Bye Bye Baby by Fiona McIntosh Read Free Book Online Page B

could have. He drugged them first.’
    ‘That could have been to make them compliant, though?’ Brodie’s Scottish brogue cut in.
    ‘That’s probably true. But according to Don Larkin in pathology, the killer waited until the tranquilliser had taken full effect — in both instances, the heart had stopped — before going to work with the knife. He could just as easily have waited for the victims to be drowsy, incapable of a struggle, and then really made them suffer. But apparently he didn’t.’
    ‘What do we surmise from this?’ Jack asked, mainly for the benefit of the younger members on the team, who looked slightly overawed to be working on this case at Scotland Yard.
    ‘At this point, only that our killer doesn’t fit the usual profile of a psychopath.’ Tandy drew inverted commas in the air with his fingers as he said the last word. ‘In serial killings there’s usually a level of enjoyment, certainly involvement —’ He made the inverted commas gesture again and Jack could see that it irritated Kate. He smiled to himself. ‘— but in these cases both men were dispatched quickly, efficiently. So this wasn’t about revelling in the act of killing as such.
    The killer did not choose to prolong their death, and clearly had no interest in them suffering, perhapsbeyond the original shock of realising they were captives, blah blah.’
    The ‘blah blah’ clearly annoyed Kate. ‘So, John,’ she interrupted, shaking her head slightly with frustration, ‘why is he killing if there’s no pleasure to be gained?’
    ‘Oh, there’s pleasure alright, Detective . . .’
    ‘DI Carter. Kate.’
    ‘Kate, thank you. Oh yes, the killer is certainly gaining satisfaction, but not from the suffering, the blood, or the act of killing even. He doesn’t even take a trophy. Instead, he neatly leaves what is clearly his prize in the dead men’s hands.’
    ‘So what does it all mean?’ Kate asked impatiently.
    Tandy closed his eyes, kept them shut as he spoke. ‘It’s a means to an end,’ he said with satisfaction.
    ‘He just wants these guys dead?’ Bill finished.
    ‘Correct,’ Tandy said, and blinked slowly. ‘The reward is the end of Sheriff's and Farrow’s life.’
    ‘Revenge?’ Hawksworth offered.
    ‘Quite possibly,’ Tandy said, nodding. ‘It’s certainly the scenario I’m postulating.’
    ‘What else, John?’ Jack encouraged.
    ‘Well, so far so good — let’s say we have a couple of revenge killings. It doesn’t explain the oddity of removing the lips and genitals. That does smack of the psychopath. But again I tread here with caution, because it was done calmly, neatly and having already deliberately minimised suffering to the victims.’
    ‘Age?’ Brodie asked.
    ‘I’d say our killer is late thirties, perhaps early forties.’
    ‘Why?’ Kate asked.
    The profiler raised his chin, stared at the ceiling for afew moments. Jack liked that Tandy was taking Kate’s question seriously and not just giving her a rote answer. It was a good question, and it was always with some wonderment that Jack listened to the answers these experts came up with. Despite his irritating mannerisms at times, John Tandy was one of the best in the business. The Met used him frequently and, although profiling was hardly an accurate science, Tandy had reliable instincts.
    ‘Well, this is someone, I believe, who has thought through their kill very precisely,’ he said. ‘You’re dealing with someone who is highly intelligent, who has the ability to remain clear-thinking and utterly in control of their emotions throughout the event. Age and the journey of life teaches you patience, even if you’re a naturally impatient person. I just don’t think a much younger person would have remained so . . .’ he searched for the right word, ‘. . . committed,’ he finally said. ‘It takes enormous control to do all that was done and not feel compelled to leave some sort of note behind, or clues to his identity and