Okay, so this chapter is a little longer than most of my chapters, but seeing that next week in Christmas, I thought I would treat everyone since I probably will not be able to post another chapter until the new year as I will busy with the holidays, family and work. This chapter is a little heavy on the brain, but I hope everyone enjoys reading it as I enjoyed writing it. Again, let me know your views or options. Everyone have a Merry Christmas and New Happy Year. Let there be peace and love in everyone's life. Enjoy.
Chapter 13
"Mind if we sit down, Colin?" Helen asked. Colin Hedges made no reply but sat down anyway. Helen produced a micro-cassette recorder from her pocket, turned it on, and placed it on the table. "We'll make a recording of our conversation here, Colin," she explained casually. "So that we're sure we got all the details straight when we get back to the station to write our reports. Is that all right with you?"
Hedges nodded wearily, dragging a hand back through his hair. He looked tired and worn. "I'll need you to answer out loud, Colin," Helen replied. "So we can get it on the recorder."
"Yeah, sure, I suppose that's fine, but is this all really necessary," as tried to clear his throat. Distress etched lines beside his mouth. "What about the body...where did they take the body?" he asked, his voice closing off on the last words.
"That is information that doesn't pertain to you, unless you're family. But don't worry, the medical examiner will let us know how he died." Helen explained. She could see Jim standing off to the left and wondered when he was going to put his snout into the line of questioning.
Hedges looked up and looked at Helen, but avoiding her eyes, "I understand."
"What do you do for a living, Colin?" Helen replied.
"I'm a Medical Doctor," he replied quickly.
"Do you live here, with Mason?" Fenner said, grinning to himself.
"No."
Helen cringed upon hearing Jim's comments. She wanted to get up and slap Jim across the face but sat there hoping that Jim's big gob wouldn't tarnish the silver.
"What brought you to the house? Where you looking for something? Were you supposed to meet Mason?" Helen said, trying to control the conversation. She wasn't going to let Jim get the upper hand.
"We were supposed to meet the other day. I wanted to see how he was doing but when he didn't show and didn't answer my calls I became concerned so I dropped by." He said his voice brittle.
"What was your relationship with Mason?" Jim interjected abruptly. He had a knack of asking questions that where out to left field.
"We're old mates," Colin replied coldly. Present tense. "From college if you must know."
"Suppose you tell us," Jim said, like a hunter getting closer to his kill. "What kind of mates exactly are you two?"
Pierce's brow creased. "I ain't no queer if that's where you're heading Detective. We did the usually things, hang out, guys stuff." Hedges said annoyed with the line of questioning. "What are you suggesting, Detective?"
"I'm asking if the two of you had a sexual relationship," Jim said with calm bluntness.
Hedges looked as if his head might explode. "I'm ma...married. Not that it's any of your business. What does this have to do with anything?"
"We have a dead body in case you forgotten," Jim said. "That makes everything my business. What about Mason?"
"Mason is not queer," Hedges said resentment bitter in his eyes. "Does that make it all right that he's dead? If this is the questions I'm going to be asked then I might want to speak with my lawyer."
"That's enough Jim," Helen said, rather abruptly. The sodding git was making a fool of himself, much to Helen's chagrin. "There won't be any need for a lawyer since you're not under arrest."
Jim spread his hands, ignoring Helen. "Hey, I don't care who plugs what in where. I just need a frame of reference for my investigation."
"You have a real way with words, Detective, Fenner I presume." Hedges replied, looking at Jim coldly. Sodding bastard he thought. He would like to stick a needle in his neck and watch him suffer.
Helen watched his face carefully. Hedges face paled, a sense of cold hostility washed his demeanour. Sensing a squabble Helen got up and walked towards Jim. "Jim why don't you find Dominic and see if there is anything he has uncovered, anything that can help us with this investigation. Make some calls, get on with things."
Jim nostrils flared in anger. "I'd much rather stay in here."
Helen leaned over, inches apart from Jim's face. She could see the pours on his face as his face turned red with anger. "I'd rather you don't. So piss off, please." She said with a mocking tone as she grinned.
They both stood there a few seconds as Nikki walked into the room. Sensing tension Nikki quickly said, "Jim, Dominic asked me to tell you that he needed your help."
Helen sneered in delight. "That's your queue Jim, so if you don't mind I have business to finish up."
"This is not over, Helen." Jim said, reluctantly leaving the room. That bitch he thought to himself.
Helen sat back down trying to recompose herself. "You said Mason wanted to talk something over with you," she prompted, diverting his attention to her, allowing her to watch every facial expression. "Do you know why?"
"No. He didn't say much." Hedges explained, slowly letting his guard down.
