He knew that with every bad remark he was digging himself deeper into a hole that he may not be able to escape from and so he had to word his next statement very well indeed. If he got this next attempt wrong he feared that he may lose Merlyo for the rest of the day down an abyssal hole of dismal depression and so he then hesitantly spoke again with an aura of nervousness in his tone “Well! What I meant to say is that… is that you can’t blame yourself man! You fell in love with an amazing woman and love, by its very nature is irrational so don’t be too hard on yourself ok? If we all never opened ourselves up to love, or the pain that it can bring for that matter, we’d all be very lonely people indeed”
Merlyo appeared to appreciate his understanding of his complex situation and then Zalewski chose to change the awkward topic because helping people with their inner most emotions was not one of his specialities “It’s a wonder the diver can see anything down there at all, wouldn’t you say?” He awaited for a reply from the silent Merlyo but none came as the brooding detective still looked at his blank page which was protected from the light drizzle of rain by his awkward looking hobo-hat. They both then looked at the rippling waters of the dismal sightless abyss that lay before them in deathly silence, as if they were at a funeral, until the deafening silence was abruptly broken by a loud and unruly onlooker whom shouted from the safety of the nearby crowd “When you two bums going to catch this Mad Butcher huh?! Useless god damn police! Clubbing hard working union men is all ya good for!”
Both detectives had no place to hide as the insults came in quick and fast and were always followed by loud applause, especially after some creatively abusive remarks were made about the two’s hobo appearance. Four newly arrived struggling police men kept this crowd back as they jostled against them, the crowd taking pleasure in causing alarm to develop upon their young faces as they all tried to get a better view of the silently standing twin detectives. It felt to both detectives like the entire of Kingsbury Run was now against them as a few projectiles then came hurtling past them and splashed into the waters before then disappearing into the murky depths, apparently eager to join the lonesome search diver below.
Both detectives attempted to ignore the unruly onlookers as the rain thankfully suddenly started to come down harder which immediately dispersed the majority of the unruly crowd and gave the four police officers a brief respite. The crowd quickly disappeared to acquire some sort of protection from the ominously angry skies as it unforgivingly assaulted there former position with an almost tangible relish. The clouds then roared into life as a flash of thunderous lightning further dissipated the already fragmented crowd and, as the defeated Merlyo stood there in the rain, he could not shake off the familiarity of this soaking wet homicide scene which reminded him very much of the Lady of the Lake.
He looked despondently into the murky turbulent waters as this uncomfortably familiar feeling of powerlessness now fully matured within him, knowing that her murder had happened all the way back in 1934 and he was now standing here in 1937 with still no clues as to whom was behind these gruesome crimes of sadistic violence. He was still having trouble sleeping at home and not just because of the regular Lady of the Lake hauntings but also now because of the absence of an eagerly awaited and loving telephone call or visit from Poppy to sooth his night terrors, finding her mere presence the only way he could have his sustained sleep.
If she did not call or visit him then he would often stay awake to watch the sun rise and wondered what she was doing and if she was lying next to Ness. He could also not stop thinking about disturbing questions such as did she kiss Ness the way that she kissed him? If not, why not? Did they have some special way they cuddled each other or even made love? He had attempted to answer these elusive questions by asking Poppy on numerous occasions for the answers but she had always managed to make him feel guilty about asking them in the first place and this pained and troubled him so. All she had told him is that they were very different and that she loved them both in their own unique way which he had never known how to respond to such a comment, feeling that it could mean either an insult or a compliment.
Even whilst he stood here within the wind and the rain and looked upon the disturbed waters of the ominously murky pool which contained a multitude of dark secrets, he still struggled to navigate the turbulent waters of his own conflicting emotions. He was just happy to have her back within his life and if it meant that he had to share her with the greedy and uncaring Ness then this was a sacrifice that he was willing to pay. He may not like it but it was an acceptable risk to his own heart and it also seemed like the only way that he could get a decent night’s sleep because after making love to her and knowing she was with him, for some bizarre reason this warm feeling of commitment always managed to keep the traumatising Lady of the Lakes spectre away from him. Poppy was in effect exorcizing the troubling and prevailing nightmare that was consistently and perpetually keeping him up at night and for this alone, he was willing to forgive any of her many transgressions as she effortlessly banished the tormenting spectre away from his dreams.
