Chapter 6 - Sophia & Sebastian

Once Chris had dropped her off at her dorm building, Madeline decided to head over to the library to get some more work done on her research paper. She packed her book bag and made her way across campus, her thoughts swimming about Sophia’s apparent disappearance and her own attack. Were they related, she kept thinking to herself, and if so why? She silently prayed that Sophia would turn up safe but she couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something bad had happened to her. The sad and worried faces of Salvatore and Lucile Damico plagued her as she ascended the stairs to the second floor of the library.

Finding an empty table near the History section, Madeline set her bag down and took out some text books. She started reading from where she last left off, immersing herself with the Whitechapel Murders of Jack the Ripper. Madeline had begun to form some theories and ideas on these cases, most of them surrounding the numerous suspects that had been allegedly linked with the killings. She inspected a copy of Walter Sickert’s “The Camden Town Murder” that was included in the text book she was reading and frowned. She could see how Sickert had come under a measure of suspicion in regard to the Ripper killings but it seemed far too convenient and flimsy to her. The only evidence to even connect Sickert with these cases were the title of the painting and the fact that he used prostitutes as his models, but Madeline knew that many artists throughout history had used prostitutes in their work, as they were for many the only women they could find who were willing to pose semi-clad or nude. Added to that, the fact that this painting was done in 1908, twenty years after the infamous murders were committed, made Madeline all the more sceptical as to the validity of including Walter Sickert as a credible Ripper suspect. As Madeline continued to read a figure approached her from behind, walking right up to her.

‘Fancy seeing you here,’ said Abby, as she sat down next to Madeline.

‘Oh God you scared me,’ said Madeline, grabbing the table to steady herself.

‘Oh, sorry.’

‘It’s okay.’

‘So what you up to?’ asked Abby as she took a book from her own bag.

‘My research paper,’ answered Madeline.

‘Cool, what you doing it on?’

‘Jack the Ripper.’

‘Lovely,’ said Abby, pulling a face.

‘It’s fascinating,’ said Madeline, smiling. ‘And you know me and Victorian England.’

‘Oh yeah, you’ve got a real hard-on for that time, haven’t you?’

‘Abby.’

‘I mean, if you could have a hard-on, of course.’

‘You’re delightful.’

‘I just call them as I see them,’ said Abby, grinning.

‘Charming. You know, I think you’re spending too much time around Ben, he’s starting to rub off on you, and not in a good way.’

‘Maddie please, give a girl a little credit.’ Abby smiled wickedly before continuing. ‘I was easily this bad way before I met Ben.’

‘I don’t know whether to applaud you or shoot you,’ joked Madeline. Abby stuck her tongue out in retaliation and the two of them laughed briefly.

‘Anyway, didn’t Jack the Ripper carve up a bunch of hookers?’

‘That’s one way of putting it,’ smiled Madeline.

‘Whatever turns you on,’ said Abby, wrinkling her nose. They returned to their respective books and Madeline continued to read and make notes, but the more that she read about those women who died all those years ago the more her thoughts kept drifting back to Sophia Damico.

‘Abby?’ said Madeline, closing her book.

‘Hmmm?’

‘You ever been to Salvatore’s?’

‘A couple of times, yeah. Ben took me there for our anniversary last year, it’s nice. Why?’

‘The owner’s daughter has gone missing.’

‘What?’

‘Yeah,’ said Madeline gravely. ‘Chris used to work there when he was at Armitage, and he dated Sophia for a while, so it’s hit him pretty hard.’

‘I bet,’ nodded Abby. ‘And I imagine her parents are in pieces.’

‘They are. We were at the restaurant earlier, it’s just so sad.’

‘Look, I think I’ve read about as much as I can for the moment. You want to get out of here?’

‘Yeah,’ said Madeline as she put her book away. ‘Reading about those murders is just depressing me at the moment. I just hope Sophia turns up safe.’

‘Me too.’ As Madeline and Abby made their way to the stairway entrance a lone figure stood silently behind a bookcase, smiling to himself as he watched the two girls depart.

‘I am sure Miss Damico would appreciate your sentiments,’ he said quietly. ‘Were that possible.’ As he stood peering through the gaps in the books a librarian walked by.

‘Do you need any help there, Professor?’ she said.

