by David Scott
Luke caught up with Dan back in the lobby. Luke described how there was no footage from the surveillance cameras; all of them had seemingly malfunctioned at the same time, and were blind during the time of the killings. No one had noticed this until now. There was also no other camera in the immediate area, and the public cameras in the nearby streets were not primed for detailed viewing; being manually controllable, with the ability to zoom as and when needed but no such request had been made that night, and so they only maintained a helicopter view of pinprick-sized people.
“I spoke with the Manager of the hotel,” Luke continued his debrief to Dan, “and he confirmed that the hotel is now in lockdown and closed until further notice, with all reservations cancelled for at least the next week. However, they have allocated rooms for us all, seeing as how everyone will be working through the night, and will need some shut-eye. We have adjacent suites, and I have already taken our luggage up to our rooms. They figured we would need large rooms to sprawl out in, and thought we should have the best given we will likely be here the longest amount of time.”
Dan felt uneasy about staying in the hotel but could not deny it was convenient, and certainly much nicer than the recent motels they had stayed in. It was also past Midnight now, and Dan knew that both he and Luke needed to rest, they were both physically and emotionally exhausted; and they had some time before any evidence would come back to them, so now was an opportune moment to do so. Still, echoes from the recent murders resonated in his mind, and who knew what spectres might haunt the corridors tonight. At least Luke would be next door.
Luke awoke to a knock on his door. He had been in a deep sleep, and was startled. At first, he thought he was back in his one-bedroom apartment, that his tomcat had maybe knocked over the empty vase on his kitchen windowsill. A harder banging sound shortly followed. Luke came to his senses, and sat up, rubbing his eyes and squinting at the time shown on the bottom of the hotel television. It was nine-thirty. He had slept for seven hours straight. That was a record for recent times; lately he found himself stirring throughout the night with little proper sleep.
Luke had taken a quick shower before he went to bed, and found himself cocooned naked in a duvet. The sunlight streamed through a crack in the curtains, casting a prism of light on the otherwise colourless cover. The sounds of the traffic below and hubbub of everyday life drifted upwards, somewhat muted by the double-glazing, into his suite. Another knock.
“Luke?” Dan called out, “Luke, are you awake? It’s Dan.”
“Yeah, Dan. I’m coming. Give me a second.”
Luke grabbed his nearly-dry bath sheet and wrapped it tightly around his waist. He opened the door.
“Morning, Dan. Come on in. I must have slept through.”
Dan was standing in his usual attire; casual tan chinos, worn leather brogues, white shirt, with slightly rolled up sleeves, revealing his extra-hairy arms, and antique-looking watch. He was holding two cups of coffee and a brown bag, with small grease marks already seeping through. The smell of slightly-charred bacon drifted into the room.
Dan blushed deeply as he looked at Luke’s washboard stomach and abs, with his dark, chest curls leading down neatly to his waist, and on beneath the towel, to reappear on his muscular, tanned legs. This was how Dan would have imagined an ancient Greek athlete. Come forward Chionis, Diagoras, Milo, and claim your prize. Dan was momentarily lost in history.
“Dan? Dan.” Luke said, noticing that Dan had zoned-out, “Are you ok?”
“Oh, what was that? Sorry, Luke, I just had a sudden thought about the case. I have brought us some breakfast. I hope you are hungry?”
“Thanks, Dan. I’m famished. Let me quickly put some clothes on, and I will be right with you.”
“Yes, of course,” Dan said, somewhat relieved but also a little disappointed, “I will just go and sit by the window. Hurry up though, it will already be going cold.”
Dan knew that he shouldn’t be thinking of Luke that way, not only was he his subordinate but, more importantly, they were caught up in a terrible tragedy, and in the midst of death and chaos all around them; unfortunately, nature will always have her way, and there was no controlling his feelings and urges for Luke.
“I didn’t know whether you would want sauce on your bacon bagel, so I brought both red and brown. Oh, I also got some mayo and mustard. You just never know, what with your peculiar tastes.”
