‘Ambrose couldn’t get hold of him. Anyway, the chief decided—’

‘You said that before. How is Carol involved? I thought she was at her parents’ place?’

‘According to Stacey, she’s at West Mercia HQ, calling the shots. Sort of picking up the reins a bit early, you could say.’

The knowledge was like a weight in his chest. He knew Carol would believe she was capable of running an investigation, but he didn’t think she was. She needed time and space to process what had happened and its implications. If she didn’t do that, when the inevitable crash came, she would fall hard and she would fall far. He’d seen that happen to her before and he didn’t know if he could bear it a second time, not when he bore a large share of the responsibility. ‘Great,’ he said heavily. ‘I don’t suppose anybody’s had the bottle to tell her to back off?’

Paula snorted. ‘Like that’s going to happen.’

‘She shouldn’t be doing this.’

There was a long pause. Then Paula said, ‘So, was there a reason why you were calling me?’

‘Are you old enough to remember a TV series called Maze Man?’

‘I don’t know. Am I? Because I don’t remember it.’

‘It was on Channel 5.’

‘I don’t think I’ve ever knowingly watched Channel 5.’

Tony chuckled. ‘You’re such a snob. Anyway, they only made one series. It was about a profiler and a cop —’

‘Sounds familiar. Was she blonde?’

‘You’re not funny, Paula. Anyway, it was pretty crap. But I watched most of it because it was so bad it made me feel like a profiling genius. But here’s the thing. These four murders you’ve got – they’re identical to the murder methods in the first four episodes of Maze Man.

‘Are you sure?’

‘I’m sure. Strangulation. Drowning in a bath and dumping the body in a canal. Inverted crucifixion and throat cutting. And dismemberment and delivery in a cardboard box. And the clincher is this: He’s using the name of the actor who played the hero, the psychologist. Larry Geitling. That’s who he checked into the motel as, right?’

‘Jesus. That’s sick.’

‘I’m sending you a link to a website. Some guy in Bumfuck, Nowhere USA is a Maze Man nut and he’s catalogued every episode. Actually, now I think about it … maybe you should talk to him, see if he’s in contact with any other Maze Man anoraks. Because our killer has to be another Maze Man nut. The series has never been released on DVD or video, as far as I can make out. Our guy must have taped it back in 1997. He must still have it.’

‘Or maybe his video recorder just chewed up the tapes and he’s decided to recreate it for himself.’

‘Have I ever told you how much I hate cop humour?’ Tony said. ‘Listen, Paula, this is really interesting. Serial killers do what they do because something in the process, the shape of how they do it, the act itself – something pushes their hot button. They mutilate breasts because they have issues with femininity. They rape with knives because they have issues with sexual potency. They put out eyes because they have issues with being spied on. Whatever. But this guy – he doesn’t have a hot button. Or at least, he hasn’t found it yet. It’s like he’s working his way through a list of murder methods, trying them out for size. Does this one fit? Does this give me a rush?’

‘What? You mean, he wants to be a serial killer, but he doesn’t know what to do to enjoy it?’

‘Kind of, yes. Either that or each time he’s been so disgusted he’s had to find another way to do it next time.’ Now he was pacing. Three steps one way, wheel, three steps the other way. ‘There’s a reason why he’s killing. But it’s not the killing itself. He’s sending a message with the tattoo, he’s saying, “Look at me, these are MY achievements.” Paula, if he could find another way to achieve his goal, a way that didn’t involve killing, he would.’

‘That’s a hell of a strange profile, Tony.’

‘I know. And worst of all, I don’t see how it takes you any further forward in terms of nailing this guy.’

‘Back in the old days, you’d be right,’ Paula said. ‘But your suggestion that he might be in touch with the Maze Man geek – that’s a cracking idea. Chances are, they’ll have a forum or a weblist or some such nonsense. Or even a set-up that captures all the visitors to the site. Stacey’s going to love this – something to get her teeth into at last, instead of just being a clearing house for Northern’s data. Soon as we get her back, she can get stuck in. Tony, I knew I was right to drag you into this.’

‘The way I feel this morning, it’s me who should be thanking you. It’s good to have a distraction to stop me from throwing myself in the canal.’

‘You don’t mean that,’ she said awkwardly, not entirely comfortable at being in such personal territory with Tony. It wasn’t the sort of area where their friendship normally went.

‘Of course I don’t,’ he lied.

‘So if you’re right about Maze Man, what’s the next murder in the sequence?’

Tony cleared his throat. ‘She’ll be flayed. Her face will be untouched, but her body will be flayed.’

Paula felt faintly sick. ‘What I love about this job,’ she said. ‘Always something to look forward to.’

42

Carol knew she was being a pain in the arse to Ambrose and Patterson but she didn’t care. Their opinion of her was a poor second to tracking down Vance. Ambrose had printed out the list of Terry Gates’s diary appointments and given it to her. ‘I’ve put one of my best lads on this, but we’re not getting very far because it’s a Saturday and nobody’s answering their office phones,’ he’d said. ‘I thought you might like to take a look, see if it kicked up any ideas.’

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