‘No no, I got what I came for.’

 

*          *          *

 

Somewhere deep in Armitage a piece of raw meat lay on a dirty linoleum floor, a small pool of cold blood encircling it. From the shadows a pair of unseen eyes watched and waited. After a short while a door swung open and a figure entered the room. It stopped, smelt the air, and dove instinctively for the meat, devouring it ravenously in a matter of seconds.

Still the hidden observer watched.

As the figure sat messily licking its fingers clean of the blood that had oozed down them, it suddenly snapped into a rigid pose of contorted agony. A guttural moan escaped its blood smeared mouth and the figure began thrashing manically on the grimy floor, its moans now a scream.

It works, thought the observer from his vantage point. It really works. As the doomed creature lay gasping and gurgling on the floor the hidden observer came out from the shadows and watched as it died. The last thing the wretched beast saw before all the life was extinguished from it was a tattered and hooded figure standing over it.

 

*          *          *

 

Although Madeline tried to assure Abby that she would be fine walking back to her dorm building by herself she insisted on accompanying her nonetheless. The two of them talked about Sophia Damico and how they both hoped she would turn up safe, and they also talked about Madeline’s attack.

‘I’m sorry we weren’t there for you,’ said Abby as they went along.

‘Abby it’s fine, really,’ said Madeline. ‘I wouldn’t wish what happened to me and Mike on anyone so I’m glad you and Ben weren’t there.’

‘But there would have been more of us,’ said Abby thoughtfully. ‘That might have scared him off.’

‘Maybe.’

‘It’s just lucky Professor Mason arrived when you say he did.’

‘Yeah.’ Madeline had been thinking it over since the night of her attack and it did seem oddly convenient that Professor Mason just happened to be passing as she and Mike were at the mercy of their assailant. Come to think of it, she thought, it was odd seeing him at Jack’s. He had said something about being an old friend of Jack but that night was the first time she had ever seen him there, and she was pretty sure she had never heard Jack speak of Professor Mason, at least not in personal terms. These questions buzzed in her mind as she and Abby approached her dorm building.

‘You going to be okay?’ asked Abby as they arrived at the main door.

‘Yeah, I’ll be fine.’

‘Look Maddie, I’m sorry for calling Chris. It just seemed like the right thing to do.’

‘It’s okay,’ smiled Madeline. ‘It’s been nice seeing him again, and he hasn’t been that bad.’

‘I’ll make sure I ask next time,’ said Abby sheepishly.

‘What? Next time I get mugged?’

‘I didn’t mean it like that.’

‘I know, it’s okay.’ Madeline smiled to show she was just teasing. ‘Anyway, I’d better let you go and find Ben. He’ll pine away without you.’

‘Oh stop it,’ smiled Abby. ‘But you’re right; the poor boy is lost without me.’

‘Catch you later then,’ laughed Madeline.

‘Yeah, you too.’ Madeline made her way up to her room but when she entered she saw that the curtains were drawn. Frowning in confusion she went to flick the light switch, convinced that her curtains were open when she left that morning.

‘Please, leave the light off,’ said a voice from the darkness. Madeline jumped in fright and was about to run from her room when the voice spoke again. ‘Please, I mean you no harm.’ Fighting the temptation to run from the building, Madeline peered cautiously into her darkened room.

'Who are you?’ she asked, ready at any moment to turn tail and run. As she continued to peer into her room, searching for any sign of the owner of the strange voice, her table lamp was turned on and standing there, in her room, was the hooded vagrant. Madeline visibly tensed at the sight of him, which he noticed.

‘I just wish to speak with you.’ Madeline hesitated for a second and then entered her room fully, not wanting anyone to see who was in her room as she had no idea how she would explain it.

‘How did you get in here?’ she asked as she closed her door slightly.

‘You can close the door,’ said the vagrant. ‘You are quite safe, from me at least.’

‘What do you mean?’ Madeline closed her door but made sure the latch did not lock, in case she had to make a quick exit.

‘You are safe from me, but not from him,’ said the vagrant, not moving from where he stood.

‘Him? Who are you talking about?’ Madeline fingered the doorknob behind her back, ready to throw open the door and raise some sort of alarm if needed, but the hooded figure simply stood there.

‘You are on the right track, follow the names,’ he said.