“Thanks Dan,” Luke called from the bedroom, as he hurried to get dressed, “Of course, it has to be brown sauce every day!”
Luke came over to Dan, and sat opposite him. Luke noticed a large brown package on the couch, in the lounge area.
“Are they the photos from Diana?” Luke asked, nodding towards the parcel.
“Yes. It’s all there but, trust me, you will want to eat first before you take a look.” Dan shook his head, “It is pretty gruesome stuff.”
Luke’s stomach grumbled, reminding him that he needed to eat and urging him to get on with it. He tore the corner off the brown sauce sachet, and squirted it liberally all over the bagel, before taking a big mouthful. It tasted so good. Dan was eating slowly, and seemed to over-labour each mouthful, chewing slowly. Dan smiled at Luke, and gave a little chuckle. Luke smiled back, but not knowing why.
“What you grinning at, Dan?” Luke said, enjoying this calm moment together; he imagined doing this every day, and smiled some more.
“You’ve got some sauce on your chin,” Dan said, pointing generally towards Luke’s square jawline.
Luke started rubbing in completely the wrong place.
“There. Is it off now?”
“No, it’s still there.” Dan said, subconsciously capturing this light moment in his mind, to replay later.
“Can you get it off for me please?”
Dan reached across, and gently rubbed the stain from Luke’s soft bristles; a tender moment, in tough times.
“There you go, messy!” Dan said, wiping his hand on a paper napkin.
They quickly finished off their food, and moved over to the couch to review the documentation which Diana had provided. Dan had already gone through it before he came to see Luke, so knew exactly what waited within. He had also ensured that his team had been sent electronic copies.
Now everyone was studying the recent victims of Pulcinella. All naked and unnaturally posed, perfectly still for the camera. There was no dignity afforded to the dead. Their once carefully hidden frames now involuntarily exposed to the intrusive world; small endowments, horrific scars, thin legs, large bellies, broken noses, hairy toes, seen by all. All so irrelevant in the scheme of things, and all paling into insignificance, unnoticed, when contrasted to the wounds now scarring their bodies.
Luke took out the photos, and started going through them. Dan looked on over his shoulder. So many corpses, all in glorious, high definition to reveal every last detail; with close-ups of the most macabre elements. So many lives extinguished in a calm and calculated manner, with few signs of any struggle or panic. Indeed, some of the dead would have looked almost peaceful if it were not for the black scorch marks on their temples where they had been electrocuted, or the cut marks, where some sharp steel had penetrated deep within.
They spent a good part of the day discussing, and listing, all the various forms of execution, looking for similarities or a pattern, but there was no singular commonality or discernible rationale in the choice; except, whether ripping, slitting, stabbing, slicing, shooting, spearing, shocking, or gassing, they were all effective in bringing about a quick death. The killer was not doing this for fun, or to torment and torture. He was ruthlessly efficient, and his only motive seemed to be to kill as many people as possible to garner maximum attention, to reproach humanity, and spread his nefarious preaching.
Other than the photographs, and a summary of the causes of death, there was no further information available at that time. Diana had told Dan that it would take a good while to receive any lab analyses but, again, she would let
him know as soon as she received any more news. All of the forensic work performed to-date had drawn blanks at every turn, so Dan was not hopeful.
The staff were all interviewed that day by local officers, to see if they knew anything, and also to check whether they had any ideas as to how the surveillance was offline and the guest room doors disabled. If it had not been for the previous murders, the staff may well have found themselves under closer scrutiny but Dan knew the likelihood of their involvement was minimal; this killer was too clever to defecate on their own doorstep. As expected, the interviews had revealed nothing out of the ordinary.
Dan checked in with headquarters. The team was reviewing hours and hours of historic footage from the hotel and surrounding areas to see whether there was any evidence that may be helpful to the investigation; but this was a tortuous task that was likely to prove unhelpful, as there was no giant red arrow hovering above the criminal to distinguish them from thousands of faces which, after prolonged viewing, easily blurred together into one analogous mass. The might of the computers might help with the process but they were not yet smart enough to spot a killer. There was nothing so far.
