A Loving Last Meal

The manila folder

Ikebana, roughly translating to "making flowers come alive," is the classical art of Japanese floral arrangements using specific flora to express one's feeling or emotion.

A pair of bystanders walked along Rhododendron Street simply enjoying each other's presence, blissfully unaware of the immediate danger that stalked behind them. A looming figure continued forward until they stepped on a dried leaf that fell in the autumn air. It admitted a deafening crunch and made one turn, followed by his partner, only to be faced with a tall figure that seemed to practically blend in with the night. The person was dressed in full black with a thin scarf that had been wrapped around the bottom part of their face twice as to conceal their identity, but it failed to hide the crazed look they held in their eyes. The figure seemed to grow the more the couple stared at them, until a shine in the corner of their eyes made them tear there vision away from the persons sickening shape to the weapon they held; a knife that was still dirty from previous victims but was freshly sharpened, the tale tell was the shined edge that was untouched of blood. In the mere seconds they gawked at the figure and their weapon, the person lunged forward at the man and punctured his stomach with the knife, then again in his chest where his heart lay. They dropped the man and quickly went after his partner, who still stood there, frozen after she saw her partner brutally murdered in front of her. Before she could scream, they grabbed her face, silencing her, and slit her throat as she clawed and grabbed the person's hand.

      Kodi Elke frantically walked and rambled in his office with a vice grip on the Manila folder that was recently sent to them from the head of the Behavioral Unit at the F.B.I. Kodi's tie hung loosely around his neck, his shirt was wrinkled, and the back was untucked. A woman sat at the desk in his office listening, she wore an off-white blouse and beige pencil skirt and blazer that were both lined with a black edge that complemented her tan completion. She was in some shiny black heels that added to her already towering height and a thin black scarf that lay untied around her neck. She sat in the black leather desk chair observing Kodi.

      That's what she always did. Observe. Don was a very intelligent and persuasive, but unfeeling woman, that's why she thrived in the investigation team, quickly rising through the ranks and was entrusted with a case that has stumped the F.B.I for the past ten years. She was a game-player, manipulative, she went through life as if she was playing chess with the unaware, and she has yet to lose. Kodi, however, was more... simple. It's not that he wasn't competent, he most definitely was, he was one of the top investigators, behind Don of course; but he wasn't he intelligent and he was too... enthusiastic, high energy, he was like a dog, friendly and nice but in no way smart. He couldn't hold an intellectual conversation with a rock if he tried; and that's what infuriated her, that she, a person who has enough brains to get away with murder and then some, was partnered with this ...blabbering idiot!

     The two were partnered in an investigation of a serial killer the media has named "The Fiore" due to the fact that they arrange bouquets in the hollowed-out torsos of the victims.

      "This is the sixth body this week and its only Tuesday!" Kodi angrily exclaimed, slamming the folder on the desk in front of Don, making the photos and papers in the folder fall and scatter out on the mahogany table. As he continued to rant and stress, Don simply nodded her head and opened the file and examined the usual contents; photos of the victims, the body's, their background checks, other notes made by the forensics team and when they'll examine the body.

        "John Dothan and his mistress, Eleanor Graham were killed at night on 23rd of October, they were last seen alive on camera when Mr.Dothan and Ms.Graham left the Hobs Bar at 11:07 p.m. Mr.Dothan arrived at the bar at 3:56 p.m. and was reported visibly intoxicated by eyewitnesses. Their bodies were found by his wife, Mrs.Maria A. Dothan, in front of the Antropo Apartment Complex, Mr. Dothan's body was positioned on his knees with his chest was hollowed out with a bouquet of Geraniums, orange Lilies, Marigolds, and Snapdragons, with his heart, that had a gash in it, and a cluster of Irises in his hands. Ms.Graham's body stood behind him, her face was craned upward with a deep cut in her throat that was filled with five Acanthus stems and with her hands placed on Mr.Dothan's shoulders. According to Mrs.Dothan, they were filing for divorce so he could be with Ms.Graham. None of Mr.Dothan's nor Ms.Graham's extracted organs have been found," as Don read aloud in a particularly flat tone, she glanced her eyes up from the folder to her partner, trying to gage his reaction.

Kodi stopped and looked at her, "John's the cheater of the couple, there always was one with each pair of murders."

Don simply nodded her head in conformation as Kodi continued to speak, "So, what? Our guy is just this, this... righteous murderer who brutalizes cheaters and kills the partner they cheated with?"

"Maybe he fee-" before Don could finish, a knock entered and echoed in the room followed by a shorter woman.

     She had long, honey hair that fell just below her shoulder blades, she wore a flowy, loose off-white dress with a faux wicker belt that cinched her waist and brown Mary-Jane shoes that had a design engraved in the leather, her face resembled Kodi's yet they looked nothing alike. They only shared the same nose and eye color, a light amber with green accents circling the bottom of the iris, of which focused on Don as she came in. Her face was strangely recognizable to Don, giving her a sense of Deja-Vu.

    "Hello, I'm Kodi's sister, Lucia Elke. I apologize if I'm interrupting but I came to remind him of a family dinner we have to attend tonight," Lucia spoke in, what Don could only describe as a sweet, feminine voice. Don was quick to stand, gliding over to the woman, suddenly being hit with the strong, powdery smell of flowers and vase water.

     "Not at all, I'm his partner for the current case we're working on. My name is Bella-Donna Jimson," Don replied in her usual smooth speaking voice, Lucia shot out her hand and enthusiastically shook Don's.

"Yes! Don Jimson, Kodi has talk about you, all good things, I promise. Mainly how he lucked out with such a smart on a partner with this case!" Lucia laughed out in a friendly manner, taking Don aback. Don hated when someone touched her, not wanting their germs on her clean hands, she hated when people used a nick name for her and she especially hated overly lively and energized people, especially strangers, but for some reason she didn't mind Lucia, in fact her heart rate pick up a tad, her chest tightened, her brain felt like it was in a lucid fog and she found the corners of her mouth tugging upward a little and she felt her face heat up like she walked into warm shelter from the harsh cold.

"Really? He's never told me about you, though our conversations never leave room for talk of family. Have I seen you before, you look familiar?" Don asked, trying to ignore the growing knot in her stomach.

"I think I've seen you in Lavender Rose, I'm a florist there, I tend to stay in the back of the shop, though," Lucia answered.

    While they continued to talk, Kodi stood there awkward and confused as to how his sister could get this big and scary woman to talk in the friendliest banter he ever heard come from her. He brushed off his questions and explained to himself that his sister was simply just a sociable person.

"I know you have a family dinner tonight, but I'd love to have you... and your bother for dinner at my house," Don hesitated to add Lucia's bother, though it was barely noticed.

    In all honesty she couldn't stand the man, if you can even call him that, he acted more with the blissful ignorance of a child than an adult. She'd rather cook and dine with Lucia and Lucia alone, but they just met, and the last thing Don wanted was to weird out or make Lucia uncomfortable.

"We'd love to, thank you!" Lucia excepted without consulting her brother, in her mind, Kodi was a grown man at the age 41, he suck it up or make up some phony excuse as to why he can't go.

    Lucia liked Don and wanted to get to know her more, she saw her in the floral shop she worked at from the back and thought she was beautiful and looked extremely smart, clean cut, she found herself subconsciously putting more effort and time into the flower bouquets that were ordered by one 'Bella-Donna Jimson', but to her it was nothing more than a play-ground crush.

"Great, tomorrow at 6 o'clock, I'll tell your brother my address," Don replied, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth as Kodi and Lucia left the office, sending a polite wave.