Chapter 9 Chapter 8 The Beheading of Jesus

Alex Lee looked up at Jesus on the cross— The Son of Man closed his eyes, frowned slightly, and the painful expression on his face was not very obvious.He wears thorns on his head, and there are striking nail marks on his palms and feet. His weak body is spread out to face his believers, and he bears the sins of all mankind on his back. Alex wondered if he might have his share of it. His state of ecstasy did not last long, and soon he lowered his head again and focused his eyes on the believers in front of the church. It is now nine o'clock on Saturday night, and they are listening to Father Matthew Oliver's preaching attentively. Abstinence Theory.

The dark-haired police detective sat on the far left of the seventh row of benches, and there was no one else behind him.From this spot one could see the profiles of more than half of the Steadfasts, and Billy White sat on the far right in the back row, monitoring Alex's blind spot. Behind them near the door was the statue of the Virgin Mary. As the priest said, it was covered with milky white crosses, and there was a notebook next to it.There are about 50 members who came to listen to the sermon today, most of them are people they visited.To avoid attracting attention, Alex and Billy chose not to come in until after the sermon had begun.Since they had discussed it with Father Oliver in advance, and most of the members had a friendly attitude towards the newcomers, only two or three people looked at them a few more times and didn't say anything.

The clergyman with a pretty face was denouncing the sin of "lust" loudly from the pulpit. His fair cheeks were flushed and his eyes were shining. If he wasn't so hysterical, Alex would think he was a cute guy.However, in the eyes of the members of the association, this priest who loves God madly may be closer to an angel, and he is Michael who fights with a long sword. Alex could feel from the faces of the members that fanatical religious passion occupied their hearts. Many people listened intently to Father Matthew Oliver's speech, some excited, ashamed, and smiling Yes, a little uneasy... But Alex believes that no matter what they look like, they are ordinary people, and they are extremely easy to be incited. After listening to the speech, they may really restrain their physical desires as the priest said— —Don’t read pornographic magazines and video tapes, don’t wear revealing clothes, don’t have desires for people other than your wife or husband, don’t even play sex games with your spouse…and of course, you can’t have emotions beyond “friendship” with the same sex.

Of course that's fine too, Alex smiled self-deprecatingly, at least they won't get AIDS so easily. He looked at his gray-eyed partner, the young man who was trying not to grimace, and surreptitiously checked the list to identify those who hadn't been investigated.Alex looked at his watch again, and the pointer had reached the fifteenth position. He knew that Maurice Norman might be rushing over here after finishing his tutoring for the students. "Believe me, believers, do as I say, because what I say is what God asks you to do." The priest's melodious voice echoed under the empty dome, "If this is the case, even if this city, even this The world has become Sodom and Gomorrah, so the Lord will redeem you just like he redeemed Lot. You must be chaste and kind, and you must be righteous in this world. You must not become cowardly, and must not lose to the devil Otherwise, hell will add one more place without hesitation, and the gate of heaven will be closed..."

His voice stopped suddenly, and his blue eyes turned straight to the door.Everyone turned their heads and saw a tall and handsome man with green eyes walking in quickly.With an apologetic smile on his face, he sat down beside Alex. Father Matthew Oliver coughed, and his countenance grew more serious, evidently recognizing the newcomer, and visibly becoming more excited, his voice raised quite a bit as he continued his sermon. "I'm sorry," Maurice Norman whispered, leaning closer to Alex, "the damn weather made my tires spin, and I think I'll have to take the car to the garage tomorrow."

"I'm sorry, Doctor, but you're still here, and I'm very grateful." The dark-haired detective smiled and shook his hand. "Happy to help you, Sergeant." The exchange of greetings between the two men was soon broken off, for Father Oliver had extended his sermon on matters which concerned them. The handsome clergyman said sternly: "Friends, I once again remind you to put an end to a crime, a crime that is absolutely intolerable. I know that some of you may have had intimate relationships with the same sex, just As close as husband and wife. You think that is the result of love, but recall what the Lord said: 'If a man lies with a man as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination, and they shall surely be put to death, sin Be attributed to them.' The Lord separates you from all things, that is, you are required to be more sensible and clean than other things. Only those who are clean and self-loving can be called God's people. Intercourse between the same sex is unclean Yes, it is the capital sin of falling into bestiality, which is as disgusting as incest and adultery. You can see in Leviticus, the Lord put them together. But I also say that our God is merciful Yes, he is waiting for you to repent. Think of Magdalene, and how Christ saved her, and you will know God's forgiveness..."

Alex felt restless again, as if his whole body was covered with ants. He'd heard those words, those sharp questions that had driven him mad for a while, but now he couldn't just cover his ears and walk away like he used to.Nervously, he pinched his palm with his fingers, and then focused on the person in front of him. Damn sermons, he thought, but really as long as you don't listen to them, he's here for work, that's all... A big warm hand suddenly reached out and took his hand. "Alex," the green-eyed man whispered in his ear, "don't worry, I have to pour some cold water on the excited priest, now you have to pay attention to the people around you."