The team had, however, discovered a theatrical troupe which specialised in performing the almost extinct Commedia dell’Arte routines, from which Pulcinella birthed, but they were currently in Alaska, and all present and accounted for far-away from any crime scene. A brief excitement which had led to a dead-end.
Nothing new which could help them had come out of the day. It was like chasing a shadow. Dan felt exasperated, and really did not know what to do next. His head hurt, and he felt nauseous from the tormenting thoughts, coupled with the continuing pressure on him from Director Downton to actually make a breakthrough, and find the killer. This case was consuming his every waking moment, and could be his downfall if he was not careful. It could also bring down Luke, and that would be even worse for Dan.
There was nothing more that they could do today, while they awaited further news from Diana. It was getting late, and the night had drawn in already. They had been working on this case for months now, all day, every day, without any real respite. They needed a break, even if only for a couple of hours.
Dan searched on his smart phone for local movie houses. There was one only a couple of blocks away; an old-fashioned, retro-cinema playing classic films. It seemed that nowadays you had the massive multiplexes, playing all of the franchise blockbusters at top-dollar prices for an immersive experience, or quaint little cinemas playing old movies that cost them next-to-nothing to screen.
Dan thought that this could be just the distraction they could be looking for, although there was no choice in what they could see. Dan winced a little when he saw that ‘Dirty Dancing’ was showing; a personal favourite of his, but he was unsure how Luke would feel about a corny dance movie.
Happily, Luke had seemed genuinely delighted at the idea. His whole being immediately lit up, and he insisted that he didn’t mind what they went to see. Luke was happy just to get to escape reality for a short while.
“So, Dan,” Luke started, as soon as they were outside the hotel, “What is this movie we are going to see? I hope it isn’t a horror. I’m not sure that I could cope with that given everything that is going on around us.”
“Nope. No, horror. Although, I’m not sure what genre you like. You might find it equally as disturbing!” Dan laughed nervously, anxious about Luke’s reaction to the situation they found themselves in; going to see a romantic movie, just the two of them. It could have been a date.
“Well, I’ve never heard of this ‘Dirty Dancing’. Then again, song and dance movies wouldn’t normally be my first choice but, tonight, anything will do. It’s nice for us to get out, and forget about the world. I think my brain would have exploded if we stayed in that hotel any longer.”
“Ah, Luke,” Dan sighed, “It’s a classic. Maybe you are just too young. I can’t believe you haven’t seen it. I thought everyone had.”
“Well, not me! I prefer my action movies. Give me a decent car chase, and I’m in Heaven.”
Dan started to worry that this might be a mistake. Luke would sit bored throughout, and probably leave, disgusted, thinking it some trap to get into his affections. He might as well confess that he knew every line of the script, and shout out, “I’m gay, and have always loved Patrick Swayze.” At least that would be truthful and upfront.
“Look,” Dan began, “Even if it is not your genre, just think of it as brain candy. Nothing deep or serious, just a bit of fun. You can switch off and relax. And, I will buy you plenty of popcorn and ice cream.”
Luke smiled from ear-to-ear, “Now you’re talking, Dan. I’ll hold you to that! Oh, and maybe we can get some pick-and-mix, and a large soda?”
Luke spoke quickly like an excited child, and started to walk briskly in eager anticipation of the treats which lay ahead. Dan shook his head, and smiled. What was he thinking bringing Luke out to see this film? He really didn’t know.
“We don’t have to do this, you know.” Dan said, suddenly starting to get cold feet. “We could just grab a burger or something?”
“No, Dan. This is going to be great!” Luke said, approaching the ticket box.
The sign above them looked like something from the 1960’s, with a white lightboard, and horizontal black rails holding the red letters of the movie name in place; large bulbs illuminating the rectangular frame, and casting a soft glow on the main feature. It was so retro-cool that it could be new. Or maybe it was just very old, and kept in good condition. It was hard to say. Dan didn’t really care, he was just happy to see the gleam in Luke’s dark eyes as he stared up at it.
