Their Lost Daughters (DI Jackman & DS Evans #2)(72)
‘Make Fleur the number one priority, will you?’
‘She already is. You’ll realise why when you speak to Jan Wallace.’
Jackman ended the call and was suddenly overcome by a feeling of unease.
‘Right, Henry. First stop, the crime scene.’
The professor doffed an imaginary cap. ‘Lead on.’
They spent almost an hour underground, and the psychologist was silent for most of the drive back to the station.
‘Such method!’ he said suddenly. ‘Everything planned and laid out so perfectly. A tidy, methodical mind. Even the beds are exactly the same distance apart. I’m certain that if you measured those gaps they would be perfectly equal.’
‘What does that tell us?’ asked Jackman.
Henry O’Byrne took a deep breath. ‘A lot. The whole setting spoke volumes.’ He turned in his seat and faced Marie, his eyes shining with excitement. ‘I think I can show you more about the man who engineered all that than you would ever hope to get from one of your profilers. I never imagined that we’d find such a beautiful blueprint of the mind.’
‘You said ‘he.’ You’re certain it’s a male?’ asked Jackman.
‘Without a doubt.’ And Henry lapsed back into silence for the rest of the journey.
*
When they returned to the CID room, Max told them that “the archaeologist woman” had phoned. Marie rang back immediately.
‘I know you’re busy, Detective,’ said Jan Wallace, ‘but I was wondering if you could come over to the mortuary. I’ve got a lot of information regarding your earliest victim, Fleur. Some of it is quite complicated and needs explaining in person.’
Marie winced. ‘I’ll try, but could you give me the basic details now, and I’ll get there as soon as I can. We’re up to our necks here.’
There was a pause. ‘I understand, but you should know that I counted twenty-seven different bone injuries on that young woman. After studying the pathology of her bones, I found them to be severely lacking in minerals, and as the analysis showed malnutrition and anaemia, I believe she starved to death.’
Marie hadn’t expected that.
‘I can also confirm that she was indeed disinterred. However, and this is quite remarkable, most of the skeleton is still present, just some of the very smallest bones are missing. She was fifteen when she died, which is what the name plaque says. There is quite a lot more, Sergeant, when you have the time, although nothing as important as what I have just told you.’
‘Look, I really appreciate your help, Professor Wallace, and I’ll get over to see you just as soon as I’ve tied up a few things here, okay?’
She replaced the phone, her brain running riot. ‘Starved to death?’ she whispered to herself. ‘And exhumed after burial? What was going on?’
Rosie sat down next to her. ‘You look a trifle perplexed.’
‘And so will you, flower. Listen to this.’ She called to Max and Charlie, and relayed Jan Wallace’s information.
‘Bloody hell,’ said Max. ‘I know I’m supposed to be the detective, but what the hell is this all about?’
No one answered.
*
As soon as Jackman emerged from his office, Marie brought him up to date on what Jan Wallace had found.
‘Get some refreshments organised for the professor, Marie, and tell the team to come to my office. The prof is going to give us his thoughts, and then you really should go and talk to Jan Wallace.’
A few moments later they had all gathered in Jackman’s office. The professor began.
‘Earlier, DI Jackman asked what the murderer’s very particular attention to detail meant. Well, there is an enormous difference between an organised killer and a disorganised one. The organised killer is usually of average or above average intelligence, forensically aware and careful to select a location in which he feels comfortable. He chooses his times carefully, is well prepared, and likes to feel that he is in control. The disorganised killer, on the other hand, is often of lower intelligence, acts spontaneously, and uses whatever comes to hand, so the scene that he leaves behind him can often reflect his disorganised state.
‘So our man is organised?’ said Marie.
The professor tilted his head to one side. ‘Obsessively. He had taken great care of his victims. There were no instruments of torture, no restraints, nothing to scare or threaten. Everything was clean and tidy, down to the flowers and neatly stored clothes. According to the photographs, the bodies were undisturbed and made to appear comfortable and peaceful.’
‘That ties in with what the pathologist has told me. Forensics found nothing to show that they had been killed there,’ said Jackman.
‘Everything in that chamber contradicts the fact that the girls were drugged, abducted, beaten, possibly sexually assaulted or raped, and then murdered.’
‘Could he have some kind of split personality?’ asked Charlie.
The professor nodded. ‘Multiple personality disorders are very rare, but it’s a possibility. He would have different characteristics and skills, and the two personalities would most likely not be aware of each other.’
Jackman rubbed at his temple thoughtfully. ‘What would trigger the transition from one state to the other?’
‘Generally trauma of some kind.’