The Traveling Killer and Jason Smith

by S Jay Starring

  “I thought he’s nuts,” Emma said while giggling. “This guy is much better than I thought. No wonder why you hurry to find them on Sunday like this,”

  Kate nodded, “Means Thomas Ivan from B03 that we got is not the person we are looking for. The killer set the scene to trick us like Jess had said. Tomorrow, Jess and I still have to look for him,”

  “This story is interesting. I think I want to write about Mr. Smith,” Adam said excitedly. He was a writer of investigative fiction with so many works that were memorable and has a large group of fans.

  Kate smiled at him. “It's good, I think your fans will like it,” Kate supported.

  “What do you think, Jason Smith and the serial killer, or Jason Smith who from another parallel universe? Or should I put your name with him, Kate?” Adam asked and Kate giggled with his idea.

  After a while, Jason and the children came back to the table, they looked so hungry. Playing before dinner like this allowed them to eat more food and more delicious.

  “Will you eat this?” Jason pointed to the boiled egg on Kate's plate.

  Kate quickly took her spoon to cover the boiled egg firmly. “Yes, Jess. But if you want, I'll share it with you,” she said with kindness because it's better than let Jason despoiled it all.

  After dinner, it was a bit late than usual but everyone was happy and full. Then it's time to go back to their rooms because tomorrow morning the children have to go to school.

  “Good night, Jess. Good night, Kate,” Ricky and Martha said together to Jason and Kate and ran after Emma and Adam to go back to their room.

  “The Kids like you, Jess,” Kate said, smiling at him.

  Jason shrugged. “I know, I'm charming,” he said and blinked to her. Kate smiled back at him while laughing softly. “Good night, Jess,” she said. Then they separated in front of the elevator and return to their rooms.

  @@@@@@

  Jason and Kate returned to the parallel universe B05 again on Monday morning. They appeared at the lab of ACPSP of B05. Then headed to the police station to meet detective Paul Runner again. Kate took the documents about the police in his station has taken a bribe and hoped that he could run an investigation and convicted them. Then they went to Thomas' house with a search warrant.

  “Do you think there is something strange inside?” Jason asked went they were standing at the front door of Thomas' one-story house, looked at his house from the top to the bottom. Then he rang the bell many times until he was sure that nobody home.

  Kate breathed deeply and slowly released “Let's get inside,” she said.

  “I love it,” Jason blinked to her before broke the door out. The inside was just a normal room but beautifully decorated with marble floor and Louis style furniture, including a fire protection system that was installed throughout the ceiling. His experience in a great fire made him to prepare fully protection.

  “Nobody here,” Jason said after looked around all the rooms; living room, bedroom, bathroom or kitchen. A bit dust but overall was neat and it just a normal house.

  “He may have a secret room,” Kate said. “Paul said that when the fire broke out in Thomas’s old house, He survived because he hid in the basement that he used for hobby. While others sleeping in their bedrooms,”

  “Basement?” Jason looked at the floor. No area looked like a basement at all.

  “Where can he go? This new house he built from inheritance. I wonder if he has other houses. Because his family would rather have money, and because of this, he has enough free time to hunt those women. He doesn't need to work,” Kate said while knocking on the wall but there was nothing suspicious.

  Jason pondered. The other houses? ... He looked around the room again, intentionally.

  “I think we better visit his other house,”

  Kate frowned. “Other house? But we don't know if he really has other houses or addresses,” she said.

  Jason nodded confidently “I bet your lover know,” he said and Kate only rolled her eyes at him.

  “He’s not my lover. And if Paul knows that then why doesn't he tell us?” Kate asked.

  “Because he doesn't know that he knows it,” Jason answered mysteriously.

  @@@@@@

  Jason and Kate got out of a non-driver car from the government vehicle center service that was parked at a deserted area surrounded by many new big houses.

  “Um ... do you really think he’s here?” Kate said.

