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Chapter 25 - Taste of Forbidden Fruit
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2024-10-29 19:42:56As Esther pulled off her shoes and jacket, leaving them in the hall, she went to the bathroom for a moment to wash her hands and face. Then she stopped in the kitchen, taking a packet of chips from the cupboard. Esther didn't feel like making herself dinner, so that would have to be enough. With a packet of chips in her hand, Esther headed for her bedroom, where she sat on the bed, opening the packet and eating a few handfuls while her eyes focused on the laptop on the desk. Finally, Esther set aside the packet of chips as she slid off the bed, then went to the desk and sat down on the chair next to it. She turned on the laptop, immediately typing in her private e-mail box address, but didn't check it out right away. First, in subsequent browser tabs, Esther opened forums and pages about paranormal phenomena, where in threads she asked others for more info on the legend of the 'Scarlet Angels'. Unfortunately, she was disappointed because the small number of people who replied to her
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The Scarlet Angels Chapter 26 - Running Into Safety
Upon returning from work, Leo had taken a shower, had dinner, watched a movie, a few entertainment programs, and was just sitting on the couch flipping channels. He felt that even if went into the bedroom and lay down on the bed, he still wouldn't be able to fall sleep even for five minutes. Leo was worried about Esther all the time and cursed himself that the 'Mad Dog' case wasn't quite finished yet. Of course, maybe strictly for them as detectives, yes, after all they closed the case by catching Laurens Vermeulen and proving that he was the murderer, but they still had to face trials. Even if the hearing of both of them could fit in one day, both he and Esther would surely follow the course of events. They put so much effort into this whole investigation, finally caught this psycho personally and wanted him to get the appropriate punishment, so they could testify more if necessary, so that 'Mad Dog' won't be treated indulgently for any reason. Maybe Laurens Vermeulen had a difficu
The Scarlet Angels Chapter 27: Esther's Diary (Page 11 to 12)
On October 2nd, me and Leo managed to complete rest of the files and send them to the court. On that day, we also learned that the first hearing will be held on October 6, that we are both likely to be questioned at this hearing, and on top of that we heard a rumor about who became the defender of 'Mad Dog' and what line of defense he chose for his client.Alair Taylor - I knew this name very well and his line of defense made me a little panicked especially after the dream I had before. I knew very well that this lawyer had a somewhat scandalous, at least for the general public, worldview on crimes committed by people who had traumatic experiences in their childhood. In general, the point is that, according to him, people who are driven to crime by suffering in childhood should not be punished as severely as unemotional psychopaths, who commit crimes deliberately, without a specific motive or simply for fun. While partially this guy is kind of right, I don't think
The Scarlet Angels Chapter 28: Esther's Diary (Page 13)
And that's when it started. I heard something like a thousand whispers that sat in my head and pounded inside mercilessly like a flock of butterflies, or rather moths, not letting me write anything calmly. I grabbed my head and then heard more exactly what they were saying. "Stop", "Don't do it", "Turn back from this path", "Turn back while it's not too late"... and many similar sentences. My head hurt more and more, so I couldn't focus on listening or doing anything else. Then suddenly my laptop turned off, followed by all the lights in the whole apartment. My bedroom door was ajar so I could see the light in the living room, that I left on, turns off at the same time as the light in the bedroom. At the same time, the whispers in my head ceased, and I sat like that for several minutes in the dark, listening, but there was complete silence in the apartment. Even from the street there were no sounds, though there were some usually, even at this late hour, and when I looked at th