They bought an extra-large tub of caramel popcorn, and coupled it with the ‘mega-soda’; their hands looked so small set against the confectionary cartons, that they could have been in a land of giants.
The cinema screen was moderately sized, but there was no one else in the auditorium, so they sat right in the middle seats, with a perfect view, and no one else around to spoil the experience.
“Are these seats ok, Luke? Can you see alright from here?” Dan said, keen to ensure Luke was as comfortable as he could be. He felt instantly stupid when he realised what he had said. Of course, Luke could see ok. Dan had to tone down his eagerness to please. It was blindingly obvious.
“The seats are perfect, thank you, Dan.” Luke said softly, appreciating Dan’s concern, and resisting the opportunity to tease him. “Do you have everything you want?” Luke said, equally keen to make Dan happy.
“Yes, thanks Luke.” Dan was content just being there with Luke. He needed nothing more.
The lights dimmed slowly, and then there was deafening silence as they waited for the movie to start. No coughs, or loud movements from any crowd to help. Luke let out a little chuckle, breaking the awkward silence. Dan jokingly shushed him, and then laughed too.
It was not long before the music echoed loudly around the room; so many catchy tunes that would stick in their heads, and remain there for years to come.
Dan was envious of Luke seeing this movie for the first time; it was special to him but he could not recall the first time he had seen it.
It was the same as most important moments in your life, Dan thought, you don’t recognise or appreciate them while they are happening, and later you only have memories to take you back but the original magic is gone, and cannot be replicated, no matter how hard you try.
Still, it was always nice and comforting to see a familiar friend, and Dan felt instantly relaxed. His mind calmed, as he settled in for the film, next to Luke.
Dan watched Luke’s face out of the corner of his eye. In fact, Dan probably watched Luke more than the movie. He noticed that Luke was smiling throughout, and did not take his eyes away from the screen.
At one point, they both reached for the popcorn at the same time, and their fingers touched. It happened just as the on-screen couple became intimate for the first time. Dan pulled his hand away speed
ily, as though he had just received an electric shock. Luke just laughed but Dan was not sure why.
In the shadows, Dan noticed that Luke’s knee was so close to his that they were nearly touching. He let it linger there but resisted the temptation to move it nearer, hoping that Luke would take the lead. Dan’s breathing became shallow with anticipation but his expectation was left unrequited.
The constant closeness, without connection, was unbearable. Dan just wanted to let go, and touch Luke, but he knew that he must not do that. It could destroy their friendship, not to mention lead to his dismissal from the FBI, and a possible criminal prosecution against him. So, he held back his urges, and tried to reconnect with the movie.
At the end, Luke turned to Dan. He was smiling broadly.
“I loved it, Dan. I can see why it is a classic.” He chortled, “Mind you, I feel a bit sick from eating all of that popcorn.”
Dan looked at the empty bucket with astonishment. Although there were some golden corn puffs randomly scattered on the carpeted floor around them, having slipped through loose fingers, or dropped from over-piled handfuls, Luke had managed to get through the whole lot.
“I’m not surprised, Luke! Where do you put it all?”
Dan laughed, as Luke melodramatically groaned, and held on to his stomach with both hands, and gave it a jiggle. For the first time in months, neither Dan nor Luke thought about Pulcinella. They were happy in the moment, enjoying being together.
Dan leant against the wall, in the corner of the lobby, as Luke went to the toilet. He looked at his phone. Nothing.
Luke came out of the nearby door, and started strutting towards Dan, doing a little dance, wiggling his hips, moving his shoulders and head from side to side, and beckoning to him with his curling, index finger. Dan recognised the film finale.
“Nobody puts Assistant Director Dan in the corner.” Luke said, smirking, with a twinkle in his eye.
Dan blushed but was secretly delighted by this act. Luke did not want to embarrass Dan, and so immediately spoke to obviate any awkwardness.