  Jason looked at the desolate area in front of him. It remained the ruins of a burning house. The burned door flame of the front door could see the symbol of Ivan’s family. But it wasn’t a hexagram that he had known, because the hexagram was turn on its side up and had a dot in the middle.

  His symbol has nothing to do with religion or other dimensions. He just showed that he was from the Ivan family who was looking for revenge.

  “Jess ... where are you going? It can collapse,” Kate called him because she saw that he began to walk further. The area of Thomas' old house was spacious, as before could be a beautiful mansion. It’s tragic, a terrible thing happened because of the stupid prank of three girls.

  Terrazzo floor on the first floor still strong. Jason walked through the rest of the entire rooms slowly, then stopped in one room. It couldn’t tell what room it used to be but certainly, this room has a secret door on the ground and the surrounding area of that door looked cleaner than other areas Jason just walked to it and looked at the hoop for pulling the door open.

  Jason waved his hand to call Kate to come where he stood. “It’s unlocked I’ll go inside,” He said to her confidently and pulled his sonic gun from the holster at the belt before pulled the door on the floor open.

  The stone floor door opened, then they could see the stairway that deep down to the bottom.

  “Jess, he probably wouldn't be here. Here ... it’s abandoned. Maybe he escape to another universe or somewhere,” said Kate, looked at him went downstairs.

  “Abandoned is perfect, Kate,” Jason replied and gradually walked down carefully. Kate went down after him.

  The bottom wasn’t as abandoned as Kate thought, but it was clean and tidy, also lit by energy-saving light bulbs.

  “You should rebuild this house again, Mr. Ivan,” Jason aimed his gun at the man who turned his back against them. “Your house looks a bit messy,”

  Thomas, who was concentrated at something on his desk, stopped and slowly turned to Jason and Kate without any panic.

  “No matter how many times I rebuild, it never be the same, Mr. Smith,” Thomas responded with a flat voice.

  “You still live here?” Kate asked unbelievably and looked around. In the basement, she saw a carry wormhole connector and immediately recognized that it has been in the room where he has captured her. There were many inventions here, different sizes of wormhole connectors, radios, hand made record players. There were also clocks and electric equipment that didn’t know what it was between iron and pasta maker.

  Thomas looked at their faces with calm. “This’s my home, Miss. Isaac. Should I go anywhere?” He replied.

  “Okay, you're under arrest Thomas Ivan. Come with us,” Jason walked in and cuffed on Thomas.

  Thomas didn't resist, and he allowed Jason to handcuff him with cold eyes. “You're smart ... Mr. Smith ... clever and have a good sense of smell ...” He said sarcastically, sounded more like he was talking about a dog.

  “We’ll redecorate your basement, Mr. Ivan, I guarantee your room will be very ‘clean’,” Jason said with a flat face. He called the agency to send officers to collect all evidence in this room.

  @@@@@@

  “Thomas, are you doing this to get revenge for your family?” Jason asked forcing Thomas Ivan, who was sitting in the interrogation room. He showed him pictures of the bodies of women from other parallel universes, that killed by Thomas.

  Thomas didn't answer, he just looked at his reflection on the mirror behind Jason.

  “Thomas, I know you suffer from that
fire. But you don't have the right to kill those women especially in other parallel universes,” Jason said.

  Thomas looked at Jason's face with cold eyes. “I'd rather talk to Miss. Isaac,” he smiled and looked at the mirror. He knew Kate was definitely watching them in that room.

  “She is busy, Thomas,” he said. “Why did you switch their ears? And also sew them neatly,” Jason asked.

  Thomas smiled, “You probably knew what they have done to me. I just want to let them know how it feels to have a deformed left ear because it will last you all your life,” He replied with a gloomy voice.

  It was normal that he obsessed deeply with this matter. Because suddenly he had to wear a hearing aid that made him feel different from others. He was poor, but it's not the right thing for him to do with innocent women who didn't know anything about his life.

