Officer Palin left the victim’s home and returned to his cruiser. The crime scene technicians were still inside, but he wanted to get a jump start on his investigation. With the exception of blood pooling into carpet, the victim’s house was undisturbed. Palin had not seen any footprints, fingerprints or telltale smears of blood. So, he didn’t hold out much hope that the crime scene technicians would be able to glean any evidence which would set him on the right track to find the murderer.
The victim’s husband had not been able to name any potential suspects. However, he had theorized a motive for the murder as the theft of the Lesser Key of Solomon grimoire from the victim. It seemed as good a starting point as any. Palin knew the tome was historically significant, because it originally belonged to the biblical Israelite King Solomon. Nevertheless, he was in the dark as to why someone would be willing to commit murder, in order to get their hands on that grimoire.
If there was one person in town who could clue him in on the significance of an ancient grimoire, it was Sage Connell. He was the Director of Antiquities for the Doorkeepers, an order which dated back to ancient times when members guarded religious assemblies against spies and magistrates. Through the centuries, the order evolved to meet the demands of a world filled with threats in this world and beyond.
It was almost midnight, but Palin’s friend was a night owl. He knew Sage would be still be in his office at the Doorkeeper compound, researching some obscure enchanted artifact or inventorying the organization’s ever expanding antiquities collection. Palin’s took out his cell phone and dialed the number. It rang until just before the voicemail was activated. Sage never remembered to check his messages. So Palin’s was about to hang up, when his friend answered.
“Hello?”
“Sage?”
“Oh hey Dude. What’s up?”
“I just got assigned to another murder investigation. The victim’s partner says he was killed, because he won some sort of bidding war for the Lesser Key of Solomon grimoire. What can you tell me about that book?”
“Long story short, it’s a guide on how to summon demons. More than likely the victim got his hands on a copy, not the original. But it’s still worth a pretty penny, if it has been appraised and certified as authentic.”
“How much do you think it’s worth?”
“You can’t put a price tag on something that powerful. I’m surprised the previous owner sold it.”
“Maybe he didn’t. If my victim was murdered for it, then the original owner may have shared the same fate. My guess is whoever has that grimoire now is either the killer or the responsible for putting the hit out on the victim. The problem is, not knowing much about grimoires, I don’t know where to even start looking for the damn thing.”
“Well, it depends on whether the book is going into someone’s private collection or will be sold again. How long has the victim been dead?”
“The maid found the body at around 5:30 P.M.”
“Then there’s a good chance it’s still in town. I’ll give you the names of a few people who should at least be able to point you in the right direction that is, if you can get them to talk.”
“You know me, I love a challenge.”