"INSPECTOR REX" "THE SIGN OF SATAN" "This is the fourth body within three days." " What's going on?" " We don't know." "It's crazy." "If this doesn't stop we'll dig up the area." "You haven't been a great help, Leo." "Richard, you know what happens to bodies after a long time." "This soil is very moist." "The decay of two of the bodies was so advanced..." "And what's with this body?" "It seems she was here before it snowed." "Or we'd have found traces." " Right, Doctor?" " Of course." "And this one hasn't been here as long." "And I can tell her throat was cut too." "Like the others." "Could you identify her at least?" "Yes, but it won't be easy." "We can determine her height, estimate her age, look for distinctive features, check her teeth, and so on." "Four women dead and no progress." "Can't you be more careful?" "Richard, I feel someone has planned this carefully, and he hasn't left any clues so far." "If they hadn't dug up a faulty gas pipe the bodies would never have been found." "Four women dead." "All had their throats cut." "It was a serial killer or..." "Or?" "What?" "I don't know yet." "Still here?" "Think I gave you a lift out of kindness?" "No, Richard." "But no news right now." "Get up!" "Leo, four women dead and no clues." "How long has the last body been there?" "I'd say three to four weeks." "And I'm comparing the different times." "Four young women buried at different times." "Between four weeks and four months." "Yes, and I'm trying to find a pattern." "Victim one has been there for four months, victim two for three and victim three for two." "And today's body for one month." "So a young woman is killed every four weeks." "Yes, looks like it." "And all their throats were cut." "Useless." "First we must identify them." "Then put out missing person notices." "What's the doctor's verdict?" " Not much." " Why not?" " Bless you!" " Looks like he caught a cold." " Let's see it again." " You've got the file." "While digging up a broken gas pipe workers found a murdered young woman." "A search party found three more bodies nearby." "And the locations make a geometric figure." "A trapezium." "Yes, Forensics worked that out too." "Look." "They measured the distances between the locations." "That line and this one are exactly 666 metres long." "Strange..." "what could it mean?" "666..." "It's a satanic symbol." "A biblical number." "A black magic symbol." "But usually it's an upside-down pentagram." "Maybe they're ritual murders." "Or they want us to believe they are." "Right..." "Let's assume they were buried in chronological order." "Assuming it was a pentagram, then..." "Then this is the fifth point." "Another woman might be buried there." "Come on, we'll go back there." "Call the surveyors." "50 centimetres to the right." "Upright!" "Watch your fingers." " Hey, not getting out?" " What's wrong?" "Nothing." "Maybe he feels cold." "You're standing right on the point." " Found the point yet?" " Right here." "We used the other points for our bearings." "This is exactly 666 metres." "Look at the markings." "Like for a grave." "Maybe it is, and they're going to kill again." "666..." "Cults are big on symbolism." "Work this out..." "How many days do 666 hours make?" " 27..." " A month?" "Leo said there was about a month between each murder." "The last woman was killed about a month ago." "It would mean... another one within the next few days." " Is he here?" " He's already waiting." "No calls for the next 30 minutes." "All right." "Mr Farber..." "Anne..." "Aren't you preparing for your initiation?" "Yes, I just went to get a few books." "I'm proud to be accepted into the circle of the initiates." "I'm also looking forward to it." "Excuse me, the Grand Master is waiting." "Goodbye." "Goodbye." "Yes?" "I came to discuss the ritual in two days' time." "Oh, yes." "Anne's her name, right?" "Yes, Anne." "We can't use the place now." "The police have been around for days." "I also read the paper, Mr Farber" "It's most regrettable we can't finish the pentagram." "It could damage our community immensely." "Right from the start I had a bad feeling." "Maybe we should have..." "You don't put enough trust in our power, Mr Farber." "The closer we stick to the old rituals the more power we have." "This is a small country." "Every care has been taken that we keep a low profile." "Our organization has become successful in recent years." "People want to believe again." "Negativity and mystery have always been more attractive than positivity." "And therefore we must go back to the true teachings." "What do you want me to do?" "The ritual will go ahead." "Go and find a new place." "Now that we can't finish the pentagram we must at least stick to the number of victims." "There have to be five." "Could this be your friend?" "Thanks, Leo." "I'm