A Stab In The Murder : a Psi-Kicks story by: GF Willmetts

The pathologist pulled the sheet back from the dead woman on the slab and consulted her pad. Identity unknown. Stabbed through the chest. Assailant unknown. Probably one of the recent serial killer victims. She studied the woman’s chest. This one was a bit different. She measured the stab wound again. It was smaller and growing smaller. She raised the body’s eyelid, the iris shrunk in the bright light. She checked the carotid pulse and then the wrist. There was now a slight pulse growing stronger. Whatever was happening, the woman was coming back to life. A heartbeat when before there was none. She looked up. A spikey red-haired woman was looking down as well.

‘Hi. Interesting, dontchaknow? Better to wake up here than in a ward or corridor.’

The dead woman suddenly sat up, forcing both woman apart, gasping in some air. The pathologist froze.

The red-haired woman touched her shoulder. ‘Don’t take too much energy. You’ll think its like a syphon.’

The now alive woman began to glow from the touch. The stab wound completed healing. The pathologist watched slack jawed.

‘What’s happening?’

‘A local psychopath thought you dead. You got better.’

She put a bag on the table.

‘Go and get dressed. Shoo! I need to talk to the lady here about what she can remember.’

Sheena Ramone looked the pathologist in the eye. ‘You’ve already filled in the forms for her death, so you sign and hand them to me. I will clear it with the police investigating officers. You will continue to give a no comment to the press and media. If any police officer comes down, you will give them the number of the card I have given you and tell them to contact me. Anything else, then you contact me on the same number. On no account let anyone see her body. You will feel fine about this and continue with your other duties.’

The now alive woman came back in, properly dressed. Sheena put her fingers to her lips, took the signed form from the pathologist and headed to the door.

‘How will she obey what you told her?’

‘It’s what I do.’

That put an end to that question.

‘Where are we going?’

‘The murder squad, dontchaknow? You’re just one of several for this serial killer. I assume you want to help in his capture?’

‘Yes, but…’

‘Unlike the others, you can’t be killed. If there’s a need to a live volunteer, you’ll volunteer.’

‘Why can’t I be killed?’

‘You’re what they call a nascent Vampiri.’

‘A vampire? I drink blood?’

‘Vampiri. You suck up psionic energy. I’m a Psionic. You just fed off me. Your people weren’t able to get here. All we had was psionic activity and that was probably me getting here and helping your recovery. You were doin’ OK on your own and she wouldn’t have put a knife in you as you were recovering. I just speeded things up as we have to finish tonight.’

‘Why tonight?’

‘That’s all the time I was told I would be here. There’s a serial killer out there. Wouldn’t you like to catch him before he knives anyone else?’

‘Yes, but…’

‘Follow my lead. I’m Sheena Ramone and you’re Yannis Crytopeck. You Vampiri energy leeches do odd things with your spelling. I’ll call you Janis in front of the plod.’

‘You’re police?’

‘Home Office. They won’t need to know more than that.’

‘And really?’

‘A consultant, dontchaknow? You Vampiri this inquisitive?’

‘Wouldn’t know. Haven’t even heard of Vampiri until you told me I was one.’

‘You catch on fast.’

‘I came back from the dead. How do my…what is it? Sisters, cope?’

‘Some brethren, too. Never met most of them. We know they kept their own Psionics to feed off. When you’re hungry, any Psionic will do.’

‘Psionics? That’s you. Mind control?’

‘Amongst others. Some of the others have singular abilities. You’re lucky one of them wasn’t nearer. Our Farsighters can’t always get the detail.’

‘And then?’

‘They’d still have to call me in. Some control is needed. We’re as rare as you Vampiri. Now, just follow my lead. Don’t be too chatty inside.’

‘You can control me?’

Sheena smiled. ‘Always a first time.’

They walked into the police building, Sheena flashing her ID card as they walked in and through a metal detector, the Psionic letting her bag go through separately and then opened her leather jacket just to show it was only zips setting it off. The police let them both in and upstairs to the Major Incident Rom. The team were doing their own thing as they studied the wall of victims. Yannis gave a shudder at her own photographs, one dead and one alive. Life changing moment.

‘Look at all of them’, Sheena said quietly. ‘They fit your general description. It’s very difficult to track down a serial killer who kills randomly but an MO is easier to track. He likes killing blondes. Shame I didn’t bring a wig.’

‘You seem very knowledgeable, Ms…’

Sheena turned and looked into the eyes of detective sergeant.

‘DS Dicer. Nice to meet you. Where’s your inspector?’

‘And you are?’

Sheena handed over her card. ‘Go and check the ID number. I do have authority to be here.’

The rest of them looked up briefly, met Sheena’s eye before looking away. ‘I was undercover before being told to come here. Seems there’s a connection to missing people happening on the same night.’

They turned back to their work, although with a couple of the detectives, they were checking on the information.

‘Undercover as what?’ Yannis muttered. ‘You look like a biker.’

‘I’m not dressing up. I’m a Ramones fan.’

‘And they are?’

‘The greatest punk band. Shush!’

Dicer returned and handed Sheena back her ID card. ‘The Gov will see you.’

‘Thanks.’

Sheena, with Yannis following, headed to the inspector’s office without asking the way. He stayed in the background.

‘Chief Inspector Ramone?’

