Minutes must have passed quickly as I stood in front of the box staring inside at its revealed contents.  Disbelief at what I was looking at became more intense.

Without warning, I heard Barnes’ voice again. 

“See Chief.  We found it as soon as we entered the office.”

“I see Barnes,” the chief replied as he walked towards me and stood to my right.

Unable to move my gaze from the box I did not turn to the chief.

“Sir?”

My words were more a question than an acknowledgement of his presence. 

“Ben, it seems we have a problem here, wouldn’t you agree?” he asked as he turned his attention from the contents of the box to me.  Looking from the box I turned to the chief briefly before turning my eyes back to the box.  Within the box was a horror unlike any other, a sign of trouble to come.

The single ear lay lifeless on the bottom of the box, blood glistening from its severed skin.  As I stared inside, I noticed a white piece of paper sticking out from underneath the massacred and bloody ear.  As if in a trance I reached into my pocket and withdrew a new pair of gloves and slipped them on before reaching into the box.  The amount of blood was astonishing.  Picking up the ear I noticed it was no longer warm.

“Whoever did this had to have been an amateur,” Barnes declared from the left of me.  “The cut seems too ragged and hurried.”

“Yes,” I agreed.  “It seems to be a woman’s ear,” I added as I pointed out the silver hoop earring hanging from the crimson lobe.  

With my available hand I reached inside the box and pulled it out.  The paper was partially wet with blood and I was not sure if whatever was written on it could still be read. 

Carefully I placed the ear back down inside the box and opened up the paper.  On a full sheet of lined paper was a neatly printed message.  Most of the ink from the letters were running into other words however I was able to make out most of the note.

If walls could talk, you would know where she is…

If ears could hear, you would hear her pleas...

If eyes could see, she would finally see me…

If detectives were smart, they would hurry up…

If I’d been loved, maybe things would not be this way.

Broken hearted in Sault Ste Marie

“What do you make of the note, Ben?” the chief asked me as he turned his attention from the note to me.  

Looking up from the letter a look of confusion came over my face.

“Well…”  I began as I refolded the note before placing it back inside the box on top of the ear, covering the horror beneath.  “When we checked out the Suher body she had her ears, right Barnes?”  I asked as I turned to him. 

 “Yes.”

“However we did see a burn mark on her left buttock in the shape of a heart with an ‘x’ through it.  We believe it was the killer’s insignia and this note ended with ‘Broken hearted in Sault Ste Marie.’  Maybe this note and ear are from another woman that Miss Suher’s killer has captive or has already killed,” I affirmed. 

 A feeling of dread came over me at that moment however I was unsure of why at the time.

“So,” the chief began.  “You have reason to believe there may be a serial kidnapper or serial killer loose on the streets of Sault Ste Marie?” he asked. 

 “Unfortunately with this package arriving here today I believe so,” I answered.

“Get this stuff over to your forensics team…Ralph I believe you have chosen, correct?”

“Yes Sir,” I answered.

Barnes rolled his eyes yet again which I barely caught out of the corner of my eye.  Still ignoring Barnes disapproval of my choice of having Ralph on the case I turned to the chief.

“Sir?”

“Yes Ben.”

“Barnes and I also checked out Miss Lancaster’s home.”

 “Ah yes,” he began as he walked over to the closest chair and sat down crossing his arms in front of himself.  “Your friend, is it?”

 “Yes Sir,” I responded.

“Barnes…” the chief called as he looked past me to Barnes who was standing over the box, his gloved hands just about to pick up the ear.  “Take that box over to Ralph’s office and do not give him any grief as I am aware you have done in the past,” he ordered.

Barnes looked from me to the chief and back to me before responding.

“Yes Sir.”

Swiftly and without care he snatched the box up off the table, grabbing the white cloth as well and expeditiously left the room.  With Barnes out of the room the chief turned his attention back to me.

“About your friend.”

“Yes Sir,” I began, as I stood tall with my hands behind my back.  “Barnes and I went by the house we did a check of the home and noticed the back door had been pried open from the outside.  After checking the backyard we found the instrument used was deposited into a small pond in her backyard.”

 “Really?” the chief asked as he uncrossed his arms and leaned forward in his chair.

“Yes,” I replied.  

At that moment I reached into my jacket pocket and withdrew the bag containing the screwdriver.  With it held out in front of me for the chief to look at I reached back into my pocket and produced the tape from the answering machine.  

“I also found a message from her kidnapper on her answering machine so I removed the tape and brought it back to be analyzed.”

 The chief took the items and quickly looked them over before placing them down carefully on the desk.

“It seems you have everything under control as I had expected.  Do you have any clues as to who this person may be who has your friend?”

 Shaking my head I responded, “Unfortunately not although I am not going to give up until I find her.”

“I know you won’t.  As for the Suher case, have all her items cross referenced with the note you just received and the ear.  See if there are any matching fingerprints between the two so we can find out if there is a connection between both women.  If there are make sure you report to me immediately.”

 “Yes Sir.  I will keep in close contact with Ralph on all the evidence.  As for Nicole…”  I added.

“I believe you will do just fine in finding her.  Use the tools you have available,” he interrupted.  

Without another word he stood up and exited the office leaving me to stand in the middle of the room with my mind going a mile a minute.  Looking down at the two pieces of evidence on the table I picked up the phone and dialed Ralph.

RING!  RING!

“Hey,” Ralph’s voice answered.

“Ralph.  Did Barnes come by with the box?”  I asked.

I had to be sure that my new partner did what I told him to do.

“Yup he sure did.  Is this stuff for the Suher case?  He never really said he just threw them on my desk and left.”

Shaking my head at Barnes’ incompetence I responded, “No, actually that’s an unknown person’s ear.  Can you check to see if there are any prints on the items and if so cross-reference them with Miss Suher’s evidence?  And also check DNA to find out who the ear belongs to.”

 “But…I thought you said it was not for that case?”

 “I’m hoping it isn’t but unfortunately there may be a connection between this ear and Miss Suher.”

“You think this is the work of one man?  Two different women?”