sure." "The scar on her knee is also in the missing person notice." "We read your notice by chance." "But after some time you withdrew it." "Yes, Elisabeth disappeared." "But later she rang her parents." " When did she go missing?" " Four months ago." "We came from Grass to study in Vienna." "Did you ask her parents if they knew anything?" "She rang occasionally to say she was all right." "She wrote postcards from all over the world." "When did you receive the last one?" "A week ago." "From Egypt." "I'm sure she was already dead at the time." "Do you have the postcard on you?" "The last two." "Here." "The same writing on both postcards." "I doubt your friend wrote them." "At first I didn't worry, as she'd met this guy." "She was very much in love and changed completely." "How?" "She was on cloud nine." "She moved out after a few days, took all her belongings." "I thought nothing of it at first." "When she stopped attending uni I put up a notice." "When she rang her parents I withdrew it." "Do you know more about this guy she fell in love with?" "No." "She was very secretive." "I know she met him in the museum." "She said he was there often, in the Egyptian section." "Elisabeth had always been interested in mystical things." "Hey..." "I came straight from surgery." "What's with him?" "I don't know." "He's sneezing, restless and nervous." " Will you give him a check-up?" " I will." "But first I have to find him." "Stock." "Look, I have..." "Sorry to call at dinnertime." "I'll be late tomorrow." "I'm going to the museum." "You could do with some culture." "Rex has a cold, but no fever." "Make him stay at home." " I can't take him to the office?" " Don't worry." "I'll take care of him." "Thanks, ladies and gentlemen, for listening." "I hope you enjoyed the tour." "Uncatalogued are at the entrance." "This will interest you." "It's important." "You have great power within you." "Here." "Our address is printed on the back." " Can I have one?" " This won't interest you." " Here." " Thanks." "Hello." "Do you have an appointment?" "No." "But I'll get one very soon." "Just a minute." "That way." "I could have worked that out myself." "I assume you've already been informed." "Of course." "Please take a seat, Mr..." "Morse." "My visit is about four murdered women we found recently." "Do you know this girl?" "No, I don't." "But we have many members." "We're a charitable international organization where young people can work, learn... and meditate." "What is work for you?" "Going to museums to recruit members we later find dead?" "How dare you accuse us of..." "Mr Farber send the gentleman to me." "Yes, sir." "I assume you listened in." "So you know why I came." "Still, would you explain it again?" "It's about four dead women we found on the heath." "Killed and buried in the shape of an upside-down pentagram." " The same as above you." " Ah, the Rudderless." "It was already used in the Middle Ages." "Against witches that caused nightmares at night." "What does the saying underneath mean?" "It's just an old aphorism." "Apparently the aphorism opens the gate to hell." "I see you're well informed." "It doesn't mean anything." "The symbols and formulas have been used by many people." " What about the number 666?" " 666?" "Four bodies buried 666 metres apart and also murdered at intervals of 666 hours." "In Satan's name or what?" "Who'd ever believe in such stories?" "If you tell that to a prosecutor he'll probably think you're insane." " Please..." " It might well be." "If I said one member approached a victim in a museum it would look different." "Our organization has centers all over the world." "Students from abroad come here." "Our students go to foreign countries." "A student exchange?" "Right." "At times it's hard to find out where students end up." "Could I have a look at your membership list?" "For reasons of data protection you need an injunction." "Do you have it?" "Not yet." "Thanks very much, Mr..." " Mr..." " Norton." "Thomas Norton." "Thomas Norton." "Excuse me, can I use your toilet?" "This way, please." "Thanks for taking me." "Come on, no reason to get excited." "Come on..." "Here's your medicine." "Fine." "Then I'll take it." "Thomas Norton, born 12 June 1934 in Cairo, English citizen." "Head of many organizations with different names." "Interpol says he's in a different country every six months." "A real missionary!" "We need an injunction so we can get the list." "Please try again, Stock." "No luck." "The judge left two hours ago." "What's wrong with you, eh?" "I haven't been away that long." "It's all right." "Feeling better now?" "Rex, I've got to go." "You'll survive without me." "I'll be back soon." "All right?" "That's it!" "Hey, what's wrong with your leg?" "Come on, Rex, I'll have a look." "You're pretending, Rex, so I won't