Free The Devil's Cinema by Steve Lillebuen

of the second season of
Dexter
.
    His desk stretched out along the basement wall to an adjoining sewing table that was partially buried by a collection of fabrics, string, and costumes. A
Star Wars
alien mask with three eyes watched Topp from a corner. Next to a black “JEDI” baseball cap, he noticed a street hockey mask. It had been painted black with three stripes of gold shaped to form a vicious animal claw. Topp moved his video camera closer. The bottom of the mask had been cut away. Underneath the sewing table he found an air pistol handgun in a cardboard box.
    As Topp circled each room, it became evident how two very different lives had come together in this marriage. All one had to do was examine the living room bookshelf. On the top shelf, Twitchell’s love of fantasy had merged with the practical realities of Jess and the baby. Women’s magazines, baby books, and a photo of Chloe seemed jarring beside
Power vs. Force
, a text that analyzed human behaviour, and
Troy: Shield of Thunder
by British fantasy writer David Gemmell. The shelf below was stacked high with hardcover editions:
Dexter in the Dark
, another Dexter Morgan serial killer novel, and
Sweetheart
, a novel by Chelsea Cain about an icy-eyed female serial killer. There were
Star Wars
books, an IKEA catalogue, books on what to expect as a new parent, and DVDs of violent movies and video games like
Kill Bill
and
Grand Theft Auto
. One of the lower shelves contained several travel guides, notably a 2007 Frommer’s travel guide to Costa Rica. A stack of blank postcards from Costa Rica was found as well.
    With Topp done filming, Allen and Short walked in for a detailed search and uncovered two more samurai swords tucked into the front entrance closet. Other items the team noted were a book titled
The Crime Scene: How Forensic Science Works
and a stash of DVDs and VHS tapes, many violent or horror-themed like
Fight Club
and
Predator
. There were a few home videos too.
    Later on, when Allen examined the hockey mask they had found, she noticed two spots on the bridge of the nose that looked like bloodstains. She circled them with a white marker. A more detailed sweep of the home over the following hours also uncovered a pair of men’s faded jeans with a single red spot just below the knee. The pockets on both sides were covered with what also looked like bloodstains. It appeared as if someone had been rubbing their hands on their thighs. Allen made a note of it.
    Another odd discovery in the home, however, prompted a call for a special police expert. In the basement laundry room, the forensics team had found a strange stain in the interior bowl of the washer. It wasn’t dark red in colour, which was of course expected if it was blood. Instead, the stain was more of a soft pink and stretched out in a long streak like a comet, circling the glossy white universe inside.
    B ACK AT HEADQUARTERS , C LARK began packing up his things scattered across his desk in a cascade of papers and trinkets. Clark liked to keep knickknacks under his computer monitor, whether it be a stuffed crab or a little kitten statue, which contrasted with police reports detailing brutal acts of violence.
    It was half-past five on October 22. After a couple of long days and late-night interviews, Clark was getting ready to head home when one of the steel doors to homicide creaked open.
    Anstey walked in with a huge grin. Behind him was Jeff Kerr, another detective on the Twitchell investigation. Clark took his eyes off his desk as the two of them approached. Anstey was beaming. “Bill, you won’t believe what we’ve just found.”
    â€œWhat?” His ears perked up.
    Kerr had a stack of paper in his hands. He lowered them briefly so Clark could read the top of the first page he was holding:
    This story is based on true events. The names and events were altered slightly to protect the guilty
.
    This is the story of my progression into becoming a serial