The Doll's House (24 page)

‘Go on.’

‘If the killer put a dead Jimmy Gahan in the canal, then the water is confirmed as the constant. No matter how the killing goes down, he wants his victims there, which could bring us back to Adrian Hamilton’s death, although there’s no denying the extended gap in time.’

The alarm on her phone rang out – six fifty. She’d promised Charlie she’d be back a little after seven.

Kate silenced her mobile. ‘You’ll have my report on the Gahan killing tomorrow evening. Let’s see what that throws up. There may even be a religious or ritualistic connection.’

‘Go on.’

‘In some religions, water is used as a symbol of soul cleansing.’

‘What the hell?’

‘I’m only pointing out a possibility, O’Connor. Don’t shoot the messenger. The killer wanted his victims to feel pain, and with Jimmy Gahan, assuming the killer knew Jimmy was dead going into the water, he carried out the same ritual. It establishes drowning as important beyond the act of actual killing.’

‘Kate, let’s assume Gahan had something on Jenkins. Otherwise why be his benefactor? The late Keith Jenkins doesn’t come across as the naturally benevolent type.’

‘No, he doesn’t. Look, O’Connor, I need to head back.’

‘Just a second, hear me out. Lynch thinks there could be a link with Gloria Sweetman. The hotel receipt ties them together. And, as Lynch said, someone gave that killer mix to her.’

‘Perhaps he’s right, but who gave Gahan the information? There are more pieces to this jigsaw than we’re seeing.’

‘What are you getting at, Kate?’

‘I’m not sure yet, but there are other influences afoot – the missing ring for a start.’

‘That’s been bothering me too.’

‘O’Connor, if this is some kind of personal vendetta, and the killer took the ring, it could be a form of moral judgement on his part, not thinking Jenkins good enough to wear it. It might tie into what Deborah Gahan said about Jenkins and Lavinia Hamilton although, again, we’re talking ancient history. Jenkins would have had other affairs in the intervening period.’

‘So what do you think is really motivating our guy, Kate?’

‘We’re dealing with multiple deaths at this point. Not quite spree killings, but close. Although the victims aren’t random, research has shown in similar cases that the killer tends to be male, angry and probably with a history of either social failure or perceived personal failure.’

‘You mean like Jimmy Gahan?’

‘Not really. Our guy feels isolated and, as I said, is carrying a sense of failure. Often there is a trigger event or events, marital difficulties, for example, or financial problems, anything which has the potential to put him under a heightened level of stress, increasing his anxieties to the point of tipping over.’

O’Connor leaned against his car. ‘Keep talking.’

She checked the time on her phone again. O’Connor was getting another five minutes max. ‘Depending on how much pressure he’s under, the trigger or triggers have the power to make his mind contract, becoming utterly focused. It could be some kind of revenge. But what’s particularly important about perpetrators in these types of crimes is that they no longer see people as people but, rather, as targets.’

‘Sort of like a soldier in a war scenario.’

‘Not quite. We all have basic needs, fundamentals by which we achieve social integration, including physiological needs, sleep, hunger, thirst et cetera, but there are also the needs of personal security – feeling safe, affection, love, self-esteem. The lack of any of these basics can inhibit positive personal development.’

‘But our guy isn’t some young kid, we know that. He’s been around the block, and possibly living a somewhat normal life up until now.’

‘Many people carrying pent-up anger or aggression do so under the radar. When they surface, it’s not unusual for others to say things like they would never have thought them capable of such an act. But someone capable of this level of violence will have displayed certain traits – egocentrism, impulsivity, paranoia, aggressiveness. The aggression may have raised its head already, through domestic
violence or in other forms, and many cases of domestic violence are never reported and therefore go unnoticed.’

‘We’ve eradicated Johnny Keegan from our enquiries, but we can drag him back in again.’

‘It’s not him, O’Connor. He doesn’t fit. Our killer has much more than aggressive outbursts on his mind. He has an agenda.’

‘Great. Butler will love to hear that.’

