Capítulo 4: Chapter Four
As soon as Corbin stepped into the shower he was in Ivan's arms; strong and safe. Their lips battled for purchase and dominance behind their smiles. They made quick love, wasting no time with foreplay, the heat of the moment matching the heat of the shower water. Their bodies cooled with the water before washing bodies and hair and stepping out.
Ivan cooked a box of macaroni as a quick snack before finally curling up with one another in their shared bed before drifting off to sleep.
Three days later saw Ivan sitting at his desk going over the latest case file connected to the case that, in his career, has never disturbed him more.
The latest victim, a thirty-one-year-old male. His body was badly mutilated with deep lacerations across his abdomen, buttocks, penis and testicles. As he was flipping through the pictures the coroner had taken of the body, noticed something that looked familiar that was not present on the other victims' bodies, however the way in which each person was murdered, the bodily mutilations as well as a pendant gripped in each of their hands, as if placed there postmortem. The pendant was, in each case including this new one, St. Nicholas, the patron saint of whores.
What caught Ivan's attention on this particular photo was a tattoo. Ivan frowned as he studied it but didn't recall a photo of this tattoo in any other of the files.
He picked up his phone, dialing a number from memory. He listened, counting the rings on the other end. "Come on, damn it, answer." On the fifth ring someone answered. "Sam, hey, quick question on this case. The newest victim has a tattoo on his right hip. A long stem rose. Was that present on any of the others and photographic evidence wasn't taken, by chance?"
There was a pause before, "Not that I'm aware of. It wasn't mentioned before in the M.E.'s report. What's the significance? Think it's some kind of brand?"
Ivan's heart stammered at those words. "I'm not sure the significance yet. I was just double checking. Maybe you'd caught something I'd missed."
"Sorry, no. I saw the photos but I just figured it was a run-of-the-mill tattoo."
"Alright, thanks, Sam. I'll let you know if I come up with something." He disconnected the call and stared at the tattoo. It was a symbol he knew intimately. A churning in his gut told him something was amiss. But he had no idea what. "There's no way he's connected to this..." he said to himself. A quick search of this person had discovered him a startling coincidence. Ivan sighed. This couldn't be right.
When Ivan returned home he was greeted by Juno at the door; tail wagging and ears up. Corbin was sitting on the couch reading a Dean Koontz novel, his legs stretched along its length. He smiled at Ivan when he entered the living room, set his book aside and slid his feet to the floor.
"Hey, baby. You look tired. Rough day?" Ivan sat down next to him, scrubbing his hands over his face.
"Long. This case. It keeps throwing me curve balls." Ivan closed his eyes and sighed. "Cor...can I, um, can I ask you something?"
Corbin frowned. The hesitation in his voice scared him. "What?"
"The tattoo on your hip. Where did you get it?" Do you think it's some kinda brand? He did now.
"Why?" Ivan watched Corbin's face closely. His body. He began shifting, fidgeting his fingers nervously around one another.
"It's probably nothing. But off chance, do you know anyone by the name of Mark Franklin?"
At the name Corbin paled, though he schooled his expression quickly. "A long time ago."
"Corbin, he...he was killed last night."
Corbin closed his eyes inhaling a shaky breath. "How?
Ivan watched him. He was barely in control. "It's better you don't know the details. Did you get the tattoos together?"
A single tear rolled down his cheek as he nodded. "It was another lifetime. I...hadn't spoken to him in years. He...he was here? In Houston?"
Ivan wondered why the sudden panic that filled the question. "Yeah. You didn't know? I mean, when y'all split ways, it wasn't in Houston?"
Corbin shook his head. "No. We went to Austin when we...left San Antonio. Spent the weekend there. And on a Sunday night on sixth street after some drinks, we went our own ways. I never saw him again."
Ivan knew he was telling the truth. But he was also aware that the story he'd been told was the Reader's Digest version. He chose not to comment. Corbin had never been open about his past and Ivan didn't want to push too much, too fast. From experience he knew that would not have the hoped for results.
Ivan nodded. "I'm sorry, Cor. He seems to have meant something to you."
Corbin nodded. "He did. He...kept me alive." He said the last bit as if to himself.
Ivan frowned. "What do you mean?"
Corbin's eyes went to his hands that were clasping tightly to one another. "Ivan," Corbin said. He took a shaky breath as a tear fell from his eyes.
"Baby, I don't want to make you relive whatever it is you're running from, but if you knew him...what if you knew the others?"
"Others?" Corbin covered his face, slowly inhaling. Exhaling. Ivan didn't say anything. His detective brain reeling. "What others?"
"Corbin..." Ivan exhaled. He didn't like discussing his work with him. He tried protecting Corbin from that side of his work. He didn't know much about Corbin's past other than the conclusions he'd drawn with deductive reasoning over the years of their relationship, but knew it was bad, and didn't want him to hear all the bad things he dealt with on a daily basis.
"Ivan, please."
"If you want information, I need information in return. Can you do that?"
Corbin felt his heart break at not only Ivan's words but at the icy undertone in his voice. "Ivan. How can I tell you what I've been through? You'll never look at me the same. Nothing will be the same." Corbin hid his face in his hands, his body tense. Ivan could see he was shaking. He knew it wasn't fair of him to demand but it went further than them now. If Corbin held knowledge that could help stop this killer, he needed to know.
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder