Chapter Nine

As soon as Mr. Caesar Leo Musca left my home, I had a clearer perception of what I must do. He was trying to be responsible for our child and me. Judging from the way he speaks, I could tell that he's a decent person, very ideal, to be frank.

However, I didn't like the way I sort of felt things emotionally and physically when I was with him. Cohabitating would be very difficult.

I went to my room filled with books and newspapers I had collected to investigate the case of missing omegas. I took a deep breath and realigned my priorities. I need to work on this. I don't have time to get hung up on that alpha.

The next day, I figured that since I had already met that alpha, I might as well stop hiding and do some work. I accepted Johannes' offer and snagged the case with Jacob.

Now that his quack doctor is free, he can finally focus on working. We drove to the crime scene, the lounge of the city hall. The remnants of the victim were already collected by the crime scene investigators. It was squeaky clean wherever you looked.

Jacob gave me the files he got from Mr. T's team. It contained a photograph and description of what happened. It was not mentioned in the news, but apparently, the skeletons were wholly aligned and posed in obscene positions. The skeletons do not only belong to one person. Seven complete skeletons were displayed like installation art.

"So, we're dealing with a prospective serial killer here." Jacob scanned the photograph with me.

"It's like an art exhibit." I described. "Was there a note left or something? In galleries, don't they put the title and name of the artist at the bottom of the piece?"

"Hmm… The police collected everything here already. Should we check it out?" I nodded at Jacob's suggestion. We drove to the police station but got denied when we asked for information. The police are very busy, and journalists' crews camped over it. The attention to this case keeps growing as various information leaks from time to time. Verde Veritas just published the photograph in the newspaper, suggesting it might be a serial killer's work.

"Meyer made it to the headlines." Jacob spilled.

"I think it's too early to conclude that a serial killer did it." I casually commented after reading the raw file given by Jacob and the news article published. "We still don't know the identity of the victims. Secondly, we are not sure if the person who displayed the skeletons is also the one who killed them. Third, we don't have information about how these victims died and when did they die."

"Well, Meyer wouldn't make it to the headline if he did not make it sensational." Jacob felt distressed with the level of competition concerning this case. "If only we had access to the information you considered," he murmurs those words. He was struck with a life-saving realization.

"Isn't your alpha a forensic scientist?" He asked. From the tone of his excitement, I knew he wanted to use underhanded connections like he usually does.

I firmly stopped him from going further. "No. I am not going to approach him to ask for that information."

"Seven people are dead, unidentified; we need to find the truth about them! And you're still apprehensive about meeting the person who has the answers to your questions." Jacob guilt-tripped me.

Mr. Caesar appeared in the news, and he's part of the team investigating the case. As Jacob said, we need someone to give us that information. We bribed officers before. It wouldn't hurt to be more cunning to do our job.

"I don't have his contact information…." Then I realized I had not given back his wallet yet. So, I left Jacob and went back home to look for his wallet there. It took me half an hour to find it in the bathroom.

Jacob was getting his hair in a nearby salon when I came back. He has always kept his hair in a ponytail that I always forget how long and wavy his dark brown hair was. "Rene, sit here and get a make-over too." He was so relaxed after making me feel so guilty before.

He skimmed through the magazine and then suggested a haircut for me without my consent. "Rene, darling, you're meeting with your alpha for the first time. You have to look fresh even though you will be talking about dead skeletons."

"Too bad, I met him last night with Dr. Mendez, who sold me out."

He was shocked and did not hesitate to show that he felt betrayed. "How dare you?!"

"We have no time for this, Walter."

Jacob crumpled the magazine, "How dare you not tell me what happened first?! So, how was it? Did he tell you that he likes you? Are you going to date? How about little Riley? Does he know about him already?"

"You named my child Riley?" Upon dissecting his questions, I realized that Mr. Caesar did not tell me he liked me. "He said he'd compensate me for all the damages." My answer broke his hopes for a romantic tale.

We went out of the salon and walked to the LPD station being quiet.

Before we went inside, Jacob started being optimistic again, "He's just probably being responsible."

"Walter, you should know how pheromones affect our control and attachments toward others. My connection to that person is just because he marked me. I do not wish to be romantically involved with him. So please, don't mix up work and my personal business here." I quickly turned and walked to do my job.

We went inside, and I told them that I needed to meet Mr. Musca. Thankfully, it was less awkward because there was no longer any composite sketch of me pasted around.

"Forensics is busy today, sir. Please come next time." The officer said.

"Sir, I really need to meet him." I insisted.

"Sir, we are swamped today, and we don't allow any outsiders inside. Please understand."

Jacob did not learn his lesson and butted in the conversation. "Sir, my friend here is Mr. Musca's mate, the one he has been looking for."

The officer took a second look at me. I could tell from his expression that he must be thinking that I do not look like an omega. I was annoyed and gave Mr. Caesar's wallet to the officer. "Please give this to him."

I dragged Jacob away with me and changed the course of our investigation. We went back to the plaza and asked around about the night before the exhibit in the city hall happened. We interviewed taxi drivers in the area and business owners, and everyone did not see anything unusual. We traced the address of the janitor who discovered the scene. When we went to their house, some journalists were already interviewing him.

