Detective Sy Burnett now had his own Zodiac murder and it didn't make
him one bit happy. News of murder sites dotted about the globe and
marked by a picture of the zodiac sign for Capricorn had spread rapidly.
They had to be connected, but how?
In the next room lay his own particular and peculiar body still being
extracted from beneath an avalanche of volumes and a massive oak
bookcase. Who would want to kill a librarian and why leave that telltale
sign?
There was the Aussie found bound to a chair and choked to death on
Tim-tams; the midwestener with his head battered by an antique rail
splitter's axe found to have been stolen from a presidential museum; the
woman strangled by her favorite sock puppet; lovely Mary from New
England who had been smothered in a snowdrift. The ubiquitous symbol of
Capricorn and the statements of family and friends that each victim was
a mystery buff seemed to be the only links.
Burnett turned to the computer in the library office to search for
clues. A few minutes poking through files led to a mystery discussion
list with members calling themselves Rammers from the group name of rec
arts mystery. Not Capricorn, but Ram, Sy realized with a surge of
excitement.
Interesting reading, especially the list of members which included not
only the name of today's body but also those of the other victims. The
murderer had to be found here. Sy settled himself to read.
Serious discussions of authors and books plus lighthearted OT bantering
led him on and on until suddenly, threats appeared. "I'll have to kill
you" he read and then "going off to think up horrible and painful ways
to kill you". Sy leaned back with a satisfied smile. Without a doubt he
had discovered .........................................
the Author of Death.
Disclaimer: all persons, places and incidents are to be considered
purely fictional (except Mary who insisted on having her name used).
copyright Feb. 10, 2001 by
Piliki
reprinted with permission of the author
