Sinister behind the Mask

Chapter 2

Diana's POV

After seeing uncle Jake this morning, I've hardly been able to concentrate on work. I had piles of work on my desk waiting to be finished and yet, I just couldn't bring myself to concentrate. I sighed as I examined the box. It was a handmade cardboard box with tiny decorations all around it. Making it look like some cute birthday present, only, the contents of this box were nothing like it. I was wondering who would do such a stupid prank or was there something more to it.

"Hey Diana, you look awful today, what's the matter?", said Velibor, teasing me

Velibor Voltmann, the one weirdo I've been with since the college days. He's a great colleague and also my best friend. I just find it amusing how, strangers who have helped me a lot have now become my family. First the Joshua family, uncle Jake and Velibor. I can't thank enough for having them with me.

"Hello damsel in distress!", He called out to me, this time waving his arm to snap me out.

"Velibor, I'm not well can we please talk sometime later?", I said as I tried to put the box inside my cupboard.

"Wow, what's the matter with you? the day has just started and you look fine to me", He said as he hit my head with the file.

"Watch it!", I warned him.

"If you have finished fooling around can we please concentrate on work?", said Ms. Amanda Waterson, our boss, who is also a mean witch who can turn things real bad if you fall in her bad books.

"Um.., we were just at it", I said as I scoffed at Velibor

I was trying to finish the paper work of my last case when I heard Amanda throwing a case file on my desk and calling out others.

"Everyone! gather here! we have received a case from the head office to work on priority. I believe most of you may have already heard of it. It's about the infamous subway attacker", She said 

Hearing this everyone gasped and mumbled how this case was going to be very difficult to solve.

"Amanda, this is unfair! The detectives have no clue on who the culprit is, how can we prosecute him?", Velibor said 

"That is why, we have to close the case before the citizens of this country start to lose faith in the government. I want Velibor and Diana to work on this case", Said Amanda, as she left a pile of files related to the case on my desk.

Well, this case was indeed a mystery, as there were no evidences left at the crime scene. No dead bodies, the witnesses were too scared to speak anything. The only thing common in all the 6 testimonies was that the guy had a black hoodie and was wearing a black mask.

There was no theft or assault, all the six victims were knocked unconscious in the middle of the night. No injuries which could help us get any kind of DNA of the suspect.

The victims were all between 23 to 28 years old although, there is no record of such occurrences previously. All the six victims either work late in the night or have night shifts. All the victims had different backgrounds and there is no possible way of connecting the dots between them.

"I hate these cases, they always end up closed with no one to put a blame on and we have to take care of the government's dirty job", I sighed as I looked through the files of the victims' backgrounds.

"What case can one possibly make, there are no murders reported or any kind of force or assault on the victims and no signs of theft", said Velibor 

"I'm telling you Diana, this guy is some perverted kid going around scaring ladies and having fun out of it", Said Velibor as he rested his head on the desk.

"Yeah... some stupid attention seeker", I sighed as I looked through the first victim's report

In the file, there was one picture among the belongings of the victim's purse that seemed familiar.

It was a box! the same kind which Amy received the other day. The box had the same kind of print and design which made it look like a birthday present. I looked through the details of first victim when I found her birthday the day after she was attacked.

I looked though the files of other victims as well and realized that they were all attacked a day before their birthdays but, it was not clear if all of them had the box. That's when it hit me, it was Amy's birthday tomorrow.

"Velibor! Velibor! Amy! Amy is in danger!", I shrieked as I ran out of the office.

Velibor followed right after me worried.

"What is it? what happened?", He asked

"Velibor, Amy received the same kind of box that one of the victims of the attacks had. It was the same hand made birthday present kind of a box. And all the victims were attacked on the night before their birthday", I said as horror was evident in my eyes.

"Diana, what do you mean? this guy is following a pattern to knock people down?", said Velibor in a hushed tone

"It might be, but, I don't have much time! I gotta save Amy! Velibor, she's scared, I can't let anything happen to her", I was worried as I ran towards my car to start the engines.

"Diana, calm down! We've got to check if this is true", Said Velibor.

"What do you mean? Amy has been acting weird lately, I can't let anything happen to her", I was panicking 

"Diana, think straight, if this guy attacks ladies a night before their birthday then Amy's driving license has a wrong date of birth on it. Remember? her govt ID shows her date of birth to be 1st May 1994 when it's actually 11th May 1994. You say she's been acting weird lately, don't you think the attacker may have already attacked Amy thinking her birthday was on 1st May?", Said Velibor.

I fell numb to this realization as I looked at the box that I was holding. The first victim had received this box after she was attacked and has been traumatized to speak anything since then. If what Velibor says is true, then Amy may have been attacked and she may have not said about it to anyone. She also runs the cafe till late midnight and has been acting strange. 

"I've got to see Amy right now!", I can't believe my Amy has been through something like this and I wasn't there to protect her.