The Blood-Dimmed Tide (11 page)

‘What did you make of it, sir? The crime itself, I mean? As you probably know, John thinks this man has killed before.’

‘So he said. And I can understand why. One must be cautious when drawing conclusions from evidence that is purely circumstantial, but there are strong indications that this was no ordinary predator,’ Weiss said.

‘You’re referring to the post-mortem assault, I assume?’ Sinclair sat forward in his chair, curious now. Weiss nodded.

‘The battering of the girl’s face was most unusual. Although abuse of the victim’s corpse is a common feature in cases of this kind – most often it reflects the killer’s contempt for the body that has served its purpose – so deliberate an assault has the appearance of a ritual. One should not overlook the care which this murderer took with his preparations, either. Am I right in thinking he carried the child’s body some way to the spot he had chosen for the assault?’

‘Yes. Through quite dense undergrowth.’

‘To where there was a stream. An important detail. Perhaps he already had a picture in his mind of what was to follow. Perhaps he knew he would have to wash the blood from his body afterwards. If we see all this as part of a pattern, then it is hard to believe this man has not committed similar crimes in the past.’

The doctor broke off. He’d shifted his gaze from the fire and was looking at Sinclair, who sat pondering.

‘There’s something you don’t know, sir.’ The chief inspector frowned. ‘I only told John about it this morning. We’ve come across a case that might have a bearing on the Brookham murder. It involves a young girl who went missing three years ago in Henley-on-Thames and was presumed drowned. Recently her body was recovered from the river and it was found that her face had been damaged. In the opinion of the pathologist who examined the remains, the injuries were caused by blows. It’s too late to tell whether she was raped, of course, or even how she died, but the facial wounds point to a violent assault of some kind.’

‘And you think these two cases might be linked?’ Weiss’s expression showed interest.

‘It’s a possibility, certainly, and the only lead we’ve got. But since there’s no other indication a killer of this kind has been active in the past, no trace of him in our files, the odds are against there being a connection. I haven’t told you, but the Brookham investigation isn’t mine as yet, not officially, it’s still in the hands of the Surrey police. However, I expect it to arrive on my desk before long, and when it does I’m going to have to decide how to proceed with the inquiry.’

Sinclair paused. His eyes met the analyst’s.

‘What is it, Chief Inspector?’ Weiss set his glass down. ‘Is there something you wish to ask me?’

‘It’s more of a favour I’m seeking, sir.’ Sinclair grimaced. ‘You may find it an odd request, but I’m looking for advice of a particular kind which only someone in your profession could offer.’

‘And what might that be, I wonder?’ Weiss smiled. ‘I’m curious to learn.’

The chief inspector hesitated. He cocked an eye at his companion.

‘Let’s assume John’s right – this is a man who has killed before, who may even have been active for some time without our being aware of it. Let’s go even further and say the Henley girl was one of his victims. Now, as a rule, sexual offenders tend to draw attention to themselves. They become solitaries. Pariahs. Men who stick out like sore thumbs in the community. Even when we can’t charge them, we generally know who they are. So what I want to ask you is this – how likely is it that such a man could have slipped the net? Have managed to disguise his true nature and somehow escaped notice? Is it even possible?’

Sinclair waited for Weiss to reply. The analyst had been gazing into the fire as he listened and it was some time before he responded.

‘In most instances, the answer to your question would be “no”.’ He spoke at last. ‘But I must qualify my reply. If this individual exists as you imagine him, then we are dealing with an exceptional case, not simply a compulsive rapist and killer, but a man with sufficient self-awareness to have avoided capture over a relatively long period. To call him a psychopath is only to touch on the problem which such people present to my profession, and if I am to be frank I must tell you that in spite of our best efforts we have yet to achieve any great understanding of them. Generally speaking, psychiatry is concerned with the treatment of neuroses, with patients who are aware of their illness and wish to be cured. But where the darkness of the soul is complete, where all sense of right and wrong is lacking, even the most sophisticated clinical approaches have proved ineffectual. To put the question in simple terms, it seems that criminals of this type are born to be what they become, that their condition is organic and beyond the power of any analyst to treat or decipher.’

