Chapter 18.

  Hank and Kramer were in the CSI lab with Eleanor, “She’s looking good today, you’re not as crazy I thought you were for being into her,” Kramer whispered in Hank’s ear as Eleanor went through the evidence from the March 29th crime scene.

  “here we go, item C-03,” she said, pulling out of the arrows and bringing it to a workstation. She took it out of the bag and presented it to the detectives.

  “Black shaft, gold fringe feathers, looks expensive, ” Hank leaned in, “Wait, this looks like a real trim of gold going up the shaft,” he said as he turned the arrow around

  “It is,” Eleanor said, “That’s 23-karat gold, not as expensive as real gold, but not cheap either, this kind of arrow definitely isn’t going to be on the shelf. It’s a custom order, no doubt,” she said.

  Hank picked up the arrow and inspected it, turning it around in his head, “I think I got something,” Hank said, putting it down and pointing to a small logo at the base of the notch. “SLP, looks like a manufacturer's logo,” he said.

  “Oh, Sport Life Pro,” Kramer said.

  “You know this symbol?” Hank asked.

  “Yeah, that’s their logo, they’re a high-end sports shop, specialize in manufacturing Olympic quality products at an affordable price. They do custom work too,” Kramer said, “They got a store downtown by the over street mall, that’s where I buy my bullets,” Kramer said.

  “All right let’s take a trip, I’ll drive,” Hank said.

  In the parking lot of the strip mall, Hank and Kramer went over the investigation.

  “I ran this up. It will not be enough to arrest him if the shopkeeper drops Trevor’s name,” Kramer said.

  “That could actually work to our advantage,” Hank said, “We don’t arrest him, we just muscle him to come in for questioning, he can’t get a lawyer involved. We get Trevor’s name, we get enough of an excuse to question him, that’s all we’ll do, ask him some questions. Hopefully, two cops can scare him enough to give us something, remember, we can’t arrest him unless he confesses to it. We just need him to admit in, then we got him,” Hank said.

  “Sound’s good partner,” Kramer said, bringing his first up for a bum with Hank’s before they got out and headed inside.

  In the shop was a young woman restocking some skeets and a slightly older man looking over some supply catalogs before he looked up, “Hi there, how can we help you?” he asked.

  Hank and Kramer immediately pulled their badges out, “I’m Detective Tavares, this is Detective Kramer, Charlotte-Meck PD,” he said.

  “Oh god, is this about my DUI?” the clerk panicked, “Listen I did the classes, I paid all my fines, I’m good to drive I swear,” he fumbled for his wallet to show his new license to him, “I’m good I swear,” he said.

  “Relax,” Kramer said, “We’re Homicide,” he said.

  “Homicide, oh shit, I was sure that hooker got home,” he said, getting even more scared, “Listen, it was a bachelor party everyone was fucked up, I didn’t do anything,” he said.

  “What the fuck are you talking about,” Hank said, “Another time,” he waived him off, “We’re here about this,” He said, pulling the Arrow out of his jacket and laying it down, “This look familiar too you,” he turned it over to show the Sport Life Pro logo, “This come from your shop?” he asked.

  The clerk took the arrow and inspected it with an expert eye. He looked over the log, “Yeah, yeah, this is one of ours,” he said.

  “We need you to find who ordered it. If we gave you a name, could you look in your records to see if someone bought this from here?” Hank said.

  “Yeah, absolutely, this is part of an investigation?” he asked, going to the computer to pull up order records.

  “An ongoing one,” Kramer said, “Look in your records for a Trevor Ellis,”

  The clerk looked through their sales records, then pursed his lips, “Sorry, no records of a Trevor Ellis,” he looked up on them.

  “Try Jacobin Hearsay,” Hank said.

  The clerk obeyed these men of law enforcement, “I got something, yeah, custom order, three dozen arrows, black shaft, gold trim,” his eyes lit up, “I actually remember ringing these up now that I think about it, yeah here it is, Jacobin Hearsay that’s the name on the order. But the name on the card he used is Trevor Ellis, does that help?” he asked.

  “Trevor bought the arrows, that’s all we need to know,” he said.

  “So that’s it, I’m not arrested?” he asked.

  “You’re fine, we’ll be in touch, may need to get some more information from this store. Are you the manager?” Hank asked.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “I’m an assistant manage,” he said.

  “We’ll then tell the manager we’ll be in touch,” Kramer said before turning to leave with Hank.

  Outside Hank was already pulling out a pack to light up a camel, “Well, that was the easy part,” he said.

  “You think this Jacobin character is going to crack?” Kramer asked as he took out his own lighter and cigarette.

  “Jacobin? No,” Hank said, “Trevor Ellis, however, he’ll crack,” Hank said.

  “You know where to find him?” Kramer asked.

  “Scott told me he stays in the houses he rents for the parties, and gave me the next location, he’s in Bridgeview, wish Scott was here, he was always looking for his opportunity to hit the Siren,” Hank said as he got on 77 and hit his light, opening his engine to get to Jacobin’s hide out.

  Hank and Kramer made their way to the nice house that Trevor had rented out, “Remember, we’re not arresting him, don’t have enough yet. But bring your angry face, we got to scare him into talking,” Hank said.

  Trevor came to the door, “Can I help you?” he asked.

  Hank and Kramer flashed their badges, “Trevor Ellis, we would like to speak with you,” Hank said.

  “Speak to me about what?” Trevor asked, slowly backing up.

  “I’m detective Tavares, this is Detective Kramer, Homicide,” Hank said.

  Trevor’s eyes went wide, “Homicide, I don’t understand,” he said, knowing he did nothing wrong, at least pretty sure he did nothing wrong.

