It wasn’t easy thinking about a woman as the killer. Statistically, even within changing societal norms, it was a rarity. The overriding influence was to nurture rather than to destroy. Kate had met many damaged people over the course of her career, and she had often wondered how different her life would have been if she had walked in the steps of some. Was she capable of killing, given the right set of circumstances? If they were looking for a female attacker, there was no doubt in her mind that something extreme had led the killer to this point, and it was unlikely that the trail of destruction would be restricted to the murderer alone. Others had played their role. Kate picked up an old photograph of her late mother. She was no more than twelve years old in the studio image, dressed up in her finery for the occasion. Her mother had been undeniably subservient to her father, and from the nervous expression on her young face, the subservience had started long before she had met him. It’s a strange thing, Kate thought, putting the photograph down, how you think you know someone, yet when you lose them you start to see things you’d never noticed before. When she looked back on what she had witnessed of her mother’s life, it seemed many of her mother’s decisions were based on the conviction that she had never been good enough. It had probably been instilled in her long before that studio photograph had been taken.
Kate also wondered if that was partly why she pushed herself so hard, constantly wanting to overachieve. A work colleague had offered her advice once, saying it’s important to be clear about your journey in life; otherwise, you’re less likely to achieve your goals. There were times she questioned the nature versus nurture aspect of her upbringing, how much of her personality was genetic or learned. Lately, outside of work, and her love for her son, Charlie, the rest of her life seemed less clear. Whatever belief she may have had about her life being focused, especially when she and Declan were together, was long gone. Best to concentrate on getting through each day, she told herself – an aspiration, rather than a set path, that the answers would come to some of the many questions.
She opened the bottom drawer of her desk and brought out an old Tarot deck. It was a cheap copy, but it would suffice for her purposes. She pressed the record button for the third time. ‘The Tarot card deck is made up of seventy-eight cards, of which fifty-six are over four suits, pentacles, wands, cups and swords. The Hangman card is one of the twenty-one Higher Arcana cards, along with the Fool at zero, completing the overall total of seventy-eight. Each card has its own individual meaning, and the interpretation of the card is influenced by those surrounding it in the spread. The spread is chosen by the Querent – the person seeking the reading.’ Kate paused, thinking about her last words, then began again. ‘Note. If the killer is the Querent, is the card part of a spread, and if so, how many cards are in it? What position does the Hangman hold? Are all the cards from the higher deck? The true meaning of the card may depend on other cards.’
She sat down at the desk, clicking the record button again. ‘The likelihood of the killer having a history of violence is high, based on the level and organisation of the crime. A three-card spread could represent their past, present and future. Is the Hangman the middle card?’ Stopping the recording, she fanned the deck in her hands, knowing the number of potential options was vast, dependent on size of spread and cards previously chosen. If the killing wasn’t a one-off crime, had the cards been used before, and if so, where and when? What were the potential causes of or influences on gaps in time? Desire, stress, some form of payback or revenge? This case had never looked straightforward, but the more Kate thought about it, the bigger the haystack became.
She looked up at the clock again: 12.15 p.m. Mark Lynch would call at any moment. Pressing the record button for the last time, she put her final notes on the tape: ‘Sexual and ritualistic influences of crime scene v. emotional dynamics. Several sexual inferences surround this case. Questions: Was sexual motivation the principal trigger? What other elements are at play? What is the emotional map inside the killer’s head? Note: cause and effect require further exploration.
‘The victim used the services of an escort, and was specific in his requirements, demonstrating a desire to dominate, to administer pain and draw blood, hers or his, a sexual fetish challenging the balance of control. Victim was also prepared to relinquish power, to become the punished – role-switching, opening up the possibility of victim having previously explored sexuality in groups, especially where role play is dependent on multiple partners.’