by Kelly Shade
Jane told them to wait at the station and to keep checking for classmates and relatives of Harrison Gil. Ryan got addresses of the teachers who used to be at the school during that time.
Gray, Jane and Burris went to visit Gil’s math teacher.
“Mr. Leblanc!” Ryan greeted him with a handshake. The teacher welcomed them into his home. They called him on the way, so he had prepared tea and cookies. After Ryan and Jane tasted the sweets and had a cup of tea in their hands, they asked him what he could tell them about Gil.
The teacher explained with a mournful look: “Harrison was a genius! His mind was sharp, maybe sharper than most of the teachers in the school. When it came to math, he knew every answer. Straight A-s! But at one point he fell in love with Julie. Julia Ezra, clever girl, nice to everyone, beautiful. Sadly, she was killed. Harrison started to skip classes. His grades went going down. He changed.”
“Do you remember if Harrison was close to other teachers?” asked Ryan as he drank his tea.
“The IT teacher,” Mr. Leblanc said thoughtfully. “It was kind of weird though.”
“What was weird, Mr. Leblanc?” Jane finished her tea and left the cup on the table.
“The truth was Urns, the IT teacher, didn’t like Harrison at all. But he helped him all the time. Gill had something on him.” The math teacher looked through the window as if he were watching a movie. “Maybe I imagine things.” He shook off the dreamy look and glanced at Jane.
“Or not. We will see,” she said.
“Why do you think Mr. Urns didn’t like Gil?” asked Burris.
“Urns shared with me and other teachers that the boy was annoying him,” Leblanc said.
“Where can we find that Urns?” Blake asked.
“He is dead. A long time ago he was murdered by a gang. The rumor was he found offshore accounts and informed the police. But I don’t really know if it was true.” Mr. Leblanc dozed off again. “I knew something was wrong with Harrison, but to become a serial killer? I never imagined he would be a murderer. Boy with so much potential. It’s a shame!”
Burris, Jane and Ryan thanked him for his time and left. Their next stop was the school psychologist, Mrs. Chase. Harrison Gil’s school file said he had weekly visits to Mrs. Chase’s office. The psychologist was retired now, but Ryan made an appointment at her house. She welcomed them with a sad smile. They informed her on the phone what the visit was about. She wasn’t pleased by the thought of talking about Harrison, but she said she would cooperate.
“The boy had a high IQ but a dark soul,” Mrs. Chase said when she let Jane and Ryan in her living room. “I think the problem was his family. Religious people, good people, at least what we could see from the outside. Harrison was an only child and was raised by the commandments. I don’t know why, but I always thought his mother and father were too religious. It’s nothing wrong, believing in God. I’m not saying that, but they were weird.”
“What do you mean by that, Mrs. Chase?” asked Ryan.
“Well, at one of our sessions Harrison was too nervous. In the end, he hurried to the door, but he dropped his backpack, and a book fell out. Some kind of horror story about witches, magic and dark creatures. He begged me not to tell his parents about it. I had to convince him there was nothing bad about reading scary stories. My son also had his period, and I never forbid him to read the books he liked at the time. But Harrison was terrified of his parents finding out about that book. In the end, I swore I wouldn’t tell them, and he left. Sometimes he had moods. He wasn’t ill; he was, in my opinion, too mentally stable for his age,” Mrs. Chase finished her story.
“How was he when his parents were killed?” Jane was curious about whether Harrison was good enough to lie to a trained psychologist.
“I was the one who had to bring the news,” she said and shivered as she shook off the memory. “I told him what the police told me. There was a robbery at his house, and his parents were killed trying to keep their property.”
“And how did Harrison react to the news?” Burris asked eagerly.
“He started to cry, but . . .” Mrs. Chase took a deep breath “But I saw the smile, the creepy smile on his face. Yeah, he was crying, but still, his eyes showed happiness. I was sure he was the one who killed them. And I got scared. I didn’t say a thing to the police or to the headmaster. I was afraid.” The woman started crying.
“And you were right to be scared, Mrs. Chase!” Burris wanted to calm her. “Where was Harrison on the night of the murder?” Ryan asked.
