Cut Dead by Mark Sennen Read Free Book Online Page B

Savage overheard the beginnings of a call Hardin took on his mobile.
    ‘But, sir, do we really need to—’ the DSupt said before he stomped away, phone in hand, pushing through the doors of the crime suite and out into the corridor.
    Five minutes later he was back, the phone thrust into a pocket in his jacket.
    ‘This is total bollocks!’ Hardin thumped a desk, causing a young DC sitting nearby to nearly wet herself. ‘Mr Peter Wilson didn’t have much success the last time did he? In fact he should have been done for wasting police time in my view. If I recall the only profiling he put any effort into was that of a certain blonde indexer who went by her squad nickname of Big Marge. I can’t believe the Chief came up with this stupid idea.’
    ‘Do you mean Dr Wilson, sir?’ Savage said, trying to understand the gist of the conversation from having heard only a fragment of it. ‘The psychologist?’
    ‘Yes,’ Hardin said. ‘That was the Chief Constable. He wants us to consult Wilson. Apparently Wilson’s been in touch with the Police Commissioner. The Commissioner’s not supposed to dictate tactics, but he’s been all over the media this morning arguing the case should be the force’s number one priority and that we should explore all avenues. Including profiling. Local politicians are getting reports from hoteliers and B&B owners that cancellations are already beginning to come in. And as you know tourism is worth millions to the local economy. No tourists, no economy.’
    ‘And we’re approaching the busiest time of year.’
    ‘Exactly. Which is why the Chief wants to throw everything at this one.’
    The Chief was Simon Fox, known as Foxy to the rank and file. Like all leaders, he had a tendency to push down directives from on high. Any complaints would be met with a smile on his lamb-like face. Followed by a sting from his scorpion tail.
    ‘That’s good, isn’t it?’
    ‘Yes. I no longer have to worry about budgetary constraints. I’m doubling the number of people assigned to Radial . We’ll have enough officers for comprehensive door-to-door enquiries, plenty of indexers and a team to staff the hotline number twenty-four-seven.’
    ‘But Wilson?’
    ‘That’s not so good. I’m surprised Dr Wilson has the nerve. Considering.’
    Considering.
    Back when the Candle Cake Killer first surfaced Dr Wilson had, from what Savage had heard, been a walking disaster. Fox, recently arrived in Devon as the new Chief Constable, had insisted on bringing a psychologist on board, despite the resistance of the SIO, DCI Walsh. They had to show willing, Fox said, had to show they were trying everything, because if the media saw they’d given up they’d be holed below the waterline. After the disappearance of Heidi Luckmann confirmed they were looking for a serial offender, Wilson came up with his first profile. He said the killer would strike again, that they would escalate. The clay which had been found in Mandy Glastone’s throat led Wilson to hypothesise that the killer worked in arts and crafts. He also said he drove some kind of van, had a history of mental illness and a severe problem in relating to women.
    ‘Don’t we all’ was – according to office legend – what the recently divorced Walsh had said as he’d torn up the pages Wilson had prepared and asked the psychologist to leave the building and not bother coming back.
    Simon Fox had got wind of the event and although Wilson had resigned in a huff and couldn’t be persuaded to return, the Chief insisted on Walsh working the art angle. Every gallery, art shop, pottery and studio was marked down for a visit. Every artisan in Devon and Cornwall tracked down and interviewed. Lists were procured of people farther afield, their names ticked off against elements of Wilson’s profile, those who merited further investigation interviewed by detectives travelling from Devon or by local forces.
    Nothing.
    After the killer had missed his midsummer