under the supervision of a community mental health team.”
“What would that entail?” Tom asked.
“It would depend on his needs and the severity of his symptoms. The therapies may well include drugs and counselling. Most patients would see a social worker or community psychiatric nurse on a regular basis, who would in turn feedback to a consultant psychiatrist, psychologist, and the patient’s GP. There would be quarterly or six monthly reviews to assess progress, treatment and care.”
“I’ll arrange for flyers to be sent to all councils who operate these teams. It might just winkle him out.” Tom said.
“It’s a long shot, but worth trying,” Beth said. “Even if he was suffering from...say, schizophrenia, he might not warrant close supervision. The majority manage their symptoms with antipsychotic drugs and only see their doctor infrequently. You would have to run the mugshot past every GP in the Greater London area. And at the moment I’m not a hundred percent sure that he is schizophrenic. I just think he could be.”
“And how do you suppose I can help you?” Matt asked. “I saw him for maybe half a second.”
“Close your eyes and replay that glimpse in your mind. Forget about what he was wearing. Just see his face,” Beth said.
Matt closed his eyes and concentrated on being back in the hallway of the bungalow. As the killer appeared to him, Beth spoke again, as if sensing the moment. “Now hold that scene,” she said, “in the same way that you would freeze-frame a video on replay.
“Okay,” Matt said “I’ve got it.”
“Are his eyes wide open or narrowed, Matt?”
“Wide, staring.”
“Is he looking edgy...under pressure?”
“No. There’s a slight smile on his face. He appears to be relaxed, without a care in the world. As cool as ice.”
“That’s interesting,” Beth observed, making notes as she spoke.
“In what way?” Matt asked.
“If you had just shot a young couple, then two armed policemen, before breaking into a house where you knew there were more armed police, would you feel relaxed and as cool as ice?”
“No I would be tense and totally concentrated,” Matt replied.
Beth continued. “From what you saw, and having spoken to Penny Page, I think the young man we are looking for shows inappropriate behaviour.”
“Killing people in cold blood is inappropriate behaviour, Beth,” Matt said.
“I mean that his manner was unusual. A person in his position, say a soldier on the front line for example, would be keyed up and operating under a great deal of nervous tension, definitely not noticeably laid-back. But this perpetrator was in a life and death situation, which he obviously found to be pleasurable and stimulating. He has no fear of death.”
“Are you saying he has a death wish?” Tom asked.
“Not exactly. I sense he feels almost invulnerable and in total control. It may not even cross his mind that there is the slightest chance of him being hurt or apprehended.
“I’ll take everything I’ve got and work up a profile. The bottom line is, that you are looking for a man with a heart of stone. What the Yanks would quite appropriately call a stone killer. And more. He is a serial murderer who allows others to select his prey. There are no ritual or pattern aspects. Evaluating the act itself doesn’t take us anywhere. He will employ whatever means he thinks necessary to accomplish the deed. Predicting his next move is impossible at this time. You’re looking for a sociopath who doesn’t present measurable specifics. Without a recognisable signature aspect, his personality is unknown, and there is no insight to his post-offence behaviour.”
“You could be totally wrong,” Matt said, making eye contact with Beth and holding it until she broke away. There was a fleeting frisson between them, that both found a little unsettling. Matt continued. “He could be an ex-forces type who kills purely for money. If he’s seen enough action and
“What would that entail?” Tom asked.
“It would depend on his needs and the severity of his symptoms. The therapies may well include drugs and counselling. Most patients would see a social worker or community psychiatric nurse on a regular basis, who would in turn feedback to a consultant psychiatrist, psychologist, and the patient’s GP. There would be quarterly or six monthly reviews to assess progress, treatment and care.”
“I’ll arrange for flyers to be sent to all councils who operate these teams. It might just winkle him out.” Tom said.
“It’s a long shot, but worth trying,” Beth said. “Even if he was suffering from...say, schizophrenia, he might not warrant close supervision. The majority manage their symptoms with antipsychotic drugs and only see their doctor infrequently. You would have to run the mugshot past every GP in the Greater London area. And at the moment I’m not a hundred percent sure that he is schizophrenic. I just think he could be.”
“And how do you suppose I can help you?” Matt asked. “I saw him for maybe half a second.”
“Close your eyes and replay that glimpse in your mind. Forget about what he was wearing. Just see his face,” Beth said.
Matt closed his eyes and concentrated on being back in the hallway of the bungalow. As the killer appeared to him, Beth spoke again, as if sensing the moment. “Now hold that scene,” she said, “in the same way that you would freeze-frame a video on replay.
“Okay,” Matt said “I’ve got it.”
“Are his eyes wide open or narrowed, Matt?”
“Wide, staring.”
“Is he looking edgy...under pressure?”
“No. There’s a slight smile on his face. He appears to be relaxed, without a care in the world. As cool as ice.”
“That’s interesting,” Beth observed, making notes as she spoke.
“In what way?” Matt asked.
“If you had just shot a young couple, then two armed policemen, before breaking into a house where you knew there were more armed police, would you feel relaxed and as cool as ice?”
“No I would be tense and totally concentrated,” Matt replied.
Beth continued. “From what you saw, and having spoken to Penny Page, I think the young man we are looking for shows inappropriate behaviour.”
“Killing people in cold blood is inappropriate behaviour, Beth,” Matt said.
“I mean that his manner was unusual. A person in his position, say a soldier on the front line for example, would be keyed up and operating under a great deal of nervous tension, definitely not noticeably laid-back. But this perpetrator was in a life and death situation, which he obviously found to be pleasurable and stimulating. He has no fear of death.”
“Are you saying he has a death wish?” Tom asked.
“Not exactly. I sense he feels almost invulnerable and in total control. It may not even cross his mind that there is the slightest chance of him being hurt or apprehended.
“I’ll take everything I’ve got and work up a profile. The bottom line is, that you are looking for a man with a heart of stone. What the Yanks would quite appropriately call a stone killer. And more. He is a serial murderer who allows others to select his prey. There are no ritual or pattern aspects. Evaluating the act itself doesn’t take us anywhere. He will employ whatever means he thinks necessary to accomplish the deed. Predicting his next move is impossible at this time. You’re looking for a sociopath who doesn’t present measurable specifics. Without a recognisable signature aspect, his personality is unknown, and there is no insight to his post-offence behaviour.”
“You could be totally wrong,” Matt said, making eye contact with Beth and holding it until she broke away. There was a fleeting frisson between them, that both found a little unsettling. Matt continued. “He could be an ex-forces type who kills purely for money. If he’s seen enough action and
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