The Curse of Eden Square
by J. H. Zech
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Table of Contents parts 1, 2, 3 4 |
conclusion
It was evening at the square, and all the customers had already left.
Richard, Dahlia, the chief, and the persons of interest were standing off to the side of the parking lot, in the darkness, outside the boundaries of light from the lamps shining on the lot.
The chief warned, “I waived the 5:00 p.m. deadline because you assured me it was necessary to catch the culprit. You’d better be right, or I’m taking you down with me.”
“I’m confident. Now, let’s go over the facts of the case with the people here.” Dahlia pointed at Jeff. “You had an altercation with José, and you were the last to see him alive two days ago.”
“I told you I didn’t do it! You can’t accuse me with just that.”
“I’m not accusing you. Merely stating the facts.”
“Hmph.”
“Numa, you were blackmailing him.”
“And that would make him want to kill me, not the other way around.”
“Shelly, you threatened to kill him if he showed up at your door.”
“I was bluffing, and besides, he didn’t show up at all!” she scoffed.
“Ruby, you were the first to discover the body, and we know you lied to us about getting that scratch on your hand as you discovered it.”
“This and that are unrelated!” she protested. “I only discovered the body. I didn’t even know the guy.”
“Yes, that’s correct. All of you have suspicious circumstances related to José, but let’s recall how he was murdered. He was strangled, then hung on a tree for display. This is not a crime done for money, nor was it a crime of passion and rage. It was a meticulously calculated crime full of hatred. And that’s the key to understanding the killer. The curse of Eden Square.”
“Give me a break. That’s occult nonsense.” Ruby rolled her eyes.
“Let me finish. The pattern of the murders, regardless of any supernatural origin story, is simple and obvious. The culprit always murders someone who is part of some group that is socially unpopular at that time period. The motive is hatred, not for any one specific person, but for members of a group. The murder is made public to strike fear into their hearts.”
“Sure, whatever,” Jeff said. “But is hate enough to appear out of thin air? How do you explain the locked room?”
“The explanation for that is coming right now.” Dahlia smiled.
A man trekked across the parking lot pushing a dolly with a tower of boxes. He stopped at a van.
“Hello, Mike.”
He had a start. “D-Dahlia Williams? What are you doing here so late?”
“I should be asking you that.”
“I’m just packing up after closing shop. Getting ready to head home.”
“What’s in the boxes?”
“Some leftover food is all.”
“So, you wouldn’t mind if Inspector Gim here takes a look inside?”
Richard stepped out from the shadows.
“No, I do not consent to any searches. What’s all this about?” Mike protested.
“It’s about the culprit behind the murder of José Petro. I’ve gathered the persons of interest.” Dahlia gestured to the group who now stepped into the boundaries of the parking lot lights.
“I see you’ve gathered the suspects, but what does this have to do with me?”
“Still going to play dumb? Then I’ll spell it out for you. The culprit is you!” She pointed directly at Mike.
“Me?” Mike shouted, incredulous. “You’re accusing me of murder? This is crazy!”
“What’s crazy is how you pulled it off.”
“Who is this guy?” Jeff asked.
“Yeah, we were being treated like criminals while all along it was none of us!” Numa complained.
“In your case, aren’t you actually still a criminal?” Ruby retorted.
“Shut up, you weirdo,” Numa snapped.
“Takes one to know one.”
“Hey, let’s stop fighting. I’m relieved that I’m cleared of suspicion at least,” Shelly said.
“Everyone, calm down,” Dahlia said. “This is Mike. He runs a hot dog shop at the square.” She walked around in front of everyone. “I’ve had two burning questions about this case. Why was the time of death and time of discovery so far apart? And why did the killer make this a locked room? I had concluded these were connected somehow, but I finally figured out how, thanks to Richard.”
“Glad to be of help, though I’m not sure what I did.”
“You said we ought to consult a magician. And that’s precisely correct. This locked room trick was done the way a magician might do a disappearing act. Two nights ago, José was last seen in the evening, and no one saw him since. According to the autopsy, he was murdered sometime that night, let’s say around 10:00 p.m. Then around midnight today, that is, a little over 24 hours later, the culprit shows up with the body and hangs him on the tree, appearing out of nowhere and vanishing. But there is a missing piece in our timeline. Where was the body, and what was the culprit doing during that time?”
“Maybe he felt it was too much of a rush to do the hanging right after killing?” Ruby suggested. “So, he hid with the body until he was prepared the next day.”