‘What?’

‘I can’t say anymore now, you are not ready, but be assured I have found a way to stop him.’

‘Who?’

‘Mason.’ Madeline’s eyes widened at the mention of her History Professor but before she could question the mysterious stranger any further there came a loud knocking at her door. Her gaze left the hooded figure for a second and when she looked back he was gone. Madeline stared in disbelief for a moment, scanning her room for any signs of her impromptu visitor but finding none. Another series of loud knocks reminded her quickly that there was someone at the door.

‘Maddie, open up.’

It was Chris.

Madeline opened the door to find her brother looking pale and drawn, the colour missing from his cheeks and his eyes sad and heavy.

‘Chris, what is it?’

‘It’s Sophia,’ he said quietly.

‘Is she okay?’ asked Madeline.

‘She’s dead.’

‘What?’

‘Murdered, some sick b*****d killed her and sent her remains to the restaurant.’

‘Oh Chris that’s awful!’ Madeline’s hand covered her mouth for a second as the grisly images filled her mind. ‘How are her parents?’

‘Destroyed,’ said Chris throatily. ‘She was their whole world, you know?’

‘Chris I’m so sorry, I know she meant a lot to you, too.’ Madeline took her brother in her arms and cradled his head while he wept quietly for a moment. She knew that under normal circumstances Chris would never want his little sister to see him cry but the sheer magnitude of this tragedy outweighed any sense of brotherly bravado.

‘Why her?’ he asked quietly, almost to himself. ‘Why?’

‘I don’t know Chris, I really don’t know.’ They sat in silence for a few minutes as the last of the tears fell from Chris’ eyes, when the subdued quiet was broken by the ringing of Madeline’s phone. She disentangled herself from Chris and picked up her phone.

‘Hello?’ she said numbly.

‘Maddie, its Ben. Have you heard? They found that Damico girl.’

‘Yeah I heard. Chris told me.’

‘Who is it?’ asked Chris, looking up.

‘It’s Ben,’ replied Madeline, holding her hand over the speaker.

‘How is he?’ asked Ben.

‘Pretty cut up.’

‘I bet. Abby’s too upset so she asked me to call, just to make sure you guys are okay, you know?’

‘We appreciate that Ben, thank you.’

‘Student Council’s called a meeting about it, you in?’

‘Yeah, I don’t think I want to stay here.’ Madeline looked around her room for a second, wondering where her strange visitor could have gone to but there was still no sign of him.

‘Okay, it’s in the Student Lounge, see you there.’

‘Okay, bye.’ Madeline put her phone down on her desk and looked sadly at her brother.

‘The Student Council are holding a meeting, you want to tag along?’

‘No that’s okay,’ said Chris, sniffing slightly. ‘I’d better get out of here. I want to go back to the restaurant.’

‘Of course,’ said Madeline.

‘But I’ll see you over to the meeting. The Student Lounge still in the same place?’

‘Yes, thank you. I’m sorry Chris; they’ll find whoever did it.’

‘I hope so Maddie, I hope so.’ Chris smiled weakly at his sister and took her hand in his.

‘Anyway, let’s get you to that meeting.’

‘Okay.’ Madeline smiled back at her brother and picked up her keys. ‘Let’s go.’ She flicked off the light as they left her room and as the sounds of their footsteps disappeared down the hall a figure emerged from the shadows. It moved across Madeline’s room, opened one of her books that lay on her desk, slipped something inside, and retreated back to the shadows.

 

*          *          *

 

The Student Lounge was unsurprisingly busy when Madeline and Chris arrived, with many students clumped together in nervous groups, talking anxiously. Ben and Abby were already there and came over when they saw Madeline.

‘Hi Maddie, you okay?’ said Abby.

‘I’m okay.’

‘Hi Chris.’

‘Hi guys,’ said Chris, nodding to Ben and Abby.

‘How you holding up?’ asked Ben.

‘About as well as I can be,’ said Chris bitterly.

‘I hear ya.’

‘Anyway Maddie I’m going to go, I want to get back to Sal and Lucy.’

‘Okay, you be careful,’ said Madeline as she hugged her brother.

‘You too. See you around guys.’

‘Yeah, take care,’ said Ben.

‘Bye Chris,’ said Abby.

