Mercy Abbott - The Kiss of Death

The Vow

I am being watched since the last few days. I don't how but I constantly have this creepy feeling that someone's always watching me everyday. It started as soon as I met that charming guy at the after party. He was smart, kind and offered to walk me back to my room. I felt a strange connection with him after that and we began to see each other for a few days. But after a week everything changed, he failed to show up at our last date and he stopped replying my calls or the countless messages I sent him.

I was frustrated and worried sick and that's when this creepy feeling started to arise- there's someone watching me all the time- I haven't seen his face but I know he's there. I have seen his silhouette once or twice- he seemed to be a tall, slender guy.

He's there when I brush my hair in the morning- I can sense his presence as I look out of my window- or when I'm in the library all alone- I can feel him standing behind the rows of endless books. Call it a woman's intuition but I know he doesn't mean well- he's here to hurt me.

Could it be the same guy I met earlier? My date? But he seemed so nice. He said that he was a chef from France and was invited here as a guest. He said his name was Miguel. He spoke with a bit of an accent so I think he's genuine. No, I don't think that's my stalker.

But today I'm gonna find out - I'm gonna go after him and face him. He likes to hide in the shadows? I shall wait for him in the shadows...I can't bear it anymore...even if it's dangerous i have to do this.

This letter is meant for you Mercy. I know I haven't been kind to you but you seemed like a sensible person to share my story. Nobody else will ever believe my story and they'll think I made it up to gain more attention. After all who'd not want a secret,charming and rich French boyfriend?

**P.S** I will find a way to sneak this letter in your bag.I have to do it in a manner that my stalker doesn't notice .I may or may not return but I wanted someone to know about my misery...

With love,

Amy.

Mercy couldn't believe her eyes that such a vital piece of information was hidden in her bag all this time? But when did she put the letter in her bag? Then she remembered their last encounter when she met with Amy and sat with her on the park bench, she must have sneaked the letter then.

But what is she supposed to do now? The stalker? The secret boyfriend? Are they same person? But why would the boyfriend disappear only to reappear and haunt her? Was she murdered because she faced her stalker?

Mercy thought that she was being rude, she was always rude to her from the beginning. Amy would pass comments at her during classes and share rumours about her. Mercy ignored her always but something was different today. Amy was upset. Mercy felt as though a thick cloud of sadness and despair was raining upon her. But she denied her help, so she decided to forget about it and walked towards her class.

Later that evening Mercy was in her room when she heard a lot of commotion outside, she peered through her window and saw people rushing towards the other part of the hostel where Amy's rom was. Mercy went out to look. As she reached Amy's room she saw a huge crowd gathering there, something had happened. The dean and the warden were talking to the police. An ambulance had just arrived. Mercy pushed through the crowd and stood at Amy's door. What she saw turned her stomach. There was blood everywhere, Amy's body lay on the bed, her throat slashed and a pile of flowers lay right beside her. Mercy screamed at the horrible sight and she started to feel dizzy, her freinds tried to console her.

Mercy kneeled down outside and started to weep. Who would do such a horrible thing to her? She had just talked to her only a few hours ago. Why her? Why? A young police officer saw her state and walked up to her.

"You all right Miss?", he asked

Mercy didn't reply and kept sobbing.

"My name's detective inspector Lester and if it's all right with you I'd like to ask you a few routine questions..." said Lester.

Mercy took a good look at Lester. He was a fit young man probably 30-ish , carried himself well and had a kind face.

"Will you catch whoever did this to her and make 'em pay?" , Mercy asked with fire in her eyes.

"Well that's why we are here Miss... it's our job..", replied Lester kneeling down.

"Simply asking questions won't do you any good ... you need to do something quick, the killer mustn't escape...", said Mercy wiping her tears.

"I'm sure we will do our best Miss...now if you could just answer a few questions...starting with your name..." said Lester taking out his notebook.

"Amy was a calssmate of mine and besides that I knew very little of her... I had a brief chat with her only a few hours ago and she looked really sad, something was bothering her...I hope you catch the guy who did this to her..." replied Mercy

"How do you know it's a guy?", asked Lester.

"The flowers on her bed, the sheer brutality of the crime, the bruises on her arms and the fact that she was upset earlier and was trying to hide her tears... I think there's a high probability that its foul play and she was in a bad relationship...no, it's not a woman ... it must be her lover- a man, someone who could had easy access to the place ....by the way have they recovered the weapon?" , replied Mercy calming herself.

"From One Source all things depend; but the Source is from the One and Only"

Henry stood at the door staring at the empty hall. "Gerard?" he called out, "Hello, is anyone there?", Henry shouted as he walked towards the outer hall. Suddenly a voice came from behind, "Hüte dich vor dem maskierten Clan!" Henry turned around and saw a hooded figure standing at the back entrance. "What?... Wait!.. Who are you?" But before he could say another word the man disappeared behind the door. Henry was really puzzled at this bizarre incident. He had lots of questions in his mind but before he could seaech for answers he decided to look for the missing policemen and the curator...

He went outside... Nothing but a big lawn leading upto the streets... He went back inside towards the broken glass casing and found it marked and shattered as before except for a notebook on the floor. As he went to pick it up he heard a whimper, someone was moaning behind the podium of the glass case. Henry followed the voice and saw the curator lying down on the floor with a small cut on his head...

"Are you all right Sir, What happened..", asked Henry helping the man to sit up. The man was whispering something faintly- "en..en.. kil..."

"What?... how did this happen? where are the others?", said Henry. The curator whispered again,pointing towards a painting on the wall - "the...source.. " and fell unconscious on the floor again. Henry tried to wake him up but in vain. He walked up towards the painting on the wall,it was an abstract art depicting angels from heaven, dated 1760 and on the lower left side he noticed something written-"Fra en kilde"...

A day after that curious incident,Henry was flipping through old books and newspaper trying to figure out the meaning of that peculiar phrase he found in the painting.The missing policemen were found unconscious and tied up inside a hidden room and the curator merely survived his injuries.But why did he point at that painting?What was so important in an old painting and how did it related to this case?What was with the flying men stories and that shady figure who spoke in German?...All these questions cluttered in his head and he could hardly find any answers after all he wasn't any detective.

After a nap of an hour and some light lunch he decided to call upon his old friend - Charlie- an retired american professor of archaeology,who stayed a few streets ahead of his house."If anyone can find meaning in these mysterious writings and shed some light upon this case,it is Prof.Charles Houston.",thought Henry ...

"From one source",said Charlie looking at Henry's notebook."It is a Norwegian phrase...But the painting that you found this phrase written upon has nothing to do with the phrase!". "And what does this masked clan has to do with it?"asked Henry. "Ah!Yes, the man...that hooded figure you saw that said those words to you was obviously a German and if I am right then this must be the work of that notorious masked thieve gang that had created a lot of nuisance all over Europe last summer..." said Charlie. "I do remember reading something about them in the papers...So this gang has been stealing all over europe and now they have stolen a Van Gogh from London..That's bad news.."said Henry as he lit a cigar. "It's a good thing you understand German...Here is the butler with the tea...Put it down on that table Jose ...Thank you..", said Charlie. Henry sat down thinking - "a gang of thieves,a stolen painting,a torn piece of paper..Yes but where is it? ...I thought I had brought it with me ...maybe it had fallen on the way here..."