The Noir Evil

by Richard Paul Caird

  He finally continued as he released the last of the smoke within his lungs and discarded his cigarette under the heel of his shoe “I regret a lot of things in my life and I’ve made a lot of mistakes but most of all I regret two things, burning down that shantytown and how we ended. I’ve never told this to anyone before, not even Gerber! But on that night of the raid I remember seeing a frightened little girl crying out for her lost mother and her face makes my heart ache every time I think about her. I remember her looking at me with these beautifully green yet confused eyes as if I was responsible… erm? Well! I was of course was responsible but…? Anyway! I tried to follow up on her in the numerous workhouses that I sent them all too in order to discover if she was ever reunited with her lost mother but for the life of me Poppy I couldn’t…? I couldn’t find her again? She simply vanished into thin air and to this day I regret causing her harm and often wonder what became of her”

  The oddly emotional Ness then paused for a solitary moment as he emotionally shed a genuine tear for the unknown girl’s fate as her desperate image flashed a crossed his troubled mind, her lost look forever engrained into his troubled soul. The surprised Poppy felt the need to instinctively comfort the sad Ness, liking this new and emotionally charged version of the ex-prohibition agent whom was unhindered by the clouding effects of opium. The emotionally vulnerable Ness then continued as he felt her comforting arm around his back and this physical interaction resulted in his sadness about the little girl to fully develop upon his face in the form of more tears “I’m sorry for how we turned out and I hope that you’ll forgive me someday. I miss how we were in that poppy field, with the sun shining overhead and after we made love. This is one of my happiest memories and I’m blessed to of shared it with you. I’ll treasure it within my mind forever where it’s safe from the passage of time”

  Poppy immediately placed her reassuring hand over his, smiled and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek and he nervously flinched as she did so, silently solidifying her suspicions that he was indeed a changed man after all. Ness longingly looked at her and she at him as they were both lost within that blissful moment in the poppy field yet again, even though they stood there in the pouring rain and under the lightening filled clouds. There singular umbrella hid their illicit passion from the rest of the world as they both then felt themselves instinctively nearing the other for an intimate kiss.

  Thunder then suddenly erupted through the turbulently unsettled dark skies above them and Poppy embarrassingly pulled back, feeling somewhat confused at her own instinctively irrational behaviour. This was the problem she had with Ness because he instantly made her feel relaxed and at ease with herself and this was a feeling that was foreign to her. She speculated that this was probably due to the intimacy that they had once shared so frequently together and this natural feeling was surprisingly still lingering deep within herself, not entirely dormant but cunningly simply biding its time until it was right moment to strike. She knew that this was one of those preciously fleeting moments when her mind would relinquish command to her heart and it would then plead for some sensual loving that only a dramatically romantic encounter could bring. She had always been a helpless romantic at heart and although publically she excused such feelings as commonplace flights of fancy that only a naïve girls would entertain thoughts of, privately she longed for such encounters to be made real. Ness looked back her with longing eyes as he smiled back at him with an awkwardly unsure smile, seemingly appearing to be at a loss as to what to do next. She could now see this unhindered and vulnerable version of Ness was the real deal, regretful, unsure of himself and lacking in the faith of his own abilities and so she decided that she would lead and gently leaned into kiss him.

  Both felt themselves slowly being drawn back into the maelstrom of another romance as the silent veteran crowd covertly returned once again to the communal window, adamant that they would not miss the climax of their previous attempts at reigniting this dormant love. Just as they were about to forgo the consequences and sensually kiss each other, both immediately pulled back in reluctant unison as they heard the unwelcome sound of the administration buildings twin doors forcefully open. Both the preoccupied looking Merlyo and Zalewski where leaving the old home in deep conversation as they rushed down the steps and towards Ness’s shiny silver Scarab.

  Both Poppy and Ness then causally yet carefully leaned back to get some more distance between themselves, not wishing to give the preoccupied Merlyo the wrong impression about their friendly encounter. Poppy felt emotionally torn as Ness lifted the umbrella some more as if he was attempting to give an unspoken physical message to the soon to be arriving Merlyo that he was not hiding anything and causally just having another cigarette with an old friend. As he did so he could not believe what he had almost just done and internally reprimanded himself for allowing himself to be so easily opened up yet again to his troublesome and irrational romantic inclinations. She sadly moved further away from him as they painfully separated under her singular umbrella whilst the on looking silent veterans could not help but show there immense disappointment.

  The two rushing detectives finally arrived at the shiny Scarab through the relentless rain and the smiling Merlyo, whom appeared excited to see Poppy again, was the first to speak “Poppy you came! I’m sorry sir but I told her to come here because there’s a beautiful Italian restaurant nearby and where planning on going there straight after we finish here. I hope its ok?” Ness quickly replied, still internally recovering from his momentary lapse of self-control “Of course it’s ok! Not to worry and besides we had a chance to catch-up for a few minutes whilst sharing a cigarette so I should thank you! It’s been a wonderful surprise!”