He stroked the place where the detective pinched with his callused fingers, then smiled and stood up. "Excuse me, Father." The tall man interrupted the clergyman's passionate speech, "May I ask you some questions?" This sudden question made the church quiet for a moment, and everyone turned their faces to look at the person who suddenly spoke. Perhaps no one had ever done such a thing in their activities.Father Matthew Oliver was also very surprised, but he still said politely: "I am very glad that you are here, Dr. Norman, and I am happy to answer any questions you may have."

Morris nodded slightly: "Thank you very much, Father. You said that God has clearly stated that same-sex intercourse is a sin, right?" "yes." "Everything about us is given by God, so we should obey him, right?" "Yes, Doctor, there is no doubt about it." Maurice Norman glanced at Alex, then looked straight ahead at the handsome priest: "Father, you should know that I am a homosexual. If God cursed our 'crime', why would he want to do this again?" 'Sinful' desires given to us?" Surprised voices came from the crowd, some people began to whisper, some showed expressions of surprise and disdain, and some people lowered their heads.

Alex looked at the man beside him, who stood beside him so normally, as if he was attending a relaxing cocktail party, and then asked his host what time it was.Those all kinds of gazes didn't hurt him at all, he was so calm that he didn't have any cover, as if it was someone else who should be embarrassed.This made Alex couldn't help becoming envious. He once imagined that he could do this one day, but he still didn't dare to imagine what he would encounter in reality, even if it was a skeptical look. Father Matthew Oliver opened his mouth, and quickly recovered from the shock, he retorted sharply: "I have talked to you before, doctor, don't use excuses like 'innate' to cover up ! God created human beings as a male and a female, and the desire he bestowed on human beings is for the continuation of the race, and pleasure is just a useless incidental.”