leave." "Good on you!" "Well done." "You give good service, really." "Stay if you like it here." "Well, where is the Grand Master?" "I'd like to know too." "But I bet he's not far away." "Or we wouldn't be in his office." "Are you looking for something?" "We..." " Actually we're..." " Mr Norton isn't here." " I see." "And where is he?" " On the plane." "Mr Norton's on his way to our head office in Canada." "An injunction to look at your members list." "Sorry, but Mr Norton took the disk with him." "Farber, I'll come back with a search warrant and turn the building upside down." "I can't stop you." "Why did you mention the search warrant?" "It won't help, just like the injunction didn't help." "But if they get nervous..." "You must help me." "I'm scared." "Look, being just scared isn't enough." "You must make a statement, or we can't do a thing." "I can't talk about it." "Not yet." "But I'm definitely not going back." " Can't you go anywhere else?" " Such as?" "They would find me anywhere." "Protect me." "Without a statement we won't get protective custody." "Please." "Nobody can get out of here without us knowing." "It's likely she was hiding in the police car." "That's the only possibility." " What will we do?" " Find her and bring her back." "And what if..." "she's with the police?" "Norton gave us an order and we'll carry it out." "Okay, fine." "Thanks." "As I said, without a statement we can't do a thing." "Is being scared not enough?" "I'm sorry, not according to the law." "Don't you understand?" "They're going to kill me." "Asteroth..." "Come inside." "Hey, what a nice welcome!" "Don't get excited." "This is Anne." "She's staying tonight." "Go in, he won't bite." "What's wrong today?" "I've been there about three months." "At first I liked it a lot." "You can do what you like." "That philosophy in a tightly run organization?" "Sure, you must work." "But you don't have any worries." "They give you a place to stay, food... and pleasure." "Such as killing a few people." "I didn't know about that." "They're outside!" "Away from the window!" "Stay there." "Come on." "Come and stay behind me." "Come!" "Move into the corner." ""Let the girl go, and nothing will happen to you."" "They want me because I now know they sacrifice humans." "And I'm the next one to be sacrificed." "I suspected that." "Stay there." "Rex, keep an eye on her." "No..." "They cut the phone line." "My mobile's in the car." "What do we do?" "They can overcome all obstacles." " Calm down." " Hey, will you release her?" "No!" "We can wait." "You won't get out alive." "And you won't get in alive." "Listen, stay here." "If you're in danger, scream." "Where are you going?" "My girlfriend was to visit." "Very unfortunate right now." "Come, Rex." "Here." "Take this to Sonja." "To Sonja." "Be careful." "Understand?" "Very careful." "Nobody outside." "Come, Rex." "Go." "I'll take you in five minutes, right?" "I'll just call Richard." "The line's dead." "Keller." "You're lucky, I was just leaving." "What?" "Yes." "I'll drop by and check on Flock." "Fine." "Bye." "Your time is up." "Either she comes out or we come inside." "I hope Rex made it." "Sonja will ring the police." "If you scream you're dead." "Who are you?" "I'm a vet." " Is an animal inside?" " Yes." "A sick cat." "Fine." "At least you tried." "We have the vet." "Let the girl go and we'll release her." "I won't talk." "Let the vet go, then we'll talk." "I'll look around outside." "Well?" "I saw three." "Could there be more?" "No idea." "But they're unpredictable." "We must do something." "Come on." "Don't worry." "Nothing will happen to you." "Okay." "I'll swap the girl... for the vet." "Bring her to the door." "About time!" "We were about to come in." "Take cover." "When I say "ready", you jump." "You don't need it." "Okay." "When I signal, they walk towards each other." " Got it?" " Put your weapon down." "Or the vet gets to feel my dagger." "Okay." "Fine." "We'll do the exchange now." "Ready!" " Everything okay?" " Yes." " Sure you're all right?" " Yes." "They didn't hurt me." "That's Anne." "They came to get her." "Petrol." "Release the girl or you'll go up in flames." "Damn!" "They're setting fire to the house." " Did they give you something?" " What?" "Drugs." "They have some that knock you out." "No." "Shit!" "I hope this will do." "Come." "Damn!" "It won't burn." "Everything's okay." "Up to the attic!" "Take cover, Rex!" "Throw the knife away." "Stockinged..." "I wasn't expecting you." "We've now identified two more victims." "What are your plans?" "I'll try to start all over again." "I'm confident I can." "I'm sure you can." ""The New Religion", every brochure says." "I hope it never will be." "Stock..." "What brought you to my house yesterday?" "My sixth sense." "Did you hear that?" "His sixth sense."