“He had a sleepover at the home of his only friend. Sebastian Nolan,” she sniveled.
“Do you by any chance have any pictures of them?” Jane asked when she saw a couple of photo albums on the bookshelf.
“Yeah, after every class graduated I received an album as a present.” Mrs. Chase stood up and went to get it. She placed it in front of Peter, Ryan, and Jane. “This is Julia Ezra, the poor girl who was killed.” The teacher’s eyes filled with tears. “And this is Sebastian Nolan.” She pointed to a teenage boy. He had greasy shoulder-length brown hair, with black eyeliner and dark clothes with metal caps and studs. “Sebastian was raised by his father.”
“Please be honest. Do you think Sebastian and Harrison organized the murders of Mr. and Mrs. Gil?” Ryan wanted to finish the conversation.
“Yes. I think they did.” Mrs. Chase had a guilty expression. “I knew it back then, too, and maybe if I said something Julia wouldn’t have been killed.”
“Thank you for your cooperation, Mrs. Chase!” Jane stood up and nodded to Ryan and Peter to go.
“Where to now?” Gray asked as they went to the car.
“Julia Ezra’s house. I messaged Nick to call her family while we talked to Mrs. Chase. He texted me the address,” Jane said and started the car, but she didn’t drive. Instead, she looked thoughtful for a moment and turned to Ryan. “Did you see Julia’s photo?”
“Not really, Mrs. Chase turned the page to fast. Why?” Ryan asked.
“I could glance at it. If I saw the right girl, which I’m sure I did, Julia had three braids in her dark hair.” said Jane.
“She did?” Burris asked surprised.
“Yep. We have to see more photos of Julia, but I’m pretty sure, Rewera is making copies of her. That way he can kill her over and over again,” Jane said and drove off. “The sick bastard got away with three murders when he was in high school, and nobody knows how many more after that,” Blake finished angrily.
They arrived at Ezra’s house. Her mother and father, a lovely old couple, opened the door and welcomed them. When Burris, Jane and Ryan went in, they saw a man waiting for them. He extended his hand and introduced himself. That was her brother, Luke Ezra, who came to his parents’ house to meet the detectives who were after Harrison. After all of them found a seat, Jane asked. “What can you tell me about Harrison Gil and how he was connected to your daughter, Julia?”
“Harrison was obsessed with Julie. He was stalking her. They were in different classes, but he always was after her.” Mr. Ezra spoke with pain in his voice.
“Harrison gave her poems to show his love. Usually, it is a nice way of telling a girl you like her, but his poetry was creepy.” Mrs. Ezra’s hands were shaking. “She got scared and . . .”
“I was walking her to school. I was getting her from school. It was that bad!” Luke Ezra interrupted his mother with an angry voice, “An eighteen-year-old student afraid of walking alone! It was ridiculous! I beat up that Harrison boy twice but he never quit. I was happy when I heard he burned in his car!” the man explained staring at Peter Burris.
“Do you still have the poems?” Jane was interested in the poetry the killer wrote to express affection.
“No, the police took them. They said it would help the investigation, but it didn’t. Gil alibied out, and they never caught the killer,” the father said with disappointment.
“What happened on the night of the murder?” Ryan joined the conversation.
&n
bsp; “Our parents were on a business trip,” Luke said and sat down with his head in his hands. He wasn’t angry anymore. He was guilty and sad. “I went to a party. I asked her to come with me, but she said she didn’t want to go. I offered to stay, but Julie convinced me to go. I had just started a relationship with a girl that I really liked, and we had to meet at the party. Julie didn’t want to ruin it for me.” Tears started to drop on his cheeks. “That girl is my wife now.”
He wiped his eyes and continued, “So I went and left Julie alone. In the morning when I got back home, I went to bed and didn’t even check on her. When I woke up, around twelve p.m., I went to see Julie and I found her dead.” The man burst into tears again. “On the chair with her hands tied behind her and a long knife was sticking out of her back. The bastard stabbed her in the heart! I should have stayed!”