‘Give my best to Salvatore and Lucile,’ said Madeline.

‘I will. I’ve got myself a motel room in town so I’ll be around.’

‘Okay.’ Chris gave Madeline’s hand an affectionate squeeze before leaving the Student Lounge, and as the various nervous conversations continued in their scattered groups the President of the Student Council, Elizabeth Armstrong, motioned for quiet.

‘Thank you all for coming,’ she said. ‘I’m sure you’ve all heard about Sophia Damico. This is the latest in a string of disappearances and murders to occur in Armitage and it’s time we did something. I’ve contacted Sergeant Edward Thomas of the Armitage City Police and he’s agreed to come in and talk to us about public safety.’ Elizabeth paused to answer a few questions but after checking her watch she motioned for quiet. ‘It’s almost time for the news,’ she said. ‘And Sophia’s case should be their main story.’ She stepped aside as a television set was turned on and the channel was changed to the appropriate station. After enduring a moment or two of inane commercials the local news came on.

‘Welcome to Channel 3 News,’ said the broadcaster. ‘This just in, another local Armitage woman who was feared missing was in fact murdered. Sophia Damico, who was twenty-eight, did not return home last night, she was presumed missing. However, earlier today, her heavily mutilated remains were sent to the restaurant owned by her parents, Salvatore and Lucile Damico, in what has been described as a sick and callous act.’ The Student Lounge was shrouded in silence, save for the news report, everyone present stunned at the brutality of Sophia’s death. The newscaster continued with his report.

‘The parents of Sophia Damico have made an emotional plea for anyone with any information to come forward,’ he said. ‘Citizens are reminded to exercise extreme caution in light of these killings. And now, the five day forecast.’

‘It’s just disgusting,’ said Abby, a mixture of fear and anger in her voice.

‘Yes,’ said Madeline numbly. Everyone agreed that it was disgusting that Sophia had not only been killed in a seemingly pointless and barbaric manner but that her remains had cruelly been sent to her parents, presumably as part of some inhuman joke.

Everyone except one person.

Mason sat in his study, basking in the afterglow of the news report.

‘I don’t know what all the fuss is about,’ he said maliciously. ‘I thought they would appreciate having their little girl back.’ Andreas allowed himself a slight smirk at his employer’s remark. ‘Some people just don’t appreciate a good joke.’

 

*          *          *

 

After the unsettling news report the date of Sergeant Thomas’ visit was announced and people began to head back to their respective dorm buildings. Madeline couldn’t believe that there were people like that in the world that would do such a thing, and she fully intended to go to the safety meeting, if only to find out from Sergeant Thomas how the case was going. Thinking about Sophia’s murder obviously made Madeline think about her own attack and how lucky she was that she wasn’t hurt, but that in turn brought her once again to her curiosities about Professor Mason saving her and Mike. It could have simply been a case of good timing but the oddity of seeing him at Jack’s on the same night that she was attacked seemed almost too coincidental for her mind to leave alone, and she also still could not fathom how the mysterious vagrant had gotten into her room. She wanted to know why he had mentioned her professor’s name as someone she wasn’t safe from. The strange character had admittedly not done her any harm, so far, but he had succeeded in scaring her on three separate occasions, one of which in her own dorm room, and that cemented her resolve to go and speak with Professor Mason about it.

The following morning Madeline made her way over to the History building before classes were due to begin, hoping to catch Professor Mason in his office. She ascended in the lift to the appropriate floor and walked down the corridor to where his office was situated. Wondering how she was going to form her questions, she stood nervously outside of his door, but before she could knock and announce her presence a voice came from somewhere within.

‘Come.’ Frowning slightly in confusion, Madeline opened the door and saw Professor Mason sitting at his desk in his windowless office, his desk lamp providing the only illumination in the room. ‘Ah, Miss Jameson,’ he said amiably as he looked up from the paperwork he had in front of him. ‘To what do I owe the pleasure?’

‘I wanted to talk to you,’ said Madeline uncertainly.

‘By all means, do take a seat.’ Professor Mason indicated to the chair in front of his desk and Madeline sat down. ‘Now, what can I do for you?’

‘How did you know I was outside?’ asked Madeline straight away. Professor Mason smiled before speaking.