"When did you last speak with him?" Helen said. "I mean before you called him to meet up."
Hedges cut her a sideways look, the resentment lingering. "Um, I don't recall, I guess it was a while ago."
"So the two of you were supposed to meet a couple of days ago, but Mason was a no-show." Helen felt something was not adding up. There was something unsettling about Colin Hedges. Something peculiar about his story that just didn't add up but she didn't know why.
"I called a couple of times, but only got the machine. He never called back. I decided to come by. See if everything was all right." He said.
"We checked his answering machine and there was no messages." Helen said, her brow upright.
"I didn't leave a message." Hedges quickly responded, fidgeting with his hands, looking down.
"Are you sure you called him?" Helen responded, the question with an accusations tone.
"Are you accusing me of something, Detective?" He stood his ground looking straight at her.
"Should I be?" Helen demanded. "You understand why I am asking you? Mason is dead and I want to make sure I have all the facts correct."
Hedges looked at Helen trying to gauge her reaction then looked down at his hands. He was tired and he certainly didn't need some Detective asking him questions. "Look, I...I was concerned since he didn't respond."
"Why wouldn't you just think he was busy? Maybe he was out." Helen asked. "He was rather anti-social." Nikki looked on as she watched the interaction between Helen and Colin Hedges. She watched Hedges and noticed his behaviour. He seemed like a man with concern for his friend, yet, it was almost as if he knew something had happened to Mason. She knew from his body language and behaviour that he did not kill Mason. Still, something didn't add up in her thoughts. It was as if he was hiding something. She didn't understand why she felt that way about him but there was definitely something she thought. She always had a knack understand people's behaviours. It was a quality she didn't know why she possessed, she just knew she had it.
Hedges glared at Helen. "Pardon me for being concerned about a friend. I guess I should just be an arsehole like you. I could be at my office now. I could have saved myself the trouble of..." He cut himself off as the image rose in his memory again. Colin Hedges face was still red but with a waxy sheen to it now as he looked out the window, as if the sight of the rain, might cool and soothe him.
"Why did you go into the house? You must've seen the police tape." Helen said. "Did you have a key?"
"The door wasn't locked and I was worried that something bad happened." Colin said, fidgeting with a piece of paper.
Helen cursed inwardly. That bastard Fenner was supposed to make sure the house was cornered off with an officer there at all times. Although the case was now official closed by Simon as a suicide, Helen was under no illusion that Mason wasn't murdered. She knew Fenner was being a prick.
"Had he talk about suicide? Had he seemed depressed?" Nikki interjected, looking over at Colin.
Hedges looked up to see an attractive woman who he guessed was not a Detective. He felt strangely probed by her. "He had seemed...fri...frustrated. He was little down, yes, but not to the point that he'd kill himself. I don't know. Maybe, I'm putting too much into it." Hedges said, stopping, then allowing himself to think clearly. "I won't lie, but the thought did cross my mind."
"What did Colin?" Helen asked, listening to his every word.
"About Mason killing himself," he replied nervously.
"But you just mentioned a few seconds ago that you didn't think that Mason would ever kill himself." Nikki asked looking straight into Hedges dark eyes. Again there was something strange about the way he looked. Maybe she was imagining it but his body language told a different story. She felt he was lying about something but she had no proof.
Hedges turned his head across to face Nikki. He looked surprised at first then quietly said, "Listen, Mason had problems as I am sure you're aware. He was depressed about things."
"Depressed about what?" Helen asked.
Hedges made a helpless gesture. "I don't know. The whole investigation, he was always high on something. He seemed to be shutting off."
"What about other relationships?" Nikki asked. "Was he involved with anyone?"
"No."
"How can you be sure?" Helen asked.
"We were friends." Hedges said, looking annoyed and tired.
"Aside from the door being unlocked," Helen said, "did anything seem to be missing or out of place?"
"Not that I noticed but it wasn't like I was looking, though. And it wasn't long since I was interrupted by some rookie officer."
Helen's mobile ran. "Sorry, I need to take this." Helen stopped the recorder and after a few minutes she explained to Colin Hedges that they had enough for now and that they would be in touch.
Once outside the door Helen and Nikki walked towards her car.
"Yes, but Mason complained that he was assaulted by an officer," Nikki pointed out.
"So?"
"So, Mason had complained to us about harassment by officers."
"And you're saying maybe a cop killed him because of it?" Helen said. "Jesus, Nikki. You want to believe that, maybe you ought to apply for this job."
"Sod you, Helen," she snapped back. "I'm just trying to look at this case from a different position. Something tells me that one of the killers is probably in law enforcement. I still believe that and I thought you were on the same page as me."