The Scarlet Angels Chapter 29 - Short Escape From Nightmare
The next day, on October 3rd, Leo woke up early in the morning, way before the time to get up. It was Saturday, but for him and Esther, no weekend was really free, unless they had a pre-arranged day off, but even then they had to keep their phones turned on, ready to be called to the police station at any moment. They had a day off on Sunday this week, and Leo thought to himself that he should take Esther out of town somewhere so she could rest for a while, and he prayed that nothing would happen on Sunday, so there would be no phone calls from the police station.Leo got up and sat on the couch, slightly rolling the blanket. His neck ached, so he massaged it while looking at the clock on the wall. Leo had about two more hours until they needed to leave to work, so decided to slowly get up and make breakfast for him and Esther. He wasn't some very talented cook, but could make very tasty cheese toast and pretty good scrambled eggs and bacon. Plus, Leo set the carton of orange j
The Scarlet Angels Chapter 30 - Infection Of Mind
On October 5th, 2020, the day before the first court hearing in the case of Laurens Vermeulen aka 'Mad Dog', Esther and Leo were at work dealing with the next investigation. It was much simpler and they were actually at the stage of interrogating the main suspect and waiting for the lab results to confirm the collected evidence. Overall, the day went by without any major complications, one could say it was quite boring.In the late evening, when they were standing nearby the coffee machine, drinking from the paper cups, it hadn't escaped Leo's attention that Esther looked tired again that day, which in turn made him worry again. Apparently, one day of rest was not enough. Additionally, when they received confirmation that he and Esther would be questioned at the hearing tomorrow, she seemed very nervous. Leo wanted to lighten the atmosphere by joking around, but he didn't quite succeed. For one thing, since he was an introvert, his jokes came out rather awkward. Secondly, Esthe
The Scarlet Angels Chapter 31: Esther's Diary (Page 15 to 16)
On October 3rd, after breakfast, Leo and I went to work and during the break he suggested a trip on Sunday, because we had a day off then. Of course, we needed to have our phone on anyway, and be ready for an emergency, but Leo hoped luck would be on our side this weekend. I agreed without hesitation, as I was still afraid to go home. So I suggested we go right after work, and Leo said yes. Of course, I had to pop into my apartment for a moment anyway to pick up some essentials, but I hoped it wouldn't be too bad. Unfortunately, in this case, the saying that hope is the mother of the fools has proved to be true.I parked my car in front of the block and walked slowly up the stairs. When I stood in front of my apartment door, key in hand, I didn't move a muscle for about five minutes and listened, hesitating to open it. Then I got a text from Leo saying he was on the way to my place, so I had to open the door. I walked in quickly, switching on the light and it was thankfull
The Scarlet Angels Chapter 32 - In The Court
On October 6th, 2020, finally the first hearing in the case of multiple murder with particular cruelty against Laurens Vermeulen aka 'Mad Dog' took place. Leo and Esther arrived at the courthouse about fifteen minutes before the trial began. Less than five minutes later, Alair Taylor, Laurens Vermeulen's public defender, arrived at the door of the courtroom where the hearing was to be held.- Hello.- he said to both of them, with a smile on his face that seemed sincere.- My name is Alair Taylor, I am the public defender attorney of Mr. Laurens Vermeulen.- the man introduced himself.- You are, I suppose, the detectives who dealt with his case, aren't you?- he asked at the end.- Yes, that's right.- Leo answered first, with a serious expression on his face.- I'm Leopold Evans, Detective Inspector in Criminal Investigation Department of the South Wales Police police in Cardiff. And this is Detective Esther Moore, my partner.- he introduced them one by one, and when pointed to
