Temple: A New Journey Begins
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"Who would want to kill Shi Tanwen?"
"You know who he is?" Caine asked surprised.
"He just arrived from China five days ago. All I know is his name, nothing more."
"Do not act surprised, Sam. You are not telling me the full truth. You know there were others."
Sam grew silent. How could he tell his adopted nephew what was really going on. The deaths at the shrine had everyone worried. No one knew how the priests were dying, and yet no one also seemed to care. The coroner stated that they had died of natural causes, but Sam had not been convinced. Sam had reported the first two deaths, but they found nothing. When a third death happened no one seemed to want to investigate. Now another Shaolin was dead. A small cemetery was springing up behind the shrine. Markers were appearing like spring flowers after a cold hard winter. It was not what was intended for the shrine, to become a place of death for any monk or priest visiting its peaceful surroundings.
"You said that you knew what killed the priest. No one knows that. The coroner couldn't find any reason for their deaths."
"The monk was poisoned. The others may have been poisoned as well."
"Poisoned, how? They didn't find anything like that when the first one died. They did an autopsy. No poison was found in the bloodstream."
"It was not the blood that had been poisoned. It was their chi," Caine instructed.
"I don't understand."
"Look closely," Caine continued. "There is a small mark behind the earlobe. If you were not looking for it, you would not find it."
Sam came closer to examine the body of the dead monk. "It almost looks like a bite. How did it get there?"
"It can only have been placed there by a human hand and one who is a member of the Dim Mak."
"The Dim Mak, I thought they were a myth."
"No, they are not. My grandfather had experienced their power. He almost died saving another's life."
"Who could be responsible for this?" Sam questioned, his brow knitting with anger.
"I do not know."
"We've got to inform the Sheriff."
"The Sheriff will not listen," Caine stated.
"But they've been murdered."
"The Sheriff would say there is no physical evidence, but I may know someone who would believe what is going on."
"Who?" Sam questioned, hope entering his dark thoughts.
"He is an old family friend."
"Do you think he'd help?"
"Oh yeah."
Continues with Part 10
Alisa Joaquin Copyright@2003.
This story cannot be reprinted or sold in any other form without strict permission from
the author. It is being distributed here solely for your enjoyment.
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