A Rose From The Executioner

by Edward Izzi

  Their Grand Knight, Brother Ezekiel, and another member, Brother Barabbas, had still not arrived. Brother Aaron, who was the First Vice President and considered second in command, verbally took attendance and then seized control of their monthly meeting. He called the assembly to order at 8:34pm. Before calling his fellow brothers to the agenda at hand, Brother Aaron led them in the Pledge of Allegiance and the opening prayer.

  “My Brother Knights, as you are aware, we have successfully accomplished the objectives at hand during the past month of our Blessed Mother Mary, in the accomplishment of the redemption and salvation of the souls of our previous designated candidates. The tainted souls of Fathers John Marquardt, Lucas Senopoli, and Matthew McDougall have been successfully rescued and exonerated into the kingdom of Heaven,” Brother Aaron proclaimed, as the other brothers stood up and applauded.

  “Congratulations are in order to Brother Cain, Brother Abel and Brother Barabbas in successfully redeeming their souls.”

  The two brother knights accepted the handshakes and words of praise and acclamation from each of the brothers there at the meeting, even though all the knights at hand were privately concerned regarding the whereabouts of their two missing brothers, Barabbas and Ezekiel.

  As was the procedure of the Society of the Rose Crucifix, after two absences, arrangements are made for the remaining brothers to replace those missing members with new ones, retiring their secret society names and ruby red cross rings. Each brother has taken an oath to never reveal their identities, to each other or to the rest of the world. The missing brothers can only be retired or removed from the secret society through the act of death or suicide and must have their ruby red cross rings either destroyed or buried with them at the time of their deaths. This has been the sacred tradition of the Society of the Rose Crucifix since the fifteenth century, as the holy order of secret assassins to His Holiness in Rome.

  The prior month’s minutes and old business was discussed and settled, then the Acting Grand Knight, Brother Aaron, directed the meeting:

  “Brother Knights, we must continue to do the Lord’s work in upholding His sacred sacraments. It is our duty, to advocate the sacred decrees of our Holy Father and to prosecute those individuals who have broken these blessed commandments. Do have we any new business to bring forth before this sacred society?”

  There were several minutes of silence, until Brother Jebediah, requested the attention of his fraternal brothers.

  “Oh, worthy Grand Knight, in keeping with the order of redemption and salvation which we have designated to the prior past souls that we have previously mentioned, I wish to bring forth the name of the tainted soul of another fallen ex-priest.”

  “May I discretely address the table of this sacred society, oh worthy Grand Knight?” Jebediah requested.

  “Permission granted,” Brother Aaron replied.

  Unlike the previous requests for redemption, Brother Jebediah withdrew a piece of paper which he had folded in his tuxedo jacket, containing the name of the next ex-priest to be selected for ‘redemption’. Because of Brother Jebediah’s prior past relationship with this ex-priest, and because of this ex-priest’s extreme sinful acts against his victims, he exercised the option of non-verbally proposing the name of this candidate. By doing so, Jebediah was expressing his belief that the soul of this ex-priest was beyond redemption and should only be treated as an unholy servant of Satan.

  “My dearest Brother Knights,” Jebediah addressed the other hooded members, “I have chosen to non-verbally propose the name of this fallen ex-priest because I do not believe that his tainted soul can ever be saved or redeemed into the gates of Heaven.”

  The piece of paper was passed around the table, as each knight read the name of the candidate. The acting Grand Knight Brother Aaron then inquired of Jebediah, “Why do you believe this, Brother?”

  Brother Jebediah then elaborated. “This former ex-priest has molested and raped my youngest sister during the last twenty years and pushed her into destroying her life. He has since left the priesthood, never showing any remorse or responsibility for his aberrant actions, against my sister or any other of his molested victims,” Jebediah stated.

  “My beloved sister was found dead several months ago, becoming a homeless prostitute and drug addict. I believe that the deviant actions of this ex-priest against my sister were responsible for destroying her life, and I do not believe he is worthy of the redemption and salvation of his soul.”

  “Were there other molested victims?” Brother Zebadiah asked.

  “Yes. There were many other molested victims, and he was never brought to justice. He was later hired as a high school teacher after leaving his ministry and continued to rape and molest other young girls.”

  The Acting Grand Knight studied the name of the proposed ex-priest, realizing that his first name was a continuation of the pattern of biblical candidates which the secret society has previously chosen to follow.

  “Brother Jebediah, do you sincerely believe that this former priest was responsible for the death of your beloved sister?”

  “I do, oh worthy Grand Knight. She was in therapy for many years and she shared his continued sexual abuses and childhood molestations to her various counselors and psychologists since high school. Although she was in intense therapy, with all the medications that she was prescribed, her extreme depression could never be controlled. Her doctors all stated that her alcohol and drug abuse was a direct result of this diabolical priests’ despicable actions.”

  “My fellow brothers,” Brother Aaron began, “I make a motion that we eradicate the tainted soul of this unspoken servant of Satan.”

  The Acting Grand Knight then looked around the table.

  “Is there a second on this motion?”

  Brother Rueben immediately seconded the motion before the table. The Acting Grand Knight then continued to request a vote on the motion before the fraternal table of brother knights.

