Lucifer's Apostles

Lucifer's Apostles Episode 8

“Louise, where are we at with a profile”? He asked, looking at both her and Ned.

Standing, Louise remained at the desk the two were sharing. “There’s more than one unsub. I believe it to be a coven with around six members”. She then looked at Tank, who nodded for her to continue. “The coven is made up of mostly males with one or two females involved, all in their early to mid-twenties. The coven has a leader who is aggressive with sadistic tendencies and believes in the art of ancient black magic. The sacrifices are made to an entity that they worship”.

“Whoever lays out the bodies has tried to make the victims not only look comfortable but has also tried to give them some dignity. This person is one of the males with the help of the female. The female applies the makeup on the victims. One individual in the coven is studying medicine and has access to medical supplies”. She looked around the room and continued. “These people come from affluent families. Some of them attend university. Anything they want, they can obtain from their parents. They have been friends since meeting in a private school, where their coven began. They’re dangerous because, in their minds, they’re untouchable and even possibly unkillable”.

Louise tapped Ned on the shoulder as she sat down. Ned stood nervously, clearing his throat. “I entered data into an algorithm on my computer, cross referencing numerous factors given to me by Detective O’Donnell’s missing person files and Detective Lee’s homicide files. The algorithm gave me seven names. I was going to try and narrow it down even more until I saw the name Deborah Roberts on the evidence board this morning. She is, in fact, on the list of seven. I will have a printout of the names and relevant data on everybody’s desk when we’re finished”.

“I can tell you that Deborah Roberts disappeared on December thirty last year. She was twenty-seven years old, had auburn coloured hair with brown eyes”. He nervously cleared his throat again, “Deborah lived with her boyfriend, Samuel Beckett, in an apartment in Scullin. She had steady employment in the city and was last seen walking from her local railway station in the afternoon. When she didn’t return home, Beckett searched for her for two hours before contacting her parents and nearby hospitals. With no sign of Deborah anywhere, Beckett called the police”. Ned looked nervously at Tank before he continued. “A name not on the evidence activity board is Jacinta Tyson, aged twenty-two. I believe she should be. Jacinta was jogging early on January the second when an alleged mugging went wrong. The police were called before details were taken. Later that night, someone broke into Jacinta’s apartment and slit her throat. She died instantly. This isn’t one of your cases, Senior Sergeant, as the homicide was committed in Wollongong. You will find Jacinta’s name on my list. The only difference between Jacinta and the other girls is location. It wasn’t a mugging. It was an attempted a*******n gone wrong. One last thing, Senior Sergeant, is that the names of the victims found at the church and the beach would also have been on the list”. Ned looked around the room before sitting down next to Louise.

“Excellent work, Ned. Please call me Tank like everybody else”, Tank said, nodding towards him. He then looked around the room, making eye contact with everyone from one side of the room to the other, “We need to look into all the names on Ned’s list, reinterview family, friends, and significant others, as well as witnesses, go over each case with a fine-toothed comb”.

Tank looked at Bill Clements and said, “We may need more uniformed officers to give us a hand”. Clements nodded, and Tank looked back at Ned, “Louise, I need you and Ned to try and find any individuals in the age range you mentioned that fit your profile. The female may have worked in the makeup department in the show business industry or even in a funeral parlour. We need to find businesses that sell items used in witchcraft and find an expert on the subject. Tap their brain. Also, for any murders with the same M.O. as Jacinta Tyson, it’s unusual for a perp to cut a woman’s throat. The investigators into the homicide at Wollongong will have CCTV footage. Get them to email a copy to us, see if they have obtained an identikit”.

Turning his attention to Lisa, Tank continued, “Excellent work with the van yesterday”. Lisa smiled at him for the recognition. “I need you to try and find all distributors of maternity labour tables and chairs. We need to find out if anybody besides a hospital or a birthing clinic has purchased one”.

Next in his line of view was Mary Kidd, “We need to check records looking for any stolen chairs or tables. You’ll need to contact any hospitals that have a maternity ward and discover if any tables or chairs have been replaced over the last couple of years and find out what they do with the old ones”. Tank looked over to Inspector Clements, “Is there anything you would like to add Sir?” he asked.

Bill stepped forward, “I’m pleased with the progress everyone has made on this case. Good police work brings superior results”. He finished with a nod and walked out of the room. Tank grabbed the breakfast Lisa had brought before following him.

***

Jacinta Tyson had not been mugged. Carl Donovan, a church member, had heard that somebody else had been tasked with k********g the women. He wanted to prove to The High Priestess that he should be the preferred choice for the job. Carl killed people for a living. Surely, he could kidnap someone. He saw Jacinta one morning while she was on her daily jog. He followed her in his van to where she resided. He stalked her, although he was not a patient man.

After three days of watching her, Carl took a chance. He parked his van on one of the streets on her jogging route. He hid behind a hedge, and when she was about to run past, he dived out and tackled her. Knocking Jacinta down to the ground, Carl tried to scramble on top of her. She kicked out hard, striking him in the nose.

Standing before running and screaming to the first house she came to, Jacinta pounded on the property’s front door. The kicks to the face impaired Carl’s vision, so he decided not to pursue her. Instead, he raced to his van, spun it around in the opposite direction and drove off.

After the police arrived, they took down the details of the man who had accosted her. The problem was that Carl had worn a black balaclava with black clothing and dark-coloured gloves. Besides that, there was not much she could tell them. She had noticed a white van, although she had no idea its make or model, and she did not get a number plate.

After returning and parking across from Jacinta’s house in his wife’s car, Carl sat and watched. She had visitors throughout the day. Family and friends came to comfort her and make sure she was alright. Carl counted all the people who entered her home and the ones who left. He would have broken in even if someone had stayed with her. One, two or three bodies would make no difference to him.

As darkness arrived, he entered her apartment through a window at the side. Quietly walking to where her bedroom was, Carl waited and listened to her breathing.

Creeping over to where Jacinta was sleeping, Carl held a knife in one hand while he placed the other one over her mouth. She woke with wide eyes as he pulled the blade across her throat. Now, she could not testify against him in case she had noticed his van and he was arrested. Deciding that k********g was too much work, Carl thought he would let the other fool keep the job.