Mr. and Mrs. Ezra tried to calm their son. Burris excused himself and went to the bathroom. Jane and Ryan waited a few minutes before they asked to look at Julia’s photos. The family gave them a few albums to check. Julia was a beautiful young woman with, as Jane saw, three braids in her hair tied with red rubber bands. She wore excellent makeup and long nails polished red. Now they knew for sure Rewera was copying her. In one picture, Ryan saw that Julia had a tattoo on her back.
“What’s the tattoo?” he asked the family.
“It’s lyrics from her song. She used to write and sing songs as a hobby,” answered her mother with confusion.
“Why are you looking at Julie’s murder twenty-nine years later?” Luke’s angry look returned.
“Because Harrison turned out to be a serial killer.” Jane decided the family deserved honesty. “His last victims are four women he killed last night. And he captured me for a while.”
“How is that possible? There were witnesses. He died when his car exploded!” Mr. Ezra was puzzled.
“He faked it,” Ryan said.
“But why are you here? What’s the connection with Julie?” Luke continued to ask.
“Julie is the connection, Luke!” Jane said, but the confused looks made her explain. “Harrison is searching for women who look like Julia; he makes them up with braids and makeup, nail polish, and he stabs them in the back through their heart exactly as he did to her. The only difference is that instead of a tattoo with lyrics, he writes poems on their backs with a knife.”
The Ezra’s were terrified by the story.
“Talk to Sebastian Nolan, Harrison’s bestie. He may tell you something!” Luke offered.
“Yeah, we are headed to his father’s house after we finish here. Unfortunately, Sebastian went missing twenty-five years ago,” Ryan told them.
“Maybe Harrison helped him!” shouted Luke.
“Our thought exactly! I’m sure he disappeared to help his sick friend,” Jane said and headed for the door. She almost forgot Burris was with them. He showed up, and they all said goodbye to the Ezras.
After the intense conversation with Julia’s family, the talk with Sebastian’s father was less tense for Ryan, Peter and Jane. The old man was carrying a walking cane with him. He asked them to sit on the bench in front of his house.
“Sebastian’s mother left us when he was three. I tried to raise him alone. Maybe that was my mistake,” said Mr. Nolan. “His only friend was that creepy kid Harrison Gil. At the moment they met, Sebastian changed. From a happy boy, he turned dark and depressed. I was working all day. I couldn’t spend much time with him. I regret it now.”
“What happened the day Harrison’s parents were killed? It is written in the report that they both were here, and you vouched for them,” said Jane. “But I think you should tell us the truth,” she finished firmly.
“The boys came home after school. We had dinner, and we watched a movie together. After that, I . . .” the man hesitated. “I took strong painkillers for my leg, and we all went to bed. I saw them in Sebastian’s room in pajamas preparing the beds. I said goodnight and went to my bedroom. I didn’t hear anyone going in or out of the house during the night.”
“Do you think they went out? Was it possible?” Ryan specified the question.
“Yes. They had the opportunity. The painkillers were strong, and I slept all night.” Mr. Nolan looked into Jane’s eyes hoping for understanding. “I didn’t want my son to go to jail! I didn’t say anything to the police back then . . .”
“When did Sebastian disappear?” Jane wouldn’t offer understanding. She was mad at him even though she knew he was doing it for his son.
“Twenty-five years ago. He rented a place six months before he went missing. He called me every day after work to see if I was okay. He was a good son!” Mr. Nolan was talking with melancholy in his voice. “He didn’t call two days in a row, and I got worried. I went to his apartment, but it was empty. Sebastian gave me a key in case I wanted to visit him, or I had work to do downtown, and I needed to spend the night. Anyway, I called the police. At first, they didn’t take it seriously, but after a week they reported him missing. But they didn’t find him dead or alive . . . it was like he evaporated.” Mr. Nolan’s eyelids were trembling as he tried to stop the tears.
“Do you have a photo of Sebastian?” Blake asked.
“Yes,” said the father and he pulled an old photo from his pocket. “He was renovating the family’s cabin in the forest. We used to go there when he was little. This was a week before . . .” the man showed them with shaking hands.
Jane, Ryan and Burris said goodbye and drove back to the station. Blake discovered the files of the Harrison murders on her desk. Nick and Ian had checked every possible angle but with no luck. Hunt also tried to help with the investigation, but the serial killer was like a ghost. There was nothing they could go on. The only hope for them was Jane.
