Short Weird Tales: Statement

"He's an arsehole."

"And that's why you killed him?"

"No, not Albernon. Albernon was alright.
It's his boy Terence, Terence is an arsehole."

"I'm sorry Mr Hunter, could you clarify?
Mr Brockwood's son is an arse hole, and that's why you killed him?"

"No, that's not why I killed him. But you need to know that to start off with. Terence Brockwood is an arsehole. Write that down."

"I don't need to write it down sir, this is being recorded."

"Then why do you have a pen and paper there?"

"Procedure, I imagine Mr Hunter. You have to understand that it's not every day someone walks into the station admitting to a murder..."

"I know that."

"So why did you come here, Mr Hunter?"

"To save time."

"Right. Well.
Can you tell me again about your relationship with the deceased?"

"He was my landlord."

"Did you owe him any money?"

"Only the rent."

"Were you behind with the rent?"

"No."

"So what was the argument between you?"

"There wasn't one. Just his son."

"His son, Terence. Did you owe him money?"

"No."

"Then what--"

"He's a bad one. A real arsehole."

"So you've said. Look, can we stick to the matter at hand for now? You claim to have killed Mr Albernon Brockwood, but we haven't located him yet - or his son - why don't you tell us how you killed him?

"...poison, I suppose."

"You 'suppose'?"

"Well it's more complicated than that, but poison's about as close as it comes for your records."

"And why... why specifically did you kill Mr Brockwood?"

"Because his son was going to kill him."

"Right, and-- wait, what?"

"Terence... was going to kill Albernon... it's that simple.
Are you not going to write this down?"

"And why was Terence going to kill his own father, Mr Hunter?"

"Because of the cult he's in."

"The cul-- look, this isn't a game sunshine!"

"It doesn't matter if you take this seriously or not.
What's done is done. And I've done it. And I'm not sorry."

"So it seems. Okay... okay, what can you tell me about this cult?"

"Oh, the usual stuff. Thirteen members, devil worship, black candles.
Amateur hour..."

"...okay, and..?"

"And they needed a sacrifice. Well, Terence needed a sacrifice.
And that was going to be Albernon."

"Terence was going to sacrifice his own father?"

"That's right."

"And so you killed Terence's father... to what? To save him?"

"No, to save you. To save all of you...."

"...pardon?"

"...from what the sacrifice would bring. Look, this cult he's in are a bunch of clowns, but that particular sacrifice would have worked. That victim, that killer, that time and place. It's too complicated to explain. It would have worked and Terence would have gained powers that you wouldn't believe if I sat here and drew you a picture. Obviously I couldn't let this happen, so I had to stop him somehow."

"By killing Albernon? Your landlord?"

"Precisely."

"And how do you know Terence wouldn't just sacrifice someone else?
In this 'cult' of his?"

"It wouldn't have had the same effect.
All the ingredients have to be right.
This was his last key task."

"So why haven't you just killed Terence, if he's such a danger?"

"Because he's protected. I'm sure even you know how these things work."

"I'm sure I don't..."

"Well, Aden does."

"Pardon?"

"Never mind."

"No, Aden who?"

"Aden Jacobs."

"Chief Superintendent Jacobs?"

"Bing!"

"Okay, what... okay. You walk in here claiming to have killed a man we can't find, because of another man we can't find, by methods you're hazy about and for reasons which can't be verified. Is that right?
I mean I can certainly do you for wasting police time..."

"You missed a bit out."

"Oh, I'm sorry?"

"You missed a bit out of your timeline, there."

"Which was..?"

"Chief Superintendent Jacobs. Aden. I spoke to him before you."

"Okay, and..?"

"This is why I came here. To speak to him. Killing Albernon was also the perfect way to get his attention."

"...why?"

"Because Aden is Terence's lector in the cult. That's like, his 'supervisor' yes? He needed to be taken out as well. He's got a level of protection as well of course, but I managed to work around that."

"What are you talking about?"

"Christ you're a slow one.
Well, at least I know you're not part of it..."

"Part of what?"

"The cult. Look, it doesn't matter. The cult is finished now."

"How is that--"

"Because three rooms away, Aden Jacobs is struggling to breathe his last, and when he loses that fight - and with Terence Brockwood gone - the cult of the Black Night's Mask goes with him. The rest of them are too weak for any of us to worry about, so it's done."

"What are you--"

"You're welcome."

"...for the love of God, why are you here, Mr Hunter?"

"I'm here to carry out a job, officer, much like yourself. And I did mine half an hour ago, and the rest of this is all window-dressing."

"If what you're saying is true, do you have any idea what kind of sentence you'll be looking at?"

"That doesn't matter. I've done my job. And in the grand scheme of things it's irrelevant anyway. You should be thanking me. Although I can see why you probably won't."

"But you didn't do anything to Chief Superintendent Jacobs. I saw him before I came in here, he was fine. A little edgy, but fine."

"Was."

"Yes, w-- what is it you think you've done?"

"Look... it's like a poison. Sort of."

"What do you mean?"

"It's difficult to explain. The Fifth Sathlata. It looks quick, but it takes a lot of preparation. Summoning is just the last part. It's... it's in the air... like a gas or a cloud, but... alive, and it seeps into the blood."

"Have you released a chemical weapon?"

"Not in the way you'd understand it."

"You're trying my patience, Mr Hunter--"

"I don't care. I've done my job and that's all that matters.
Since I'm here, you should start on your paperwork.
You should be writing this down."

"...okay Mr Hunter. I'm going to make this official and speak to the Chief Superintendent, then I'm going to call the psychiatric team, after which you can explain yourself to someone more qualified to help."

"That's fine, George. I didn't come here to explain, I came here to 'do'."

"..."

"And every day you wake up after now and the sky is still blue and up isn't down and the world hasn't imploded into a new dark age of hallucinogenic chaos, you can think about me and mutter your thanks."

"Right you are, Mr Hunter."

"It's the small, key differences that make the big changes, George. Stopping the pieces from connecting further down the line. It doesn't matter what happens to me, only that I read the Final Passage to Albernon Brockwood at 1:15 this morning and only left at The Summoning, and that I was here at 2:30 to speak to Aden Jacobs. It doesn't even matter than you don't understand that. I don't give a shit, George. This is just a formality. My job is above you. You don't matter. Do you understand now?"

"I understand you need help, Mr Hunter..."

"Then when you're failing to resuscitate Chief Superintendent Jacobs in about a minute, please know that you have helped, officer, and I appreciate it."

"...Interview terminated, 15:09."

---

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