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Chapter 33 - Laurens Vermeulen Testimony
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2024-10-29 19:42:56- 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 cRelated chapters
The Scarlet Angels Chapter 34 - The Torn Heart
Before going to the police station, Esther asked Leo to wait for her. She went to the pre-trial detention building telling her partner that just wanted to review the night incident report, although actually wanted to speak to Laurens Vermeulen as well. Of course, Esther looked at the report first, then told the guards to escort her to the 'Mad Dog' cell and asked if they would let her talk to him in private, to which the guard who escorted her agreed, but stayed nearby, just in case.- Detective Moore, finally.- Laurens greeted her.- I wanted to talk to you alone earlier, detective.- he added.- I know, I heard about it.- Esther replied shortly.- So why didn't you come earlier, detective Moore?- he asked, as if slightly disappointed by this fact.- First, I had other important things on my mind. Secondly, I don't know what else you could tell me that I didn't know, in both cases we've talked about.- Esther replied slightly irritated.- Mainly I'm here because I d
The Scarlet Angels Chapter 35: Esther's Diary (Page 17 to 18)
On October 6th, the first hearing in the case of multiple murder with particular cruelty against Laurens Vermeulen was held. When me and Leo arrived at the courthouse it was still about fifteen minutes before the beginning of the trial. We were standing at the door of the courtroom where the hearing was to be held and less than five minutes after us, Alair Taylor, Laurens Vermeulen's public defender, arrived. Of course, when he started talking to us, it was not without nerves, especially from Leo. I saw that he was very irritated by his cheerful attitude and I had the impression that he was about to attack him. Of course I understood Leo, and had similar feelings about this man, but knew I had to keep myself from berating him. I only asked Alair Taylor how he could defend someone like Laurens Vermeulen, but his answer was what I expected - one and the same talk about the fact that not every murderer commits crimes out of low motives and that his client was traumatized and have
The Scarlet Angels Chapter 36 - The Dream
On the same day, October 6th, Leo came home after work really tired. But he wasn't tired because of work or following the 'Mad Dog' case, but because of worrying about Esther. He was constantly wondering if there was any way he could help her? Leo did not know how Esther would react if he made an appointment with a psychiatrist for her, which was why he didn't want to go that far yet, although on the other hand felt that this was what he should do. Leo was wondering if he should at least call her mom and grandma to let them know that something is wrong... No, that's what Esther would be even more angry about - she would reproach him for complaining about it all to her family. What else could he do then? Leo had no good idea and was torn all the time between wanting to help Esther at any cost and leaving her alone as she had asked him many times.After eating the ready-made food and taking a shower, Leo went into the bedroom, lied down on the bed and quickly fell asleep. Unfortu
The Scarlet Angels Chapter 37 - Decision
Next day, October 7th, while being already on the police station, Leo tried to talk to Esther again, but she seemed to lose touch with reality more and more. From that moment Leo started to seriously considering persuading her to go to a psychiatric consultation. Of course, this was helped by the words of the female angel from his dream, which was still strangely clear in his memory. Still, Leo felt some hesitation. Also, the fact that he had such a strange dream didn't help. Leo tried to explain to himself that he had dreamed of the same scarlet-winged angel because Esther had mentioned these beings to him, and in fact it was his subconsciousness that wanted him to understand that he should stop hesitating if really wanted to help Esther.Throughout the day, Leo couldn't stop thinking about it all, which made it difficult for him to concentrate on his work but didn't want to mention the dream to anyone, especially Esther, because he knew it would only deepen her obsession with
The Scarlet Angels Chapter 38 - Signs of Madness
After her last day of work before vacation, on October 11th, Esther returned home and dropped relieved onto the couch in the living room. At last she could relax without worrying about work. During her vacation, Esther could also mute the phone, because they should not call her, knowing that she was resting, the more that it was Esther's first vacation since she started working at the Cardiff Central police station.For starters, Esther was planning to go to where she spent Sunday with Leo - near Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve. After she had eaten a decent meal, took a shower and called her mom and grandma to talk calmly with them, Esther sat down at the computer and booked a room in St. David's Hotel for a week, because that much she could afford and didn't want to get rid of all her savings. Besides, Esther decided not to spend whole 3 weeks of vacation in one place. Maybe she should go to Penarth afterwards to visit Mom and Grandma? Yes, it was definitely a good idea, because
The Scarlet Angels Chapter 39 - The Quarrel
The next day, October 12th, Esther texted Leo that she was leaving so he wouldn't bother her with the phone calls as well. On the morning of October 19th, Esther returned home visibly refreshed and happier, at first planning her trip to Penarth, which she also mentioned to Leo, also promising she will call him after arriving to her hometown.However, when Esther did not call Leo on October 20th, as agreed, he started calling her, but to no avail. Then he decided to visit her apartment after work and hoped that everything would be fine. When Leo had spoken to Esther on the phone earlier, she seemed to be feeling much better, so the sudden change worried him greatly.When Leo got to her apartment, Esther opened door for him a few minutes later and let him in.- Is everything all right? Why didn't you go to Penarth? I thought you wanted to visit your mom and grandma as soon as possible?- Leo asked as he sat down on the couch in the living room.- Overall I'm okay bu
The Scarlet Angels Chapter 40: Esther's Diary (Page 19)
Between October 7th to 12th, I focused on work, although it was hard. I saw Leo trying to talk to me, but didn't feel like it. He himself seemed to be immersed in thoughts all the time, and although being curious about the reason, I preferred not to start the conversation. I only spoke up when decided to tell Leo that I want to take a few days off. He, of course, was happy about it the most. Fortunately, the Chief gave me 3 weeks of leave without any problems, but no wonder - it was my first application since I started working - so he had to agree whether wanted it or not. Besides, the Chief himself, probably seeing how exhausted I looked, a few days earlier himself proposed to me that maybe I should finally use up my vacation days. Besides, the time was perfect for a vacation, as there had been no very important investigations so far.The first week of my vacation I spend near the Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve, staying in the same St. David's Hotel as before, during the we
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.
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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.
