Crime Scene (Curiosities)

This story will be included in my collection Curiosities, due to be republished after I'm done rewriting it.

 “You the demonologist?”

“Detective Harris, I assume? We are using the term ‘infernal expert,’ but yes.”

“This is probably right up your alley, then. We’ve got strange symbols, what looks like a dead goat, blood all over. Candles that smell awful, like rotten meat. Five men dead, we haven’t got positive ID on any of them yet.”

“Any smell of sulfur? Strange burns?”

“Not that I have noticed.”

“Interesting. Let’s take a look.”

“Follow me. The scene is upstairs.”

“Well, that’s definitely a dead goat. And I recognize most of these sigils. But you will notice that the center of the pentagram is unscorched. And you were right; no smell of sulfur, which you always get with infernals. Also, all five men were beheaded. Demons don’t kill, they possess. That’s what makes them so dangerous.”

“So? What does that mean?”

“It looks like these guys tried summoning a demon and got something really nasty, instead.”

“Nastier than a demon? What in Hell could be nastier than a demon?”

“Nothing in Hell, detective. This looks like a smiting to me.”

“You’re saying an angel did this?”

“Oh, yeah. Angels are right bastards. They like to show up when humans try and fail to summon an Infernal, feeling all righteous and justified to do some smiting. Beheadings are kind of their trademark move.”

“Did the angel kill the goat, too?”

“No, its throat was slit, so I am pretty sure the goat was the sacrifice. Probably why it didn’t work; demons don’t respond to goat sacrifices. You must use your own blood. Common misconception, which is why this happens so often.”

“Do I even want to know how often this happens?”

“I assure you, Detective Harris, you do not.”