It had been some time since Juliet and Katrin had last met. As Katrin threw open the door in welcome, Juliet was impressed by how much Tim’s wife had changed during the intervening period. Katrin had clearly been rocked by Sophia’s birth; even after she’d recovered from post-natal depression, she seemed for years to have lost her confidence and that glossy, put-together look that might have inspired sour remarks from other women if Katrin hadn’t been so unassuming. Juliet knew that Tim must have regretted profoundly the loss of Katrin’s dry humour and the diminution of her deftly capable ways.
Now, as Katrin rushed to meet her, Juliet thought that she looked better than she ever had, even in the pre-Sophia years. It wasn’t just that she’d regained her sleek, well-groomed appearance, matched by a figure that was yet svelter than before she was pregnant: there was an energy coming from her, a buzz that proclaimed both confidence and love of life. Perhaps the deep inner fulfilment that motherhood was supposed to confer had merely been delayed, and Katrin was experiencing it now. Juliet felt a sharp pang of envy that she knew to be ridiculous, and quickly stifled it.
‘Tea?’ Katrin asked. ‘Or perhaps you’d prefer coffee? I can’t drink it in the afternoon, but you’re very welcome to have some.’
‘Coffee would be great. I don’t seem to manage to sleep much these days.’
Katrin gave her a keen look.
‘We’ve had this conversation before, so sorry for repeating it: but if you let the job take you over, you won’t get any thanks for it.’
‘You of all people must know that there’s often no option. Tim’s been working like a demon for the past six months. There’s been no let-up in his efforts to put a stop to these farm vehicle thefts and we’ve got nowhere with them. It’s really got to him.’
‘I know. But Tim’s very resilient – I’m not saying you aren’t, but he can bounce back like a Kelly doll. It’s a strange thing to say, and I wouldn’t risk it with anyone else, but having the murders to deal with as well has lifted his spirits.’
‘You and I can understand that, though it might infuriate an outsider. It’s because he has more chance of making progress with the murders. There’s nothing more draining than a case that just keeps going round in circles – especially if the Chief Constable’s on your tail.’
‘I didn’t know about that. Tim’s certainly not at his best when he’s being challenged from above. It brings out the bolshie in him. But talking of the murders, I assume that’s why you’re here? Tim said he’d ask you to come.’
‘He said you’ve had a brainwave, if you don’t mind sharing it with me.’
‘I don’t mind sharing my idea, but I wouldn’t describe it as a brainwave. You can feel free to write it off as barmy straight away.’
‘I doubt I’ll think that. You’ve always been brilliant at thinking outside the box. Let’s give it a try.’
‘Come in properly first,’ said Katrin. ‘I didn’t mean to keep you standing here in the hall! Go through into the sitting-room and I’ll bring the coffee.’
Some minutes later, when they were seated, Katrin emphasised again the speculative nature of her thoughts.
‘You must remember my views are bound to be coloured by the criminology course I’m taking. I see conspiracy theories behind every lamp post!’
‘The crime rate in this area has burgeoned so much lately that you might be right to! Go on.’
‘Tim’s probably told you that I thought the Fossdyke Canal murders could be copycats of the Stephen Jenkins murders – Jenkins decapitated two women and threw them into a canal, which the Fossdyke killer’s now also done. Subsequently, Jenkins also killed a young girl, but without decapitating her.’
‘Yes, I knew you’d thought of that. Michael Robinson spotted the similarities, too.’
‘Tim said he had – then he said that the Butter Market murder had put him off the idea.’
‘Tim and I have discussed whether the murders are all by the same killer or not. Unless it was never detected, Jenkins didn’t commit a crime like that. But I’ve got an open mind on whether all the murders are connected or not.’
‘I’m convinced they are,’ said Katrin. Although her voice was quiet, she sounded confident rather than diffident.
‘How can you be so sure?’
‘The murder of Simon Smythe bears a number of similarities to the murder of a homosexual male in Florida in the 1990s. The victim – his name was George Gordon – had been planning an assignation with a new lover, just like Smythe. The killer was never found – though it has to be said that the cops in the rural America of the day probably didn’t consider it worth over-exerting themselves to catch the murderer of a “faggot”. I can show you the police reports of the case if you like.’
‘Sounds fascinating! But – sorry to be thick – I can’t work out how that establishes a link between the killings.’
‘It’s the copycat element, don’t you see?’ said Katrin, her voice rising as she became more animated. ‘If I’m right, this killer kills as a kind of intellectual game. He alternates between crimes that have been solved and ones that haven’t. He probably copies the ones that haven’t been solved more exactly than the ones that have. For those where the killer was caught, he deviates from those aspects that led to the arrest.’
‘Jenkins’ mistakes were legion. He cut off the women’s heads in his flat. Although he cleaned up thoroughly, of course it’s next to impossible to remove blood stains completely. Then someone saw him digging a hole on the banks of the canal, so that was how the police knew to look for the heads there afterwards.’
‘Exactly. And I’d bet a thousand pounds that they won’t find the heads of the two women pulled from the Fossdyke buried on the towpath there. They’re bound to have been looking.’
‘You say he ‘alternates’ between types of killing. What makes you think he’s committed other crimes?’
‘I’m pretty certain he will have. The Fossdyke murders were very accomplished – as was Smythe’s, in a different way. And I think they were discovered exactly when the killer intended them to be. This isn’t a murderer who’s just begun to cut his teeth. He’s killed before and he’ll do it again. Unless I really am barmy – you decide!’
Juliet’s face froze. Katrin’s hypothesis didn’t seem ‘barmy’ to her; on the contrary, it was the most plausible explanation anyone had yet come up with. Its implications chilled her to the core.
‘You’re saying that we could be looking for a prolific killer? One who’s been operating for a number of years?’
‘Yes.’
‘If he’s as clever as you think, what are our chances of catching him out?’
‘I can’t answer that – otherwise I’d be able to catch him! I can try to help, if you like.’
‘I’d love you to help, but you’re not a policewoman.’
‘No, but I’m a police researcher. I could ask Superintendent Thornton to let me trawl back across recent murders and see if there are any unsolved ones which match them.’
‘Why only the unsolved ones?’
‘Because if I’m correct, they’ll be like the originals in almost every respect. The ones that don’t match – where he altered the MO to avoid trapping himself – will be more difficult to spot. What strikes me about the Fossdyke murders is that he seems to be taunting us with them. Jenkins’ crimes were so distinctive that the link was obvious to anyone who knew about them. Even Michael Robinson noticed it.’
Juliet grinned.
‘Are you saying the killer’s giving us easier clues than in the past?’
‘Yes, in a way. I think the murders must be getting more frequent. One of the reasons the copycat link hasn’t been noticed before is probably that the earlier crimes were committed further apart in time. Now he’s spelling it out to us, daring us to catch him before he does it again. He’s got a big advantage over us: usually serial killers perfect an MO. They’re looking for the same type of victim and kill in the same kind of way. This killer has a huge repertoire to choose from – of both the types of victims and how they’re killed. The only constant is that a victim similar to the one he selects has been killed in a similar way at some point in the past.’
‘Serial killers do get more accomplished, as you say. They also get careless. That’s usually how they’re picked up.’
‘I know. And although ours is certainly a controlled and calculating killer – not what the textbooks call a ‘disorganised’ one – I think the desire to murder is taking him over. As with other serial killers, what began with an experiment and continued to feed a habit is now spiralling into an uncontrollable binge. I don’t think it’ll be long before he chooses his next victim. He may have done so already.’
‘Oh, God,’ said Juliet. ‘I think you’re right. And I think we know who she is: her name’s Martha Johnson.’