"Sorry for snapping at you," Helen replied. "I'm a little tired and I know we discussed that option, but it's hard to believe." She knew something wasn't right about this case. Maybe she was still rattled by Nikki and what happened the other night. Part of her wanted to know why Nikki kissed her and the other part did not want to open Pandora's Box. She was still reeling from the affects and tried not to feel awkward around Nikki. She didn't want to give Nikki reason for her indifferent behaviour. She knew Nikki would be too clever to fool so as long as Nikki didn't bring it up, there was no way that she would.
"Is something bothering you?" Nikki asked wondering if Helen was acting different because she remembered everything that happened that evening. Maybe Helen was being polite as not to embarrass her. She didn't know how long she could keep up the charade. She wanted to tell Helen how she felt. She wanted to tell her that she was attracted to her but didn't know how Helen would react and how it would affect their working relationship. Nikki felt imprudent and she hated feeling that way.
"And of course that buffoon Simon has given the order that the book is all but closed on Mason's death," Helen said, looking out at the street. "Ruled a suicide, bollocks."
"You don't like it either, Helen," Nikki said quietly. "You can feel it in your gut, can't you?" Helen didn't answer her right away. "I know I can't be the only one, but did you find something oddly strange about Colin Hedges?"
"Yes Nikki, I did notice something peculiar," Helen said at last. "I don't like anything about this case. Mason's dead and we're no closer to finding the killers." Helen shook her head. "And what's strange about this whole mess is I believe Mason was a loner. He had social problems. How well did Colin Hedges know him?"
"Won't hurt to ask a few more questions. Of the record of course" Nikki said, knowing it sounded too much like something for the famous final words. "I get a real sick sense that Colin is hiding something. Was he a friend or foe to Mason? Either way, Mason is dead and so are the answers we seek."
"Let's pay a visit to the morgue." Helen said. "Hopefully the other victims had parchment down their throats too." Even though she felt some tension between her and Nikki, she was still glad that Nikki was with her. She finally admitted to herself that she was attracted to Nikki. Her talk with Claire helped but it left her no more wiser to what she should do with her feelings, except that she needed to forget that Nikki made her feel something she wasn't supposed to feel. She closed her eyes and let the cool air permeate her body as she pondered what to do.
"And hello to you Helen," Cassie Tyler said. "Okay, so far this is what we have found on the victims. I looked over victims #3 and #4 as requested by Crystal and also found parchment shoved down their throats. I can't believe we missed it. We matched all the dental records so I will fax you all the copies." Cassie motioned for both Nikki and Helen to a magnified overhead. "I have the pieces of parchment for your viewing.
Helen and Nikki examined it closely. They were the same modus operandi by the killer.
"Revelations 21:8: but the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone…" Nikki read outloud.
Helen continued, "Romans 5:12: wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned…" Both Nikki and Helen looked at each other. "Don't you hate when religion get distorted by sick individuals who use it for their own agenda."
"As incredible as it sounds, these killers live in a world defined by holy judgment and killing these girls are justified in a way as a baptism of fire." Nikki explained. "Those who do not repent will suffer greatly, but they will carry out their judgement to pure the impure souls."
"Baptism of fire?" Helen said, looking at Nikki confused. She wasn't religious in her viewing.
"I indeed baptise you in water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptise you in the Holy Spirit and in fire." Nikki recited to Helen. "The phrase baptism by fire or baptism of fire is a phrase originating from the words of John the Baptist in Matthew 3:11.
"You lost me Nikki," Helen replied, raising her brow at Nikki wondering what the hell she was getting at.
"The phrase also occurs in Luke 3:16 and it might be taken as a reference to the fiery trial of faith which endures suffering and purifies the faithful." Nikki laughed but continued. "The promise, 'he shall baptise you in the Holy Spirit,' has reference to the apostles. The Savior's testimony in Acts 1 establishes this: 'John indeed baptised with water; but you shall be baptised in the Holy Spirit not many days hence." Nikki said as Helen looked at Nikki with awe. Was there anything she didn't know? She was rather surprised that Nikki knew a lot about the bible and religion. But then again, it seemed that Nikki was a woman with many surprises. Nikki was someone who she could relate to and she felt as if she could understand her values, but most of all, Nikki was someone who could reach into her soul. It scared her. Being with Sean, she didn't expose herself and she could control her life and emotions. But with Nikki, she felt so exposed and she had no control over her emotions.
"Reminds me of a Dire Straight song, in which taken from one of the lines 'through the fields of destruction, baptisms of fire." Helen smiled.
"There's two distinct baptisms - one by the Spirit, one by fire; including trial and testing of disciples, or the destruction by Christ of his enemies." Nikki stated. "To overwhelm with fire; those who do not repent will be subjected to the abysmal penalties of hell. The fire of Divine retribution or judgment."