  “All those in favor of the salvation and redemption of this unspoken deviant, this unmentioned servant of the devil, please affirm or deny the motion before this table when your name is called,” he requested.

  “Brother Able?” the Acting Grand Knight began.

  “Aye,” he answered

  “Brother Cain,”

  “Aye.”

  “Brother Joachim”

  “Aye,” the hooded brother replied.

  The Acting Grand Knight went around the whole table of the ten seated brother knights, requesting each to affirm or deny the action put forth before the board. Each brother’s assumed name was recited, and each Knight of the Rose Crucifix affirmed the motion. Of course, it was unanimous.

  The Acting Grand Knight then requested one of the brother knights at the table to volunteer his services in assisting in their proposed sentencing. After a several long minutes, one of the brothers responded.

  “May I, oh worthy Grand Knight, be the deliverer of the tainted soul of this deviant servant of God, into the deepest, darkest halls of purgatory. May I be the deliverer and the executioner of his emaciated tainted heart, and bestow the red rose of our great society, the name of our Blessed Virgin Mother,” again volunteered Brother Cain, who was successful in his previous redemption. He was reading from the Executioner’s Acceptance, variating the words of this formal vow to deliver this pedophile’s ‘tainted soul’ into the darkest domains of Hell.

  “We accept your commitment, Brother Cain, to deliver the red rose of Our Blessed Mother and send the tainted soul of this unspoken servant of Satan, into the ‘darkest domains of Hell’, oh great Brother Cain,” replied the Acting Grand Knight.

  The table of hooded brothers then began to applaud, knowing that the successful carrying of this ‘motion of execution’ and intercession was in the capable hands of their respected Brother Cain.

  “You shall carry out this motion immediately,” ordered the Acting Grand Knight.

  As he pounded his wooden gavel on the table to proclaim this
final motion of redemption, the brother knights all then applauded, offering to again, pledge their support to their respected Brother Cain.

  Since there was no other business to discuss before the board of brother knights at that time, the motion to adjourn was accepted. With that, Brother Abel supervised the exit of each hooded brother, as they all departed the old, brownstone church, one by one.

  Brother Jebediah exited the antiquated building and walked over to his car, which was parked several blocks down West Division Street. He was both excited and relieved that his personal revenge against the man who inadvertently, killed his little sister would finally be carried out. He had heard great things about Brother Cain. Jebediah had even heard rumors that Brother Cain was a respected member of the Chicago Police Department and was more than familiar with all the facets of murder and executions. He figured that, with Brother Cain’s rumored police background and recent skill as an executioner, that he was more than qualified to carry out the personal revenge that he so desperately needed to bring closure to his youngest sister’s death.

  For all the young little girls whose innocent souls this sexual predator had stolen away, for all those innocent little children that this sick, pedophile priest sexually molested for so many years, Jebediah now knew that the Lord’s revenge was at hand. He looked up at the starry, summer sky as he unlocked the car door of his Lexus.

  He knew that the untimely death of his little sister would finally be avenged.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Lake Michigan

  It was close to seven o’clock in the evening as I was wrapping things up at my office. It had been a very exhausting day. I was thinking about the two individuals that were coincidentally wearing the same ring that day and kept wondering if there was a connection, so I decided to give my friend at Arezzo Jewelry another call.

  “Michael, its Phil.”

  “Hey Phillip, what’s the good word?”

  “Quick question, Mike. Is there a possibility that someone else in the city might be fabricating those gold, ruby red crossed rings? Perhaps another jeweler in Chicago somewhere?”

  Michael Arezzo thought for a moment.

  “The same exact, identical, gold ruby red crossed rings?” he asked.

  “Yes, the same identical ring. Could someone else be fabricating them?”

  “No. There’s no way,” he replied. “There’s a patented design on those rings with a specific die cast. Even if they were knock offs, they still wouldn’t be the exact same ring.”

  “What if I told you I encountered two people with the exact, identical, same gold, ruby, red crossed rings today? Two rings that looked to be authentic and identical…the same rings as the one from the suicide victim?”

  There was another moment of silence.

  “Michael?” No answer.

  “Michael, are you there?”

  “Yes,” he finally responded, after several moments of dead silence.

  “What do you think,” as I pushed him for an answer.

  There was a long pause.

  “I would say you have a big problem on your hands,” he finally replied.

  I stood there next to my desk with my keys in my hand as I hung up the phone. My hands started to perspire, and I was practically in a trance. I was trying to mentally make the connection between the Consigliere of the DiMatteo Family and a veteran Chicago Cop from the Intelligence Unit at the Twenty-First District, and why they would be wearing the same identical ring, a ring that’s supposedly associated with this ‘Society of the Rose Crucifix’.

  I had gone on the internet earlier that day but found little information about the secret society other than the details Michael Arezzo I had given me. According to the internet, they were disbanded in Italy over one hundred years ago. The internet makes no mention of any modern-day secret society referring to that same name, especially a ‘secret society’ in Chicago.

  I started walking out to the parking lot towards my squad car when my cell phone rang.

  “Hello?”