A resurgent Zalewski had decided, after much thought and consideration, to steer the topic away from the sensitive area of Poppy’s love and focus it on a more humorous topic “So err? I heard other day in the office, from detective Shibley that…” but before he could finish a despondent Merlyo interrupted him and said “Guys a complete douchebag!” Zalewski paused for a moment and then said “Ya think? How’s that?” Merlyo then finally closed his anxiety provoking notepad and placed it within his inner jacket pocket before he replied, which was a good sign to Zalewski because it showed him that he wished to now converse with him on a more regular basis “Shibley, Wachsman and Weitzel are all the same! They suck up to Ness and kiss his ass any chance they can. Those three stooges are as thick as thieves because they do everything together from surveillance and writing reports to dating and playing golf, you name it! Not to mention that they all love themselves in equal measure. There a trilogy of complete assholes!”
Zalewski smiled and then replied “Some people say that about you know? They say your eccentricity is a result of your self-love and also that you adore seeing yourself in the newspapers too much. Like that handsome photograph of you smiling whilst holding up an assortment of knives at the Torso Clinic, Jesus! I never heard the end of that!” Merlyo shrugged his shoulders as the diver suddenly made his usual dramatic appearance upon the water’s surface and once again triumphantly held up his latest grim find of a frozen severed arm, smiling at the two detectives whilst giving them both a positive thumbs up.
The two detectives reciprocated the diver’s enthusiasm by falsely smiling back and nodding at him in unison whilst he placed the arm upon the growing dirty sheet collection. The collection of gruesome finds now encircled the large rusty can as if they were paying homage to it, which itself had a small puddle of water developing upon its sealed lid and further added to its already impressive weight. The smiling diver then eagerly pushed himself back out into the pools centre and submerged himself yet again, leaving only the rippling water above him and a few lost bubbles in his wake.
After a brief respite watching the silhouette of the brave and resourceful diver mysteriously disappear back into the murky depths, Zalewski then broke the silence yet again as the rain continued its attack on all “Anyway where was I again? Oh yeah! Anyway Shibley’s partner, Wachsman received information from an unidentified person who worked in a nearby workhouse and she said that another woman had informed her that she knew the identity of the man that killed Flo Polillo!” Merlyo’s ears perked-up like a foxes as he heard Flo’s name and pondered what tantalising new clue the secretive Zalewski had been hiding from him all this time.
His curiosity was sparked and so he eagerly leaned in closer with his ear towards his partner as he now had his immediate and unflinching attention. Zalewski smiled and raised his eyebrows knowingly at Merlyo before he continued, satisfied that he now his partners full attention “Anyw
ay, she asked him who it was and she said she didn’t know his name but she did know he came from Rhode Island, Massachusetts and worked for a butcher called Randolph Carter. This butcher operated a successful grocery and meat store on St. Clair Avenue within Kingsbury Run and get this! This butcher guy was notorious because he was known to always carry a large butcher cleaver around with him at night, swinging it around in jest! The informant also stated that individual whom worked for this strange Carter character is a known Sodomist throughout the area and that they both could have been possibly committing these homicides for some sick, perverted reason!”
The proud Zalewski felt a rush of blood and excitement as he stood there and smiled whilst he looked at Merlyo, whom himself appeared to be disappointed by his revelation. A worried Zalewski awaited his imminent response for what seemed like ages whilst all that could heard was the surrounding rain and reluctantly returning rowdy spectators. After a while the impatient and wet Zalewski could not take it anymore and then insisted upon Merlyo’s immediate response to his revelation “Well!? What do you think?”