The frown on the doctor’s face had deepened.

‘I am giving you my opinion, you understand, rather than any settled medical judgement. This question is still much debated and we are far from a consensus. For my part, however, I have come to believe that there are those born with a predisposition to commit acts appalling to the rest of us and with natures from which all trace of conscience is excluded. Though childhood trauma can never be ruled out as a factor, it is by no means a constant in these cases, and even when present cannot adequately explain the extremes of behaviour we encounter. In the end we are faced with a mystery to which there is as yet no solution. Indeed, if one were seeking proof of the existence of evil – and this is not a search I have ever undertaken, nor wish to believe in – then one need look no further than these monsters who by rights should not exist outside the realm of our nightmares.’

Weiss paused for a few moments, his gaze returning to the fire. Taken aback by what he had heard, the chief inspector waited for him to continue.

‘But we are straying from the question you put to me. Let us return to it.’ With a sigh, the doctor resettled himself in his chair. ‘We are assuming that this man exists and has been active for a number of years. If so, it is clear that he possesses qualities not usually associated with the type. Self-discipline, for one. Although the savagery of the Brookham murder seems to suggest otherwise, it is possible he has been able to suppress his urges for relatively long periods; that the very ferocity of the post mortem attack is a sign of them having been held in check. I made reference to a ritual earlier, and it may be that this battering of his victim’s face is his way of giving expression to the dominant emotion of his life, an impulse he must struggle to keep under control.’

‘An emotion, you say?’ Alerted by the word, Sinclair’s eyes narrowed. ‘What do you mean, exactly?’

Weiss bit his lip. He seemed unsure how to continue, and his next words confirmed it.

‘There is no certainty here. What I offer is only an idea. But it seems to me that this man is possessed, above all, by a feeling of hatred. That there is no other way to read the Brookham crime. To destroy his victim’s face in that manner defies rational explanation. That is, unless one assumes that the sexual attack that preceded it was no more than a prelude to what, for him, was the true climax of the act: this last frenzied assault. If so, then it must be the only way he can achieve satisfaction.’

‘But hatred… I don’t understand. Hatred for the girl? The chances are he’d never set eyes on her before that day.’

The doctor shook his head. ‘The emotion I speak of is not personal. Think of it rather as a sickness of the soul.’ He saw puzzlement still written on his companion’s face. ‘You must not seek to apply normal standards of judgement to an individual such as this, Chief Inspector. He is alien to his species, and if he has survived for as long as we think he has, then it can only have been in the knowledge that every man’s hand is against him. In the circumstances, it would not be surprising if his own hostility towards others was intense, nor that it should find expression in a sexual context, where satisfaction is denied him. Why he has elected to prey on children, half-women at best, I cannot say, except that they are weak and easily managed and deviants of his kind are seldom able to deal with this area of life except through violence. But the ritual itself – the battering of his victims’ faces – almost certainly springs from some event in his past, perhaps even his childhood, and since he seeks to repeat it, one can only assume that it gave him pleasure. A pleasure to which he returns, time and again. Terrible though this thought is.’

In the silence that followed the crackle of a burning log sounded loud, and the sudden flare in the fire that resulted lent a flush to the analyst’s pale countenance.

‘But this is mere speculation.’ He gestured as though to dismiss it. ‘And we are yet to find an answer to your question – how could such a man have eluded discovery for so long?’

‘You mentioned self-discipline.’ Sinclair took a few seconds to order his thoughts. He had listened in dismay to what Weiss had told him. ‘Perhaps he’s been able to bring that quality to other areas of his life. To present some kind of front to the world?’

‘Oh, undoubtedly.’ The doctor was quick to concur. ‘There is no question in my mind that if this man exists, he must be remarkable in his way. Above all, he would have the ability to organize his life, to plan ahead, which is by no means the case with most of his kind. It’s quite likely he has sought to disguise himself and to adopt, if not a way of life, then at least habits that would tend to mask his true nature. But even so, it’s hard to imagine how he could have escaped detection for so long. Given his difference from others – this beast that lies coiled in him – his very presence in any group would be unsettling, and such individuals normally come to the notice of the authorities. Since this has not occurred, we must look for an explanation, and the long interval between these two crimes may provide us with a clue. Have you considered the possibility that he might have spent time abroad? That he moves about?’

