In Due Course

1

The next day began unusually, if only because a breathless Force burst into Cord's office.

"Listen, remember, you had a book about tattoos?"

Cord, who was taking off his coat at that moment, looked at his friend in surprise.

"I got it from our library and returned it long ago. What do you need it for?"

"Do you remember if there was anything in it about the meanings of tattoos?"

"Of course, it's a reference book."

"And about the colors?"

"About the colors?"

"Well, yes, are they mostly black?"

"Why? There are colored ones too."

"And are there pure blue ones?"

"Hmm," Cord pondered, "theoretically yes, but those are usually not done in normal conditions."

"What about in prisons?"

"Yeah. If tattoo did with the ink from gel pens. But in men's prisons, this is a rarity."

Returning to his office, Force turned on the coffee pot and tried to calm down. Cord would come in soon, and they would start their ordinary working day.

Damn it, could it be that my premonition had not let me down? Was it really possible that Flaminga… No, I don't want to think about it now. Later. All later.

2

At the end of October, a shock awaited Cord and Dia.

"You are pregnant. Approximately the ninth week."

Dia gasped happily, but then cautiously shifted her gaze to Cord.

"This is the end…" Cord sang the beginning of the famous song and then winked: "Our quiet life! We'll have to raise a— Ooh!"

Dia, not in the least embarrassed by the doctor, hit Cord perceptibly.

"Such a jerk! I almost believed you!"

"How did you manage it?!"

"You were convincingly sad at the beginning!"

"It took three seconds! Oh! And stop beating me already!"

That's it. A maniac wanders the streets, and here children are to be born. Life is such a strange thing.

3

Cord decided to make it a habit to study two new issues of "Women's Secrets" at the end of each month. Here and now, sipping black tea at the table, he read all the articles and texts by Pink Flaminga and flicked quickly through the rest.

Issue No. 20, October 4, 1993.

__________

New Victim of the Maniac!

Anxiety! Alarm, my dear readers! The killer is out hunting again!

It had seemed to her that on that day there were no signs of trouble. After all, she had a birthday. How could something bad happen on that day? She was returning home along an evening street, a little tipsy and happy. Suddenly, out of nowhere—a stranglehold around her neck! A moment, an instant—and a lifeless body is lying by a trash can! It lies there for several hours until it was found by a dog being walked by a resident of an apartment building in the city center.

A terrible, sudden and… What if predictable death? After all, the victim was Madam, the owner of one of the most famous and expensive brothels in our city, the Blue Eyes, the one whose escort was killed in July of this year. If you had suddenly forgotten, the killer has never been found… So, did he decide to take up his bloody path again?

It seems to me quite clear that the first scandalous murder of this year and the current strangulation are connected. Why did the Villain choose to commit it right now? And even more importantly, what is the real reason why? The investigators must find the answer to this question.

An apparent, even clichéd thought is spinning in my head: Madam knew too much. What if… What if the Villain had been caught during the first murder? Caught, but released for some reason? And Madam found out about this and, deciding to restore justice, crossed the path of the killer? How? I don't know.

I think if it happened like that… Well, isn't it suspicious? What do you think, dear readers? Could the Villain be a police officer? Or even one of the investigators in charge of the case?

What if?

Forever yours,

Amateur detective

Pink Flaminga

__________

Wow!

The journalist is, in fact, accusing me or Force of the murders! This, of course, is not a real accusation but speculation, but it is still funny. Although it is hardly dangerous: the yellow press, in principle, trades in shocking and untruthful content, so no normal person takes their claims seriously. Even if Force is really leaking information to her, it is unlikely that he gives her the details so as not to be exposed. Or Flaminga herself is not a fool and understands that the source cannot be revealed and therefore writes in a beating-around-the-bush manner, instead of right on target.

There is still a grain of truth in the articles.

The question remained: did Flaminga know about the "Liar" note, or had she just connected the murders of Madam and Piala because they both worked in the same brothel?