"If you believe in all that religious nonsense." Helen replied, feeling somewhat jaded. She was not religious at all and hated when people tried to use religion as a reason for war, or a reason to cleanse the world of impurity. Like a genocide, hiding behind factious preachers and hate mongers. Why couldn't people respect others differences. Who had the moral right to judge others and call sinners? If God existed, he would not have wanted his people slay another and use his words for their own advantage. "I stopped believing in the existence of God from an early age, because there seemed to be no evidence for the kind of supernatural power asserted by those around me. I don't see my lack of religious belief as a matter of ideology, which is why I prefer the term 'non-believer' to the term 'atheist'. Does that sound harsh?"
"Not at all." Nikki shook her head. Everyone had a right to believe in their own moral fibre. "'Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.' John 1:9:11." Nikki said. "I won't say I'm religious but I do believe in God, but I do not agree with this passage. To agree with this passage means I am immortal in my beliefs being a lesbian. Why is it wrong to be gay and believe in God?" Nikki stated, not as a question to Helen but a question she struggled daily to those who want to condemn her for simply loving another woman.
"I don't think there is anything wrong with you Nikki." Helen said giving her a smile. "Why someone would disparage or belittle the worth of another being is bollocks. Those who kindle in hatred or prejudice to me are the wicked and forbidding souls cloaked in disguise."
"So, can I be saved?" Nikki said, smiling. At least she still had her right sense and humour. "And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul, but that whoever would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman." Chronicles 15:12-13."
"How can anyone be so punishing in their words? As if words didn't kill." Helen remarked. "Are we just zombies or puppets, walking on this Earth?"
"There is a lot of wonderful teaching and I believe the message of God is to love and love thy neighbour." Nikki stated. "The problem with the bible, it is easily misinterpreted and there are those who like Hitler believed that one pure race was only intended, and that all who are different by nature, should be eradicated. Just like our killers, they believe they are justified in their killings."
"You amaze me with your knowledge and caring nature. I just love hearing you talk about things. The way you explain yourself in words is enlightening even for a poor soul like me." Helen laughed. "But please do continue enlightening me with your words." She didn't know why but she found it sexy when Nikki let her words flow like poetry. As if she was a lover reciting her words, although, at this moment, the words were religious in nature and the crime heinous.
"Okay," Nikki smiled back at Helen. She would give the moon and stars to this woman if she could. "Verse ten says that 'every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.' Then, at the conclusion of verse twelve, Jesus continues: 'whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor; and he will gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.'" Nikki finished off. Most people were surprised at her vase knowledge but Nikki was a child who was always curious about things and who loved to read and she read anything she could get her hands on. "Sorry if I got off topic. My mind does that sometimes."
"No, I think you're on to something. We know these sick individuals have a deep resentment towards women, or women they perceive abnormal or dirty." Helen said. "And like you said, he probably was rejected by someone he loved who had relations with women."
"Well I am glad I can assist you. But does this information get us any closer?" Nikki shook her head. "I am not sure how much of this will assist us."
Helen looked into Nikki's deep brown eyes and understood. They needed more evidence. "We know the killers doused their victims with a chloroform-soaked rag to subdue them. They were all viciously raped, tortured, all had skin lacerations, burns. Victim #5 and #6 had punctured wounds, suggesting they were injected with something. Still waiting on toxicology." Helen replied
"Except for the latest victim," Nikki interjected.
"He waited until she was dead to torture her body, which might seem out of respect for her." Helen said.
"As if it justified her killing. I believe our killer blends easily." Nikki said, remembering how the young victim looked like Trisha. For a moment, she wondered if there could be a connection but decided that it was all in her head. She was still holding on to the memories of Trisha and what happened. She wondered if she should tell Helen. The only soul who knew what she hid so long was her godmother Barbara.
"At least we know who they were and how they died. Now all we have to do is figure out who killed them." Helen said knowing it wasn't going to be an easy task considering the lengths these killers went to hide their tracks. They had a bread crumb, now all they needed was to find the trail of crumbs to find the loaf. Unfortunately, she knew that there were going to be more bodies and there was nothing they could do. It was shite.
"So where do we go from here?" Nikki interjected, getting into Helen's car. "Will the identification be out in time for the ten o'clock news or can we wait until tomorrow?"
"We won't announce the names of the victims until we notify the parents," Helen said, her voice picking up energy. "We need to head back and debrief everyone with the latest findings. We need to get everyone on board. And I need you to give them your profile of the killer." Helen looked at Nikki. "There are those who are not going to like what you have to say so just be prepared, okay."
