The Death Messenger (Matthew Ryan Book 2)(41)

‘She wants to be bloody careful it doesn’t backfire on her,’ Grace said. ‘I have to say, I’m with Ryan on this – it’s too far of a stretch. She’s complicit, in my humble opinion. Up to her neck in it.’

‘The way I see it, there’s either no connection or a strong connection between the two,’ O’Neil said. ‘And, in my defence, the suggestion was made prior to any knowledge of the Copenhagen murder. Spielberg might stalk someone here in the UK, but it would be impossible to follow a target abroad without prior knowledge of his movements. We can probably knock that theory on the head right now.’

‘Spielberg?’ Caroline was lost.

‘The death messenger,’ Grace said.

Ryan explained. ‘Spielberg is what we’re calling her until we find an ID. She’s as proficient with a camera as she is with a knife. Now she has firearms, there will be no stopping her.’

O’Neil shook her head at Ryan, a warning not to give too much away. ‘I should’ve made it clear from the outset that whatever is said in this apartment stays in the apartment.’

It didn’t need saying.

A black look from Grace prompted O’Neil to apologize.

Ryan’s attention gravitated to the computer. He’d uploaded V3, the screen paused on the North Shields lock-up. He was pleased that his twin couldn’t see what the rest of them could. The bloody scene was enough to turn the most unflinching stomach to mush. As yet, there were no reports of a missing female. And no body had been found.

‘If she has a partner,’ Caroline said, ‘and it sounds as if you believe she does, I reckon it’s a male. There are very few murder cases where both offenders are female. We don’t need the Office for National Statistics to tell us that. Assuming there is a he lurking in the background, it wouldn’t surprise me if this woman regards herself as his protector.’ Her hand found the head of her own guardian – her guide dog. Bob wagged his tail in appreciation as she offered more insight. ‘For what it’s worth, I don’t think she’s one half of a monstrous Hindley/Brady type partnership. However unsavoury her motives to you and me, she believes she’s righting wrongs. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that she cares deeply for her other half.’

‘Lover?’ Grace winked at Newman. ‘They have a tendency to get under your skin.’

‘Matt?’ Caroline tipped her head on one side. ‘Did I miss something?’

She alone called him that.

Ryan almost blushed. ‘The newlyweds are making out,’ he said.

O’Neil dropped her head. Not quick enough for him to miss the sorrowful expression on her face. What was that all about? When she looked up, he averted his eyes and went back to the screen. He’d sat through the footage several times. Nevertheless, listening to the voiceovers back-to-back validated his opinion that Spielberg had turned up the heat. The North Shields video was her most chilling of all, in his opinion.

God help them if she ever flipped out.

‘I’m no profiler but I don’t think he’s a lover,’ Caroline said. ‘But I’d say that this woman would appear perfectly normal to anyone who comes across her. Can I listen to the next one?’

Inserting V4, Ryan pressed play, wondering if his twin would be able to identify the difference between videos recorded in industrial buildings and a residential property. Halfway through, she asked him to pause it. Instinctively, he knew she’d picked up on something.

‘She sounds rushed in this one. Bordering on upset. Could that be right? I’m sensing anxiety – panic even – she’s not comfortable. You’ve all had years of experience. You’ve listened to witnesses recount traumatic events. What do you think?’

Ryan levelled with her. ‘We all thought she was less confident here. There’s a fundamental variation in her speech.’

Caroline agreed. ‘If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it was another woman entirely. A killer – she’s admitted as much – but it’s as if this situation was a mistake, accidental even, never meant to happen.’

‘Don’t you mean incidental?’ Grace’s tone was hard. ‘There is a difference.’

Caroline ignored the dig. ‘All I’m saying is there’s real malice in the first three, not so much with this one.’

‘Spontaneous or scripted?’ Ryan asked.

‘She doesn’t sound like she’s reading on any of the tapes.’

‘Doesn’t sound like she has a conscience either.’ Grace said. ‘Have you noticed how she reinforces the fact that they deserved what they got. It’s a disclaimer.’

‘Extrovert or introvert?’ O’Neil asked.

Caroline waggled her hand from side to side. ‘That’s a tricky one. It’s like asking if she’s a leader or follower. It’s important to understand who might be the dominant partner. Without a second voice, I can’t help you. What I will say is, she sounds socially persuasive, like she’s someone who’s listened to in life. A teacher, perhaps.’

‘Or film director,’ Ryan suggested.

‘What makes you say that?’

‘The scenes were staged.’

‘Right,’ Caroline said. ‘Did anyone detect a hint of Yorkshire?’