Months passed and once more there was no more sign of The Ripper. It was as if he had just vanished once again but few thought it would become permanent. Christmas was now fast approaching.
Usually, it was a time of year not relished by Sean but this year was different, and Laura was that difference. Her enthusiasm and exuberance gradually rubbed off on him and he found himself looking forward even if he knew it meant getting her an expensive present.
He would be spending the day at her mother’s house. Laura had assured him that she was an excellent cook. Her father had died two years previously and didn’t want her Mum spending the day alone. In any event, she lived in Navan, so it wouldn’t be much of a drive in any event. He wondered what her Mum thought of her daughter dating someone in a wheelchair.
In the intervening period, Sean’s notoriety within the force had grown immeasurably. He was now considered somewhat of an expert on the behavioral science of homicide and had found himself being called out to multiple murder scenes to give his opinion. It didn’t matter if the scene was up a flight of stairs, his fellow Gardai were happy to lift him and his wheelchair up.
It was assumed that because he had voluntarily gone to see one of The Ripper’s slayings, that there was nothing that could phase him. But that wasn’t totally true and he found himself having sleepless after visiting one particularly gruesome scene. Though the Garda who found it first had to retire afterward.
He had moved office as a result and was now playing a central role in the new Garda Behavioral Unit. The central focus was still the hunt for The Ripper, but it also encompassed much more than that with three Gardai now under him and at his disposal. In truth, he wasn’t quite sure what he thought of that as he had never seen himself as a boss or manager. At times, he felt awkward giving orders and being responsible for discipline but he persevered. He was also very lucky with the young Gardai who had been top of their class, that were allocated to him. They were eager to learn everything they could from him and hung on his every word, so unlike him during his early years. They also worked ferociously; Sean was almost always the first one to head home at the end of the day. But he did find himself wondering if they would have the required grit for what lay ahead.
For instance, Sean already had to visit a crime scene where a man with very severe mental health issues decided to attack and kill his roommate for no particular reason whatsoever. There had been no disagreement, nothing to cause the frenzy of stabbing. Then he decided it would be a good idea to cut up his victim to examine his heart and brain whilst smearing the walls with blood. Nothing can prepare one to witness such things.
But as cases go, it was an open and shut case. He said that voices told him to do it. There was no need for a court case, it was straight to the Central Mental Hospital for him, where almost certainly he would reside for the rest of his days.
That was the worst he had come across; the rest were more palpable. The young woman stabbed violently by her jealous boyfriend and the old homeless man kicked to death for a few laughs amongst others. Sean could compartmentalize all these murders without difficulty.
But still every night, it was The Ripper that he thought about last at night. He wondered where he was now and what he was up to. His instinct told him that he had returned and it was only a matter of time before his next atrocity. He hoped that his fellow officers wouldn’t end up with their own Ripper to torment their nights.
There was one other thing that bothered him too and it was the thought of the work Christmas party. It was scheduled for the week prior to the big day itself. Strangely this used to be the only thing he liked about this time of year but this would be the first year that he would be going coupled up. Nobody else would know that though and they had decided they would arrive at different times, but still, he worried he might get drunk and snap if he saw someone chatting her up. Still, they both had to go, not showing up was not an option as their colleagues would not be impressed.
Some decorations had been put up around the station by now, save for the public areas. They couldn’t allow the ordinary criminal to think they were going soft but behind closed doors, there was a bit of a buzz. It was a pleasant distraction from what seemed his ever-increasing workload.
Ireland as a country loves to do Christmas. Whether it’s the round the clock of ads on television with a Christmas theme, the office Christmas party or the street lights you’ll always know it’s that special time of year. On the day itself, the country literally comes to a halt. It is a religious or family day, like it or not. Some Irish people find it strange when they visit other countries and the day is barely marked. Maybe you need long nights with dreary weather to really appreciate the celebration.
Sean need not have worried about the party. It passed by without incident. Sean behaved impeccably not even having much to drink. It was all so different than his old life, at times he almost felt nostalgic. The old him would have spent the night trying to get drunk and get laid. Of course, that life was far easier when he didn’t have to rely on a wheelchair. Whereas once as midnight approached, he would have gone looking for ladies to occupy him for the night; he now found himself hemmed into a corner forced to chat with those closest to him. Fortunately, he was quite content with this knowing that Laura awaited him that night.
She didn’t know, but he had bought an engagement ring the day before. Yes, it was fast but he was certain that she was the girl for him so there was no need to wait. Furthermore, she had hinted at times that it was what she was hoping for. As they would lay in bed at night, she would instigate conversations about their future lives together and how they could still have children together. These were the type of conversations that Sean thought would never happen to him in the days after his accident.
He was planning to do it Christmas Day after dinner; it would be perfect. Hopefully, she would say “yes” and then they could celebrate with her Mum. If things went badly, he could drive back to his own house to rethink everything. But he was optimistic that things would go well.
As the day grew closer, Sean found himself growing more and more nervous, and unsure if he was doing the right thing. But all he had to do was think how much his life had improved because of her and it refilled him with a steely determination.
So, it was that he found himself at Laura’s Mum’s house on a crisp Christmas morning with a ring in his pocket. Both women gave him a warm hug on his arrival. He had only met his Mum, a petit old woman with flowing gray hair once before and he was glad he was already being welcomed as a member of the family. It was hopefully a positive sign for the rest of the day.
He went into the sitting room to watch tv while they continued preparing the dinner. Then just as Laura came in to offer him a cup of tea, his mobile phone rang. This was most unexpected and he answered it immediately. It was the dreaded news he feared, The Ripper had struck again and he was expected at the crime scene as soon as possible.
