have much work ahead of you. Keep me informed. I’ll be very interested to know how you progress.” He added gravely, “But be careful. You realize, do you not, Mara, that you place yourself in great jeopardy?”
“Me?” Mara was startled.
“But of course. If our killer is still operating in the area, you could come as a nasty shock.” And since she still looked puzzled, he explained: “Your face, Mara. Your face. You will remind him unpleasantly of a woman he murdered nineteen years ago. Our man will not be happy finding you on his trail. Having killed before, how easy it will be for him to kill again.” Loulou regarded her searchingly. In a moment of genuine solicitousness, he took her hand once more.
“If you really want my advice, I say give it up. Take it from me. Some things are better left alone.”
•
“I’m not sure how useful that was,” Julian grumbled as they left Loulou’s house. “All we know now is that four other women, apart from Bedie, have gonemissing, and the police haven’t been able to find them. And I’m not including Hanneke Tenhagen.”
“But there’s the possibility that one person might be behind the disappearances,” said Mara. “It puts everything in a different light.”
“Humph,” said Julian.
As Mara drove out of the town, she reflected that Julian had played it rather cagey about Bedie and Valérie Rules. He clearly remembered the cases well enough but for some reason had been reluctant to admit his knowledge. Was he just one of those people who didn’t like talking about unpleasant things? Or was there something more behind his reticence?
“Are you going to take his advice about giving it up?” Julian asked, noting that she had gone quiet.
“Of course not,” said Mara, downshifting into a turn.
Far away, against a fiery sky, a buzzard circled lazily, on the hunt.
SEVEN
Mara e-mailed Patsy:
> Look, Patsy, I know you don’t do criminal psychiatry, but do you have any thoughts on what the profile of a serial killer might look like? <
In her Manhattan office, housed on the third floor of a dignified if dingy brownstone, Patsy frowned as she read Mara’s message. She rubbed her nose, made a noise that sounded like “Sheew!,” and tapped out a response.
> Not until you tell me what’s behind this, kiddo. <
> Loulou La Pouge, the ex-flic I told you about, thinks we may be dealing with a serial killer. He’s collected information on other women who have gone missing from the area. Bedie and Hanneke Tenhagen, whom you know about, both date from 1984, but after that there was someone named Julie Ménard from Souillac who disappeared in 1989, then a Mariette Charlebois from Le Buisson in 1993, and a schoolgirl from La Bique in 1998. The problem is, except for Hanneke Tenhagen, there was no evidence of a crime in any of the cases,they’re all simply missing persons. Nevertheless, Loulou thinks they were all the victims of foul play by a single perpetrator. <
> Okay, I get you. Look, like you said, I’m no forensic shrink. There’s a range of psychiatric disorders that can turn nasty, given the right push. But what you’re talking about is a whole different twist. However, at a guess, I’d say your subject would probably present as someone with a lot of unresolved anger, obsessive, a loner, socially inept. Although not necessarily a geek. In fact, this person might have to be capable of projecting a lot of charm in order to get near his victims. Don’t forget, some of the most horrific mass murderers have behaved like thoroughly nice people. At least at first. <
> Right. My next question is, what would drive this person to seek a victim at regular intervals? The dates of all these incidents are roughly four to five years apart. <
> Hoo boy. You don’t want much, do you? At a guess, and this is no more than a guess, I’d say any situation that causes the demons to rise, say an adverse life change or some sort of personal crisis. On the
“Me?” Mara was startled.
“But of course. If our killer is still operating in the area, you could come as a nasty shock.” And since she still looked puzzled, he explained: “Your face, Mara. Your face. You will remind him unpleasantly of a woman he murdered nineteen years ago. Our man will not be happy finding you on his trail. Having killed before, how easy it will be for him to kill again.” Loulou regarded her searchingly. In a moment of genuine solicitousness, he took her hand once more.
“If you really want my advice, I say give it up. Take it from me. Some things are better left alone.”
•
“I’m not sure how useful that was,” Julian grumbled as they left Loulou’s house. “All we know now is that four other women, apart from Bedie, have gonemissing, and the police haven’t been able to find them. And I’m not including Hanneke Tenhagen.”
“But there’s the possibility that one person might be behind the disappearances,” said Mara. “It puts everything in a different light.”
“Humph,” said Julian.
As Mara drove out of the town, she reflected that Julian had played it rather cagey about Bedie and Valérie Rules. He clearly remembered the cases well enough but for some reason had been reluctant to admit his knowledge. Was he just one of those people who didn’t like talking about unpleasant things? Or was there something more behind his reticence?
“Are you going to take his advice about giving it up?” Julian asked, noting that she had gone quiet.
“Of course not,” said Mara, downshifting into a turn.
Far away, against a fiery sky, a buzzard circled lazily, on the hunt.
SEVEN
Mara e-mailed Patsy:
> Look, Patsy, I know you don’t do criminal psychiatry, but do you have any thoughts on what the profile of a serial killer might look like? <
In her Manhattan office, housed on the third floor of a dignified if dingy brownstone, Patsy frowned as she read Mara’s message. She rubbed her nose, made a noise that sounded like “Sheew!,” and tapped out a response.
> Not until you tell me what’s behind this, kiddo. <
> Loulou La Pouge, the ex-flic I told you about, thinks we may be dealing with a serial killer. He’s collected information on other women who have gone missing from the area. Bedie and Hanneke Tenhagen, whom you know about, both date from 1984, but after that there was someone named Julie Ménard from Souillac who disappeared in 1989, then a Mariette Charlebois from Le Buisson in 1993, and a schoolgirl from La Bique in 1998. The problem is, except for Hanneke Tenhagen, there was no evidence of a crime in any of the cases,they’re all simply missing persons. Nevertheless, Loulou thinks they were all the victims of foul play by a single perpetrator. <
> Okay, I get you. Look, like you said, I’m no forensic shrink. There’s a range of psychiatric disorders that can turn nasty, given the right push. But what you’re talking about is a whole different twist. However, at a guess, I’d say your subject would probably present as someone with a lot of unresolved anger, obsessive, a loner, socially inept. Although not necessarily a geek. In fact, this person might have to be capable of projecting a lot of charm in order to get near his victims. Don’t forget, some of the most horrific mass murderers have behaved like thoroughly nice people. At least at first. <
> Right. My next question is, what would drive this person to seek a victim at regular intervals? The dates of all these incidents are roughly four to five years apart. <
> Hoo boy. You don’t want much, do you? At a guess, and this is no more than a guess, I’d say any situation that causes the demons to rise, say an adverse life change or some sort of personal crisis. On the
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