The lady is in the locked basement, chained to a wall, badly hurt, starving. Her rich husband, decomposing in the bedroom.
That isn't why Insp. Shokie found the scene #ugly.
She knows the Black Widow's MO. There won't be any trace of acid or remains of dissolved keys.
#vss365
"May I come in?"
"Yes."
"I need your help."
"Sit down," Insp. Shokie said.
"I was writing a novel. The MC..."
"MC?"
"Main character. Just a clichéd Nameless with a tragic past muddling with right and wrong."
"One of us."
"Yes, intentionally or not."
"What's the problem?"
"It's evolved."
"Evolved?"
"The MC played mind games. Initially, through dreams. Then, when I am awake."
"Proceedings of a heat-oppressed brain or whatever?"
"The Bard might say so and I thought so. It changed the plot. Even the other characters and theme too."
"For good or bad?"
"Truth be told, it produced a work I could not have thought of."
"You did not answer."
"Good, I think. No, bad. It's really dark. I don't think I can publish it."
"Why not?"
"The stuff the characters do, their thoughts, the message, if I can call it that."
"Total fantasy?"
"No, that's the problem. It's too real. It will get banned, for sure."
"Is that your problem?"
"Sorry, I should not waste your time. I should get to the point."
"Yes, please."
"It started to live outside it."
"Which it are we talking about?"
"The MC...outside the book."
"How?"
"It's made me do stuff to people."
"Bad stuff?"
"Maybe."
"Explain."
"I targeted a friend. It made me do it."
"How?"
"I had not even thought about the friend like that before."
"Please get to the point."
"Sorry. The MC brought up some incidents I had totally forgotten."
"And?"
"That friend is a pedophile waiting to happen. It's there in his family. Never got out. A few things he said. At various times."
"And you brought it out."
"Yes."
"How did that turn out?"
"Badly. For him."
"For you?"
"Lost a few friends I never had."
"You mentioned people. Were there more cases like this?"
"Yes, a teacher, a cousin. Various sins."
"Sins you knew of but had forgotten till this...MC brought it up."
"Yes."
"It's natural, isn't it? Repressed thoughts and all that?"
"Yes, I too thought there's a rational explanation. Till the most recent case. That's the real problem."
"Finally."
"The MC wants me to kill ..." the writer placed a note with a name in front of Shokie.
"Whoa!"
"Exactly."
"Do you know this person?"
"Not personally. Heard a lot, of course."
"The only decent person in today's public life, the hacks say so. Accused of what?"
"The MC wouldn't say. It does not believe in two-way communication."
"Like a spouse."
"You think like a poet."
"Like the police."
"Ah, yes."
"Have you ever met this person?"
"Never. No one in my circle either. I have not even followed the news reports that closely."
"How are you going to kill?"
"Don't know."
"Is it your MC or is it you trying to influence me?"
"I didn't think of that."
"What will make you kill a person?"
"I don't know. What will make you?"
"I don't know."
"What should we...I do?"
"Wait for the monster to make a move. Creator, I am your master, obey, didn't Frankenstein hear that from his sweet pet?"
"You are a poet."
"I should put you inside for that."
Insp. Shokie remained in a #torpid state.
5-member gang hacks restaurant owner and family for delay in serving idli; girl poisons former lover; politician wants investigation into alleged forged idiotic order...
She yawned. Looked at her watch. Not yet 9 am.
#vss365