The Scarlet Angels Chapter 33 - Laurens Vermeulen Testimony
- Please, tell me exactly what happened in that apartament before you were arrested...- Alair Taylor spoke up when it was his time to question.- Objection! Your Honor, these circumstances have already been described before.- interjected the Prosecutor, a tall, broad-shouldered man with black eyes and hair, with a tanned complexion, looking just like a 45-years-old he was.- Your honor, the prosecutor didn't let me finish my question.- Alair explained calmly.- I dismiss the objection.- the judge, a thin gray-haired man with a beard and mustache, pale skin full of wrinkles, turned to the prosecutor, then to the defender.- Please continue, Mr. Taylor.- he added.- So Mr. Vermeulen, what exactly happened before the police arrived at the apartment? Why were you screaming? Someone attacked you? Please tell us exactly and honestly. I remind you that you are under an oath.- Alair turned to the accused again.- Well...- Laurens began hesitantly.- When I wanted to c
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The Scarlet Angels ~Epilogue: Part 2~
Leo, after reading Esther's diary, didn't know what to think about it all. He sat down on the edge of her bed, resting the notebook on his lap. If he would take her words seriously, especially from one of the last entries, it seems that Esther's grandmother, Eloise Moore, might be right. However, this did not convinced Leo's skeptical mind. Less important now was what was putting Esther in danger, for even if it existed, now probably wouldn't be able to find her since she disappeared. However, Leo still wanted to know what exactly had happened and where Esther was now. And what was he able to do to contact her in some way... But on the other hand, if all of this, by some miracle, was true, what could he possibly do to find out what happened and how to contact Esther? Therefore, the more he wanted to reject this version of events, because it took away his opportunities, and he really wanted to find her, to see her one last time, even if it was in a coffin.He finally got up, clo
The Scarlet Angels ~Epilogue: Part 1~
Esther slowly regained consciousness, feeling some very bright and warm white light around her. It was an extremely strange feeling, besides, it felt as if she was lying on an extremely soft mattress, pillow and and was covered with an equally soft duvet.- Esther, wake up.- she heard a woman's voice nearby, and then opened her eyes fully, realizing she was lying on a bed of some sort. Esther got up, sitting down, and looked to the side, noticing that on the chair near the bed there was sitting a tall, slim woman with blonde hair, pale complexion and dark blue eyes without pupils, then she also saw two huge scarlet wings. She was similar to the figure on the Laurens Vermeulen's drawing, but her facial features were a little bit different.- You know who I am, don't you?- the woman asked calmly, and contrary to what Esther saw in her dream, she was moving her lips while talking.- Yes... I mean, I think so.- replied Esther, looking at the female angel uncertainly.- You
The Scarlet Angels Chapter 47 - The Last Entry: Esther's Diary (Page 21)
Today, on November 20, when I write all this words, I was supposed to go to work normally, the more that Leo wanted to participate in the 'Mad Dog' trial as an observer, and the Chief agreed that he would be late for work only on condition that I would be on the station, alone for a few hours, taking care of the work for both of us. Unfortunately, not only did I have nightmares full of some devilish creatures at night, but also woke up in the morning with a terrible headache. My head felt like it was about to explode and no pills helped me, I also felt terribly tired, as if someone had sucked all my energy out of me. Therefore, I was forced to call the station and take a day off, and even added that I might have to go to the doctor and take a sick leave, because I seriously thought about it. Then I silenced my phone completely, leaving it on the table in the living room. I didn't want anyone to disturb me, besides the noises only made my headache worse.