‘I’m sorry I can’t be more specific. I need time. There are no shortcuts, O’Connor. In a way, it’s a bit like Morrison working out the cause of death, first establishing what didn’t cause it. Our man hasn’t arrived here overnight. There will have been tell-tale signs, but perhaps those signs are only apparent to those closest to him. On what we have so far, his
modus operandi
, the drowning, looks likely to be linked to the motivation. It’s giving him something, a form of payback, possibly feeding into his need to feel superior, in control of people and events, or it could be a form of compensation.’

‘Compensation for what?’

‘Loss, rejection, betrayal. Within a sense of failure, the list is endless. But he does have a plan. To him all this makes complete sense. He is utterly focused, determined, his mind contracted, and he won’t be deterred, unless, of course, he has already achieved what he wants.’

‘And if he hasn’t?’

‘He’ll keep going, doing whatever it takes. My guess is there’s more than one motivation at play here, O’Connor, and if our man was looking for information from Jimmy Gahan and didn’t get it, his sudden heart attack interfering with things, he’ll keep on looking.’

‘So what next, Kate?’

‘I don’t know, and neither can we be sure that other crimes aren’t going on.’

‘I don’t get you.’

‘The hotel receipt.’

‘What about it?’

‘It’s all too convenient. It links Jenkins to Gloria Sweetman. The killer could have wanted us to find it.’

‘I was thinking that too. I’m always suspicious of anything that comes easy.’

‘If Gahan was blackmailing Jenkins and it was connected to the model’s death, then Jenkins wouldn’t have been carrying the hotel receipt around in his pocket. He would have got rid of it a long time back.’

‘You’re thinking our guy is up to more than murder?’

‘There might even be more than one player involved. Someone else could be in the driving seat. The crime scenes are only part of the picture.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘It’s a bit like how I break down my analysis of a crime scene for profiling purposes. Many think of the concept of a crime scene as a single location, but that’s not the case. There can be a variety of other locations, unknown or otherwise. There’s the first encounter, or subsequent encounter, with the victim, the assault, which in Jenkins’s case was the initial knife attack, and the location where the murder took place, and sometimes where the body is finally found. All four can be in separate locations. If we move our thinking out beyond simply murder, and as you know, we’ve already suspected blackmail, plus alleged financial wrongdoings, and who knows what else, we’re looking at any number of potential crime scenes and interconnecting events. Have you found out any more on Hamilton Holdings?’

O’Connor, let out an exhausted sigh. ‘Not so far, but the criminal-assets boys are on board. We should have something soon.’

‘All I’m saying, O’Connor, is that this case is stacking up to be more about what we don’t see than what we do.’

‘For a moment, let’s keep this simple. How is our killer operating?’

‘I told you, O’Connor, I have to go. I’ll put all of this in my report.’

‘I don’t have time to wait for it. You mentioned spree killings. How’s he seeking out his victims?’

‘There are four basic hunting typologies – hunter, poacher, troller and trapper.’

‘For less educated souls like me, Kate, what’s the difference?’

‘I’m not sure it’s going to help.’

‘Let me be the judge of that.’

‘A troller is someone involved in a non-predatory activity, who opportunistically encounters his victim, while a hunter will specifically set out to meet them. A trapper assumes a position facilitating his encounter with the victim, but a poacher will travel to find them.’

‘Our man has transport, so he could be a poacher?’

‘Maybe, but wherever he’s operating from, he’s not choosing on type. Nor is he accidentally encountering his victims.’

‘Meaning he’s displaying hunter and trapper type qualities.’

‘That’s correct.’

‘If Gahan was putting the squeeze on Jenkins, as you say, someone gave him the information. We need to find out who, and how the hell they’re connected to all this.’

‘There is one other thing, O’Connor.’

‘What’s that?’

‘There’s no guarantee our killer’s motivation is gender specific. I’d keep an eye on Deborah Gahan, if I was you. If she’s holding something back, she could be in danger, even if she isn’t our favourite person in the world.’

‘More bloody police resources. Butler will be thrilled.’

‘As I said before, don’t shoot the messenger. Now, I have to go. You’ll have my report tomorrow.’

‘Grand, but shooting the messenger happens to be one of Chief Superintendent Butler’s favourite personality traits.’

‘Tomorrow, O’Connor.’

It’s nearly midnight. I feel lost inside my own mind. Almost as if everything that’s happening is happening to someone else.