  Ness warmly smiled at the happy Merlyo as Poppy gave him a cheeky wink while she proceeded to take out another cigarette from her elegant purse and eagerly lit it up, intent of defeating her torn emotions with the familiarly calming effects of her comforting tobacco. She then satisfactorily leaned back on the silver Scarab as she made the cigarette glow with an orange light which the silver automobile reflected tenfold back into the surrounding gloomy atmosphere. After an awkward moment whereby all mesmerizingly watched the meticulous Poppy effortlessly ooze sexuality and sophistication as she smoked, Ness broke the silent viewing of this magnificent creation with a question “So what’s the news on our doctor suspect? Anything concreate or was this yet another waste of our precious time?”

  The hesitant Merlyo was about to reply when the alert Zalewski tapped him on the shoulder and motioned to the administration buildings door to show him that the bookish Cowles had been temporarily delayed by an attractive young nurse on top of the steps. After all curiously watched the awkward Cowles hastily say goodbye to his newly acquired admirer and quickly make his way to their location, Merlyo returned his gaze back to Ness and replied “This doctor not only works at a medical practice here in Kingsbury Run but he also has access to the funeral home’s morgue next door where he can practice surgical techniques on countless unclaimed bodies!” Ness looked at both detectives with in intrigue as he continued to heed every word that Merlyo was telling him with cautiousness and titillation. Merlyo then continued “Not only that but he’s been living in this area since he was a kid and so he knows the ins and outs of the environment” Merlyo then paused as he hesitantly looked at both his partner and the newly arrived panting Cowles before then returning his gaze to Ness, knowing that this next bit of valuable information would potentially elicit an emotional response from ex-prohibition agent “Sir, The doctors name and is Francis E Sweeney or ‘Frank’ Sweeney and he’s the first cousin of the congressman!”

  Ness’s facial expression suddenly changed from an optimistic and casual expression to one of sheer alarm and concern as he felt that the unseen powers that be where still punishing him for his past wrongs. An anxiety that he had not felt in a long time then swallowed him up, eagerly chewed him and spitting him out again as his pessimism about this unsolvable case
finally took hold again. All the elusive pieces had now finally fit together in an uncompromisingly beautiful clarity but unfortunately the suspect just happened to be related to his political opponent and now, because of this unexpected curveball that life had wilfully thrown his way, the case had just become a lot more complicated.

  If Frank Sweeney was any other doctor then he would have arrested him on suspicion straight away and investigated him openly but due to the politically sensitive nature of the prime suspect he had little or no options left unless some tangible bit of information linking the two together miraculously revealed itself. This troublesome case however had always lacked physical evidence, witnesses and suspects that where within other traditional homicide cases and even though he was caught off guard with this new revelation, he still understood the complexity of this politically volatile situation. He knew immediately that they required either some hard physical evidence or at least an eye witness who could identify the good doctor because otherwise he was simply what Ness used to be, an untouchable.

  Ness stood there in quiet contemplation as he moved his head slightly out from beneath Poppy’s umbrella as he attempted to let the rain wash away the unseen fear that had now fertilized deep within him. This fear had been gestating within him and was now bearing its bitter fruit as he frantically attempted to resolve the numerous issues regarding such a politically sensitive suspect within his chaotic mind. The panicked Ness instinctively placed his trembling hand over his left waistcoat pocket as he felt the familiar opium’s call, begging him to be released within his system to alleviate all the anxiety that he was now uncomfortably experiencing.

  Poppy noticed this instinctively familiar reaction to the alarming situation that was currently unfolding and he in turn noticed her attentions and immediately stopped himself and released his trembling hand from the comforting waistcoat pocket. She disappointedly looked at him and realized that if this was all that it took for him to have a potential relapse then he was possibly still the same hurtful Ness that she had tried so very hard to forget over the last year. The sad Poppy had an uncanny ability to mix the two most extreme aspects of human emotions together and this was evident from her own past with her abusive farther because although she hated him for what he had done to her, she would always tragically love him because he was her farther and nothing would be able to change that disturbing fact. The constantly disturbing feelings she had of self-hatred and self-loathing about her troubling past would regularly consumes her on many a lonely night and they were very similar to Ness’s troublingly instinctive reaction to anxiety. He alleviated his pain through opium usage whereas she would cut her wrists and self-harm to irrationally condemn herself for past events that she was not responsible for. This is why the flawed man appealed to her so much on a romantic level because of the simple fact that he could appreciate the sadness and loneliness that had long ago consumed her and left its physical mark.

  Poppy then falsely smiled as troubling past memories besieged her unprepared mind and excused herself politely from the current conversation “Excuse me gentlemen!” She then rushed off into the nearby water saturated lawn to have another cigarette in a fruitless attempt to try and control her volatile emotions that where uncontrollably filling her up inside as her father’s troubling image flashed before her eyes. A preoccupied and now newly wet Ness was brought back into reality by Poppy’s surprise departure as the rain began to hit his unprotected head. He immediately took out his trusty patched worked hat and hastily put it on and was silently thankful to Poppy for her momentary distraction from the sudden anxiety that was consuming him whilst she stood there.