"You are equating lovemaking with the act of procreation, Father. Don't forget, didn't God separate us from the beasts, He said, 'I am the Lord your God, and I have distinguished you from all peoples', human beings will The desire for pleasure, but also the result of love..." Alex was not interested in the ensuing debate, but he felt that under Maurice Norman's clear questioning, the heavy moral balance in this church could finally be slightly balanced, making him less uncomfortable. He looked at the members of the "Steady" Association who were concerned about the debate. Their expressions gradually revealed their hearts. Several men in front of them were staring at Maurice Norman in the middle of the debate, their eyes full of confusion .Alex can easily identify those who have the same mentality as himself.They all carefully live their lives wearing masks, thinking that they are burdened with sin, and even want to change their sexuality through such religious brainwashing... Maybe this repressed desire will become a terrible killing weapon to a certain extent... When the bell struck eleven in the evening, the priest's extraordinary sermon finally came to an end. Of course, neither he nor the green-eyed associate professor convinced anyone, but Alex was sure that this verbal exchange was aimed at the "conscientious people." Some members of the association had a subtle influence, and different opinions broke the priest's single point of view face to face, perhaps allowing those who waver among them to think independently. The black-haired police detective and his partner showed their IDs, recorded the suspects and faces they found, and asked them to leave their contact addresses.When the crowd gradually dispersed, Alex walked to the altar and shook hands with Father Matthew Oliver. "Thank you for your cooperation, Father." He said formally, "I'm sorry to disturb you." The blush on the clergyman's pretty face hadn't completely faded away, there was fine sweat on his smooth forehead, and his blue eyes kept a fighting spirit of not admitting defeat. "This is my duty, police officer." The priest said, "I also hope to catch the murderer as soon as possible. But I believe that there is no one you are looking for in the 'Steady People' Association. A devout believer will not be a serial killer." "I hope so, but often extreme fanatics can also become dangerous." "You'll know I'm right." Father Matthew Oliver said confidently. "I'm looking forward to the day when this case will be solved." He turned his head and looked at the tall man standing next to the Madonna, and asked Said: "Dr. Norman is your friend?" He put the stress on the last word. Alex nodded vaguely: "He is an expert invited by our police to assist, sorry, maybe he offended you today." "Oh, no, no." Father Oliver shook his head hastily. "He's an interesting opponent for a debate. I had approached him before about a young man, and he was very polite and very kind. If he wasn't Hold on to your views so stubbornly that maybe we could be friends. It's a pity he's good at everything but that one crime would drag him to hell..." "Ah, Father." Alex stopped the man uncomfortably from continuing, "We have to go, and you also need to rest. We will contact you if there is any progress." "Oh, goodbye, officer, just let me know if you need help." "Okay. Thank you, Father." Alex crossed the benches, told Billy White to remember to go to the police station tomorrow and look up those who had been noted down tonight, then said goodbye to him, and went to Maurice Norman. He came up to the tall green-eyed man and saw him staring at something. "What's the matter, doctor?" Alex found out that besides the notebook, there was also a milky white cross under the icon.He frowned suddenly: "Did someone forget to take theirs when they left?" "I don't know." Maurice Norman replied, "I was waiting for you here. Everyone who went out just now passed by me and took away their own cross. I didn't see anyone missing it." "You mean there was an extra cross for no reason?" "It's not just that simple, take a closer look." Alex bent down in surprise, and immediately opened his eyes wide: the head of Jesus on the cross has been cut off! He took a step back, his face full of horror, and quickly looked at the priest—the man was packing up the things on the altar, dimming the lights, and didn't pay attention to the situation here.Alex took out his handkerchief, wrapped the cross in his pocket, and walked out of the church with Maurice Norman. "What is this?" the light brown-haired man asked worriedly, "Alex, did someone put it there on purpose? Could it be a prank?" The dark-haired detective shook his head: "I don't know, Doctor." "When I saw it, I just felt weird. It shouldn't be a Christian thing. Could it be sent by the murderer?" "Don't judge hastily, Maurice." Alex didn't want to tell him that this thing might indeed be a warning from the murderer!If this is the case, it means that his actions have been known by the murderer, which is a very serious matter.And he still can't express the bad guess in his heart, which will make Morris and himself feel uneasy. From the avenue, some thirty yards long, they were back into the noisy high street.The rain became smaller and soft like silk threads, and the wet ground reflected the neon lights that blurred into a pool of blurred colors.Alex took the hand holding the cross out of his pocket, and calmed down his tense heartbeat. He took a deep breath: "The air outside is better, I almost suffocated just now." Maurice Norman shrugged. "Look, I told you listening to Father Oliver's sermons was torture." "I appreciate you making the interim more interesting." Alex glanced at Maurice Norman's car—it had a sunken hood that was the size of a hand, and the left headlight was broken. , "Oh, it looks like you're in a lot of trouble." "I accidentally made it when I was turning." The doctor said with a smile, "Don't worry, it's not serious." Alex opened the car door: "You can call the night repair shop now, and then I will take you back." Maurice Norman nodded after hesitating for only a second: "Okay, Alex, thank you very much." "No, I should actually say that." The black-haired mulatto thought for a while, then approached the man again, "Morris, tonight I think I probably understand what you said before." "Oh? What is it?" The doctor looked at him with interest. "About being 'honest' to yourself." Alex paused. "You are brave, Maurice, which I envy. I admire you for being able to face the priest like that." The green-eyed man laughed and spread his hands: "Great, can this be an opportunity for you to fall in love with me?" To be able to fall in love with someone again is indeed a happy thing, right? Alex laughed too, and when there were few pedestrians, he suddenly and quickly kissed Maurice Norman on the lips, and then got into the car.He turned his head and looked at the man standing there, the expression on his face slowly changed from surprise to joy. Now even the black-haired detective himself felt that it was really time to end this case quickly. When he returned to the police station the next day, Alex handed over the cross to the forensics department. He told Petty Franklin that he wanted everything about it, and the blond female analyst gave a report card. Put it in his hand. "What is this?" He couldn't understand the string of technical terms. "Fiber composition analysis, my inspector." The blonde put his shoulder affectionately, "We found this on the travel bag containing the corpse, and it is inferior cotton yarn." A familiar thing flashed in Alex's head, he looked at Petty in surprise, and the latter raised his eyebrows: "Yes, Inspector, it's exactly the same composition as the cotton yarn we found in Edward Bant's nails. Oh, by the way, I can also tell you that although we suspected that it was the cotton clothes left by the deceased himself, after comparison, we found that this is not the case. Edward Bant's clothes were dyed and were high-end 120 cotton, but that piece of cotton yarn is exactly the same 20-count cotton found this time.” "Not making clothes?" "No, it looks like medical gauze." Alex was stunned: "What does this mean?" The female laboratory technician patted his face: "Dear detective, this at least further proves that the murderer is the same person." "Yeah, that's great news. Thanks, Petty." The black-haired man put away the report with a wry smile, and walked into the office next to him. Billy White was standing next to the printer, sorting out a stack of documents. "Sir, the basic information of those people last night is here." The gray-eyed youth handed him the information, "There are ten people in total, four of which we checked, and six are anonymous people in the notebook They were all pretty normal last night when the priest started his sermon, but when Dr. Norman came in they reacted differently. They both have sexual issues and don't want to admit it, but I think there are two guys The suspicion is particularly serious." "Let me see." Alex turned the pages roughly. "Oh, Raymond Stevenson and Robert Powell, they both have criminal records." "Yes, a boy who molested a boy and was sentenced to three years in prison; a boy who intentionally hurt someone in revenge for his changed boyfriend." "It's really good." Alex smiled, "Did they join the 'Steady Ones' Association to correct evil, or to find prey?" "Sir, shall we investigate them first?" "Yes. Oh, by the way, know what I got in church last night? A cut-off Jesus—" Alex was about to tell his partner about the cross when there was a The policeman leaned halfway in. "Excuse me, Alex." "Ah, hello, Eric, what's up?" The police officer pointed to the top: "Old Bob wants you and Billy to go to his office right away, the FBI is here." Alex looked at the information in his hand and sighed: "Thank you, Eric, I'll go right away."