Merlyo looked disinterested as he lazily looked at some of the dishevelled and wet returning bystanders before then looking back at the darkened pool and replied “Sorry to say this but it’s an urban myth that the hobo’s are using to get some free whisky from undercover cops, I should know because I was one of them! Wow! I’m a complete sucker! There is no mysterious ‘Randolph Carter’ butcher roaming the darkened streets of Kingsbury Run. It’s almost like a running gag amongst the homeless people out there because if a cop comes around asking about the Mad Butcher, all you have to do is tell an undercover gumshoe a glorified story and you’re guaranteed a free bottle of your favourite whisky for that information! So they all have these pre-planned stories lined up for anyone who asks which results in us chasing shadows within Kingsbury Run. It just so happens that Randolph Carter is one of the more popular fabricated stories that’s all. It’s a grim joke Zalewski, a very grim joke indeed!”
Zalewski looked somewhat embarrassed and a little disappointed that his revelation was not a revelation at all but simple a con by some resourceful local hobo’s to get some free liquor. He then returned his gaze back to the rippling pool and watched the rain drops attack the surface and its hidden unseen occupant within. After a few more contemplative moments whereby Merlyo could almost hear the cogs turning within his partners mind, the resurgent Zalewski then spoke again “Geez! I had no idea? Boy! Do I ever feel like a complete gullible fool Hehe! Changing the topic, I heard that there might be some sort dinner being held for County Prosecutor Culltian next month which will be filled with these high society types. Is er?… is Poppy going?”
An agitated Merlyo looked disinterested and reluctant to answer but he did so regardless “Probably, with Ness no doubt!” Zalewski then quickly replied in an uplifting and positive manner “I heard through the office grapevine, and you didn’t hear this from me ok?, that Ness is taking his beloved artistic socialite ‘doll’ Evaline as his date on that particular evening. Poppy won’t be attending this event because there will be no need to have her services guarding Evaline due to the high visibility of the massive police presence there. Which means that you can have a nice quiet evening alone with her instead! Make it a ‘date night’ and take her out to see one of those horror movies that she loves, like you guys used too! What do you think?”
Merlyo’s agitation suddenly changed to a quiet contemplation as he appeared to be in deep thought as his mind raced about all the possibilities that had now presented themselves to him. After a while he spoke quietly, not wishing to express his internal excitement and happiness to his partner “Yeah! Maybe I will do something with her? Thanks partner!” Merlyo knew that if he met her more and more for their secret rendezvous then he would ultimately fall more in love with her and he did not want that because by doing so he would be more unwilling to accept the uncomfortable truth of Ness’s constant presence within her life. He felt like he was caught within a catch twenty two situation because he was dammed either way and did not wish to loose Poppy from his life.
He knew that if he forced her to choose between himself and Ness he would be always turn out to be the looser and did not want to put her into such an uncomfortable situation, similarly reminiscent of Ness’s own ultimatum. He knew that he would have to accept Poppy with Ness as an uncomfortable truth for now and knew that many men had ended up killing themselves in the past over such complicated, love triangle relationships. He had no intention of making such fatal mistakes or to force the woman whom he still desperately loved, into making such a traumatic choice. He never wanted to lose her again from his lonely life and never wished to feel as alone as he had been for those isolating years without her, consumed by sleepless nights and with only a solitary haunting spectre as company.
A pleased Zalewski was now looking deep within the murky waters of the pool, satisfied knowing that his partner was slightly happier after his Poppy revelation and potential romantic date night that he had cleverly arranged. He continued to look into the depths of the unforgivingly selfish waters that still stubbornly resisted giving up its dark secrets as a few leaves blew across its surface, ultimately being caught by the waters unforgiving grasp. A pondering Zalewski then spoke again after watching these leaves slowly descend into the black abyss, just as the frozen body parts had descended from the Mad Butcher’s hands “The bottom of the ocean is as deep and as dark as the imagination, Cthulhu waits dreaming!” To which a confused and smiling Merlyo turned and replied “Cthu… what?”
The steadfast Zalewski replied whilst still looking into the ominous waters as the dead leaves disappeared totally from view “It’s the name of ancient squid-faced malevolent alien god that resides deep within the uncharted depths of the world’s oceans. Awaiting to awaken and make his return upon the earth. I read it in my Weird Tales magazines! This disgustingly foreboding water oddly reminds me of Cthulhu. Hell! This entire Mad Butcher case should be in Weird Tales magazines!” The amused Merlyo smiled at his day dreaming partner and replied “Haha, That stuff from Weird Tales magazine and The Shadow radio show will melt your brain Zalewski! Honestly you kill me! Haha!”
