Felicity Young - An Easeful Death

They sat down at the table. Monty pushed a dish of food towards her and handed her a spoon. ‘About as enjoyable as a nosebleed; he won’t let me reopen the KP case, says the budget won’t take it.’

Stevie had just taken a mouthful from the serving spoon and couldn’t speak. She held up her hand. Monty smiled and waited for her to swallow. Finally she said, ‘De Vakey thinks this guy has killed before. He said the whole operation’s far too slick for a novice. He asked me about the KP murders but I said it was sensitive, that he’d have to discuss the cases with you.’

Monty clicked his fingers. ‘I knew it. This deserves a celebratory drink.’ He went to the fridge, took out beer and tomato juice.

They clinked glasses. Monty said, ‘I’ve got the files in my car. I’ll be going through them with a fine toothcomb when I get home.’ He rubbed his hands together and grinned, his tongue darting towards his lower lip. It was a quaint habit he reserved for deep contemplation or excitement. ‘Now, tell me what else De Vakey said.’

‘At first it was like getting blood from a stone. He was reluctant to make anything canon, especially when he had nothing else to compare it to.’

‘We’ll soon change that.’ Monty dipped his spring roll into the sauce and took a bite.

Stevie reached into her back pocket for De Vakey’s list. ‘He’s pretty confident about certain facts though, and wrote me out a rough list to give you.’

‘My glasses are in my case. You read it to me.’

She washed some chicken and almonds down with another swallow of beer. ‘Okay, feel free to interrupt if you don’t understand anything.’

Monty nodded. ‘Go on.’

‘First, the perpetrator has killed before. Next, De Vakey says our guy has a high IQ and is supremely confident. The planting of the commissioner’s hair can be seen as a direct challenge to the police, the gauntlet has been thrown. The Easeful Death message is meant to confuse and may mean nothing at all. The thrill for him is the game he has set up with the police more than the actual crime itself. James...’

Monty looked at her across a mountain of rice. ‘James?’

‘Yes, James—he said first names, remember? James says he’s never known a serial killer who’s not suffered from some kind of serious sexual maladjustment and is puzzled about the absence of rape in this case. He thinks maybe the killer is on some kind of control trip and sees holding himself back until later as part of the challenge.

‘The crime itself is all about domination, manipulation and control, more so of the police than the victim herself. The posing of the body is this guy’s signature. James is sure he’s committed crimes of a similar nature before, though perhaps not as sophisticated as this.’

Monty opened his mouth as if to speak, but seemed to think better of it. She knew his mind was on the KP files, but he wouldn’t pass further comment until he had verified certain facts for himself.

‘We’re looking for a man with an average to large build,’ she continued. ‘Strangulation requires upper-body strength, especially the kind capable of cracking the hyoid bone as indicated by the Royce autopsy.’

‘Possible age?’

‘Twenty to forty.’

‘The super’s going to love that.’

‘He can’t narrow it down until we have proof of his other crimes. A young man with a lot of experience can have the same level of sophistication as an older, less experienced killer.’

‘Fair enough. Anything else?’

‘The homicidal triad.’

‘Bed-wetting, arson, cruelty to animals?’

‘Cruelty to animals and/or smaller children; he may also have been a bully at school.’

‘Want any more rice?’

Stevie shook her head.

Monty piled a second helping onto his plate and mashed it in with the remaining sauce.

‘He’s cold, controlled and calculating,’ Stevie continued, ‘and above all he has a tremendous grudge against the police. He also has a great deal of insider knowledge. Could be an excop, a wannabe cop whose application was turned down, or even a serving cop. Anyone who has a close association with the police, really.’

Stevie began to scrape the leftovers into a single bowl.

‘Weren’t the security guards ex-cops?’ Monty asked after some thought.

‘Yes, but James is sure that a single individual committed this murder. Besides, the guards confirm each other’s stories.’

‘But that doesn’t mean one hasn’t paid the other off. I still want you to have another look at them. Go into their personal histories this time.’

‘James suggested polygraphing them.’

‘Arrange it, then.’

‘Okay, I’ll set it up.’

‘Does De Vakey think this guy’s only targeting women?’

‘He says women are definitely part of the equation. If not he probably wouldn’t have taken such care with the provocative posing. This man probably had a domineering mother who made him feel inferior.’

‘So this is a double whammy: grudge against the police and a grudge against women?’

‘Yes,’ she said, scrutinising the list further. ‘Oh and here are some more gems for you to take as you will. He drives a dark van that he keeps meticulously clean, and he might own a German shepherd.’

Monty looked incredulous. ‘You’re pulling my leg.’

‘It makes sense when you think about it. Apparently compulsive individuals are attracted to dark cars. This was a compulsively neat crime. The van would be clean and tidy, so would his home. If you remember, we did discuss the van at this morning’s brainstorming session. It would be a sensible way to transport the body.’

‘The dog?’

‘Many of these guys are wannabe cops,’ Stevie shrugged. ‘A German shepherd is a classic police dog.’

Monty rinsed their plates at the kitchen sink. ‘So what’s next?’

‘James is going back to the crime scenes tonight. He wants to be alone, to feel the vibes, listen to the spirits talking.’

Monty’s face fell. ‘I thought he had you convinced? He’s certainly given us something to work on, you have to admit that.’

‘I’m just stirring. I think bringing him in now was the right thing to do. He’s just a little...’ she shrugged, ‘I don’t really know, odd I guess. One minute he’s cold and unfeeling, the next he’s quite personable. I have no idea how he’s going to behave from one moment to the next.’

‘If he couldn’t detach, he’d probably go mad,’ Monty said, wiping his hands on a tea towel.

‘Or be lured to the dark side,’ Stevie let out an evil laugh.

Monty flicked the tea towel at her. ‘I’d better be going.’

‘Thanks for bringing dinner.’

He bent down and offered his cheek for a chaste kiss. ‘Security guards tomorrow?’

Stevie gave him the thumbs up. ‘Got it.’

‘Good.’

She heard Monty’s car leave the curb, the headlights a soft glow through the fabric of the Bambi curtains as she pulled the covers over Izzy’s shoulders. Toys thrown back in the toy basket, Izzy’s favourite pink and mauve tracksuit ready on the chair for tomorrow and now some time for herself. She moved into her own bedroom, climbed onto a chair and heaved a box from the top of the wardrobe and placed it on the bed. Undoing her ponytail she shook her hair loose. There had been moments during the day when she had been almost torn apart by her own anxieties, but the food and the company tonight had worked, and it had ended well. With a small sigh of satisfaction, she ran her fingers through her hair and contemplated her DVD collection.

9

The victims will share common characteristics. The killer needs to choose a type that will help him re-enact his own unique fantasies.