Feb 7, 2013

Black as midnight on a moonless night (by Omar Kamal)...Part.4


Three days passed without a sign of the girl. A new week began, a new Monday early start, but she appeared nowhere and there was no way to gather any further information about her. Without a name or at least an address, it was impossible to know who she is, and so impossible to stop her before she strikes again. And so it was; as the inspector walked into the office that Monday, Valerie was waiting for him with worried eyes. The inspector needed no explanation, he understood; the killer had struck again.
Inspector Leveuf made a sign to Valerie to come with him, they left the office directly to the scene of the crime in a small street called Tiquetonne. The inspector went immediately to ask the restaurants around if they knew the victim and if they had seen him with a girl that fits the portrait he had in his hand. Rapidly the inspector gathered the information from the Pizzeria in the street where the victim was used to go, in the meantime, Valerie gathered information from the database on his identity. The time was running and they needed to take action before the trail got cold and another victim fell. As they walked back into the office, they had successfully gathered enough information about their new victim with one additional information that could dramatically change the course of the case.

Valerie briefed the inspector on her findings saying; “the victim, Benjamin Cohen, 29 years old, was from an upper middle class Jewish French family. He graduated from journalism and found a job in a local Parisian newspaper. Although the income was modest, he did enjoy the work very much, and managed his life mostly from his share of the family business; a kosher restaurant where his father, mother and brother worked. He lived in an apartment on his own, and is praised by his colleagues, friends and family for being a lively, friendly and energetic person. He is single and never married but has had several serious relationships that just did not survive the daily difficulties.”
“Very well Valerie” said the inspector. “I have asked in the area, the crime seems to have been done in exactly the same way. The waitress in the Pizzeria confirmed having seen Benjamin enter the place with the young girl, she even recognized her from the sketch. They entered around six in the evening, had their food and drinks, left again around ten. We will probably find that the autopsy will confirm that the death took place between 11PM and 1AM, and that the cause of death was arterial air embolism. However, this time she made one mistake; they left with a taxi. I need you to find out which taxis had a shift in that area at that time, get me the drivers and let’s find out where they went after the Pizzeria.”
About two hours later, Valerie entered the inspector’s office. “Sir, we found the driver, a 50 years old man of Algerian origins, known as Hajj Taha. He recognized the girl from the sketch and recognized the body. He picked them up last night from Tiquetonne Street at about ten in the evening and drove them to Rivolli Street; they got off in front of the optician shop there, which is at number 114 in that street.”
“Excellent!” screamed the inspector with joy. “Now I want you to check each and every single person living on that block, track her down and find out who she is.”
Valerie and her team worked on tracking down the identities of those living on that block on Rivolli Street. In the meantime, the autopsy came about to confirm that Benjamin Cohen was the third victim of this serial killer.

The night kicked in and the clock was ticking when Valerie finally found the person she was looking for. She ran into the inspector’s office screaming; “we found her! We found her!”
“Excellent! Who is she tell me?”
Valerie started explaining; “her name is Elisabeth Dupon. She is 27 years old; her picture fits the sketch we have perfectly. She studied pharmacology and graduated only a year ago. She currently works part time in a family pharmacy business. She is single and never married. Her father is Lionel Dupon who was convicted 16 years ago with rape. Her mother, Isabelle Dupon, filed for a divorce once her husband was convicted. The man entered into a deep depression and committed suicide while in prison. Isabelle Dupon had to then take jobs as a housemaid to finance her daughter’s studies. Apparently the woman suffered a lot of abuse and harassment in her work, which culminated in a rape case 8 years ago. She didn’t succeed in proving her case; it seems the rapist was a wealthy and powerful employer who managed somehow to get himself out of it and then left the country after the scandal. Isabelle on the other hand, couldn’t handle the pressure and the looks in people’s eyes; she also fell into depression and committed suicide 5 years ago. Ever since, Elisabeth has been on her own, with no families or friends.”
“Valerie” said the inspector; “I can now confirm we have our killer. Her life experience shows a psychological traumatism caused by the extreme lack of trust in men. She has seen the closest man to her, her father, be convicted of rape, and the closest woman to her, her mother, becoming a victim of rape, and not getting justice. She obviously has a need for vengeance against men, especially young men who are full of confidence and think they can get all the girls they want. It is now five o’clock, we need to go to her building immediately; she might be planning another murder tonight.”
Inspector Leveuf, Valerie and two private officers arrived at the building at about half past five, however when they asked around, they found out that Elisabeth had already left her home. “We will have to wait here, hoping that she comes back to her place” said the inspector.
The hours passed as an eternity as the four waited in the car for Elisabeth to appear. Then just as the clocked ticked half past ten, a car approached the building and two people came out of it; a young handsome man, and Elisabeth. Valerie reacted with the intention to jump out of the car to arrest her, but the inspector stopped her saying; “we need to catch her red handed.”