And the Villain… It looked like she had made the killer her own main character.

Okay, what's in issue number twenty-one?

__________

Repent, Sinners!

Have you been waiting for news about the elusive Villain? Well, catch it, dear readers! Our maniac, it turns out, is not a simpleton!

I am so ashamed that such an elementary thought did not occur to me right away. I would like to share with you some freshly baked guesses!

Remember the first victim? Who was she? True: a priestess of love.

The second victim? Not including the doctor, whose death, although tragic, in my opinion, was rather a so-called "collateral" victim, the second one killed was the driver, because of whom one of the leading investigators in the Villain's case nearly died.

And the third, the very recent victim, was again a priestess of love, but this time with a clue. My source claims the killer marked her clearly as a "liar."

Sex for money, the initiator of an accident, a lie… Doesn't it remind you of something? Let me interpret here: Do not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Do not deceive your neighbor. Yes, these are our main secular laws, our eternal truths, our Commandments bestowed by God!

The Villain is religious!

He began his crusade against human vice, against those who, in his opinion, are so mired in sin that they do not deserve life. But does the Villain himself deserve life? Who appointed him as an instrument in the hands of the Lord, did he himself? And why is he, then, better than these poor sinners?

And the most crucial question: who will he punish next?

Forever yours,

God-fearing

Pink Flaminga

__________

Hee-hee. Clearly, the mole is Force. Now there could be no doubt: there were too many coincidences, too many hints, and intuition suggested that Cord was right.

Is it worth telling Chief the truth?

Hmm… Neither Force nor Flaminga had done anything bad and had not interfered with the investigation. Yes, if a journalist worked for one of the official media, there would not even be a question, but an entertaining women's magazine… This is not serious. Force had said nothing beyond what was reported at official press conferences.

In addition, he seems to be happy with the state of affairs. He is sleeping with a journalist. Perhaps not even for love, but for information. But if Force is satisfied with this type of relationship, I will not interfere with them.

4

Yeah, they had an ersatz relationship. At least from Flaminga's side. But Force knew he was in love with her for real. Let the feelings be one-sided, so be it! As long as you can be with your beloved woman, the feelings will be there. There was just that tattoo and the articles…

Flaminga always gave him the texts for clearance and verification. He made sure she had not said too much, in which case he pointed out the shortcomings. The journalist corrected them and then showed him the result, which he usually accepted.

It was Flaminga's idea that the killer might be among the investigators. Force liked it. He seemed to attack himself, and if someone considered him to be the mole, he could always point out that detail.

It had only now dawned on Force: perhaps Flaminga didn't want to protect him at all. Perhaps she wanted to blame Cord. But why?

The associative array that appeared in the head of the tactical investigator puzzled him greatly. The raven tattoo could be interpreted in different ways. It could be a symbol of evil, loneliness, vindictiveness, rationality, or family hearth. Such a bird is a paradox. But the tattoo was blue…

Perhaps I am looking for meaning where there is none; perhaps this is just an artistic solution, but…

Gel pen ink or ballpoint ink. Both options are the same, and both fade quickly. Better gum from rubber. But with her, there would have been some difficulties: prison work is not the same for men and women; women work mainly in the sewing workshops. In the shoe shop, where the rubber is easier to find, only men work, such is the division of labor.

So it turns out that using ink or gel is among only a few options for doing a tattoo if you are in a women's prison.

The Prison Tattoo Directory, which he borrowed from the Department's library, stated that the tattoo was done by criminals known for their aggressiveness and unpredictability.

And if Flaminga is manipulating me to get revenge on Cord? What if I start to figure everything out? May it cost me the relationship? Let it be a surrogate relationship: it is better than infinite loneliness.

And yet… Cord is my best friend, and if he is in danger, and I can prevent it, then I must do so.

No matter what my decision turned out to be, I must get to the truth. At least for our friendship.