The image on the screen was of a smiling young woman. The background suggested she was in the passenger seat of a vehicle, probably some sort of van. It had been posted online by Stonewarrior at midday today, Sunday. The female had been identified as Helena Watters, flatmate of Alan MacKenzie and student of Druidry. According to Jolene, another flatmate, Helena had sent a text to say she would return on Sunday. The location of the mobile when the text was sent was being traced. Exactly when the photograph had been taken could not be established. So, Helena could be alive, or she could already be dead.
The entire team was assembled. Superintendent Sutherland stood on Bill’s left, DS Clark on his right. Rhona stood at the back of the room with Magnus. It felt like old times, she thought. The bad old times when McNab had been missing, presumed dead.
Bill spoke first, indicating that McNab’s mobile had been located and that he’d told a friend he was going undercover and if he didn’t return within twenty-four hours, the friend should contact Dr Rhona MacLeod and hand over the mobile.
‘The mobile has revealed a text conversation between Detective Inspector McNab and someone we believe is the perpetrator. We think Detective McNab received verbal instructions to visit a location, although that is not certain. We therefore must assume McNab chose to follow those instructions without reference to his commanding officer.’ Bill’s voice was heavy with condemnation, which Sutherland acknowledged.
‘When the perpetrator uploaded this photograph he also issued a challenge to his online followers, who have been trying to predict his next move in the game he calls Stonewarrior. According to reports, considerable numbers of people have responded and are making their way to various Neolithic sites, believing they’ve identified the fifth point in the game. We must assume that any evidence of heightened police activity will be duly noted and posted online, exacerbating the problem.’
A photograph now appeared on the screen of a woman and a boy of about ten, which Rhona had not seen before.
‘Dr MacLeod identified a familial link between the perpetrator and Isabel Kearney. Mrs Kearney took her own life five years ago while in prison for the murder of her husband. Her son, seen in the photograph, would be nineteen by now. It is vital we locate Josh Kearney.’
There was a ripple of conversation, silenced once again by Bill’s voice as he asked Magnus to come to the front.
Rhona thought that Magnus appeared nervous. Delivering scientific data, she decided, was much preferable to trying to offer psychological insight into what they were dealing with. Yet it had to be done. How the perpetrator was thinking at this point was vital to deciding their next move.
Magnus began by reminding those present about the signature and modus operandi of the perpetrator, then he concentrated on the way the mode of operation had altered and developed as he’d gained in success and was not apprehended.
‘He is obviously highly skilled in game playing and in using the internet. It may be he has studied at a university, or he may have simply developed his skills independently. I would argue that he also has a mathematical knowledge of theoretical game playing in a psychological sense. So we’re looking for a highly intelligent person with the technical abilities of a computer hacker and the psychological insight to anticipate his opponent’s next move, rather like a highly skilled chess player. As in any game, there are levels. The victims were tested and their success meant, not a reward, but death. The puppetmaster does not like anyone to challenge his knowledge or authority. Having established Detective McNab’s position in the investigation, he strove to have him enter the game, in order to defeat him.’
A hushed silence followed this announcement. Rhona glanced at Superintendent Sutherland’s face and saw only controlled anger. The image on the screen changed. Now it was the map overlaid with the pentagram.
‘The game has five levels and shows a repeated pattern of five. Four bodies have been found, three associated with the game, but only three Neolithic locations have been used.’ Magnus pointed to Brodgar, Skelmuir and Cathkin Braes. ‘If the young woman in the image is a prospective victim, she will be number five. Whether he will continue to use the five-sided figure as a symbol of the game remains to be seen. If we continue to use the pentagram as reference we have two possible locations.’ He pointed to the map.
‘Callanish, on the Isle of Lewis, and the island of Iona are possibilities. However, we may be mistaken regarding the pattern. Many of the parties posting online disagree with our interpretation and have mapped the locations using the bigger frame of the UK, resulting in gamers descending on locations such as Stonehenge.’
Bill interrupted to ask if Magnus thought that this was a possibility. Magnus considered the question for a moment. ‘I’m not sure of anything,’ he said honestly.
His departure from the front caused a second wave of discussion. Bill motioned them into silence.
‘We believe the Brodgar victim was a case of mistaken identity and that the game’s victim was in fact the young woman found in Scapa Flow. The mobile which was discovered at the Skelmuir Hill locus was the one used to send the photograph of the Skelmuir victim, which fits with that theory. According to the Technical department, there were five players, known as Morvan, Caylum, Myrrdin, Moonroth and Erwen. Myrrdin, we believe, was Alan’s avatar and Morvan, the Hoy victim, has been established as Jessica Samson. Erwen is possibly the female identified as Alisha Morrison, an Aberdeen university student, whose body was discovered at Skelmuir. Which leaves Caylum and Moonroth as the remaining players. Our IT department suggest there is a possibility that either Moonroth or Caylum may be the avatar of the puppetmaster himself.’
Bill asked Detective Sergeant Clark to speak next. If Magnus had looked unsure, Janice looked positively sick with trepidation. Rhona suspected it wasn’t talking to her colleagues that was the problem, but what she was about to say.
‘We’ve taken a further statement from Patrick Menzies, the medium who foretold the death of Alan MacKenzie during a spiritualist service. Mr Menzies maintains there’s been a further death, the location of which he can’t pinpoint, but it involves water. The victim, he says, is male.’