“Such a person would be driven to save souls all the time, surely. Do we have any files on preacher types who routinely get carried away?” Matt asked.
“No, someone like that wouldn’t have gotten past the UN screening process for eligibility off world.” The chief stepped in.
“What about the first victim?” Richards spoke up. “The second victim could perhaps be viewed as purified, even the third in a strange back-to-the-soil kinda way. The first, however, she was stabbed through the lungs. I can't see anything purifying in that.”
“I can't either.” Matt conceded.
“What do all the killings have in common? What do they say about the killer?” The doctor asked.
“They know about black-outs, they were all vicious.” Officer Perry said.
“The first two were public.” Richards said. “With the exception of the canyon killing. There was no attempt to hide; in fact the killer went out of way to publicly display what they did.”
“If the killer splayed out the victim in a field, it is possible he wanted to make it visible too. The may have misjudged the tiller schedule.”
“So why would they do that?” the doctor prodded.
“As a warning or a challenge?” Matt thought aloud.
“Maybe both. The messages indicate remorse, a person who really doesn't want to kill but is driven to it for some inexplicable reason; at the same time the public displays as well as the elaborate methods indicate a person who wants recognition.”
“What? Do they think this is some kind of game?” Perry said.
“Yes, I think they might be daring us to catch them.” the doctor said.
“This is Sirius Primary,” the chief spoke out. “Crimes don't go unsolved here. Not under my watch.”
“Well that’s not entirely true any longer, is it?” the doctor continued. “This killer is in the most secure, policed environment mankind has ever produced and he has defeated our flawless system. Yes Officer Perry, I believe the killer thinks it is a game. And it’s between the system and himself, and he's winning.”
“How about the burnout?” Perry asked.
“Do you mean Mister Kossman?” Detective Richards asked.
“Yes, is it possible for an exposure victim to be a serial killer?” Perry asked.
The doctor rubbed her chin. It was an idea that hadn't occurred to her. “No,” she started slowly. “I don't believe they can be, at least not a very sophisticated one. A burnout cannot make new memories. Each time they go to sleep, they awaken knowing only what they knew previous morning. If one were a serial killer, he would awake most likely with the same plan in mind. One might go out and kill, even using the same criteria for choosing their victims and using the same method. To them it would be the only murder, the same murder every day. They would very much seem like a serial killer, but in actuality they wouldn't be.”
“Well that was as clear as mud.” the chief said.
“Sorry, I think maybe it might be possible, but not in this case. There are too many variables; the victims were killed in different ways, they look different and even come from different segments of society. A person who is memory impaired would be incapable of such 'variety'.”
“Okay,” Perry said. “Just a thought.”
“How about size?” Matt said. “We know the murderer has to be tall enough to have hung up the first victim from the ceiling, and also six foot one inch or shorter. The two facts argue against each other.”
“Physical strength, enough to lift the woman up, and drag the technician out of an airlock.” Richards added.
“Or have accomplices.” Matt said.
“Most serial killers are loners.” the doctor said.
“How about mentality?” Matt said. “These killings all indicate a certain degree of knowledge about the city. They knew about the location of the power cables that ran along that section of the admin quad in the first murder, as well as the break schedule of the administration personnel. The killer also knew to use an environment suit and an airlock.”
“And how to use and where to locate farm equipment.” Richards added.
“Any of that information can be found on the colonies mainframe.” Perry said.
“If someone looked that information up, the queries could be tracked. Could you track them down?” Matt asked Officer Perry.
“I think so.” he said.
“You forget that the killer eluded our extra patrols to commit the last murder.” the chief said.
“You don't think it’s a member of the force?” Richards gaped.
“I'm not limiting my suspect list at all. As of now, everyone in the colony is a suspect unless we can definitively count them out.” The chief scrutinized them intently.
The doctor tapped on the podium until she got the attention of the others. “The killer's apologies indicate that they feel remorse. This would indicate a strong compulsion to kill. I think they want to be stopped, because they cannot or will not stop killing on their own.”
The chief walked over to the door and let in an officer whose hands held several data chips. “I want each of you to study this carefully. I want some ideas by end of shift.”
Officer Perry was the first out the door, followed by Detective Richards. Matt was a little slower, his mind was reeling at the implications of everything he just learned.
“Dales,” the chief called him over.
“Yes, sir,” he turned.
“Your drug dealer's trial has been moved up. You are expected on the stand in an hour and a half.”
“Yes, sir.” Matt took a file and headed toward his desk.
Chapter 15
Matt’s testimony had been authenticated and presented to the judicial council. According the United Nations proclamations on the rights of extra-Terran inhabitants, gave each person the right to face their accusers and have them cross-examined by their legal representatives. The assistant purser was taking full advantage of that right and called him in to try to refute his accounts.
The room contained only councilors, a prosecutor, witnesses, the defense attorney and the defendant. Matt felt closed in, it made him nervous. He took a deep breath and forced himself to enter and take a seat next to Officer Kramer.
“You really got promoted?” Kramer said under his breath.
“Yeah,” Matt replied. “I’m a detective.”
“I gotta be doing something wrong. It really is who you know, I guess.”
Matt stayed silent as the doors closed. The room grew smaller before his eyes; he could feel the oxygen being sucked in and out of the lungs of everyone in the small space. Even minor motions of the people in the seats around him took on sinister intent. He wanted out. Matt focused on his breathing.
You can do this,
he repeated to himself. He forced himself to think about each person in the room until he was sure they were no threat.
The chief councilor called the proceedings to order. The first one to step forward was the department’s prosecutor. He stood forward and laid out the case against the defendant taking periodic breaks to show some pertinent piece of evidence on the large monitor.
