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“Post Tenebrus Lux,” he said, sighing.
Valerie turned and looked at Will with a smile. “All those years stuck in dusty libraries doing research finally paid off. But what does it mean, do you know?”
“It’s Latin,” Will replied.
A loud clap of thunder shook the plane as a bright blue flash outside lit up the inside of the carriage momentarily. A passenger cried out and several more whispered worries to each other.
Will had those worries, too, but the only way to fight them was to focus on those words on the dead woman’s wrist.
“Post Tenebrus Luxis from the Bible,” he said, padding his forehead with a handkerchief. “From the book of Job, I believe.”
“Would you stop pussy footing around, Doc,” Charlie said, yawning and sitting up straight.
“I thought you were asleep?” Will asked.
“Even I don’t like this storm.”
Those words scared Will a little. Charlie was always so even keeled, but if the shuddering of the aircraft was of concern to a military veteran and top hunter of fugitives in the FBI, that didn’t set Will at ease at all.
“But I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Charlie added unconvincingly. “Does this Latin tattoo tell us anything useful?”
“Well,” Will began, quietly so the passengers around them couldn’t hear, “it tells us one thing about the third victim and perhaps suggests something about the other two. But this is speculative of course.”
“What does it tell us?” Valerie asked, eagerly.
“The first thing is that this victim was most probably devoutly spiritual due to that specific inscription. Secondly, the tattoo may point to a religious connection with the other victims. The killer might have some sort of anti-religion motivation.”
“It’s not unheard of,” Charlie offered. “We’ve seen atheist serial killers before, though being religious or non-religious doesn’t make you any more likely to become one.”
“Quite right,” Will agreed. “It’s far more today with childhood trauma more often than not.”
“It’s a good start,” Valerie said, her face lit up for the briefest of seconds by a flash of lightning. “But the killer could be interested in any number of things about these victims. Let’s see if the victims are all devoutly religious.”
“A lot of people might go to church in that part of Kansas,” Charlie observed. “That doesn’t mean it’s the reason our perp kills his victims. The religion angle could just be a coincidence.”
“True,” Will said, thoughtfully, looking at the photograph of the victim’s bound hands again. “But this tattoo, there’s something about it. Something more compelling than that, and it could complicate things.”
“Why is that?” asked Charlie.
“Post Tenebrus Luxroughly translates as ‘light after darkness’,” Will explained. “Our victim could have undergone substantial trauma in her own life, and this motto was a way to pass through that. Sometimes killers and victims cross paths because of a shared trauma.”
“Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain speaking,” a voice interrupted over the speakers. “Apologies for the difficult weather, it wasn’t on our forecast, but we will be making our approach into Turnberry Airport in about ten minutes, so please fasten your seat belts as the descent may get a little bumpy.”
Another loud flash lit up the craft interior in a momentary neon blue, followed swiftly by an almost deafening thunderous roar.
Will felt his hands instinctively grip the seat rests around him.
“It’s okay,” Valerie said. “We’ll be on the ground in no time.”
“Whether in one piece or not, that’s the question,” Charlie said with a grin.
“Do I have to sit next to him?” Will said to Valerie.
“It’s like traveling with a couple of children,” Valerie whispered, shaking her head.
Charlie leaned over and patted Will on the arm. “Sorry, Will. You know I’m only playing. Seriously, I’ve been in much worse weather than this during a flight. We’ll be fine.”
“Post Tenebrus Lux,” Will whispered under his breath. “We could all use a little light after the darkness. I’ll be glad when we’ve landed.”