*****

In the building Elisabeth was seducing her new victim, Rachid Benzema. A handsome brown man of Tunisian origins, well-built and well dressed; he had met Elisabeth by coincidence three days before while shopping in a supermarket, and couldn’t keep his eyes off her. She had noticed him, and right away started smiling at him, until she eventually got him to ask her out.
While in the elevator going up to her apartment, Elisabeth kissed Rachid passionately as she glided her fingers over his fit body. She whispered in his ear gently and he caressed her feminine curves with his strong hands. As they approached the door of the apartment, Rachid could envision the night that would be ahead of him; a beauty, a goddess would lay by his side and he would worship her deliciously curvaceous body. Elisabeth too envisioned how her night would be as she put the key into the door; another demon will be brought down, she thought. As she opened the door, Rachid grabbed her from behind; “I can’t wait any longer to have you” he told her. “Please Rachid my sweetheart; be patient, good things come to those who wait. I will show you a night you will never forget; but only if you wait” said Elisabeth gently. Rachid calmed down and sat over a couch in the living room.
“Baby, what would you like to drink?” asked Elisabeth.
“Some whiskey will do sweetheart. Now come here with me a bit” replied Rachid.
Elisabeth came back holding a glass of red wine and a glass of whiskey. She had changed her clothes and was now wearing a black sleeping gown with such soft material that when the light would dance behind it, one could see through it. Rachid saw her coming towards him like that and felt he must be in heaven. She handed him the whiskey, and with extreme enthusiasm, he drank the glass all at once. He stood up and approached Elisabeth and grabbed her into his arms. “You are a goddess of beauty Elisabeth” said Rachid as he looked her in the eyes and kissed her. Suddenly; he started to feel strange, as if the world was turning around, as if he were swept into a tornado.
“What’s the matter my love? Are you ok?” asked Elisabeth.
“I don’t know. I feel dizzy” replied Rachid.
She helped him lay on the couch and within a couple of seconds the young man was in a deep sleep. Elisabeth then ran into her room and picked the syringe. She stood in front of Rachid as he slept deeply and whispered in anger; “I shall fill your filthy male blood with air, paralyze your pervert man brain, and when you’re gone, I shall cross out your black darkened heart that has no mercy for the fragile women! I shall have our revenge!”

Just as she raised her hand to stab Rachid into the artery with the syringe filled with air, the door of the apartment burst open and Inspector Leveuf barged in with his gun pointed at Elisabeth and screamed; “Freeze, you are under arrest. Surrender or I will shoot you.”
Elisabeth turned around and looked straight towards the inspector’s eyes. Her lips drew a devilish smile of satisfaction. Never had the man seen such an angelic face turn into such a demonic creature. She turned back suddenly and prepared to stab her victim despite the warning.
A gun shot.
She fell.

*****

Inspector Leveuf and Valerie walked out of the hospital after visiting Rachid who was now recovering. The amount of sleeping powder was so high, it caused severe damage to his brain, but he was still alive. The night had fallen and darkness reigned over the city once again.
As they walked away from the hospital building, Valerie asked; “Inspector, there is one dilemma in this case that continues to intrigue me. How did she manage to move the bodies?”
Inspector Leveuf smiled and looked at Valerie explaining; “Remember the wheelchair we found in her bedroom during the search?” Valerie nodded in agreement. “Well Valerie, it seems that she used that chair to move the victims. After killing them, she would close their eyes and mouths, making them look as invalid, sleeping on the wheelchair, while she would transport them to her destination. The task was even easier given the fact that the lift in her building well all the way from in front of her apartment, to the ground floor directly. We also found witnesses who confirmed having seen her with the wheelchair and claimed to have though the victim to be an invalid sleeping and who she was driving home.”
Valerie shook her head and said; “Such a diabolic mind! How could somebody have so much hate in them? How could she be capable of harming people so easily? She has such a black and dark heart!”
Inspector Leveuf looked up to the moonless night sky and said; “She doesn’t have a black heart, neither do any of the guys who she killed. It is life that brings us to this. It is life that breaks us apart and tares us into pieces, and makes us become who we are. If life were a human being, it would have the darkest heart of all, as black as midnight on a moonless night.”

Inspector Leveuf lit a cigarette, and walked away into the distance.







THE END