"What do you mean 'sunburned'?" Demanded Jim Nightingale.
"The detective said, Runcorn was the same as Albin in every way apart from the fact that Albin was drenched and Runcorn was sunburnt." Replied Susan Applade.
"Right. What do you think any of this actually means?"
"No idea. They've both been hit on the head with an sharp instrument. It's scary really."
"Excuse me, Professor, but how does any of this relate to Pagan rituals?" Asked Linda Sebble.
"Oh, yeah." Replied Applade. She climbed off the desk where she was sat with Nightingale and drained her cup of coffee. "Right. Everyone put away your books, this work isn't helping anyone."
She was still teaching the forty other students that Runcorn was meant to be with. "Two thirds of you aren't learning anything from studying second year Pagan Rituals. Until we get a new teacher we're going to do a little project. About murder."
There was an excited whisper.
"But it's going to take sometime to get all the facts right. Here's what we're going to do: for the next week, we're going to study famous murders from throughout history- but I'm not going to tell you how it was done or who did it. You'll have to study the clues to the case and if you can, as a class, deduce the true culprit and means, I'll let you guys do something slightly more difficult."
She didn't allude to what it was though.
A week in and the class had deduced the motive in the Julius Ceaser murder, the Abraham Lincoln Assassination and found the culprits of the Mary Queen of Scots case. Which was when Applade revealed her new idea. Nightingale was sat in his seat, taking a sip of his tea, when she announced, "We're going to investigate the recent murders of Professors Runcorn and Albin."
Jim spat it straight back out. "What the hell?"
"We're going to investigate the death of our professors. What could possibly go wrong?"
And so they investigated.
It was Derren Banks who made a breakthrough. He came to the conclusion that both professors had been outside and remembered they had left something in the classroom. When they had returned, they were killed.
The theory seemed likely, so the class started to work new theories around that.
And then the day of the trip arrived and everybody was climbing up onto the coach, preparing to go, when Jenkins ran out with a bag. "Ah, Professor Applade, good to see you. You weren't at Professor Runcorns will reading."
"No I wasn't. My brother was having an operation."
"Yes, I believe so. Now, because you were one of his friends, he left many things for him." Out of the bag he pulled each item. "His journals, all twenty six of them, his favorite books, some artifacts and some equipment he knew you needed."
He handed them over. "Thank you professor. I must be going now."
"And one more thing. He left you his umbrella, the one that he was left by Albin. It said in his will, check page three hundred and seventy six. See you."
Jenkins passed her the umbrella and walked off. On the bottom of the handle of the umbrella was a picture, illustrated with a Wicca symbol. It was a pagan religion set up in the twentieth century. The symbol was the one at the top of the page, the symbol of the three moon goddess. It symbolizes life and death. Reincarnation and rebirth.
And there was a bit with gold paint in it. It was the part that demonstrated death.
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