*      *      *

If the first month of the killings ended with a rather pathetic whimper, the second month most definitely started with a bang, with Old Man Frazer himself the twenty-seventh victim of the still unknown killer.

NAZI INVASION UNDER WAY, AS PREDICTED IN THIS PAPER! Proclaimed the page one headlines of the Evening Star the day of Joe Frazer’s death.   “Earlier this week the Star pointed out the fact that the Glen Hartwell Slasher [as the Star had earlier dubbed the killer] is really a campaign of terror being launched by Nazis hiding in myth-riddled Thule, at the bottom of the Yannan River, a fact proven to us by eminent Glen Hartwell citizen Joseph William Frazer.

“Despite the mountain of evidence that we presented to him, Senior Sergeant Daniel Ross chose to ignore or laugh off our claim.   Now thanks to his incompetency, Mr. Frazer has been cut down in his prime by Nazi henchmen…How many more local men have to die before Sergeant Danny Ross will admit that he just isn’t competent to solve the local crisis?”

*      *      *

“Cut down in his prime?” asked Rowena Singleton, turning round where she stood in front of the gas stove cooking dinner, to read the newspaper over the shoulder of her husband who sat at the table.   “Old Man Frazer was ninety if he was a day!”

Ernie nodded his agreement.   “Poor Bear, the case was taken out of his hands over a week ago by this fancy big city cop, yet Bear still gets bucketed when the killings go on.”

“What does cut down in his prime mean?” demanded young Kirsty.   She sat at the table beside her dad, knife and fork already in her hands, occasionally tapping on the enamel table top to let her mum know that she was ready to eat.

“It’s not right,” agreed Rowena, hurriedly placing a plate of food on the table in front of the little girl to stop the tap-tap-tapping knife and fork.

“What does cut down in his prime mean?” demanded Kirsty, a little louder than before. Refusing to be ignored by her parents, already pouting, ready to turn on the tears if need be to get some attention.