“That’s half-right. But it’s not as though a great deal of preparation is needed just to hang someone who is already dead. And having a dead body on hand is quite risky, so there had to be an important reason to hang onto the body for so long.
“Most of the methods of creating a locked room were eliminated by the fact that we know the victim was dead long before the locked room, and there was no other way to move the body except through one of the entrances with cameras. But there was no footage of that happening. Why?”
They were silent. Dahlia loved this part. “Because the body was brought in during the daytime in plain sight, disguised so that it wouldn’t appear suspicious on camera.”
“How is that even possible?” Richard asked.
“By using these very boxes on the dolly. By cutting a hole through them and stacking them, you can fit a body in there and make it look like a regular delivery of a few boxes. These deliveries are very common, and if done during a busy time of day, no one would bat an eye even if they saw it on the surveillance footage.
“Once past the entrance, Mike’s hot dog store is in the passageway before the main square. He wheeled the box in there and hid the body in the storage room until it was nighttime. After everyone had left, he donned the white robe he had hidden along with the rope and simply walked from the store, which is not on camera, and into the main square, which is where he appears on camera.
“He hung the body from the tree, then walked back to the store and hid his robe again. Then, he himself remained hidden in the store until more people from the staff, the business owners, and the police had come over. No one would be checking the footage of every person coming after the incident in great detail, so he opened his shop this morning as if nothing had happened.”
“Now just a minute here,” Mike interjected. “Your story is bonkers, but even so, it could apply to any business owner in the square. Why are you trying to pin this on me?”
“Remember what you told me today? You said to watch my step for the brick sticking out in front of your store because someone had already tripped there today. Ruby came before all the staff and business owners in the early hours because she was planning mischief. She claimed she scraped her hand when she fell from seeing the body at the tree.
“But, in fact, she was lying. She had tripped on the brick in front of your store and accidentally used some spray paint there. How would you have known that Ruby had tripped there today, unless you were actually there long before you were supposed to be there? It’s because you were there all along!”
Mike’s face boiled with fury. “Gah! This... this is all just your speculation! You can’t pin a crime on me like that!”
“This case isn’t over yet. After closing hours, you had one final thing you needed to do as the culprit. Get rid of the evidence. You had no opportunity to destroy the boxes you used to transport the victim and the robe you wore. You figured you were safe after everyone left, so you planned to take them all into your van, drive somewhere remote, and burn them. Because the boxes would have the victim’s DNA, and the robes would have yours. Incontrovertible, physical evidence you can’t deny. If we had realized it one day later, you would have burnt all the evidence, but there’s no escape for you now!”
Mike staggered back, sweating. Richard pushed him out of the way and opened the top box. He drew out a white robe.
“It’s over.” Mike kicked the side of the van. “Goddammit! My plan was perfect!”
“Far from it,” Dahlia said. “A simple murder is closest to perfect. A complicated murder like this was meant to feed your ego and was very fragile from the start.”
Jeff pulled out his phone and started to record. “Oh, this is going to be good content.”
“Why?” Ruby asked. “Why did you kill this man?”
“This man?” Mike chuckled. “I had no specific reason to kill him. He was just the most convenient out of potential targets.”
“Oh, do explain further,” Dahlia said.
“The motherland is being overrun by these barbaric refugees. I wanted to make sure they got the message that they’re not welcome here. I’ve done my part for the country.”
“You’re nuts,” Ruby said.
“In a good way,” Jeff added.
Everyone but Mike gave him the side eye.
“One thing we still haven’t resolved is the issue of the serial killings. How did you discover the exact brand that the original serial killer of Eden Square used? Was it actually someone in the police?”
Mike cackled to the point of crying. “God, you cops are so stupid. As your reward for finally catching us, I’ll tell you.”
Us?
“I was taught by my father, who was taught by his father, and his father. Each of us, starting from our progenitor, Jacques, killed exactly one person. Each of us had a mission: to kill one person during our lifetimes to save this nation when it is in peril. We do not take this lightly. We choose carefully what the greatest threat is to the nation of our time and use our life’s one kill when the time is right. Then we pass on this duty to our son, along with the brand. We are the saviors of this nation from the shadows.”
“I need to puke,” Shelly groaned.
The truth was more insane than anyone could have imagined. This wasn’t a case of a serial killer, or even a serial killer and his successor. No, it was a generational succession of individual murderers that created an immortal serial killer in the public imagination.