"Well up their bottoms," Nikki said with a harsh laugh. "It doesn't take a genuine to figure out why so many in your line of work take to the bottle. They lack humour and you cannot go on life without laughter."
"Cheers to that." Helen replied. "Well I'm glad you have a wonderful sense of humour because it's refreshing in my life on work."
"I take orders," Nikki said, leaning closer to Helen. "I'm expensive though, but I could give you a discount. Two for one coupon for a humour night at my place."
Helen laughed. "Well, I'm a hard critic so you better have loads of tricks up your sleeve if you're going to get me laughing."
"I'm sure I can handle someone like you." Nikki smiled, showing her teeth and wiggling her nose. "But if you're serious, I have an opening tonight at 'Warehouse of Laughter' at the Wade resident. Dress code; clothes is optional." She said with a serious face, trying hard not to laugh out-loud.
Helen almost fell into a fit of giggles. Nikki was too comical. "I'll wear my bunny suit then. And I do mean the playboy bunny suit."
Now it was Nikki's turn to cough out-loud. "Damn woman, are you winding me up?" She said moving closer, knowing as she closed the distance between them Helen would become awkward.
"I'm not telling you anything," Helen said, not skipping a beat. She knew what Nikki was trying to do and it didn't bother her. She was getting use to Nikki's playful moves.
"There are ways to get someone to talk," Nikki grinned. "But I've said too much already."
Helen eyes widen, as she continued looking at Nikki. "Remember," she said, smiling. "I am the one with the gun and hand-cuffs. Looks to me I have the upper hand." She cheerfully said.
"Aye, but who's the ticklish one?" Nikki said, as if she was gesturing her hands towards Helen.
"Not so fast Nicola Wade," Helen said, knowing that calling her 'Nicola' would make her cringe. "I would have to charge you with harassing an officer."
"Since when did tickling someone become harassment?" Nikki said, giving Helen her innocent look.
"I'll lie," Helen said playfully. "I'm a very convincing lair."
Nikki smiled and started laughing out-loud. "You're one to be hold." She said, giggling in her seat. "This reminds me of a Madonna song. 'To have and not to hold'." She said to Helen who was pouting.
"What is that supposed to mean?" She said, giving Nikki a pretend attitude.
"How would like me to rephrase that?" Nikki said, sticking her tongue out and thinking about how she was going to word it. "You're the kind of woman who wants to be 'have'…you want attention but not too much of it. You want to control, but not to dominate. You want someone to make love to you, but not cling onto you. The 'hold' part is your mechanism to keep the people you care about at bay. You want to be loved but you don't want to lose yourself. You're like a porcelain doll, you can touch it but you cannot hold it."
Helen looked at Nikki with such amazement. Was she really like that? Did she really have commitment issues? She thought about her relationship with Sean and the previous men she dated that never seemed to last or she never gave herself or her whole heart. Why was she like that? She was so full of life when she was younger. When did that all change? Then she thought about her brother's death and the trauma she felt. Was that her trigger point? Was her relationship with her father also a root cause? She didn't understand but she knew Nikki was right. But why was Nikki able to see through her?
"Do you really think I am what you just described me?" Helen said, in a weak voice.
Nikki gave Helen a warm smile as she reached across and put her hand over Helen's. "I think you're a wonderful, caring, passionate woman." She said, holding on to Helen's hand. Helen did not move her hand away. She allowed herself to feel Nikki's warmth. "We all have our glass walls up high. It just takes someone to come along and break them."
"What does that say about Sean?" Helen said boldly even though she knew the answer.
"I'm not here to question your relationship with him or the people in your life." Nikki said, squeezing Helen's hand. "I'm not here to judge you either. I have many ghost hidden in my closet. And to be honest I have commitment issues. What I am saying, is that I have grown to care about you." What Nikki really wanted to say was that she was in love with her. She wanted to tell her that she wanted to be the person who shattered her glass walls. She wanted to be that someone who would 'hold' her. But reality was cruel and Helen was in a relationship with Sean.
"You care about me?" Helen said, almost shocked by the revelation. She knew Nikki liked her because she kissed her, but did she feel something else?
"Oh course silly bird." Nikki said, moving her hand to caress Helen's face. "I'm rather fond of you, but don't let that get into your head." Nikki said, trying to sound serious. "Don't look so frightened."
"I'm not frightened." Helen replied shyly. She enjoyed Nikki's fingers on her face. It wasn't in a sexual nature, but a kind gesture. A warmth that she lacked with Sean. She looked at Nikki and realised her attraction to Nikki was becoming stronger. She didn't look away. Both woman looked at each other for a little while longer without words. Just enjoying the silence between them. Then finally, Helen spoke. "I care about you too?" She said as if the words flowed through her so naturally.
