The Executioner by Chris Carter

‘So if he was conscious, why didn’t Father Fabian fight back? Or at least lift his hands to protect his face? It’s only natural.’
    ‘Too scared to move,’ Hunter offered.
    ‘Very possible,’ Doctor Winston admitted.
    ‘Are you suggesting that he just sat there like a statue while the killer took a swing at him?’
    ‘It happens.’ Doctor Winston nodded. ‘Depending on how terrified a victim is, it’s not uncommon for the brain to simply shut down. No motor stimuli get sent anywhere. And even though the victim might want to, he won’t be able to move.’
    ‘Hence the terms scared stiff and petrified .’ Hunter confirmed.
    Garcia’s stare rested on the priest’s body once again. ‘Poor man. How about the weapon used, doc? An axe?’
    ‘An axe is an easy weapon to obtain, but very hard to handle and control,’ the doctor clarified. ‘It’s bulky, heavy and, contrary to what you might’ve seen in movies, the length of its blade isn’t ideal for decapitation. The killer would have to be a master lumberjack to achieve this sort of precision with a single swing.’
    ‘Any suggestions of what we should be looking for, doc?’ Both detectives faced Doctor Winston.
    ‘Because we haven’t found the head yet, I can only analyze the neck side of the cut. Judging by how smooth and precise it is, I’d say it’s very consistent with the type of cut achieved by a samurai sword.’
    ‘Samurai?’ Garcia’s eyes widened. ‘Like ninja style?’
    Doctor Winston laughed. ‘They’re not the same thing, but you’ve got the idea.’ The doctor studied both detectives for a moment.
    ‘I wanna show you something that might just help.’

Twenty-Two
     
    From the counter behind him, Doctor Winston retrieved a remarkable-looking sword. Its long, slightly curved blade had a distinctive mirror-polish finish.
    ‘Goddamnit, doc,’ Hunter said, taking a step back. ‘You gotta lay off those cheesy late-night kung-fu movies.’
    Doctor Winston paid no attention to the comment. ‘This is a typical samurai sword, also known as katana. It can be easily purchased over the internet – no identity checks necessary. The blade is made out of carbon steel. Its length can vary, but it’s usually somewhere between twenty-two and twenty-nine inches.’ He stepped closer to the priest’s body. ‘This is a precise and laser-sharp weapon. Ideal for a decapitation job. If the sword handler is skilled enough, the strike can be lightning fast. Almost impossible to evade.’ He held the sword with both hands and slowly moved it down towards the body’s neck stump. ‘But the great thing about this weapon is that it’s so light the killer could’ve used a single hand for the fatal blow. And it would’ve been just as precise.’
    ‘Great,’ Garcia commented.
    ‘Some of the lab results are in.’ Doctor Winston changed the subject as he returned the sword to the counter. ‘As we expected, there were hundreds of fingerprints all around the church and the confessional.’ He pulled a few sheets of paper out of a manila envelope. ‘At the moment they’re being run against the national fingerprint database, but I wouldn’t expect any great breakthroughs.’
    Hunter nodded. He knew they’d probably get positive matches for petty crimes, robbery, maybe even firearms offences. Compton is an underprivileged neighborhood, still heavy with gang activity. Most of its residents are no strangers to violence. ‘Did we get anything from the altar?’ he asked, his eyes scanning the sheets Doctor Winston had handed him.
    ‘Two sets of prints. They belong either to the victim or to the altar boy. Nothing from an unidentified source.’
    ‘How about the chalice?’ Garcia asked. ‘Didn’t the killer allegedly drink the priest’s blood from the chalice?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘So we can get the killer’s DNA,’ Garcia said with excitement.
    ‘No, we can’t.’ Hunter rubbed his tired eyes.
    ‘Why not? Can’t DNA be extracted from