The canal has become a second home for me. It holds my secrets. I watch the moon shine on the water as it pours ferociously through the locks, a sharp wind wrapping my face – cold and fierce, the way I killed the two of them.

Did they ever imagine my face would be the last one they would see? I try to visualise Jenkins and Jimmy Gahan being dragged out of the water, like rubbish.

Time is a funny thing. It can jump years. But the past lingers all your life. No matter what kind of shine Keith Jenkins put on things when he gained celebrity status, or whatever new deal Jimmy Gahan ventured on, their past stayed with them. It’s my past too. Now I’m taking ownership of it, and with that, I’ve regained my sense of power and control.

The future is somewhat trickier. It requires a steady hand. Too much haste and I could fuck it up. I have no intention of letting that happen. Once Jimmy’s body was discovered, seeing the police at Deborah Gahan’s house hadn’t surprised me. I knew it wouldn’t take them long to call on her. She’s a shrewd nut. Always was. If anyone could send the police on a merry dance, she could.

I think about paying her a visit tonight, but think again – far too risky.

Clodagh’s different. It won’t take a lot for her to hit the sauce again. I need to keep her close. The hypnosis is opening doors for her. She’s gaining confidence, I can tell. But confidence can be shattered. The more Clodagh meddles, the worse it will be.

Soon she won’t have to worry any more. Soon there will be no need for answers, because very soon, there will be no more questions.

Imogen Willis looked nervous during the Wednesday-morning family meeting. Kate had met the family once before, when Imogen was initially referred to her. Imogen’s mother had a kind face, with short bobbed black hair, the obvious donor of Imogen’s large eyes. Imogen’s sister, Jilly, took after their father, both with pale skin, stockier build and wispy blond hair. They all looked to Kate, waiting for her to start things off.

‘It’s great to see you today, and I’m sure you’re delighted with Imogen’s progress.’

Imogen’s mother, Mary Louise, was the first to answer. ‘We are, Kate. Imogen is a changed girl. Isn’t she, Harry?’

‘Happier, much happier.’ Harry looked at his daughter, but Imogen didn’t turn to him.

‘What about you, Jilly? Have you noticed any change in Imogen since coming here?’

‘Yeah, she’s making real progress.’

Imogen smiled at her sister.

‘Good, that’s great.’ Kate paused, giving Imogen a reassuring look. ‘I suppose you’re all wondering why I’ve asked you here today.’

‘There isn’t anything wrong, is there, Kate?’ Mary Louise, unable to hide her anxiety.

‘No, no. Actually, it’s quite the contrary.’ Kate looked at her audience of four, wondering which of them seemed the most nervous. ‘I think this is an opportune time to chat a little about what’s been happening with Imogen. That is still okay with you, Imogen, isn’t it?’

‘Sure.’

‘Great. You all know that Imogen has begun to remember some things. Not everything that she remembers is making complete sense. At least, it isn’t right now.’

‘You mean about Busker dying?’ Again, Mary Louise was doing the talking.

‘Yes, that’s right. Imogen and I have spoken at length about her large gaps in memory, and her recollections, which is partly why I wanted to explain how disassociation works.’

‘This disassociation, can it be cured?’ Harry sat upright in his chair.

Kate spoke as gently as she could: ‘Harry, we all have the ability to disassociate. It’s part of our survival mechanism as human beings. Disassociation allows us to disconnect from our feelings. It’s not unusual for a person who has experienced the trauma of a car crash to say that they almost felt someone else was going through it. But it doesn’t have to be something traumatic for us to disassociate.’ Kate looked to the others. ‘I’m sure you all watch movies on television.’ They each nodded. ‘Well, disassociation can happen there too. What was the last movie you saw, Mary Louise?’

‘
Taken
– the one with Liam Neeson.’

‘Where his daughter goes missing?’

‘That’s right.’

‘Mary Louise, that’s a great example. Can I ask you a couple of questions about it?’

They stared at Kate as if she had gone temporarily insane, but Mary Louise gave a tentative ‘Yes.’

‘Did you watch the movie at home?’

‘Yes, with Harry last Friday night. We got in pizza.’

‘Did you have the lights down low?’

‘Yeah.’ This time Harry got in on things.

‘You were awake, alert and comfortable?’