‘I have been blessed with rather good hearing, but I am sure this is not what you came to see me about.’ Madeline didn’t think that she had made any noise at all on her way down the corridor, the carpet absorbed people’s footsteps, but maybe he was right, maybe he just had very good hearing.

‘No, I wanted to talk to you about the night I was attacked.’ The professor’s smile faded and a look of concern came over his face.

‘A shocking turn of events,’ he said, placing his pen down on the desk. ‘What is it about that awful experience you would like to discuss?’ Madeline swallowed hard; there was no easy way to broach this subject so she just had to ask what was on her mind.

‘Well it’s about how you saved me and Mike.’

‘Yes?’ Mason’s tone was smooth, quiet.

‘It just seems so convenient that you happened to be at Jack’s that night and then passing by when we were attacked.’

‘All coincidence, I assure you,’ said the professor, looking deeply at Madeline.

‘But…’ Madeline faltered, her mind filling once again with the feeling that her thoughts were blurring, becoming elusive. She thought she knew what to say but the words wouldn’t come, and the more she tried to concentrate the harder it became.

‘You were saying, my dear?’

‘Hmm?’ Madeline’s head felt instantly clearer, like the fog that had somehow permeated her thoughts had suddenly lifted. She looked around for a second, trying to remember what she had come to see Professor Mason about. ‘I’m sorry, what were we talking about?’

‘We were discussing your unfortunate attack,’ said the professor silkily. ‘And you were thanking me for coming to your rescue, for which you are very welcome. Now, was there anything else?’ Madeline didn’t think she had come to see Professor Mason to thank him, although she was of course forever grateful for what he had done for her and Mike, but she couldn’t focus her thoughts on the conversation they had apparently just had, so she decided to continue on to her next topic.

‘I also wanted to bring something to your attention.’

‘And what is that?’

‘I’ve seen what I think to be a homeless man lurking around campus.’

‘Those poor souls, they do sometimes find their way on to university grounds but I am assured that campus security has the matter well in hand.’

‘I think this man’s different,’ said Madeline.

‘How do you mean?’

‘He seems to be after me.’

‘You believe he wishes to harm you?’

‘Well no, not exactly.’

‘Then how, may I ask, do you know his intentions?’

‘I’ve spoken with him.’ Madeline began to feel like she was being interrogated by her professor, but she thought to herself that he was probably just trying to understand the situation.

‘I would advise you not to engage them my dear,’ said the professor. ‘Especially not in light of the recent killings. I would hate to see anything happen to you.’

‘But I’ve seen him three times now, Professor,’ continued Madeline. ‘Once in my room.’

‘Indeed?’ Professor Mason seemed to visibly prick up when he heard this. ‘Can you describe the fellow to me?’

‘Well I haven’t seen his face I’m afraid, he covers himself head to foot in dirty, tattered rags, and what’s even stranger is that I can’t see any way for him to have gotten into my room. I always lock my door and I’m on the second floor, so he couldn’t have got in through the window.’ The more Madeline spoke of the hooded vagrant the more interested Professor Mason seemed to become. He listened intently as she spoke, his fingers tented and his eyes keen.

‘Well thank you for bringing this to my attention,’ he said once she had finished. ‘But I would not worry; I see no reason to fear this poor man.’

‘But Professor,’ began Madeline.

‘I appreciate you coming to see me Miss Jameson but I do have a lot of work to do, as I am sure you can understand.’ As he spoke Madeline’s head began to feel fuzzy again, and she tried desperately to cling on to her thoughts. Professor Mason was totally disregarding what she had to say but she found she could say nothing more in protest. He stood up from his desk and saw her out, and it wasn’t until she had exited the History building that her head felt clear again. She stood there for some minutes, trying to recall what she and Professor Mason had talked about, and if indeed she had gone to see him. It was maddening, she knew she had come with the intention of seeing her professor but now she couldn’t be sure if she’d just arrived or just left. She checked her watch and deemed that she must have spoken to him, as enough time had passed for her to have done so, so she left the History building feeling confused and somewhat annoyed at herself for not being able to remember.

Back in Professor Mason’s office he was sitting at his desk once again with his phone receiver in his hand.

‘Yes sir,’ said Andreas on the other end of the line.

‘It appears that Sebastian has once again resurfaced.’