The chief inspector nodded. ‘John and I were talking about that only this morning. The trouble is, it’s not an avenue I can readily explore. Not until the case is officially in my hands.’

‘That is unfortunate.’ Weiss gnawed at his lip. ‘But there are other areas worth investigating. The question of his background, for example.’

‘His background-?’

‘His class, if you will.’ He shrugged. ‘Correct me if I am wrong, but in this country more than any other a man’s social position is thought to define him. Peculiarities of manner or behaviour are often overlooked, particularly among the upper classes, where distinction of rank can sometimes render a man above suspicion. But perhaps I exaggerate…’ He had noticed the chief inspector’s frown.

About to resume, he paused as the sound of front door shutting came to their ears. Footsteps echoed in the stone-flagged hall. They heard Helen’s voice: she was speaking to Mary, the Maddens’ maid. The two men caught each other’s eye.

‘We must conclude, yes?’ Weiss spoke in a murmur. ‘I have only one more suggestion – it’s little more than a thought – but it occurs to me that a murderer of this type might have found protection, or rather anonymity, in some unorthodox way of life, outside the law.’

‘You mean he might be a criminal… a professional?’ Sinclair was momentarily arrested by the notion. But then he shook his head. ‘No

… no, I don’t think so. We have many sources in that world. If a killer like this had been at large, we would have heard of it. More than that: he’d have been given up.’

‘No doubt you are right.’ But the doctor seemed unconvinced. ‘Nevertheless, he has managed to survive somehow, and it might be as well if you considered the possibility that he has found some form of employment suited to his nature, one that has served as a disguise and has prevented him from coming to your notice.’

‘Suited to his nature! Surely not.’ Afraid that Helen might appear at any moment, Sinclair kept his voice low. But he spoke forcefully. ‘Just think what you’re saying, doctor. This is a killer of children!’

‘Yes, of course. But you misunderstand me.’ Distressed at the way his words had been taken, Weiss leaned closer. ‘I’m suggesting you look at the broader picture. The savagery of his crimes tells us something about the man; something important. This is a creature devoid of all moral restraints: one surely capable of other, equally ruthless acts. Other crimes.’

‘I understand what you’re saying, sir.’ Hearing the sound of approaching steps, Sinclair leaned forward in turn. ‘But where does that leave us? What place could he possibly have found for himself?’

‘That I cannot tell you.’ With a sigh, the doctor shook his head. ‘All I can do is urge you not to dismiss the notion.’ Dropping his voice still further, he peered at the chief inspector through the deepening shadows. ‘We may wish it were otherwise, but the world has a use for such men. It has always been so.’

‘This will have to be brief, Chief Inspector. I’ve a meeting in Whitehall in half an hour.’

Assistant Commissioner Bennett ushered Sinclair to a chair in front of his desk. He took note of his purposeful air.

‘You’ve spoken to your colleagues in Surrey and Sussex, I take it? They’re happy about us moving in?’

‘Quietly ecstatic would be closer to the mark, sir.’ Sinclair settled himself without delay. He’d come in haste from his office. ‘This case is going to be the very devil to crack. Nobody seems sure what to do next.’

Before he could say more the door opened and the reassuring bulk and rubicund features of Arthur Holly appeared.

‘Come in, Chief Superintendent.’ Bennett gestured to a second chair. ‘You’ve heard the news, I imagine?’

‘Angus rang me a moment ago, sir.’ Holly nodded to the chief inspector. ‘So they’ve found another one? Near Bognor Regis, I understand?’

‘That’s right. The Sussex police uncovered the body two days ago. The chief constable got in touch with us overnight. This is now officially a Yard case. Mr Sinclair will be in charge from our end and will keep us informed on a regular basis. Where do we stand now, Chief Inspector? Briefly, if you would. There’s no doubt, is there, that it’s linked to the Brookham business?’