Nikki smiled and rested her hand over Helen's as they both breathed in quietly. Their friendship cemented. Whatever they were feeling would wait for another day, another time. They sat in the car for a little longer before Helen turned on the car and drove off to face what they knew was going to be a tedious investigation.
"Everyone, I want your attention fully on Nikki Wade. If you have any questions or concerns please discuss it with Helen as she is in charge." Chief Superintendent Neil Grayling said, addressing his officers.
"I suspect the killer is a white male, probably between the ages of 30 to 35, although I acknowledge that that range could be off. The killer probably drives an older-model vehicle, either a van or a four-door car. This gives him easier access to his victims." Nikki noted, "The killer probably has very strong personal feelings of inadequacy, and probably grew up in a family fragmented by marital discord." Nikki suggested. "His mother consistently nagged her son, particularly when he rebelled against all authority figures. Alcoholic father and a fanatically religious mother, who ruled the household with her puritanical preaching about the sins of lust and carnal desires. He most likely had difficulty in school, which caused him to probably drop out college, although that might not be the case. And he has average or slightly above-average intelligence." Nikki said catching her breath. "Don't be fooled, he is very clever and thinks he's smart enough to get away with the murders."
"Are you saying that Mason is no longer a suspect because he killed himself?" One of the officers said obnoxiously.
Helen nostril flared as she couldn't believe how indiscreet some of them acted. "What we're saying is that there is someone out there killing young women and we need to be vigilant."
Nikki looked towards Helen waiting for the nod for her to continue. "The killer is probably married with no children. He does not, nor has ever had, (a sexual) aversion towards women," Nikki noted. "He feels that he has been burned or been lied to and fooled by women one too many times. In his way of thinking, women are no good and cannot be trusted, and he feels women will prostitute themselves for whatever reason. When he sees women openly parading themselves, this makes his blood boil." But, Nikki went on, "the killer is drawn to the vicinity of college girls because of failures with significant women in his life during that time, and in all probability he has been dumped by a woman for another woman."
"Are you saying he is targeting lesbians?" Dominic asked as if Nikki knew something he didn't. If Nikki was right, he knew it wasn't going to be easy, especially with some officers who were homophobic. He had to admit to himself, Nikki was definitely a sharp tool and as jealous as he felt towards her, he was glad that someone of her calibre was helping them.
"It's too early to determine what his true motives are but yes I believe he is killing gay/bi-sexual women or women he perceive to be abnormal. The killer will have trouble sleeping, and has a 'generally nocturnal nature.' Nikki suggested, keeping her nerves calm.
"The killer probably seeks relations with prostitutes as he is not able to pick up college girls. He may pose as a policeman or other authority figure. He may talk to others about the murders, and he may keep news clippings about the crimes." Helen said.
"Remember the subject is killing," Nikki concluded, "because the victims are not listening to his preaching regarding their sexual activities, or he perceive they are mocking him or looking down at him. He is an angry individual who demonstrates power over his victim and enjoys the publicity he is receiving. He uses religion as a way to justify his actions. But don't be misled because nothing suggest he is a practicing Catholic. There was a break in his mental state, which I believe happened during his college years and progressed as he got older.
"How can you be so certain of this?" Jim said, sneering. "What if you're wrong and we go chasing a ghost. Precious time would be lost and can we afford to be so brash?"
Nikki clenched her teeth as she wanted to wipe that smile from his gob. How did a moron like him become a DI? He got his head so far up Simon Stubberfield arse that he couldn't see directions to a map if he looked at it. She was about to say something but from the corner of her eye, she could see Helen move forward as if she was ready to lunge at Jim and asphyxiate him with her bare hands. How much she wished she would witness it, but she bit her lip holding herself back.
"Listen Jim," Helen said indifferently with reproach to a child who was disobedient. "Get your arse of your high horse and stop sticking your fingers in a mouse trap." She looked at him with fierce determination. "If you paid attention, you would know Nikki is a Clinical Psychology with a Doctrine. She is someone who can give us insight on the killer. So stop your trivial grievances and sit your arse down."
"But she isn't a Criminal profiler," Jim argued. He didn't like Helen making him look like a chump.
"I believe Nikki insights are far superior and her contribution to this case has been immeasurably. What I need is everyone to have an open mind and work together to catch this killer." She looked straight at Jim not backing down. "Now, if you do not have any thought-provoking philosophies, I would appreciate keeping your gob shut. Unless, you have knowledge that we minions overlooked. By all mean, do give us your acumens Jim."
Jim felt all eyes on him and he felt once again idiotic. He gave Helen an icy stare as he sat down on his chair fuming.
