People, Not Just Victims

Thanks to Elle giving him a new perspective, Gio's investigation was moving again. Which was why, he was up so early. Two hours before Elle got off work, Gio was looking over all the stuff he had on the killings, he had volunteered to pick her up, so he was killing time until he had to leave. He had pushed finding the new Red Don to the back, leaving only a few people on it. He was now looking at the victims as people, and not just seeing them as the body parts they had been found as in the end. Not all of the victims had been identified, but some had. 

From those few, Gio was looking into their life stories, looking for things that they had in common. If he could find that, then he would know how the Red Don chose who to kill.

"Anne Richards, 29, a school teacher who walked to and from work. No close family. Fake friends rather than real ones. She disappeared during summer vacation. Her disappearance only reported once she did not report for work," In the sad world they lived in, Gio was not surprised. But looking at the picture of the smiling red head, he could not help but feel bad for her. Being a good teacher required someone who gave more than they got back. And according to her students, she had been one of the good ones. 

"Matthew Pierce a recovering gambler. He had burned every bridge he had ever had. No one wanted to talk to him. From his former lovers, his ex-friends and family. Not even his mother was in contact with him," A life spent as waste of space. Then when he finally got himself together enough to try and change, someone decided cut his life short. Looking at the picture of the man with the charming smile, Gio could not help but wonder if he would have stuck to his change had he not been murdered so brutally.

"Lydia Danver a vet who did two tours. Her mind never the same after a landmine blew up her squad, leaving her as the only survivor. She had been on the streets almost immediately after returning home. Not talking to any family or friends," From watching her brothers and sisters in arms torn apart, to being torn to pieces herself. In the end all that had been found of Lieutenant Danver had been her empty torso. She was buried missing pieces just like the her comrades. From the enemy abroad to the enemy at home. There was just no escaping horrible people.

"Adam Cole, new to the streets. He had run away from an abusive mother, but those who knew him on the streets say he vanished within a week. They all assumed he had either moved on or gone back home," Gio was not a good person, that much he knew. He ran a criminal organisation for crying out loud. But even he had areas he would not tread. To scoop the eyes out of a twelve year old's head and then decapitate them. That was a form of evil not even he dared to think about.

There were more and more files to go through. The longer, Gio went through them, the more apparent the pattern he had been looking for became. At first it was confusing. They were different people, from different walks of life. All of them at different stages of life, going through different things.

But at their core they were the same.

Lost souls.

The people the world forgot about. Easy to just pluck from among the masses and no one would even notice. That was why the killer had been so successful. They were doing what his uncle had done in the past but better. His uncle had gone for prostitutes, the homeless and drug addicts exclusively. That was any easy enough trail to follow. 

But this new person was going after everyone. Rich, poor, homeless, young, old, it did not matter. If it would take a while for your disappearance to be noticed, then you were fair game.

Adding a layer of cunning to their cold blooded kills, they had included the occult. As far as Gio could tell, that was just to throw off investigators. The whole circular arrangement of body parts from different victims nothing more than a distraction to send the police on a wild goose chase.

What was not a distraction however was the red card. That was not meant as a way of throwing people off. It was a statement, an indirect way of taking ownership for their deeds.

Enlarging the picture on the screen. Gio cursed the fact that the case was too high profile for his people to steal evidence without being noticed.

He was just about to shut his laptop in frustration when he saw something. There was a cut on the bottom half of each of the cards. A tiny thing, easy to dismiss since it had been determined that the cuts were made by hand. But Gio knew someone who made cards like that. 

It was not a mistake, but a signature. 

The sign of an old man proud of his work even if no one ever noticed. Gio recognized old man Giorgio's work. How could he not, his grandfather had used the man's services a lot. Be it in congratulations gift or in threats, his grandfather had always said the cards made all the difference.

But Giorgio had been retired for years, why would he suddenly be designing cards for a killer.

Dread pooled in his veins making it hard to think, but Gio pushed it away. He ordered his men to get ready, the promise he had made to Elle, to be the one to pick her up from work long forgotten.

It would have been strange to have too many cars pull up in front of a old man's house. So Gio made his people stand back, parking around the neighbourhood while Big L stopped in front of the old's house.

Given the early hour no one was up yet. The sound of dogs barking and sprinklers going off the only thing to be heard. The little suburb Giorgio had chosen to retire in was so domestic it made Gio's teeth ache.

He walked onto the porch, trying very hard not to judge the old man for the sheer number of flower pots on it, every one needed a hobby. Gio rang the doorbell once, the a second time. When that did not work he switched to knocking. He was just contemplating whether he should knock or just pick the lock when the camera by the door beeped. Seconds later the light in the living room came on.

"I'm coming, I'm coming. Hold your horses," Came from somewhere deep in the house. Knowing Giorgio it would take him at least ten minutes to get to the door.

It was a pain, but he happy the old man was alright, he had been worried something awful had happened to him.

Feeling his phone vibrate in his jeans he grabbed it and let out a curse. Elle's name was on the screen. He had forgotten to pick her up. So new into being in an actual relationship and he was already messing. Taking a deep breath he picked up.

"Hello, cara mia," He hoped the term of endearment would save him, but she still sounded annoyed.

"Hello, to you too Gio, where are you. I have been waiting for twenty minutes. The guards you assigned me are starting to get antsy," Should he lie? No. That would just make a bad situation worse. A night on the couch could become a month of no sex, he could not risk such a dire consequence.

"Well about that," He got off the porch, walking towards Big L even as he waved the other man over. With any luck, if he sent him to pick up Elle while he talked with Giorgio she would be more understanding. If he suggested she go with her guards she might just kill him through the phone.

"You are still coming, aren't you Gio?" She asked and he bit his lip.

"About that--" The sound of a door opening had him looking back.

Giorgio stood at his door, his cane held in his wrinkled hand. Seeing Gio in the yard he glared, raising the wooden stick.

Gio could not help the smile that split his face as he called out, "If you say you darn kid, you'll just be exposing your age old man!" The cane lowered, but the glare intensified. People who treated Gio as just Gio were few and far between, it was refreshing.

"What are you doing here so early you--" Maybe Giorgio said more after that, maybe he did not. Gio did not know, in the second that followed, none of that mattered.

All that mattered was wave of heat that took Gio off his feet. Sending him flying, his head meeting the ground with a hard thwack that had the world going black for several long moments. When his vision returned again it was to the sight of Big L standing over him. His mouth moving, with no sound to accompany the movement.

What—

What had happened?

He turned his aching head to the side, blood running down the side of his face, and there, next to his head, was his phone, the screen cracked, the call with Elle still connected.

Elle!

Was she okay?! He had to get to her. He tried to rise but Big L was holding him down, his lips moving rapidly now, saying things Gio could not hear. But Gio did not care, Elle, he had to get to Elle. Where was Elle? Why did his head hurt so much? Why was everything going dark at the edges?

Elle? He thought he said her name, but he was not sure, the last of his strength fading. The dark swallowed him, with Gio fighting it every step of the way, terrified that if he closed his eyes he would never open them again.