  He then sadly watched as the preoccupied and troubled looking Poppy hastily sat down upon the old wooden bench that was conveniently protected from the rain by a singular small tree in the veteran’s home lawn. As she eagerly sat down on the bench and frantically smoked the pondering Ness motioned to all his Unknown’s to come closer before he whispered to them all “Are you positive it’s the same Sweeney?!” The equally quiet Merlyo nodded whilst replying “I’m sorry sir but it is and we already double checked to make sure” Ness could not help himself but answer with an irritated distain “Shit!” before Merlyo then continued to speak in more detail “Dr Sweeney voluntarily admitted himself several times to this veteran's hospital to treat his alcoholism and some of these visits overlapped with the same times that Gerber stated the murders had occurred. It was overlooked by us all because we all thought that once somebody was admitted, they were monitored here within the hospital at all times but this is not the case!”

  Ness looked at his Unknowns in confusion and replied “What do you mean?” before Merlyo then continued, all the while keeping a low volume to his cautious voice as a local resident was being pushed by in a wheelchair by a nurse “A self-admitted person can come and go as much they please, it’s not an obligation for them to stay and so it’s a perfect alibi but we wanted to know how closely the patients here are watched and we found out that there not watched at all! Patients like Dr Sweeney can pretty much come and go as they please!” Ness instantly replied “Jesus!” before standing there in quiet contemplation as his initial alarm was being slowly alleviated by the monotonous tone of Merlyo’s voice as he continued to listen to the seasoned detective reveal his treasured finds “It’s also not unusual for an individual who’s suffering from alcoholism, like Dr Sweeney, to disappear for a day or two on a binge drinking session. Many of the veteran residents here have stated that Dr Sweeney was gone for many days at a time when he was supposedly here receiving treatment!”

  All four of them stood there in the unnoticeable rain in a quiet contemplation as they allowed this newly important revelation to seep deeply into there every pour. After a while the contemplative Ness looked past the three whom faced him and at the troubled Poppy through the rain, whom was still seated on the bench alone and was frantically smoking away whatever troubling thoughts where provoking her worried reaction from within. He could easily recognise that her troubled mind was filled with anxiety provoking memories from her past as she irritatingly scratched her long since healed wrist scares that mentally were still freshly festering with pain.

  He was thankful that she was no longer involved in this complicated and gruesome Mad Butcher case for her own sanity because he felt that she required all her strength to defeat the demons that so obviously took relish in periodically tormenting her. In many ways Poppy was a tragically lonesome figure as she desperately hid from the harsh world under that solitary tree because she would never let anyone get close to her for fear of them discovering whom she truly was. He had many times theorised that she was scared of people judging her for past questionable decisions that she had made during her difficult upbringing but he had always come to the conclusion that if she wanted to discuss these matters then she would. But she had always strangely kept her secretive past to herself and this secretive nature of the beautifully rare creature, whom appeared to be ironically so very much alone within this world, was what had initially attracted himself and Merlyo to her. Her broken vulnerability appealed to both troubled men whom both had their own demons to deal with within their separate lives. Now however he felt immensely sad for the isolated beauty and wished that she would open up about her troubled past in order to heal the reoccurring wounds that always renewed themselves upon her wrists.

  The sadly pondering Ness then spoke to the eagerly awaiting three in front of him as he continued to keep his voice low through fear of prying ears “We’ll need evidence on him and I’ll put him under constant surveillance twenty-four-seven with some of my most loyal Unknowns. Let’s keep this strictly between us four for now ok? Don’t even tell Gerber! To be on the safe side let’s call our new secret suspect by a code name if where in public, like say? Oh! I don’t know? ‘Gaylord Sudhiem’ sounds rather poetic don’t you think? It’s German for ‘homosexual sadist’” Both detectives curiously smiled at Ness’s strange codename with raised eyeb
rows whilst Cowles gave him a look of immense bemused confusion because he did not fully understand the rationale behind creating such an obviously ridiculous name.

  As they all agreed upon this unique name for Ness’s newly created secret suspect, the veteran homes radio again crackled back into life as the eagerly resurgent veteran residents turned up the volume for a second time and smiled from the open communal window. Larry Clinton Orchestra’s popular song The Devil With The Devil started to play and the distinctively unique lyrics eerily resonated within them all and echoed through the harsh rain. Both Ness and Merlyo where finally on the elusive trail of Mad Butcher and they were both determined to stop the madman no matter what the cost but Larry Clinton’s creepy song however soured there joyous mood with its ominous lyrics that sent a shiver down all four men’s spines “Here comes the Devil! Oh! Here comes the Devil! Oh! Here comes the Devil! Oh! The Devil with the Devil says I! Shhh! Look out for the Devil, look out for the Devil! Look out for the Devil! Oh! The Devil with the Devil says I!…”

  The focused Ness sat at the back of his impressive silver Stout Scarab as it effortlessly ripped through the rain soaked and backwater harsh lands of Kingsbury Run. He peered out of the wet window as his modified Elegant Mess commandingly cut through the jagged land with an unbridled determination and focused clarity, similar to how he was now focused upon the Mad Butcher case with all its confounding complexity. He pondered the recent events which ultimately brought him to his current location today with the alcohol saturated man seated next to him whilst Cowles flanked him on the other side of the rear seat of his silver Scarab.