  “What’ll you do with those hearts? The hearts that you took from those women,”

  Thomas smiled in the corner of his mouth. “To be honest, if you don't interfere with my plan and if I can kill all the women in 15 parallel universes without being caught. And if they, who hiding still alive, I’ll catch them and cook those hearts for them. I think they must very hungry,”

  Cook for them? Really? ...Yuck…

  “They bullied me every day, every night that I have to endure with them. I didn't want to leave my house I didn't want to go anywhere. I kept hiding in my house. And they burned down my house, causing my whole family to die. That sweet house was the only safe place in the world of mine,” Thomas said.

  “I saw them that night. Grouped together but no one saw them like me. No one saw them, but I knew what they did. The paint buckets in my house couldn’t explode itself. It must be someone….like them. I’ll let them eat their own hearts from other parallel universes, in case they could have heart,” Thomas continued with a flat face but emotional voice.

  “After the case has expired I searched for them but they bribed the police to hide their records and addresses, but I could just sneak their medical history from the hospital. They should have to be treated for some kind of disease like cold, flu or at least have to vaccinate. In the city, there are few hospitals and finally, I got their addresses. I knew that they thought they were safe. I, therefore, double-crossed their plan a bit and thought it would be good if they kill each other,” Thomas smiled proudly.

  “You killed Thomas Ivan from B03 to set the scene for us to think you're dead?” Jason asked and Thomas just smiled.

  “... I usually watch my life in other parallel universes. You know, I like that guy, Thomas from B03,”

  “I went to see him after Miss. Isaac accidentally slit out of my hand. He was happy that suddenly another Thomas Ivan from another parallel universe came to see him. He told me about his life. He was just naive thought he was successful because he got a large, luxurious apartment, had a dream job and still have a good time at home. Never even know another Thomas in another parallel universe has suffered,”

  Thomas stopped and took a deep breath before continuing. “You know, it would be good if the whole things follow the plan and I end up with I take his place.... at B03. I still regret that I had to kill him, Mr. Smith, but it's couldn't help, you kept followed my butt. It's your fault and your partner as well,”

  He prepared to taken Thomas B03 live after killing all those women? This was obviously crazy...

  The sound of the door opened and Kate entered the interrogation room. She looked at Thomas' face with angry.

  “Do you know, Mr. Ivan? I almost feel sorry for what happened to you. Tragically, you have to face that terrible thing at a young age. You lost your family. Lost a house because of the prank of a group of that girls. But the women in other parallel universes never done anything terrible to you. Never even know you, but you killed them with violence. A person who doesn’t have heart is you, Mr. Ivan,” Kate yelled at him loudly.

  Thomas sullen. He breathed calmly. “That night we should have fun, Miss. Isaac. I guarantee that you will impress,”

  Slam!!

  Kate smashed the table loudly so he stopped talking.

  “You have a choice, Mr. Ivan. Even when faced with worse, you have a choice to continue living, but you choose this way, chased and killed innocent women for stupid reasons. Just wanted to scare the girls who were hiding? I think if you use the time that you indulge in revenge on them to looking for evidence to prove what they have done. Then they may already be in jail for arson,” Kate said ignoring the provocation of Thomas that intended to scare her.

  “And you killed Thomas Ivan from B03, although he has never done anything bad to you but you tried to make him a scapegoat. You jealous that he had a good life? I have never seen anyone as selfish as you before,” Kate said with emotion. Then turned to leave the room.

  But then she stopped and turned around to force him again, as if just thought of something. “Oh ... I guarantee that the police here will find a roommate who is suitable for a lonely person like you very well. If you are a good-looking man,” said Kate, before storming out of the room. Left Thomas to sit still with his eyes wide opened in angry.

  Jason persuaded Thomas to write the entire confession in order to reduce his sentence, and he followed it, partly because of the evidence, including pictures from security cameras at the hotel, everything in his basement, the knife that he used for killing Thomas B03, and the carry wormhole connector that Kate saw and this one could actually use.

  “How could you know he was in the old house’s basement?” Kate asked after Jason returned to the observation room behind the mirror in the interrogation room.

