THE HOLY MEN MURDERS By Tricia Hagerty

A serial murderer of priests co fesses !is si s to t!e profiler "!o#s $ee c!asi g !im%

& stood o'er t!e $ody( loo)i g at t!e murdered priest $ut ot really seei g !im% O$li'ious to !is fis!*eyed stare( !is gapi g t!roat "ou d( a d t!e $lood*soa)ed $lac) s!irt a d s!redded "!ite collar% Your ru *of*t!e*mill murder sce e% +ust li)e t!e fi'e $efore it% &#d "or)ed a e,!austi g forty co secuti'e days o t!e Holy Me Murders% Eac! time a ot!er $ody tur ed up "as li)e a )ic) i t!e uts% A remi der t!at t"e ty* t!ree years "it! t!e age cy !ad #t made me a $etter profiler( ot!er"ise t!e slippery( murderous pric) "ould $e i custody% Our guy "as close( t!oug!% & could practically smell !is afters!a'e% -ictim died at a$out . o#cloc) i t!e after oo % Broad daylig!t% Our )iller "as getti g $ra/e ( a d after $ra/e comes clumsy% 0lumsy !appe s "!e murderers ca o lo ger co trol t!eir "ic)ed appetite% & "rapped up t!e sce e a d !it t!e airport "it! my part er( Noree % After a t!oroug! e,ami atio of our goodies i t!e TSA sca er( "e $oarded t!e pla e $ac) to -irgi ia% 1e loaded our carry*o s a d settled i % 2Ug!( did you catc! a "!iff of t!at S!eriff3 Li)e !e ate a carto of 4all Malls(5 Noree said% 2Did #t get t!at close to !im(5 & replied% 2& "as #t flirti g "it! !im( if t!at#s "!at you#re implyi g(5 s!e said% & raised my !a ds defe si'ely% 2& "as #t(5 & said% S!e folded !er arms a d tur ed a"ay from me% & 6ust did #t !a'e t!e e ergy to apologi/e% S!e eeded me to care if s!e "as flirti g "it! ot!er me $ut t!e trut! "as( & could #t !a'e cared less% Apart from t!e occasio al( i e$riated romp "!ile o assig me t some"!ere( Noree a d & "ere ot a t!i g% Not if you as)ed me% A flig!t atte da t#s 'oice crac)led o'er a spea)er% 2T!e aircraft door !as $ee sealed% 4lease tur off a d sto" all de'ices for t!e remai der of t!e flig!t%7 Noree a d & $umped el$o"s as "e s!ut do" our p!o es% & gri ed at !er a d s!e fro" ed e'e !arder% & tuc)ed our p!o es i t!e o'er!ead a d gra$$ed a 6ac)et% T!e pla e "as colder t!a a morgue i 8argo% O ce "e "ere i t!e air( & reali/ed sudde ly 6ust !o" ma y Bom$ay to ics & must !a'e dra ) at t!e airport $ar% & "as #t sure "!at "ould $e "orse9 distur$i g Noree or sitti g i a pee puddle for :; mi utes% & gi gerly e,cused myself( steppi g o'er !er "!ile s!e prete ded to sleep( a d made my "ay $ac) to t!e $at!room% & loo)ed at myself i t!e mirror% & "ould !a'e to !a'e T!e Tal) "it! Noree % S!e "as too osy% Too eedy% S!e could tell you t!e e,act tra6ectory of a $ullet or smell

poiso o a dead perso #s s)i ( $ut could #t detect t!e o$'ious disi terested sig als & "as se di g% & could #t $e "it! a yo e i our li e of "or)( a y"ay% 1e#re a stra ge $u c!( ot all t!at differe t from t!e people "e i 'estigate% No( & !ad to focus more o my career( "!ic! "as profili g psyc!os( ot dati g t!em% & decided &#d rat!er set fire to my pu$es t!a !a'e t!at co 'ersatio "it! Noree i a loc)ed ti ca i t!e s)y% & splas!ed "ater o my face a d retur ed to my seat% Noree "as sleepi g or prete di g to% T!e & spotted it% A e 'elope of some )i d% & slid i past !er ) ees a d pic)ed it up% A D-D% 1it! my ame o it% 21!at is t!is35 & as)ed !er% 21!at is "!at35 s!e grum$led% & !eld it up% 2T!is% T!at you put o my seat%5 S!e sig!ed loudly a d $olted uprig!t( loo)i g at t!e D-D% S!e s atc!ed it a"ay from me( i spected it( t!e flu g it $ac)% 2& did #t put t!at o your seat( 1ells%5 Noree tur ed a"ay a d curled $ac) up% & sat t!ere( !oldi g t!e D-D% Bu//i g "it! curiosity( & stepped o'er Noree agai a d ope ed t!e o'er!ead compartme t( slidi g out my laptop% 21!at are you doi g335 s!e said% 2You ca #t use t!at%5 & sat do" a d flipped ope my computer( $ooted up a d popped i t!e D-D% 2& "as t!i )i g(5 s!e "!ispered( 2may$e t!is case is a little too close to !ome for you%5 & s!ot !er a loo)% S!e ) e" dam "ell t!at a y dru )e discussio "e s!ared a$out my fuc)ed up c!ild!ood "as to $e )ept i t!e 'ault% 2T!at creepy mi ister frie d of your family "!o tried to get you alo e( a d o" all t!ese dead priests(5 s!e said% 2Do #t(5 & "ar ed% S!e "e t o % 21ay & see it( "orld#s $etter off% You ) o" all t!ese priests "ere amed i t!e <ra d +ury Report% T!ey#re pedop!iles% De'ia ts% &#m sayi g may$e t!ey !ad it comi g( is all%5 & pus!ed play% A dar)( grai y 'ideo of a priest $ei g $ludgeo ed appeared o t!e scree % T!e screams of t!e priest $ello"ed from my laptop( a d & raced to !it t!e mute $utto % Ot!er passe gers loo)ed our "ay% & lea ed i closer%

2Ho" did & get t!is35 & as)ed o o e i particular% A s ippy flig!t atte da t appeared i our ro"% 2Sir( please po"er do" your de'ice%5 & odded a d prete ded to follo" !er orders as s!e "al)ed a"ay% & stead( & tuc)ed t!e computer i to my 6ac)et a d !eaded $ac) to t!e $at!room% 21!ere are you goi g(5 Noree as)ed( gra$$i g my 6ac)et% & s!oo) !er off( !urried i to t!e $at!room a d flipped t!e computer ope % & u muted a d "atc!ed a fe" more mi utes u til t!e priest "as dead% 8i is!ed off "it! t!e sig ature slas!ed t!roat% T!is "as o e of t!e priests t!at "e ) e"( a d o$'iously "e "ere too late to sa'e !im% T!e murderer "as still filmi g( !o"e'er% 1al)i g arou d t!e room( pa ti g i to t!e microp!o e% &t "as a $edroom( "it! a $ureau% T!e )iller loo)ed directly i to t!e mirror% &t "as*** &t "as me% T!ere "as a ) oc) o t!e $at!room door% 21ells335 T!e $at!room $ega to spi out of co trol% & slid do" to t!e floor a d !eld my ) ees to my c!est% T!e me i t!e 'ideo laug!ed% A d laug!ed%