Dahlia asked, “Hold on. This means your father killed Yusef Salid, and your grandfather killed Darren Hillvey. They’re probably still alive. Where are they?”
“I won’t tell you.” Mike smirked. “Good luck finding them. But if you do, they’re also prepared to die for their country.”
“Better late than never, Chief. Can you put them on the wanted list?” Richard asked.
“Absolutely,” the chief replied. “We’re going to nab these bastards.”
“Make that three,” Dahlia said. She stared down Mike. “You have a son, don’t you?”
“He’s gone. We all know that we could be caught when we undertake our duty. So, I sent off my son to go into hiding, as did my father for me. I have no idea where he is. And even if you find him, you can’t touch him. For he has done no wrong. He has not killed a single person. Our light shall never be extinguished.”
Dahlia wanted to smack the grin off his face.
“Dude, you are so epic.” Jeff was giddy.
Ruby knocked Jeff’s phone out of his hand. It clattered onto the asphalt, and she stomped on it, smashing the glass to pieces.
“What the hell is your problem?” Jeff yelled.
“What’s your problem? A nutjob just confessed to his whole family being serial killers, and you think that’s epic?”
“Wow, someone’s so serious. Hey, officer, you saw that, right? That’s assault!”
“Sorry, I was distracted by the serial killer,” Richard said. “Feel free to file a claim at the precinct.”
“To hell with all of you!” Jeff stomped his feet all the way to his sports car and drove off.
“Ugh, it’s finally quiet.” Dahlia let out a sigh of relief.
“Let’s wrap this up. Mike, you’re under arrest for murder. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you.” Richard fastened the handcuffs around Mike’s wrists and led him into the police van. Mike didn’t resist, still looking triumphant. The chief was beaming as he got in the front passenger seat His position was safe for another day.
“I suppose we can all go home now,” Shelly said.
Dahlia nodded, and everyone dispersed. “Except for you, Numa. Get in the van. We still have you for fraud and blackmail.”
Numa froze. “I thought you all had forgotten.”
* * *
A week later, things had calmed down considerably. There was an initial frenzy of news reporters, influencers, and social media conspiracy theories, but the public’s attention had moved onto the latest pressing matter of the day, whether or not there was cheating at the recent baseball game.
Dahlia was enjoying some milk tea at the café, overlooking the tree in the Eden Square plaza from the balcony. Richard sat across from her leaning back with his arms over the back of the chair. “I need a vacation,” he said.
Dahlia feigned agreement: “The path to being a retired civil servant seems like it’s not all sunshine and roses.”
“Hire me as your assistant.”
“Are you sure? There’s no union, so I’ll extract maximum value out of you.”
“Have a heart, won’t you?”
“I don’t want to hear that from a cop who only thinks about vacations and retirement.”
“It’s been an absolute mess after that. The chief was in meetings with the mayor, and I was sent out to talk to the media and reassure the community that Eden was safe. I’ve also been working with the prosecutor to prepare the case against Mike, and soon I’m going to be put in charge of finding his father, grandfather, and son.”
“Yikes.” Dahlia shook her head.
“The only twisted upside is that the incident convinced His Excellency that Eden wasn’t some refugee haven out to undermine him, so the heat is off of us for now, but now the residents feel provoked. The heat isn’t dying down any time soon.”
“Out of the oven and into the frying pan.”
“Seriously. How can one person cause all this trouble?”
She looked over the jacaranda tree where José had been hanging. Now, kids and couples sat in its shade enjoying themselves. The tree had seen every murder of the curse of Eden Square, but it had also watched over all those who had gathered around it for the past century. “It wasn’t just one person.”
“Well, I suppose. The serial killer was actually a lineage of murderers.”
“That, too, but it goes beyond that. The killer of the curse felt they were saving their nation, and whomever they targeted was the target of the nation itself. Only one person at a time pulled the metaphorical trigger, but they did so on behalf of countless unnamed people. That’s why... even if we catch Mike’s son and put a stop to these specific serial killings, the curse of Eden Square itself won’t go away. Someone else will take their place.”
“You make what I’m doing sound meaningless.”
“Not at all. So long as the curse exists, justice must also exist.” She turned her head to Richard and smiled. “And I’m here to help.”
He sighed. “I guess the vacation can wait.”
The century of serial killing at Eden Square was over. The curse was not over, but people were far from powerless to resist the curse. Dahlia prayed that from now on, the tree would watch over generations that sought its refuge.
Copyright © 2026 by J. H. Zech
