AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“So we both do our own research,”Simon said. “I’ll look for potential victims who might fit the type the killeris describing. You see if you can find out more about that kind of design. Itmust mean something to the killer, so my guess is that it’s somethingastrological.”
There was so much astrology at theheart of this case that it seemed obvious that was the place to look foranswers. So, Amber did as Simon had suggested and started to look through astrologicalwebsites, trying to find more information. Specifically, trying to find anydesigns like the one the killer had left behind. Was this something he had madeup? Was it some kind of complex code that Amber simply couldn’t crack? Or wasthere another explanation for it?
Beside her, Amber could see Simonlooking increasingly frustrated as the minutes went by, although whether thatwas because Amber hadn’t found an answer or he couldn’t locate the mostprobable victim, Amber didn’t know.
“Okay, you’re right,” Simon said.“There are too many potential victims to know who the killer will target next.”
“Maybe we’re looking at it thewrong way,” Amber said. “Try looking at the first two victims again. See ifthere’s anyone connected to them who might fit the profile of the victim thekiller is looking for.”
Simon nodded. “It’s a potentiallygood thought. I’ll start with their social media and go from there.”
Amber was still looking foranything that might help her to identify the symbol on the killer’s message.Then, almost without warning, she saw the answer.
“I think I’ve found something,” shesaid.
“What have you found?” Simon asked.
“This wheel, it’s an astrologicalbirth chart,” Amber said. “I was looking for general information on astrologybefore, and there was some stuff written about birth charts, but until Iactually saw one, I had no way of knowing that was what the killer had drawn.”
"So, explain to me how a birthchart works?" Simon said, still scrolling through for any links betweenthe victims or to a potential third victim.
“I’m not an expert on any of ityet,” Amber said. “But I think it tracks the position of the stars in the nightsky on the day and hour of your birth, at a particular location, to givepredictions about you.”
“And that sounds a lot more precisethan just a general type to look for,” Simon said. “If we could find out thedate and time of someone’s birth, then we could narrow down the field ofpotential victims a lot. Maybe it could even lead us straight to them.”
“And we could be waiting when thekiller shows up,” Amber said. The prospect of that raised a note of hope inher. The only question was whether it would actually be possible. “I don’t knowif it’s possible to work back from a chart like this to that kind ofinformation,” she said. “And even if it is, that’s not something I can do. I’ma puzzler, not an astrologer.”
“So maybe we find an astrologer,”Simon said.
Amber paused for a second or two,thinking about all of the astrology-related symbols that had come up in thiscase so far. Thinking about the kind of skills it would have taken to produce achart like this.
“Maybe we do,” Amber said. “And notjust to ask them to interpret this chart for us.”
Simon looked over to her. “What areyou thinking?”
“I’m thinking that it presumablytook some level of skill to produce this chart,” Amber said. “Okay, maybe thatjust points to someone who’s obsessed enough to learn everything aboutastrology, but maybe it means we’re looking for an astrologer. Simon, we knowthat Katrina van Nuit was completely into astrology. What about Alice Chan. Isthere anything on her social media to suggest that she liked it?”
Simon nodded, turning his screen toAmber so that she could see a couple of social media posts that he’d pickedout. One talked about not being able to go to an event because the stars saidthat it would be bad luck. Another said simply: Always happiest in thewater; typical Aquarius. Scrolling through, Amber could see moreastrological references and symbols.
“So, do you think that Alice mightbe the kind of person to consult an astrologer?” Amber asked.
“Already on it,” Simon said,continuing to look through Alice’s social media profile. It was strange,sitting there for once while Simon was the one who did the research. Amber wasused to being the one who looked deep into cases, finding the details theyneeded. Now, though, she had to sit and wait until Simon finally looked up withan expression of triumph.
“I think I’ve found something. Therewas nothing in the main profile, but I started looking at locations Alice hadtagged herself in, and I found this place.”
He turned the phone around, showingAmber an image of a place that called itself the Inner Eye AstrologicalConsultancy.
Amber took the opportunity toquickly do some research on the business, delving into the public records heldon it to try to find out more about it. It didn’t take long to establish thatit was being run by Alonzo Star, birth name Alonzo Ruiz. Running that namethrough the FBI’s systems revealed a conviction a few years ago for the violentassault of an ex-girlfriend.
“So we have an astrologer with acriminal record, a history of violence and a connection to at least one of thevictims?” Simon said.
Amber nodded.
“He seems like a promisingsuspect,” Simon said.
“Possibly,” Amber replied. “At thevery least, he might be able to help us to interpret this birth chart.”
Amber knew that they needed to getto the Inner Eye Astrological Consultancy. Either they were about totalk to someone who could point them towards the next victim, or they wereabout to talk to the killer.
