" The world , even the smallest parts of it if filled with things you don't know. "

- Sherman Alexie.

.....

" Is anyone in there?" , Evan knocked at the door.

"Who?"

An old man wearing a rough and dirty old rag came out of the small house. He looked like the father of the girl.

" We are cops , we are here to investigate about the case of your...daughter."

"Daughter?"

One could easily see as he bowed down his head in sadness, his teary eyes. He called us in and told us to have a seat. Then with a heavy voice he spoke... "She is dead. The Satan killed her, she is no longer in this world now."

Tears started flowing down from his dull eyes as he tried wiping them out with his old rag.

"Can you tell us the details?"

"It was five months before...She came back from work , went in her room to rest. When I went back into her room , she was-gone.

.....

The cops came , they did nothing"

"We are trying our best sir , believe us we will help you."

We took our leave saying this , this was the last thing we could say to someone who has lost his one and only family.

"Nothing found after investigating all three victims. Why is the murderer killing someone innocent."

"Let's head back first, we have to report."

We went back to the hotel. I took out the pictures and handed them to Evan , " Can you see this mark?"

" Which mark?"

"This mark-" , I pointed down to the pictures , "It is gone."

I remember correctly the mark was here...I saw it clearly yesterday.

"There is no mark here Shirley. You must have seen wrong."

I saw the mark. It was here before, I don't know where it went but...

"Shirley" , Susie grabbed me from behind.

"We are back."

" Did you go through the victim's families?"

Leaden Shen asked us.

"We did but we found nothing much."

"The same with the other two. "

"If the murderer is the same person the victims should have something in common" , I looked in the file again.No mater how many times I looked I found nothing new,

"The case is not so simple".

"I got a call from the Head Quarters , I have to head back there, something urgent came. Susie you will come back with me."

"Why me leader? I want to go through this case."

"Go pack up your things. We will head tomorrow. Shirley come with me for a bit."

I followed Leader Shen back to his room, he handed me a file.

"Leader?"

"I had to settle some matters with the head, Shirley, as an experienced cop I am handing down this case to you."

"I will do my best...I won't disappoint you Leader."

Opening the file in my hand Leader Shen asked me to go through the files once, the file he found somewhere.

"I will definitely solve this case leader", I have been hoping to solve this case for so many years, whatever it costs I will do this.

"Every life is complicated, Every mind a Kingdom of unmapped mysteries. "

-Dean Koontz

Next morning, Leader Shen went back along with Susie. I was about to leave with Evan when a burst of noises started coming from outside. I went out to see what was happening, people were gathered around in a big circle.

Evan called a man and asked him what was going on. The man told us the Great Priest has came and people are here to request for his help.

Then Evan made a way into the crowd...

"Our Great Priest, we all request you to save us from this evil spirit haunting us. "

"Great Priest, we all will follow you please help us. "

It was pretty common to find a priest in an uncivilized area like this.

Priest : "I am the messenger of God. I can neither crete nor kill the ones, supernatural spirits. The evil spirit on this island is bound to be here. "

"How can we this evil spirit? "

"Help us Great Priest! Help us! "

"You are our only hope. "

"Just follow the orders of God. Let the evil kill till the time we haunt the evil. "

..............

"What a bunch of nonsense" Evan whispered in my ears, "just go to the Cop's office already. "

"Interesting, Lets go. "

........

"We are here from the special investigation team. "

We went directly to the office to get a record of the case. Out of curiosity I asked the Head Chief there about the Priest. It wasn't curiosity but sort of a feeling. It was common to have a priest but the priest seemed different to me.

"Great Priest! Miss Shirley He is our saviour, the only Priest of the island, powerful and kind. Everyone on this island believe in his power, He has the ability to fight supernatural. "

"You seem his fan too Head Chief. " Evan spoke laughing and clapping his hand.

"What are you laughing for Evan? "

"I am not", he closed his mouth and took out a diary to take a note.

" So we are here to discuss with you about the case Chief. "

"Sure Miss. "

He took out a file from the desk, opened the records and put it before me, "Here are all the reports Miss Shirley.

Since you already know about the case very well... I'll tell you the information we got.

This is the record we took from two moths before right when the third murder took place. "

" What about the other? " I asked him flipping the pages of the file.

" There was no other information found. When the first murder took place we thought of it as a simple murder case... untill we found the third body two months after with same killing techniques. "

"Everywhere we get the same clue... are we even going to solve the case, " Evan sighed taking all the notes. It makes reason we have found nothing except for the information we already know.

"What do you think of the case, " I asked the Head Chief.

He got up at my question , leaned closer to me and whispered in my ear, "It's the doing of Satan... you should stop nagging too much the case Miss. "

"And why do you think so Mr. chief? "

"You are smart enough to know Miss Shirley. "

The Chief leaned away from me and laughed out loudly, then left. I took out the files and left with Evan.

"What did the Chief whispered in your ear? " Evan asked me when we reached the crime scene.

"Nothing in particular. "

"You sure? "

"Not sure but something I am really sure about. "

There is definitely something going on this island. "Just start searching. "

"Got it mam. "

I was looking here and there still thinking about what the Chief meant when I heard a sound. I looked down, something was under my foot. I picked it up, shoved off the dust and looked at it.

"A ring? "

It was a rusted iron ring with the interior molded into a shape of star.

"Evan? Come here. "

"Why? You found something? " He came running towards me.

I handed over the ring to Evan.

"A ring? "

"I found it here... far away. You see around other areas if you can find some other? "

"What does a ring have to do with? " He asked me.

"Just look for it. "

"Got it. "

I have seen such rings. I am not sure what I am thinking but I saw them somewhere. I took out my cellphone and called for Detective Roy. He is an expert in every little details we need.

"Hello? Detective Roy? "

"Who is speaking? "

"it's me Shirley. You didn't save my number yet? "

"Oh Shirley Shirley... I was going to save I forgot you see. "

"Whatever... I sent you a picture just go through it and tell me the details of it. "

"Give me a sec.

I found it. "

"Found what? "

"where did you get this ring from? Are you going for some prayers or what?

You see it's a symbolic ring... it's used in prayers and all other things. I heard they use it to carry out some rituals... specially... black magics. "

"You sure? Detect. Roy? "

"You think I would tell you anything? "

"Got it. Thank you "

.............

"Shirley, I found these. " Evan came running to me carrying rings in his hand.

"But I found them half buried in sand. "

"Maybe they were full buried and got half by wind or sea waves? "

"You think so? "

"Let's see. Follow me. "

We walked into the Great temple of Great priest. The only one who can answer me right now is Great Priest.

"Why are we here in a temple? " Evan was confused. After all I have done all the things keeping it away from him, I feel sorry now.

"To meet a special guest", I smiled at him.

An old husky man in his 80s, probably, came out wearing rough temple clothes. His face was pale... more aged , white hairs, wrinkled face and a stick to support him. He spoke in a rough voice with a smile on his face, "I expected you to come Miss Cop. "

"Then you should also know why I came? Great priest. " I smiled back at him.

"You are quite sharp-tongued Miss Cop. " He laughed loudly.

"Thank you. I will take that as a compliment. "

I took out the rings and put it in front of him.

"Can you explain this? Great Priest. "

He took a look at the rings, lifted one with his finger, tried to mark them. Bringing it in front of me

he laughed again.

"What kind of explanation you need? "

"Whatever pleases you... we found this near the crime scene. "

"Sure, sure ", he laughed again, " but shouldn't you go to a carpenter instead of coming to a temple Miss?

Also, I hope your case is going well. You see there are three days more to the month, what if you witness the murder with your own eyes? "

Speaking this the old man left into the temple.