Jacob and I waited hours until our turn! We sat on the couch across from the old man inside their humble home. He has a hearing impairment. Therefore his daughter translated it for us. Before we got to ask, she told us to make it quick because they still had a lot to do.

According to the janitor, they clean the city hall around the closing and before the opening of office hours. He tends around five to seven AM and seven to ten PM. There are also times when he's assigned to clean in between office hours. He went early to the city hall and did his duty on that day. There was nothing out of place. It was almost as if a tooth fairy magically made those skeletons appear.

All the janitors and workers in the city hall are under investigation. Only a few are willing to talk about what happened. And what the janitor said was already written in newspapers the other day.

So I asked for more, "Did you notice some writings or perhaps notes in the lounge?"

"Nothing unusual," the daughter said even after the old man shook his head.

We left with no factual data. We spent the day trying to get information from the employees there, but they weren't willing to cooperate as mandated by the higher-ups.

Then, we inspect the photographs again. The center skeleton was positioned with its legs parted for over 90 degrees. Its' upper limbs were raised overhead. At the edges of its legs and hands, four skeletons are posed like they were restraining it. Another whole skeleton was above the center's skull. Lastly, t the seventh skeleton was posed in between the legs of the skeleton in the center, which looked sort of sexual immediately.

"Why were they positioned like that?" I asked.

"It looks like skeleton gang bang to me. The culprit must be a psychopath. Posing them like that to satisfy his sexual fantasy." Jacob presumed.

"All the skeletons are very short. They're obviously kids. If he harbors sexual fantasies toward children, our suspect is a pedophile. Most likely, male."

"And he seems to be well-versed in visual arts. I'll see if there's an artist who drew or made the same thing with the skeletons in the city hall."

I nodded at Jacob's intuition. And we parted when it was nighttime. Before I went back home, I stopped at the city hall lounge again. The lounge is where people come and go. People move to and fro here, and some sit on the benches. It's the receiving area of the local government of Lacierta. The audience must be a factor that the culprit wanted from this location. But it is a government building. It can be an extremist's doing to piss off the government. However, terrorists own up to what they do, and if they have something to say, they are less likely to use artistic riddles.

I looked at the area where the skeletons were found, and people left many bouquets of flowers there.

I looked at the flowers, and there were some letters written. I became more alert hoping for a note. I acted less suspiciously and tried to see what was in the letter. The first was an open letter wishing the victims' souls to rest in peace. The other notes had the same sentiments. Until I came across the card on red hyssop flowers. It says, "Look up."

I raised my head, feeling the chill in my bones. And I saw the small sculpture of nailed Jesus on a cross. I looked around and felt disturbed. I took the card and left by bus.

I took another look at the photograph. It was not a sexual activity but a ritual. The skeleton in the center is restrained for a sacrificial ritual. I stopped at some flower shops and asked about hyssop, its meaning, and if anyone bought a bouquet of red hyssop plants from them. Hyssop means sacrifice in the flower language. However, most of the hyssop flowers sold are lavender in color.

It helped in narrowing my search. While on my way, I thought about the note again. It said, "Look up."

It was as if he was expecting someone to check his note. "What if he was there the entire time?" I mumbled to myself as I began overthinking again.

I was slightly scared, and I kept checking if someone was following me until I got to my apartment. I walked the stairs, and I kept checking if someone was walking up the stairs too. I felt that there was a sound of steps coming, so I climbed faster until I got to my floor.

I walked mindlessly to my door, but I almost slipped. As soon as I was about to fall, a hand reached my waist and supported me. Then, Mr. Caesar pulled me to his chest to help me stand. The musky smell around him was calming.

The person walking behind me was my neighbor. She walked passed us and entered her apartment.

I watched until she disappeared. Then I collected myself in Mr. Caesar's embrace. Wait, what?

I immediately broke away from him and stood straight, "Why are you here?"

He handed me a paper gift bag containing the blanket, scarf, muffler, and gloves I lent him. "I got my wallet. And I also wanted to give these back to you. Thank you." He gently said.

Mr. Caesar's glasses were very thick. He was wearing his own scarf, and his overcoat looked very elegant on him.

I took them from his hand, and somehow I lost my focus again.

"My coworker said you wanted to talk to me."

I felt my conscience left the room when I heard him clarify that. "About living with you and you taking care of me, I don't think I'll agree with that." I blurted that out first before I tried extracting information from him.

"I understand," he calmly responded. "But, can you let me do what I must do for you and the child?"

I almost did not know what to say to him. "Okay. Yeah, sure. Of course."

He then took his coat off of him and draped it over me. I was momentarily shocked. My house is just here. Why would I need his coat?

"My smell is still in it. It will help you relax." He kindly said while wearing his expressionless face. "I put my business card on the side pocket. Contact me anytime. I'll call you back if I miss your call as soon as possible."

Then he left.

I slept with his overcoat on me, and it was probably the most peaceful night I ever had.