"Please continue Nikki." Helen said, turning to Nikki and giving her a weak smile. She didn't like Jim trying to discredit Nikki. She felt protective over Nikki and it felt good.
"The communiqué reflects someone who is making a feeble and amateurish attempt to gain some personal importance by manipulating the investigation." Nikki stated.
"Nikki predicted the killer would return to the crime scene. He lacks the understanding of what it would feel like to go through what he put people through," said Helen addressing the officers.
"So maybe what's required is not just how you're raised in your first few years, but also faulty wiring and genetics and what happens to you as an adult" Dominic said. "There's a lot of questions we still can't answer."
"Such killers are psychotic and suffer from 'breaks' with reality. They hear voices or see visions that tell them to kill, and may, often suffer from severe schizophrenia. Usually, someone else in the family line have had mental illness. These murders are usually not sexually motivated. The mission killer seeks to rid the world of people they've deemed useless or undesirable. The victims of mission killers may include homosexuals, prostitutes, pedophiles, or drug addicts. The characteristics that make the killer single out one particular type of victim may be real or perceived. The killer is not considered psychotic, and like the visionary killer, the murders are typically not sexually motivated." Nikki explained
"How the hell are we supposed to know the difference?" Jim said, as Nikki rolled her eyes. As usually, Jim had to open his gob about nothing. She just ignored his silly rants.
"He sounds like the 'Riverside' killer." Mark Waddle interjected. "Didn't he decapitate their heads?"
Helen nodded her head. "He picked up young, confused college girls. He would strangle or stab them, then decapitate their bodies. That done, he would take them home and violate their headless bodies, not to mention their heads alone and, as if he wasn't being disgusting enough, their internal organs. He also enjoyed cannibalism. This doesn't tell us that the team of Doctors were incompetent, it just tells us that serial killers are often highly intelligent, manipulative people."
"Are you saying our killer is into cannibalism." One of the offices said.
"No, that is not what we are saying. Everyone please listen carefully." Helen stated.
"The killer is probably a handsome, charismatic psychopathic who blends easily. He's very adept and glib con artist. The killing of the college girls six years prior were more than likely ghoulish rituals in his mind. No connections was ever made prior. Over 20 potential suspects were interviewed, but the case was never solved. There seemed to be plenty of evidence but not enough to nail any one of them conclusively." Helen spoke to all the officers.
"Again the killer will be most likely married and his unsuspecting wife will have no clue she is living with a serial killer. This killer has researched psychopathic minds in order to be elusive. We need to stop this maniac from preying on any more female citizens." Nikki said passionately.
"We need only the best to organise the analysis of physical evidence like fingerprints, footprints, and other manifestations at a crime scene. We need to be diligent. Expect this case to become a cat-and-mouse game. There are many theories about the murderer's identity. As we know murder can be a daily occurrence. This psychopathic killer will torture into an unspeakable art form as he experimented on the young victims, giving us new meaning to the concept of 'evil'". Helen stammered.
Everybody was busy reading the files. The days ahead were going to be long.
Helen opened her mouth wondering what to say next. "DNA evidence is the greatest advantage we have in crime and punishment. These passages from the scriptures connects these killings. They are not random by chance. He wants us to find these messages. They have meaning for him."
Nikki injected, "His need to dominate women. To him it's an addiction, spurred by hatred. He enjoys the horrifying act of the innocent looks on their faces, with eyes wide with terror because they had guessed what was to come. Our killers are individuals who comes from out of the fog, kill violently and quickly then disappears without a trace. Then for no apparent reason, they satisfy their blood lust with ever-increasing ferocity, culminating in the near destruction on this act. The perfect ingredients for the perennial killers."
Dominic asked surprised, "You mentioned that you think there's two killers."
"There is another killer. The other killer as the prototypical battered and compliant accomplice. This would be a self-serving reorganization of what happened. They could be cousins or close friends. These type of killers is rare – the person who can persuade others to kill or harm others for him. It's quite unusual to have more than one person involved in such an extensive string of sexually sadistic murders. This and subsequent murders were distinguished by the amount of overkill; they bodies were literally stabbed-ridden. The other one very much under the influence of the other. The girls, lured and captured in well-planned schemes. One could be a reluctant facilitator of, or a willing participant. These killers set a new standard in depravity."
"How can you be so certain of this?" Jim sneered.