The Scarlet Angels Chapter 46 - The Last Entry: Esther's Diary (Page 20)
After an argument with Leo, being at home became a bigger nightmare. It was only in the last week of vacation that I finally managed to go to my mother and grandmother in Penarth, and to this day I regret that did not go to them right after returning from a week's vacation near the Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve, because it was only in my family home that everything seemed get back to normal. There were no more whispers, no shadows seen in the corner of my bedroom at night, no nightmares. When it was time to go back to Cardiff, I didn't want to get on the train. I chose this type of transport because while leaving home I didn't feel strong enough to drive a car.When I was back in my apartment, I immediately felt the dark atmosphere that had been with me from the moment I entered that search engine again, trying to find this website about 'Scarlet Angels' and a user 'the_scarlet_truth'. I started to seriously think that maybe this was all some kind of punishment for messing
The Scarlet Angels Chapter 45 - Desperation
From November 20th, when Leo reported Esther's disappearance, until the end of December 2020 there was an investigation into the case, and although the Chief transferred the case to other detectives, Leo was still conducting a private investigation on his own. It irritated him that his colleagues could not find any clues and answer the question of what happened in Esther's apartment that night, and most importantly, where she was now and whether she was still alive or not. However, the case was extremely difficult to solve, as the locked door and the keys being in the apartment prevented anyone from entering, also no fingerprints were found except Esther's and Leo's. The detectives for a moment admitted the possibility that Leo could have had done something to Esther, but the time between him finishing his work and when he called the station was too short and made it impossible for him to do something and then get rid of any traces, including the body. Besides, everyone knew that Le
The Scarlet Angels Chapter 44 - Disappearance: Part 2
When Leo went to the police station, he found out that Esther had called the Chief of Police and said she was feeling unwell and could not turn up for work today. Unable to take it out on her, the police chief spilled his frustrations on Leo, telling him to speak to Esther about it. Leo agreed, of course, and as soon as he got to the office he called Esther, but she didn't answer. It worried him a lot, but he tried to explain to himself that maybe Esther just needed some peace, she was feeling bad after all, right? That's why she took the day off, reportedly even mentioned going to the doctor, so it must have been serious. Unfortunately, Leo became even more worried about that, and he couldn't concentrate properly on his work, and he had twice as much today because had to do Esther's part too. In addition, every now and then someone came to the office and asked him about the court case he was in, even though the media was already dealing with this topic everywhere. That's why Leo re
The Scarlet Angels Chapter 43 - Disappearance: Part 1
Esther woke up in the morning with a huge headache. She had the impression that her head was about to burst, and the pills she took were not helping at all. Esther also felt terribly weakened and saw in the mirror that was terribly pale and had huge dark circles under her eyes. She knew very well that today Leo wanted to appear in court on the 'Mad Dog' trial as an observer, and Esther promised the Chief that she would show up at work so that he would calmly let Leo be a bit late. Unfortunately, Esther felt terrible and knew she couldn't even get dressed, let alone drive or focus on work. Therefore, half an hour before the beginning of the duty, Esther called the police station saying that she would not show up at work today for health reasons, and if necessary, would go to the doctor and take the sick leave. Esther knew the Chief would not be pleased and will surely scold Leo instead of her, but she had no choice.Esther remembered having nightmares at night, but was terrified
The Scarlet Angels Chapter 42 - The Punishment
Laurens Vermeulen was not happy with the sentence, but there was nothing that could be done about it now. He was legally convicted, without the possibility of appealing the sentence. The only chance he had to regain his freedom was to apply for parole after 25 years in prison. Laurens hoped that after that time people would forget about him and that he would be able to safely get it, because he intended to behave properly so as not to worsen his situation. Laurens was afraid enough of the other inmates he would meet in prison, because if the word will spread that he had raped his victims, the others surely won't leave him alone. But the worst part was that Laurens could still hear those damn whispers - they constantly talked about the fact that imprisonment would not be his only punishment, and that they would stay with him forever, to remind about the grave sins he committed, the suffering he caused to the victims, their families and loved ones.Laurens was transported to pris
The Scarlet Angels Chapter 41 - The Final Trial
On November 10th the forensic opinion finally reached the court, and after a careful examination of it, the date of the next hearing was set for November 20th. Esther and Leo were not called in this time, but Leo wanted to appear in court as an observer at least. Esther, back from her vacation, concentrated completely on her work. She looked a bit better than before, but not as well rested enough for a person who had 3 weeks of vacation. Leo found out that Esther had finally visited her mother and grandmother in the last week of her vacation, but he hadn't talked much to her. The atmosphere between them was still tense even though they theoretically apologized to each other for their behavior.- Esther?- Leo spoke to her as they sat in the office.- Yes?- she shot him a quick glance before turning her attention back to going through the files of their current case.- Would you like to come to 'Mad Dog' trial with me as an observer?- Leo asked a little bit shyly.