“What now, Blake?” Hunt asked after he heard the talks that Ryan, Burris and Jane had earlier.
“We will get him, Hunt! There is something we are missing. And we will find it sooner or later. We can’t give up!” Jane said. Now that she had more information about him it would take time to put things together. “Patience!”
“He will kill again, and you know it! I cannot be patient!” Hunt roared.
“You don’t really have a choice, do you?” Blake snarled.
“Don’t get your knickers in a twist, people!” Burris thundered. “If we want to find Rewera, we need to stick together. Let’s call it a night and tomorrow, we will continue. I think Jane is right. We need to be patient!”
Everyone looked at him with surprise.
“Burris is right,” Hunt spoke “We all need some rest.”
Connor, Nick, Ian and Peter headed home. Jane and Ryan stayed behind. Jane couldn’t relax until the man was found. Ryan couldn’t relax mostly because of Blake.
“Are you going to stay here all night?” Ryan asked after a long awkward silence.
“No, I’m going home,” Blake answered and stood up. “And you?”
“I think I’m going to stay,” said Ryan and looked at her with disbelieve. “Are you sure you will go to your place?”
“Why?” Jane stopped preparing her bag and fixed her eyes on Ryan.
“You have the habit of doing things alone . . . forgetting I’m on your side . . . and you got that expression on your face,” Gray murmured.
“What expression?” Jane made a grimace.
“The “I-know-who-the-killer-is“ expression.”
“You need to practice on your people reading skills,” Jane laughed. “Bye!”
Instead of her house, Blake drove to Burris’s place. Surprised by the late hour, Peter, wearing pajamas, welcomed her into his living room. He offered tea, which Jane politely refused. He excused himself and went to get dressed. Blake stood alone in the vast place, looking at the paintings on the wall. Burris came back and got straight to the subject.
“You are here because of the case, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. I think we can figure out who Rewera is before he strikes again.” Jane was standing in
front of a beautiful forest landscape. Burris gestured for her to sit on the beige sofa, but Blake ignored him.
“What makes you think I can help you more than your colleagues?” he asked.
“You know the killer better than any of them,” Jane said firmly.
“I do?” Peter asked. “How so?”
“You are a psychologist.” Blake glanced at him and turned to the painting again. “Why else?”
Burris sat quietly for some time.
“Okay, Blake. Why don’t you drop the act? We both know why you are here,” Peter said. He crossed his legs and spread his arms on the back of the sofa. “It wasn’t the cleverest idea to come here alone, Jane.”
Blake laughed. She grabbed a bottle of whiskey and a glass from the shelf. Jane turned to him, stared for a moment and sat in the arm chair next to Burris.
“Tell me, Harrison, why you started now?”
“I started what?”
“Killing the women this way.” Jane leaned back and filled the glass with whiskey.
Burris stood up and took another glass, went back to the sofa and filled it with whiskey. He narrowed his eyes, smiled nastily and spoke.
“First, tell me how you know it was me.” He took a sip, “And I will gladly share my story.”
Jane refilled her glass with the amber liquid, leaned back and took a sip.
“From the first moment, I saw you I knew there was something very wrong with you. But I didn’t know you were a killer until today,” she said calmly.
“What gave me away?” he asked eagerly.
“The moment you said ’Don’t get your knickers in a twist‘ I had a sudden realization. It is a typical British expression, and you couldn’t completely hide the accent as you usually do. Then it came to me. Maria shared a dream. She drank tea, sitting on a weird couch, a black bird was flying around her, and then she started falling which woke her up. It is obvious, isn’t it? Maria was hypnotized to un-see the person who hypnotized her, but she remembered the surroundings.” Jane drank a little bit and continued. “The ’weird‘ couch is the one in your office; the black bird is the raven on your tea pot . . . and of course, the tea is the one you offered me at our first therapy session. You were their psychologist. The connection between them is you. This is how you knew what they were like in school. You had private meetings with all of them,” Jane said triumphantly. She smiled with satisfaction and drank the rest of her whiskey. “Your turn. Why now?”