"The killers would be narcissistic. They are very diverse psychologically in the way they practice this deadly game of dominance and submission. At times they did it for utilitarian reasons and other times for no reason at all. The protagonist kill to satisfy their anger and their inclination to exercise power over those they consider their inferiors. The dominate killer was probably abused by a dominating and repulsive father figure, as he appears to engage in the violence as an extension of his eroticism and his freedom, while the other male simply likes to excise power. They are predators who love to kill. This demonstrate how the pair can develop a murderous drive together, partly from individual impulses to act out and partly because there's someone next to them who sees them at their worst and who nevertheless love and encourages them. He with low self-esteem feeds off any positive attention and a 'lone wolf' male is happy to have an admirer."
"If this is true, then catching them just became harder." One of the officer said.
"I believe the submissive killer suffered from a speech impediment in his younger years. Inevitably taunted by classmates and developing a hate against anyone who humiliated or ostracized him." Nikki said.
"So are we looking for someone who has a speech impediment?" Dominic asked.
"No, this killer would have gone to therapy to correct his difficulty. Although, under great stress his speech impediment would most likely come out as he would have a hard time controlling his emotions." Nikki stated.
"We could be dealing with any bloke," Dominic replied. "But this can be a great asset to our investigation."
"Yes," Nikki answered. "The killers share the same emptiness and isolation. One of them is disillusioned. The victims' genitals were viciously slashed with a knife or sharp objects. These are characteristics of Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of human motivations; hunger, safety, social connection, self-esteem, and self-actualization. The self-esteem killers act out to feel better about themselves and to win admiration. It does seem like a feasible explanation for the crimes, but his philosophies indicate that he may have been motivated by the need for self-actualization, a step above self-esteem on Maslow's hierarchy. In other words, for him, killing appeared to be a creative expression of his nihilistic ideas about life. He didn't need a partner, but once he had one, all he had to do was persuade him to accept his philosophies."
"They are sick bastards," DI Lorna Rose said, shaking her head in disgust.
"He thinks he is beyond the law of society because he is a 'superior' man. He interprets that to mean that, should he decide to, he could kill someone at whim, without consequences. As for murder itself, viewed scientifically, the death of a human being is of no more significance than that of any other animal on earth. Serial killers are people who are unavoidably a failure in many normal walks of life. They lack patience, and eschews the kind of boredom that most other people accept. The serial killer has chosen to live a day as a lion, rather than decades as a sheep. Once he has committed homicide, he accepts his acts as normal, and the rest of humanity as subnormal. They might even share delusion known as folie a deux, an intellectual form of persuasion and conversion of one partner by another. It can only occur if the target person is fertile soil in which such proposals can readily take root. In other words, the criminal desire must already be present. Sometimes two partners are nearly equal in their capacity for atrocity, and their equal ability to suffer no remorse fuels a pattern of increasingly aggressive acts against others." Nikki said.
"We are convinced that we are dealing two serial killers. Whoever was using this area to dump bodies must be very familiar with the neighbourhood to even know this place existed. Again no indication that murder had occurred where the bodies had been found, nor was there any evidence that the bodies had been dragged there. There again is the probability that more than one killer was involved in dumping their bodies on the hillside." Helen said to everyone. "Take a look at the quotes in front of you. They are all passages from the bible. I want everyone to be on the same page. The focus is finding these killers before the body count rises."
(Later that evening)
The figure entered the park, walking very strangely towards Nikki, dressed in white. She knew it was Trisha by a thousand signs, even from this distance. But it was a Trisha altered somehow. She disappeared intermittently behind the trees as she walked the curved path towards the building. As she drew nearer and nearer to her, she felt the day's cold slip itself beneath the folds of her coat, and a chill began between her shoulders and spread through her. She became momentarily frightened and stopped, but she soon realised the futility of that, so she took a few hesitant steps forwards, and then resumed her previous pace.
"Trisha," Nikki said as they met. "Trisha." Her tone had a horrible ingratiating quality to it, pleading, be quiet, please stop crying. Stop, please stop. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I couldn't stop it. Please forgive me? You don't have to suffer anymore, I promise." She waved her hand to quiet Nikki as though she were choking. Her face was wet and her skin seemed very fine and delicate and glistened with rain. The air was pungent, it seemed the smell of death, for her head threw itself backwards and her throat pulsed and she sobbed quietly.
"Trisha? Are you..?" The hand waved again. This sorrow was not what Nikki had felt before, but hurt and pity and the inevitable self-pity that has no time for nobler thoughts. Nikki's bones petrified and her soul squealed, and then the look had passed. Trisha let loose a scream, a wavering and cracked scream of agony, then, pushed past Nikki.
"Forgive me, I let you down…I'm so sorry… - as though any single person could really take responsibility for death or love or anything else so large and terrifying.
All of a sudden Nikki woke, her body wet from the sweat and her heart still pounding. Another bad dreams. They always came when the dark covered the skies. There was no escape.