Lexington, KY September 1997

      Scouring for unsolveds in other states is one way I spend my time, and I found that the newest invention, the World Wide Web made that easier.  

      My love for useless trivia gave me an idea that I wanted to investigate further.

      The internet can be a cesspool of porn, false prophets and politics, but can be beneficial for the police to share information. I came across a case in New York that peaked my interest. I knew one of the guys, albeit slightly, found his number and called. I wasn’t even sure he would remember me, or even answer the phone. He answered, and I reintroduced myself.

      “You remember me?”

      The laughter on the other end told me that he did. That was how I started a conversation with Joe Samuels. “Yes kid, I do. Are you still looking for the Loch Ness Monster?”

      “I was never looking for him Joe, ‘cause nobody has filed a missing person on him yet.”

      He laughed again. I didn’t ask him how his day was going. I didn’t ask him what cases he was working on. I hoped there would be time for that later. I asked him if there was a recent unsolved with a body found on the 18^th of last month.

      The laughter stopped.

      “The last time you called me kid, you asked me the same type of question. Do you have a helluva source, a brain tumor, or ESP?”

      “I don’t think I have any of those. Just working a hunch. So, was there?”

      After about thirty seconds of silence, he replied that yes, there was and briefly gave me some details. I asked him to send me all the information

he had. “Kid, call me back in a few days and tell me what you’re working on.”

      What was I was working on was an unsolved in Manhattan. I would of course find out that Cain was responsible.

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                                                   Manhattan New York

                                                         August 1997

      The victim’s name was Patrick McNeill. He had gone missing in the middle of winter. His body was found months later in the East River beside a Brooklyn pier.

McNeill was a 21-year-old Fordham University student. When last seen on the evening of February 16^th, 1997, it was at an uptown Manhattan bar called the Dapper Dog. The bar was a favorite by most of the local university because it favored frat-like atmosphere, loud music and free-flowing booze.

      Cain had briefly brought the body into his ship. “God, these apes stink.” He had jumped ahead those few months as part of the ever-widening game he was playing. Now, he had another way to laugh at them. He drew a smiley face onto McNeill’s thigh. That would be the only clue detectives would find. This would be the beginning of what would eventually come to be known as the ‘Smiley Face Serial Murders.’

      Detectives first thought that due to what they termed as lack of skin slippage, the body had not been in the water for months.

      The first detective on the scene was Joe Samuels. Samuels smoked too much, drank too much and was thirty pounds overweight. But he was the best detective in the five boroughs. “Look at this!” he said, talking to himself. “There is no discoloration! The lividity of the body is odd.” His voice changed, adopting the voice of his instructor ‘Nosy’ McGurt. ‘Lividity refers to the bluish-purple discoloration of skin after death. It is a common sign associated with livor mortis, one of the four post-mortem signs of death, along with pallor mortis, algor mortis, and rigor mortis.’ Samuels laughed.

      Cain was laughing also.

      This would be the first of many bodies assigned to the Smiley Face Killer.

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                                                       Quadrant 7

      Ian was lost in a past he didn’t remember.

      Even though he was in Quadrant 7, he was technically nowhere. This was one of the benefits of being in the Council of Light, they could stop time. The Gra brothers received most of their powers from the Ambassador. However, they received some as them as they achieve more power within the Council.

      To stop time, he just had to blink. He had discovered this power by accident. The first time he used it out of frustration with his brother’s rants. However, once he found it, it became his escape. Every day he would disappear. Sometimes just for a few minutes, sometimes he would be gone all day. His escape became the way he survive his present. Now he was using it to reconnect with his past.

      “The sons of Muah walk among us. Muah was the creator of the universe of evil.” QMark had changed from her official uniform of a bright red and muted gray dress into her preferred outfit of too large shorts and a wrap around top. “The ancient writings tell us that he created the heavens. Once completed, Muah realized he needed disciples. He created his seven sons. Although they are known by many names, their most common names are Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride.”

       He studied her. QMark’s face had a glow of happiness that was only there when she was with her kids. She had been crying. The beating today had been a bad one.

      “It was on the Day of Impenitence. The disciples were commanded to go forth. The writing tell how they scattered to every corner of the universe. They created others in their own image.”

      “And Muah saw it was good.”

      Ian didn’t realize he was crying.