He knew from Laura’s shocked facial expression that she knew what had happened. She told him that she would keep some food for him for later as he wheeled himself out to the car. Sean grimaced as he thought about how The Ripper had spoiled his big day. But there was nothing for it but to see his latest handiwork. All he knew was that the latest attack happened on the outskirts of Swords from the GPS coordinates he had been given, which would take about fifty minutes to reach. During the drive, he began to fear what he was heading to. This was almost certainly going to ruin the day for the whole country.
It took what seemed an age to reach there. The house, a large two-story mansion surrounded by a formidably tall wall had already been cordoned off. Sean drove down the long driveway through an opened electronic gate, this would have been the last place that he would have expected that The Ripper to target. Garda Cummins, one of his subordinates was there waiting outside for him.
As Sean got out of the car and into his wheelchair Garda Cummins tried to speak but couldn’t. Sean looked up and saw not a Garda but a broken man with pale, sickly face and tears rolling down his face. For most people, there is only so much grisliness the mind can take, so Sean told him that he would go in alone once he saw there was no step in the front door.
As Sean entered the house the first thing he saw, was a large majestic Christmas tree adorning the central hall, full of decorations with numerous presents laying unopened underneath. It stood in stark contrast to the horrendous scene just a few feet away in the dining room.
It was another family annihilation. Sean tried to numb his mind before entering the scene but to only limited avail. It is impossible to inoculate oneself against such a stomach-churning scene. The scene was eerily similar to the last family attack.
A male in his forties and presumably his two sons, not yet teenagers tied to chairs with their throats slit. The blood had flowed from their necks and into a puddle that was just a few feet from the woman who bore the greatest savagery. Her naked, battered and mutilated body bore all the hallmarks of The Ripper. Sean felt incredible disgust, the horrific scene with the joyous decorations, it was as if hell itself had been to visit.
Nevertheless, Sean knew he had to steel himself for what lay ahead. The family deserved justice and he was probably the only one that could deliver it. Yes, the scene was similar to previous murders but also very different. Something had irked The Ripper and he hadn’t chosen as soft a target. This time he had attacked an upper-class urban area. There were likely to be CCTV cameras everywhere.
Sean immediately took control of the situation and set up Garda teams to go house to house and to talk to people in the neighborhood to see if they had seen anything suspicious.
It wasn’t long before Sean’s suspicions were proved correct. For the first time, The Ripper had left valuable evidence behind. Part of the attack had been captured on CCTV from the house on the opposite side of the street. For the first time, after many years he had been caught on camera.
It showed that the previous night The Ripper already wearing his ski-mask and black clothes had easily managed to scale the wall, a formidable athletic feat. Several Gardai would try it the next day but only one came close to accomplishing it. As suspected, The Ripper was a very fit, athletic and agile man. He simply opened the electronic gate on the way out as it still remained.
Unfortunately, The Ripper had destroyed the CCTV recording at the victims’ house, although given that he was already in full regalia it may not have provided more clues in any event. There was more surveillance gleaned further down the street showing him walking on the footpath towards the house. Irritating though, he appears out of a small park where none of the cameras catch him.
Over the following days, one of the largest funerals ever to be held in Ireland occurred on a damp, miserable day as all the victims of the latest atrocity were laid to rest in a joint ceremony. Sadness pervaded the city and disillusionment grew about the effectiveness of the Gardai. Sean and Laura attend, Sean all the time trying to keep an eye out for suspicious mourners. He knew from the FBI materials that he read that serial killers often attended such events in order to glory in their actions. Laura told him to relax, that there were too many people and anyway, the whole thing was being recorded from afar in any event. Later, Sean would spend hours poring over the videos but to no avail.
The investigation now felt very personal. Sean was beginning to feel like he knew all the victims personally; he had spent so long looking at their photos and reading about them. For instance, the latest victims were a banker, his much younger wife, and children. Their oldest son suffered greatly from dyslexia but had started making good progress at school. That was all for naught now. As Sean saw the coffins in the distance, he thought of the battered and mutilated bodies he had seen. Sometimes, it was all too much as tears rolled down his face. In that, he was similar to most people at the time, broken and terrified; wishing the nightmare would finally come to an end.
Then for a split-second, Sean thought he saw something as he glanced up and away from the casket being lowered. It was fleeting and in the far distance as the burial of the youngest and final child was taking place. Later, he would check the CCTV for that location but it was obscured by a large oak tree. Perhaps, it was nothing, just his mind playing tricks on him. Perhaps, it was something and a missed opportunity.
Over the next few weeks, the pressure on Sean grew more and more intense. The country as a whole no longer cared about drugs, sex slavery, robberies or even crime generally. Nobody talked about homelessness or hospital waiting lists anymore. There was only one topic of conversation – The Ripper.
Parents would complain about their children being terrified and wetting their beds; teenagers and young adults stopped venturing outside and the elderly tried to stay awake all night. He had already captivated the country but now, true to his name, it seemed he might rip it apart too. Where once there had been marches, now there were protests; the largest of which was held in front of the Dail.
It was having a major effect on Sean. It had been a long time since he had a full night’s sleep but now it was the overwhelming pressure to find a breakthrough, or at least have something meaningful to say at the next meeting rather than just the nightmares that made it impossible for his eyes to remain closed throughout the night.
He was also starting to argue with Laura each night. He knew that none of this was her fault, but it seemed now even the most minor of things would set him off. This fact made him feel even worse about himself. All he knew was that he now dreaded the thought of life without her and he couldn’t risk losing her like he had lost Aimee no matter what. So, then thoughts of just quitting the force entered his head. Perhaps they could just both sell up and go live on some quiet Caribbean island and never have to hear tell of The Irish Ripper again.
It was while he was daydreaming of that island that he got a call from Jim in England. It was a call that would change things utterly.
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