Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 !-- / Style Definitions / p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; p mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0in; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; page Section1 size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0; div.Section1 page:Section1; --

--Chapter One: The Seven Murders--

Suze Simon, Carmel, California

"You want me to do what?" I screamed while jumping out of my chair, thus tipping it over that created a big "BANG!" I was pretty sure the whole school heard my outburst.

"Susannah, there is no need for shouting! Besides, you heard me; I want you and Jesse to go up to San Francisco and try to find any of the victim's ghosts."

Wow. I have never seen Father Dom so nervous and agitated. I mean he keeps on tapping his cigarette box and pacing up and down his office, muttering something about deaths of seven people. After that, the conversation went something like this:

Me: "Just me and Jesse?"

Father D: "Yes."

Me: "Alone, without you or Paul?"

Father D: "Yes."

Me: "Why?"

Father D: "Mr. Slater is in Florida with Ms. Prescott, and, um, monsignor choked on a hot dog, again. So I have to go to Ohio to represent the school in an African Relief Program."

Me: "What do Andy and Mom know about this?"

Father D: "I told them that you will be in San Francisco for a school project for the summer and that you two will be staying in the Ritz Hotel in separate rooms."

A smile spread across my face, not because of the monsignor being the victim of poetic justice, again, or the fact I don't have to take on another summer job. No, the reason for my sudden joy was because of the time I will get to spend with Jesse. Since Jesse started college, we really never had any chance to spend with each other. I know, it was sad to take advantage of the poor people, but, hey, I want my time with my boyfriend.

"I assume you know my cell phone number." Father Dom suddenly said.

"Yes, I know your number, okay?" I snapped. What? I was really sleepy. Some ghost, last night, decided it was a good time to wake me up with the loveliest shrieks of a banshee (sp?).

When I was sitting patently in boredom, waiting for him to find whatever he needed, I found a stress ball in his drawer and started playing with it. Abruptly, he shoved a piece of paper that contained information I would need, if I needed to find him. Then he went down behind his desk and brought up a HUGE pile of files (they looked about the same height of my school records). Stacked on top of them were two plane tickets for San Francisco that was leaving in three days.

"The first seven files are about each victim and his or her personal life and the very top file is about whole case itself. Any questions?"

"No."

"Also, Susannah, there is something else you need to know…"

Piper Halliwell, The Manor, San Francisco, California

I can't concentrate! Not only do I have to constantly clean this house of demon goo, take care of Wyatt, Chris and P3, but I also have to worry about this stupid murder case. Why can't have normal problems like regular people?! But I guess this is what happens when you are born into a family of witches.

Where was everybody? Oh yeah, Billie was with her boyfriend in, um, Carmel, I think. Right now it was 5:50, she said that she would be home by 6:00. Leo was at P3 auditioning bands, and Phoebe and Paige were at the police station asking Darryl about these deaths. All of them left me here at The Manor cleaning up demon goo and listening to endless crying from my children.

"Piper, Piper!"

Great Phoebe and Paige are home, I wonder what they learned. It was 6:05, where is Billie?

Phoebe Halliwell, The Manor, San Francisco, California

"Piper, you'll never guess what we just learned today!" I cried.

"Would you like to enlighten me?" Piper replied lamely.

Paige started shoving Piper the crime files.

"Darryl said the victims had no connections to each other, but they all had these funny symbols burned into their left palms." I started.

Piper shuddered when she came across a picture of a palm with the symbol. All I could really think about was why anyone would want to burn a single eye into a hand.

"It's the symbol of Horus, an Egyptian god," Paige explained, "of the sky. You might want to check The Book though." Where she learned that, I will never know. I thought Billie said that she would be home by 6:00, right now it was 6:30. Did a demon get her?