  “Good evening Detective. Did you catch any bad guys today?” It was Olivia, and I smiled to myself at the sound of her voice.

  “Yep. As a matter of fact, all the bad guys are lined up and marching into the ‘paddy wagon’ as we speak,” I played along.

  “How are you? I thought you were coming in to fill out a report?” I eagerly asked.

  “Yeah, I know. I was working from my hotel room today, trying to put out a few fires over the phone and on line. I can’t even go out of town anymore,” she casually replied. She obviously didn’t put a lot of importance in filing a statement for my investigation.

  “How do you feel about beaches, picnics and Lake Michigan?” Olivia inquired.

  “I like all three. Why?”

  “Do you know where Northwestern University is?” she asked.

  “Of course, on North Sheridan Road.”

  “There’s a secluded picnic area off the rocks there, on a bluff right on Lake Michigan. How about meeting me there tonight? I’ll bring the food. You bring the wine and a blanket.”

  At that moment, I realized there wasn’t another person in the whole world that I would have rather spent a warm, Chicago summer evening with than her, with a bottle of wine and a blanket on the beach. I didn’t have to think about my response for very long.

  “Sure. Is eight o’clock okay?”

  “Yep. See you there, Detective.”

  I ran home and threw on some Bermuda shorts and one of my blue, Hawaiian shirts. I grabbed a bottle of my favorite wine from my personal inventory within my kitchen cupboard and ran out the door. I drove as quickly as I could over to Northwestern University, right off Sheridan Road. It was almost 8:30 by the time I fought all the evening traffic and got there. Olivia was already sitting on one of the benches overlooking Lake Michigan near the beach house, eagerly waiting for me with her very large, wicker picnic basket.

  “Hey Phil,” as her planted a warm, welcoming kiss on my lips. She could taste her strawberry lip gloss.

  “Hey Olivia, I’m sorry I’m late. I went home to change first.”

  “Did you steel that picnic basket from Yogi Bear?” I joked, noting its large size.

  She smiled and nodded her head, noting that she was so glad to see me that early evening. She was wearing a dark pair of shorts with a casual white, mid-drift blouse which exposed her pierced belly ring, and a pair of summer sandals. Her hair was up in a ponytail and was wearing a dark pair of Ray Ban sunglasses. She appeared as though she were going to a Beach Boys concert at Ravinia and looked amazing.

  We walked together through the university campus, across the adjacent parking lot and the sandy beach over the grassy bluff. It was a beautiful location, sitting high upon the lake with the large rocks sitting below. I unfolded our blanket, laid it across the grass in front of the lake and helped her unpack our picnic goodies. I could tell she had spent a lot of time shopping and preparing for our evening excursion. Olivia said she had even purchased the large, “Yogi Bear” wicker basket for this special occasion. We started munching on an antipasto tray, some chips and some other treats. We began making ourselves comfortable as I opened a bottle of Belle Glos Pinot Noir.

  We exchanged some more pleasantries, discussing each other’s day and I told her the events that I was encountering regarding this investigation. She had a casual way about her that was completely disarming. I felt totally comfortable with her, and she was very easy to talk to. She told me about her educational background and how she put herself through law school while working part time as an insurance adjuster. Olivia mentioned that she was part Italian as well, as her mother was from Rome and her father was French Canadian, born in Montreal.

  “Well, we have something in common.”

  ‘Really?” she asked.

  “My paternal grandfather’s name was Vincenzo Doriano, from northern Italy. He changed his name and dropped the ‘o’ when he immigrated here as a young man in the 1930’s,” I expla
ined.

  “Back then, everyone wanted to blend in.”

  She smiled and looked pleased, noting that we both had some Italian blood running through our veins.

  I told her about all my fraternity activities at Central Michigan University after graduating from Holy Cross High School in River Grove.

  “Did you always want to be a cop?” she asked.

  “Yes, since I was a kid. Used to play ‘cops and robbers’ with all the other kids in the neighborhood where I grew up in Elmwood Park,” I explained while still enjoying my sandwich.

  “Got a Law Enforcement degree from Central Michigan University. I was accepted into law school several years ago, but my ex-wife had other ideas.”

  “That’s too bad, you would make a great lawyer,” she observed.

  “Well, I’m almost fifty years old now, so it’s a little late for me.”

  I sat back on the blanket and closed my eyes, as the warm wind from the lake seemed to massage and relax my over stressed body with each gust of air.

  “So, Ms. Laurent? Tell me again. Why isn’t there a ring on your finger?” I eagerly asked her yet again, after a few minutes of enjoyable silence. I knew I was being nosey.

  “I was engaged twice, but never made it to the altar. I lost interest in the ‘married with children’ and the ‘white picket fence’ scenarios. I realized I was getting more satisfaction from my career, my friends and my family than from all of my broken relationships.”

  “Have there been many?” I asked, knowing I should have been minding my own business.

  “Enough to know that ‘my perfect man’ probably isn’t out there, and that I’m probably better off alone,” she replied.

  “Hmmm…that sounds pretty cold. Aren’t you lonely?” I asked, enjoying the turkey, ham and cheese submarine sandwich she had eagerly purchased from Jimmy John’s.