Zalewski looked at him and smiled in return before he returned his gaze back towards the turbulent water and looked at a few escaping bubbles as they once again rose up from the dark depths below. He then continued to speak as the reluctant bubbles broke the rippling surface of the water “Last week I heard that detective Trunk was undercover in Kingsbury Run and he had hung around some notoriously unsavoury homosexual bars in an attempt to try and get some leads on men with, get this ‘sadistic tendencies’ Hahaha! Jesus! What a sight that must’ve been!”
The amused Merlyo started to join his partner in laughing as they both amusingly imagined the poor and overweight detective posing not only as a homosexual, but a homosexual with sadomasochistic equipment and all the paraphernalia that comes with it. The laughing Merlyo then spoke again whilst he clutched his stomach as the muscles became delightfully painful under the laughing pressure “Hahaha! It's hard to imagine him posing convincingly as either a hobo or a flamboyant homosexual, especially one with sadistic tendencies Hahaha! What a sight that must have been! Hahaha!”
The laughing Zalewski then interrupted him “That’s not the best part!” Merlyo stopped laughing and confusingly looked at Zalewski for a second before he eagerly continued “He got beaten up good afterwards because he did not reciprocate another man’s ‘affections’ Hahaha!” With this they both then started to uncontrollably laugh and whatever depressing memories where left about Merlyo’s dysfunctional love life or the stagnant Mad Butcher investigation quickly dissipated through the miraculous power of laughter.
Their bellies were hurting as they laughed so hard until they were both now crying and the struggling Zalewski then just managed to speak after a brief respite, whilst he took out a piece of ruffled up paper that he had within his inner jacket pocket “Hahah
a! Get this! The head of the Federal Narcotic Bureau told some of us last week in the office that the Mad Butcher was most likely a ‘marijuana addict’ and I’m quoting him here…” Zalewski then paused as he eagerly looked for the quoted words from his piece of scrap paper that he had just now manged to unravel “There's a plentiful supply of this ‘deadly magic weed’ growing wild around the railroad tracks in Kingsbury Run. Both the desire for a thrill and a homicidal obsession are easily induced by the ‘loco weed’ cigarettes. Hahaha! LOCO WEED!” Both amused men then again erupted into laughter as Zalewski reiterated his newfound desire “Deadly loco weed…YES PLEASE! I need me some of that right now! Hahaha!”
The disgusted on looking crowd could not understand the two hobo detectives delight as they laughed hysterically until the crowd suddenly gasped in horror as a doubly grim sight suddenly rose out of the repressive water’s unforgiving surface. A frozen female dismembered torso came to the surface and was then quickly followed by a decapitated and rotten male torso which was in turn then followed by the exhausted diver and an army of quickly arising bubbles. The water glistened and sparkled in the little ambient light that there was as the frozen naked torso’s both dripped with the unholy water from the swampy pool where that had been hidden, violently bobbed them up and down as the wind picked up speed.
A horrifying scream came from the crowd as the tired diver struggled to control the two macabre finds under each of his strong arms. He struggled to get the bobbing macabre finds towards the white sheet whereby the large rusty can stood sentry over the entire gruesome collection. Lightening violently erupted as the awkwardly smiling diver suddenly spoke to the detectives “Got them! So sorry that it took so long but they were both lodged in at the bottom in a man’s jacket and a thick quilt I believe? But I finally managed to get the suckers!”
Merlyo and Zalewski both looked at each other as there smiles where quickly wearing off as there joyous mood was finally and abruptly broken by this most macabre of discoveries. They both looked at the diver, smiled and gave him a positive thumbs up before they both strenuously helped the struggling diver bring his newly acquired dark finds onto the awaiting filthy sheet. In doing so the dizzy Merlyo then momentarily lost his grip upon the slippery surface of the swimming pool’s edge and slipped into the murky water, instantaneously disappearing from both the views of the other men in a tremendous splash.
The Noir Evil Page 35
