said, “Wow, it’s like she is from the military, the way she cut you off and then rattled on about the layout in here. Did you get the alphabetical numbers thing? I’m not going to ask her again.”
“Don’t worry, Beth. At least with the computer we won’t have to deal with the old woman.”
Robert and Beth pulled two chairs close together and shared one computer screen.
“What do you mean you can’t use a computer, Beth?”
“Me, what about you? You’re the one always telling me how smart you are.”
“Beth, you’re going to have to go back over there and speak with the battle axe. Just ask her how to do a search.”
“You’re the man, you go ask her!”
“Fine I’ll go…”
“Excuse me, Ma’am, but could you show—”
Irene cut him off again. “Right, follow me,” she said sternly.
They marched back over to where Beth was seated.
“You see this box here? This is the search box. This is a keyboard. You type what you want in the box, this is the ENTER key. Hit that, the computer will then tell you where to look. I’ve already described how the library is laid out, now is there anything else?”
“No, that’s fine. We’ll manage from here, thanks.”
“Wow, Robert where on earth do you think they found her?”
“God alone knows, anyway let’s get on with this.”
SHOE MANUFACTURES…
*
“Come on in, Father.”
“Did you find the house easily?” asked Martha. “It can be tricky to find once it gets dark. I always try to remember to leave the light on at the front.”
“Yes, it wasn’t a problem. I’m not from around here, as you are well aware, but I have visited a few of your neighbours, so I’m getting to know the area quite well.”
“You can just hang up you jacket by the door and come on through to the kitchen.”
“I take it young Simon is away?”
“Yes he left a little while ago. He says to tell you ‘hi’ and he’s sorry he missed you. I can’t leave this cooker for too long. Everything is happening at once. The fridge is there just help yourself, Father.”
“Thanks, Martha. I wanted to follow up on what you said the other day outside the church. Who is this Linda you mentioned?”
“She graduated with Simon. When Annamae and I went to the graduation party he was dancing with her and they were getting quite close. In fact, since then I know he’s been seeing her quite a bit but he’s not saying much. He still keeps telling me they are just friends.”
“I’m really happy for him, Martha. He seems to be getting on so well with his life now and he’s put that episode behind him.”
“Oh, you have no idea, Father. As a Mom, to see your son go through what I’ve witnessed… but, honestly, I don’t even want to talk about it. I’m only looking forward for him. He has done great in his exams, he can do anything from here.”
“He still has no idea what he wants to do, no?”
“None at all, but Linda, I know for certain, is g
oing on to university and I feel Simon may just decide to do the same. He told me they took similar subjects in high school.”
“Do you mind if I use your bathroom?”
“Sure. It’s just at the end of the hall, past the bedrooms, last door on the right. Don’t be too long, though; this beef is just about ready.”
Fr. Mark left the kitchen and noticed there was a silver plaque of the last supper above the doorway. He turned and walked down the hallway slowly, looking at all the pictures on the walls. He passed a bedroom with the door opened. He reached inside and put the light on. The room was tidy, the bed was made and there was a pair of jeans and a shirt neatly folded on a chair. There was a desk in the corner with books and folders. He looked at them quickly; they were all school related. He observed a stack of books next to the bed. He picked them up. There were books on the history of Judaism, Islam and the Hindu religion. He picked up the Quran. There were pages with passages underlined and notes made. He looked around the room. On the wall was a poster of a singer wearing very little, with the name Madonna above it. He turned off the light and continued down the hallway.
A couple yards further on the left was another door. He opened it and looked in. He could see this had to be Martha’s room, he felt terrible about what he was doing. He looked back down the hallway and could hear the sounds of cooking in the kitchen. He turned on the light but could not bring himself to enter the room. He felt like he was violating her privacy. Everything he saw just said it was a normal woman’s bedroom. He quickly turned off the light and shut the door quietly.
He continued down the hallway, went into the bathroom, and closed the door. He looked around briefly, closed his eyes and said a prayer for guidance. He took out the book Bishop Connor had given to him and opened it at the chapter he had marked with the gold thread. He said the words in Latin, passage after passage. He closed his eyes and waited. There was nothing. He said a final prayer and returned to the kitchen.
“Just in time, Father. Please move that bowl there, so I can put this on the table. But be careful; it’s hot.”