‘Fucking creep,’ O’Connor muttered, his shoulders still tense with anger.
‘Not a nice man, for sure.’
‘I’ll tell you something, Kate. I’m very glad I’m not the one who’ll be looking through that fucking computer of his. The likes of him make my skin crawl.’
Kate needed to pull his mind back onto the case. ‘I still want to visit the first burial site, O’Connor. I’ve been thinking about the blood pooling down the right-hand side of Caroline’s body. If Morrison is right that Caroline’s body wasn’t moved once the pooling occurred, then the killer did more than force the rigor, he maintained the position of the body the way he wanted it to be, not just within the burial but prior to it, as she lay waiting for him to bury her. Choosing that particular place to bury her was another layer of importance to him.’
‘You’ll have to go alone, so. I’ve another briefing in half an hour.’
‘That’s fine. Can you drop me back up to my car?’
‘Sure, I want to check in with Hanley and everyone before the next conference.’ He flicked a glance in her direction. ‘Kate, you seem distracted, something else on your mind?’
She shrugged. ‘It’s just a theory, nothing concrete.’
‘Go on.’
‘I don’t think our guy is sexually motivated.’
‘You can’t be sure.’
‘We can’t be sure of anything yet, but there are lots of reasons, other than sexual ones, why an adult male can be drawn to a child or, as in this case, a pre-teen girl. He may find it difficult to relate to other adults, for example. Children don’t pose the same threat. There is every possibility that he had the highest respect for Caroline, may have found her company more comfortable and interesting than many of the adults he encounters. Also, if he was sexually motivated and Amelia was a loose end he needed to get out of the way, then he would have taken his opportunity with her. The place couldn’t have been more isolated.’ She paused. ‘There’s something else, too.’
‘I’m listening.’
‘He was particular with both girls – the ribbons, the plaiting, the joining of the hands, the positioning of the bodies. It’s almost like he was preparing them for something, but what?’
‘If you don’t mind me saying so, Kate,’ O’Connor attempted to soften his tone, ‘you look a little pale.’
‘No, I’m fine. It’s just, well, creeps like Innes can get to me too, you know.’
He nodded. ‘They’re part of the territory, but none of us likes it.’
‘Do you remember being young, O’Connor?’
‘I’m not exactly old, thanks very much.’
Kate smiled. ‘No, I don’t mean that. Do you remember being their age?’
‘Like the two girls? Of course I do.’
‘Were you ever afraid of anything?’
‘I think all kids are, but I’m figuring your answer might be a whole lot more interesting than mine.’
‘I don’t know why, but this case has me thinking about when I was that age.’
‘Go on.’
‘Let’s just say my memories aren’t the stuff fairytales are made of.’
O’Connor was unusually quiet, and, just for a moment, Kate thought he was going to reach over to touch her. She held her breath, surprised to realise that she’d like it if he did. She could feel the heat creeping up from her chest onto her face, like some wayward teenager. She felt a stab of sadness too: it seemed like an eternity since anyone had held her, touched her. The distance between her and Declan was growing wider by the day. Mostly, it was like she didn’t have a husband any more; she certainly didn’t have a lover.
O’Connor shifted in his seat, rolling down the car window, looking away from her instead, before turning to smile back at her. ‘I don’t know, Kate; some of them so-called fairytales are pretty scary.’
Despite herself, she laughed. ‘Start the car, O’Connor, before you begin reciting some of them to me.’
‘You could be missing out on a whole lot of entertainment.’
‘Maybe, but I think we both have enough on our plate right now, don’t you?’
This time when O’Connor pulled his car out, he didn’t care who saw him.
Meadow View