Part 9 Epilogue: Police Reports and Follow-Ups

SCOTLAND YARD POLICE REPORT INVESTIGATOR: Inspector Lionel Taylor              DATE: 3 December, 1928 TITLE: Police Blotter Call #451273; neighborly call regarding foul odor. LOCATION: 112 Liverpool Road, Holloway, North London INITIATING ACTION: Call by Mrs. Gladdis Knight, at 110 Liverpool Road, complaining about foul odor from neighbor’s house. DETECTIVE REPORT: The house belongs to the deceased Mr. Lawrence Bacon, found murdered on 28 November, blocks from his home. I Interviewed Mrs. Knight who reported seeing a large man enter the house over the last 3 days; beginning 2 days after Mr. Bacon’s demise. She’d seen the same man in the company of 4 others back on 27 November: a woman, a larger man, and 2 others she could not describe because of shadows. I entered Mr. Bacon’s house confirming the foul odor coming from the kitchen where I found the most horrid creature gnawing on a human femur. Raising it like a club, it tried to attack me. But 3 bullets quickly felled the thing. I was able to snap a picture of the beast (photo evidence #23) just before the creature began to decompose and turn to dust. I searched the rest of the house, finding dirt tunnels below the kitchen, in the food cellar. Red-beady eyes starred back at me till I fired another 3 rounds. I climbed out of the tunnel and pushed furnishing into it to block their passage. I then climbed out of the cellar and shoved heavy furniture atop the trap door. Upon further investigation, I’ve learned the original large man to be Dr. Oliver Richardson; the psychologist we occasionally hire to assist with profiling serial killers. Last reported by his secretary, Mr. Oliver is on a business trip to Scotland. Upon his return, I will interview him and his known associates to ascertain just what has been going on at the Bacon house. EVIDENCE: Photo #23 (ghoul), one book titled “An Artistic Study of Ghouls” by Walter Pickman. REVIEWED BY:                                                     STATUS:

Part 9: Paradise and Road Kill (You only have to be faster than the slowest)

Sunday, 2 December: The group has made idle conversation with Henry Lister; a cultist and friend of Alexander who wrote the book, Der Wanderer Durch Den See. Lister recognizes the book Oliver holds, “Hey, I actually know that author, Alexander Roby. Going toward Inverness to meet him. He’s one of the group. Maybe I can introduce you. What’d you say your names are?”

And that’s what prompts the team to eliminate Lister, “If he describes meeting us to Coombs or Edwards…”

Monday, 3 December: 1am when the team walks the empty corridor of Lister’s sleeper car. Oliver stops at the car door, “Dad and I will keep watch for the porter. Dad, you go watch at the other door.” The others tip-toe toward Lister’s cabin. The clickity-clack of the rails drowns any noise they make, but John is still on edge when Jenny stoops to pick the lock. “Click.” Jenny steps into the dark room. Moonlight peeks around the shades to reveal the sleeping form.

Jenny grabs the spare pillow and covers the snoring face. She hangs on for a wild bucking ride as Lister struggles for breath. John enters the room to put his 340 pounds atop the pillow. The bucking ride soon ends. George is already opening the window.

John and George struggle to shove the body out the window and into the cold Scottish night, after emptying Lister’s pockets and taking his whistle. “Here’s his Machine-Press ID and a business card for a ‘Glenaffrie Cars’ in Inverness.”

The train wanders thru beautiful countryside but the team is too absorbed in planning to enjoy. “We could be days or weeks ahead of the ceremonial event. If not a full year early. Let’s search for the trucking that delivered the stones. Scout out the lodge and maybe find the stones where the ritual is to be performed. But stay undercover. Jen, maybe you and John can pretend to be a married couple.”