  “We just need you to answer some questions, relax, you’re not under arrest,” Hank said, trying to put on a friendly face.

  “We just have a few questions, you work with us, and we won't need to dig any deeper on you,” Kramer said.

  “Okay, I’ll answer some questions,” he said, trying to stand tall, “I have nothing to hide,” he said.

  Jacobin Hearsay was a mighty foe to the mortal world. A man turned sometime around the late nineteenth century. A true student of the Dark One, one versed in the ancient texts with compare to no other creature of the night. One who saw the glorious way of Vampire, the ways of debauchery and hedonism that showed him pleasure beyond anything he could find as a mortal.

  Jacobin’s role in the final war would be akin to a General, leading his people to victory in that great last battle, Armageddon the mortals called it. Following the Dark One himself in a victory that would bring the coming ten thousand years of darkness that promised pure joy for those like him, those who embraced said darkness.

  Jacobin feared no Hunter. He wrote the message himself. He feared no hunter, were it not for the weaknesses the Hunters could exploit, Jacobin could leap forward and end them both in the blink of an eye.

  Luckily for Hank and Kramer, it wasn’t Jacobin sitting in front of them, across a plain gray table in an uncomfortable chair. It was Trevor Ellis. A pathetic, mortal, blubbering and scared Trevor Ellis.

  Jacobin would have been insulted to face the indignity of being taken into custody by these would-be Hunters. But again, this wasn’t Jacobin, this was Humble Trevor Ellis, the pathetic human that flew so high with women so beautiful, women who told him there was life beyond even what he had already achieved, who told him of an eternal life in servitude of the Dark One.

  Part of him always knew it was just a silly game, but there was that fleeting part of him, that part of his soul that had tasted luxury beyond compare, that part of his mind told him it had to be real. The pleasures the life of a Vampire had showed him were otherworldly and indescribable. It had to have been real on some level. It had to have been.

  “So, Mr. Ellis, Trevor,” Hank said, “We would like to thank you for meeting with us, I know officer Kramer and myself are very excited to hear what you have to tell us,” he said.

  “Am I under arrest?” he asked, biting his lip, so nervous that the chickens may have come home to roost.

  “No, no, of course not. You’ve done nothing wrong, right?” Hank asked, “We just a few questions we wanted to ask you,” he said.

  “I think I should have a lawyer here,” Trevor said.

  “You’re not under arrest, you can relax, and you don’t the right to a lawyer, yet,” Kramer said.

  “Tell me if you recognize this,” Hank said, presenting the arrow, “These were found at the scene of a murder, and after tracking them down, we found that it was you who ordered this. You ordered them under a name, Jacobin Hearsay, but you paid with the credit card with your real name, Now tell me Jacobin, why would a set of custom arrows you bought be found at a crime scene?” he asked.

  “I mean, yes, I did by the arrows,” Jacobin put his head down, “But it was for a party, someone could have taken these from the party and used them, I have no idea why you think it’s me,” he said.

  “We have collected some DNA from the scene, would you be willing to prove your innocence, and give us a DNA sample we run it against what we have, and then you’re in the clear, right?” Hank asked.

  Trevor paused for a second. He muttered out something, but nothing came out of his mouth. He was trying to find an excuse, “I didn’t kill anyone,” he said.

  “You didn’t kill anyone? We’re not saying you did,” Kramer said.

  “It wasn’t me,” Trevor said.

  “It wasn’t you, interesting,” Hank paused, leaned back, let Trevor’s guilty conscious hang for a second, “Who was it?” Hank asked, “We know about your parties, about all the fun you have. And we know that you Vampires as you call yourselves have been having some fun, playing at being responsible for these killings,” Hank looked right at Trevor, “Trevor, we can make this easier for you,” he said.

  “I didn’t kill anyone,” Trevor said, looking away. This was it, this was the end of his game. He had to sell out someone else, give them the real killer, they had evidence on him, giving them the real killer was the only way he could get out of this, “Suvilia,” he said.

  “Who’s Suvilia,” Kramer asked.

  “She’s a lady of the night,” Trevor lowered his head, Suvilia was the woman who showed him that pleasure beyond compare, he felt so disgusted with himself giving her up, “She killed those people,” he said.

  “What’s her name?” Kramer asked.

  “Suvilia, that’s her name,” Trevor said.

  “What’s her real name?” Hank asked.

  Trevor was almost in tears at this point. He was a pathetic shell of a man in front of these two hunters. Suvilia had told him to be strong if he ever encountered a Hunter, he was proving that her confidence was misplaced, “Susan, her name is Susan Collins,” he said, “She killed those people, she just brought me along to help set up the scene, she gave me the pleasure of being a Vampire, she asked me to help her,” he said as he began to cry.

  “Susan Collins, she got an address?” Kramer asked.

  “She’s at 776 Simmons Lane, I’ve been renting out a house for her,” Trevor sulked in his seat, defeated, “That’s where she is, she’s the killer not me, I’ll be okay right, please, please tell me I’ll be okay,” he said.

  “Kramer, book him, accessory,” Hank said, “Take him in, then we’re going to pay Ms. Collins a visit,” he said.

  “Oh god,” Trevor said, “Fuck were you recording that, fuck, I want a lawyer,” he said.

  “You’ll get a lawyer, don’t your worry,” Kramer said as he went to cuff Trevor, “I wish him luck trying to get you out of everything you just admitted, you are under arrest,” Kramer said, cuffing him, “You have the right to remain silent,” he said, reading off the Miranda rights as Hank made his way outside.