  “His new home doesn't have a hexagram,” Jason replied. “As we know he was crazy about this thing, but his house doesn't have it, not even one and there’s no invention, no tools, no equipment that showed he is an inventor. It's just a normal house,”

  Kate thought about Thomas' house. “You are right, but in his old house, though it has burnt down, there are hexagram left, and he has bounded with it,”

  Jason shrugged. That’s a symbol of his family, of course, he must bond with it.

  “After we got Thomas B03 it’s just a week I don’t think he has much time for stalking another Thomas, then he must hiding somewhere. A new house probably be built by his relatives. Think about it, at that time, he was only 15 years old. They probably didn't care about his family's symbol. But as he said no matter how many times he rebuilds, it never be the same,” Jason said.

  “Because the people he loves are no longer there,” Kate said with sad eyes. “Actually, I feel sorry for him, but what he did ... was ... too horror to ask for sympathy from anyone. The families of the women who died never know about his resentment,” She said sadly.

  “Right, he just lost,” Jason replied briefly. “Well, ... you're not afraid of him anymore,” he said, as though just remembered that Kate gave Thomas a rap curse in the interrogation room.

  “Well,…you were with me,” Kate answered, shrugged. “And ... he’s handcuffed,” No wondered why she could be a sharp-tongued.

  Jason pondered.

  “What’s wrong, Jess?” Kate asked suspiciously.

  Jason looked at her face while frowning. “Um ...well, I just wondering ... After the case was closed like this ...” he said uncertainly.

  “It's time for me to go back to my universe, right?” He continued, and Kate only stared at his face, speechless.

  Chapter 25

  Jason and Kate stood in front of the carpeted room with a large wooden door again. Maggie, Steve Prompt's secretary was talking to him inside and after a while, she came out.

  “He allows you to meet. Oh ... Kate, he's in a very good mood,” Maggie whispered and winked.

  Then Jason and Kate entered Prompt's room. It still looked the same, luxurious and warm, sometimes a bit too warm because of the fireplace behind his desk.

  “Oh, Good evening, Mr. Smith. Isaac, take a seat,” Steve Prompt, the director of ACPSP of B07, greeted them happily.r />
  And both of them sat down on the chairs in front of his desk like before.

  “Both of you are excellent,” he said with an emphasis on emotion, wide smiled, showed every front teeth to them. Kate has been working here for many years but never seen he smiled like this before.

  “Thank you, sir,” Jason and Kate said together.

  “You know? WHOLE greatly appreciates you, both of you. They said that I must give you bonuses,” Steve said. “Especially you, Isaac, you choose him to work with. It’s a worthwhile risk. I really appreciate your courage,”

  Kate blushed and smiled at him. “That's because you gave me a chance, boss,” she said humbly.

  Steve turned to Jason “You’re very impressive, Mr. Smith. You help her catch the criminal with your own analytical methods. It's an honor to work with you,” He reached out his hand, but Jason sat still only looked at it surprisingly.

  Kate had to kick his leg, stared and beckoned for him to shake hands with Steve.

  Jason awaked from shock and quickly shook hands with Steve Prompt while smiling proudly... Oh…my…He shook hands with the president...

  After received praise like never before, both were delighted and walked out of Prompt's room with proud.

  “They are waiting for you at the office,” Maggie said while smiling brightly at Jason and he just gulped. She was very beautiful when she smiled.

  But what did she mean? Who was waiting at the office? And when Jason and Kate came to the office, they knew the answer.

  All agents were cheered, shouted and applauded for both of them like welcoming the world boxing champions who were walking on stage.

  “You guys are awesome,” One of the agents came to shake hands with both of them with excitement and then left. Then others came in, shook hands, hugged and slapped their back with friendly… Jason couldn't remember when he was close to them...and of cause there were no Ali and Max in the crowd.

  “You guys are so cool. Caught that psycho dirtbag,” Todd said, smiled at them, then picked up a bottle of wine and poured it for everyone.... They were in the office, weren’t they?...