‘Chief Inspector Baker.’

‘Your department isn’t on your ID card.’

‘Of course not. We’re highly specialised. Undercover. We provide live bait. Your serial killer has an MO for blondes, not fussy if they’re dyed. Vulnerable late at night. Your patrols haven’t spotted him…or her. We’re looking into missing people on the same night. Around the same time. We’re trained to catch whoever in the act.’

‘With a knife in this lady’s chest?’ He pointed at Yannis. ‘Won’t she be dead?’

‘Not this time. We’re good at our job. We also think he or she hasn’t gone home yet so need to get a move on or you people would have gone home for the night.’

‘A repeat on the same night?’

‘No kidnap victim yet, donchaknow.’

‘We don’t know where to start looking.’

‘And you people have sorted out where to look when we couldn’t?’ Dicer asked incredibly.

‘We’re a specialist unit.’

‘Where were you three murders ago?’

Sheena gave a twirl. ‘Looking for missing people. We only came in as a curtsey before walking your patch. We need to move.’ She pointed at the map. ‘Watch around here.’

‘Whoever it is has never killed twice on the same night.’

‘The kidnap hasn’t happened yet. He’ll feel lucky tonight.’

Sheena and Yannis left both officers agape as they left.

Out in the corridor. ‘I thought you were going to order them about.’

‘If we walk into a crime scene without showing our authority we could be seen as provocation. Live bait, we get legal protection and not stepping on their toes by them not knowing. Quick visit better than a phone call, donchaknow?’

‘So what are you consultants?’

‘You’ve guessed some of it, dontchaknow.’

‘Do we have time to stop for a snack? I’m famished. We can eat on the run. I take it my change doesn’t stop me eating normal food?’

‘We just have enough time if you eat while we walk.’

‘No car?’

‘We’re supposed to look vulnerable. There’s a fast food…get a move on.’

‘You?’

‘I’ll pass, dontchaknow.’

Yannis searched her pockets. ‘No money.’ Then spotted Sheena holding out a twenty pound note. ‘Thanks.’

Sheena waited outside while Yannis got her quick food and didn’t say a word as they continued their walk and the new Vampiri ate.

‘I didn’t think being nearly killed would give me such an appetite.’

‘Protein. Meat. Just don’t get into the habit’, was all Sheena could offer as Yannis bit into her third burger. ‘Just keep going in that direction.’

The Vampiri looked around. Sheena was no longer there. She shrugged. The serial killer only attacked single women but she could have said when they were splitting up.

Maybe she was doubling the chances. Her metabolism must have changed. Eating meat was giving her a rush. What was a Psionic Vampiri supposed to be? Live off this psionic energy whatever it was she called it? How unkillable was I?

She felt her chest. Not even a hint of a knife wound now. She also didn’t feel the rag put over her face that quickly rendered her unconscious.

<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>

  ‘I killed her earlier. Put a knife between her ribs. Walkin’ around as if it was normal.’

Hands opened her shirt. ‘No scar. Maybe she’s a lookalike. That wouldn’t be difficult. You like them blonde.’

‘I’m sure I stabbed her dead tonight.’

‘Then you’ll have a chance to kill her again and we can dump her again.’

The room suddenly began to shake and everything in it.

In the centre of all this, Sheena was slowly rising into the air and all loose objects slid to one wall. The two murderers were flung into the wall with a bit more violence. The unconscious Vampiri was about to join them when Sheena’s eyes flashed open, clenching her fist and Yannis floated back to her. The rubbles continued.

<<Are you all right, Sheena?>>

<<What?>>

<<You’re creating an earthquake. A four on the Richter scale.>>

<<I’m pissed. I think we were nerved gassed.>>

<<The Vampiri is still out?>>

<<I’ll ensure we have it. Someone check Porton Down. Didn’t see it coming.>>

<<I’ll spake if I do.>>

<<Stop the earthquake. The media will have a field day and you’re at ground zero. You’ll have to get both of you out.>>

<<No one hurt but the kidnap murderers. One of you contact the local incident room by conventional means to get here.>>

<<Didn’t need to. They’re already heading your way.>>

Sheena unclenched her fist and both she and Yannis floated to the ground. The static charge had raised all their hair. She smoothed her own down as much as it would and then raised it a little into its spikes as the tremors ended.

Yannis stirred and looked around. ‘You do this?’

‘Bad nightmares. A little pissed, donchaknow?’

‘I’d hate to be around you when big pissed. Are these them?’ She got up, picking up a knife from the floor and going towards them. She stopped a few feet from them trying to move forward.

‘Can’t have you carving them. We have to leave. The police will sort this out. We’re not supposed to take the law into our own hands, dontchaknow?’

‘Even if he tried to kill me and the others.’

‘Especially when you came back.’

‘What about the other girls this bastard killed? Who answers for them? Won’t they be expecting us to be here?’

‘We’re deep undercover. The press isn’t far behind. There’s enough evidence for both of them. Won’t need us.’

As they left, an aerosol flew into Sheena’s hand.

‘Couldn’t you sort out more murders as quickly as this?’

‘An’ put police out of a job? When we act, it messes up the timeline. Might let something worse go on, dontchaknow? Done three good deeds tonight.’

end

© GF Willmetts 2026

Psi-Kicks: The Stable

Sheena Ramone, Yannis Crytopeck

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