To Matt it seemed like a cut and dry case. They had the bastard dead to rights. The fact that the bursar was contesting the charges indicated his defense teams intent to question the source of the evidence that was he was going to attack the investigation. Matt had expected this. The problem was what could he say? He couldn't tell the councilors that he had a premonition from a dream.
Kramer looked confident as he sat next to him. “No way this one’s gonna wiggle out. He should have pled out. He might have reduced his sentence a bit.”
“No,” Matt murmured. “He thinks he's getting off.”
“No way, all the evidence is against him, hell even the analysis found his DNA on the bags.”
“Didn't stop the criminals’ earth side. They'd always claim it was a set up.”
“That can't happen here.” Kramer said. “The tracking system watches us all, cop and crook alike.”
“Yeah.” Matt wasn't so sure. The longer he listened to the preliminaries, the less sure of it he became.
“Detective Dales” The chief councilor called. “Please come before this council and give testimony.”
Matt stood and made his way to the testimony stand.
“The defense has made the charge that you have engaged in illegality in the performance of your duties, specifically that you fabricated evidence in an attempt to frame the defendant.” The councilor looked down dispassionately. “I must therefore ask you a few questions.”
“If I'd planted evidence the city tracking system would show it. It verifies my presence on the ship or docks prior to the search. Check the logs.” Matt said. “You'll find I wasn't there.”
“Your location during the time indicated has been noted. Now to our questions.”
“Yes councilor.”
“First of all explain what led you to the cargo bay to look for Fantasia.” The chief councilor ordered.
“I had a hunch that they would be there, Sir.” Matt replied.
“A hunch detective?” That was obviously not the answer that the councilor wanted. “Did you have an inside source who gave you this 'hunch?'
“No, sir.” Matt elaborated. “It was based on deductive reasoning, a technique we were trained in on earth to facilitate investigation.”
“Based on what?”
“Once the ship arrived word spread among the dock techs that there was a screamer aboard, I’m sorry your honor, and FTL exposure victim. As you are most likely aware, there were several screamers among my own group of colonists. I try to make a habit on being near the docks when the ships arrive.”
“Continue.” The councilor coaxed.
“If there are screamers, then there is a good chance that the passenger may have been given a short dose their hyper drugs, the concentrated form of Fantasia. Those drugs must be smuggled off ship somehow. The crew and passengers are customarily searched coming through customs. It was a logical deduction that the perpetrator would have to smuggle out with the cargo.”
“That seemed like a reasonable assumption.” The chief councilor said.
“So you contend you had no inside source.” The defense attorney pressed.
“Only the screamer.” Matt responded.
“How did you know which crate it was in?”
“I didn't.” Matt continued. “I called in the department and we searched all the cargo.”
“But you directed the team to the exact location that the crate containing the contraband was found did you not.” One of the other councilors spoke out.
“No ma’am. Several officers were on scene and were spread out along the conveyer line while the cargo was offloaded.” Matt offered.
“But in the end it was you who found the contraband.” she continued.
“No ma-am, that honor belongs to Chief Vanderhaar, although I was standing next to him all I found were socks. He was the one who discovered the drugs.”
“Is it possible that a young officer, desperate to get back his former position might have planted the drugs detective?” The woman continued to press.
“With tracking system in the city, not likely.”
“Yet it is strange that you were promoted directly after the encounter.” Her question drew protests from the prosecutors.
“Yes.”
“And you don’t find that suspicious?”
“You'd have to ask the chief.” Matt said. “I do however; have training as a detective from earth. I have skills, such as deductive reasoning that are not emphasized on Sirius. These are useful skills for a detective, so no, having demonstrated that I still possessed those skills, I am not surprised I was placed into a position where the colony can benefit from them.”
“I apologize.” the woman said coldly. “I must have misread the report.”
“Is there anything you'd like to add, Detective Dales?”
“No sir.”
“Very well. You may retire. We'll call you if we have any more questions.”
Technically, he hadn't lied, but he felt guilty as he left the council room. His hands were shaking ever so slightly. He opened his mood pills and took one surreptitiously. Then made his way to the lounge and waited. The chief was out after a short time.
“That was quick.” Matt commented.
“Didn't have much to do, just verify the facts and your account. Don't worry, he's going down. Accusing you was just a desperate attempt to confuse the issue. Nevertheless, suspicions about your hunches, gave them an opening. Let’s not do that again.” The chief didn't bother to sit. “I'm headed back to the office. Don't wait too long. You still have another case which demands immediate attention.”
“I'll be along shortly.” The chief nodded and Matt sat into the couch and slowly breathed until the medications took effect.
Chapter 16
“How was the trial?” Rishards asked.
“You sure walk slowly.” Officer Perry remarked. “The defense accused Dales of planting evidence.”
“They did?” Rishards asked.
“It was desperation. Overall, there were eleven screamers pulled off that ship. Eleven counts of destruction of human life and depraved indifference.” Matt sat at the table. “It was their only shot.”
“They grilled him hard, the judicial council did. What could they do? All the evidence was against the low life drug smuggler.” Perry continued. “He'll never see freedom again.”
“We can only hope.” Matt rubbed his eyes. “Let's get back to this. I haven't had a chance to go over the files, but I had some questions.”
“All I've been doing is reading files.” Rishards said.
“Great.”
“I figure best to take them one at a time. Let’s start with the first case. The chief thought that with your training and since you weren’t around from the beginning, you might have some new insights. You aren’t burdened by earlier theories.”
“Sounds reasonable. So, the first murder. What was the murder weapon?” Matt asked.
“Screw drivers from Kossman’s tool kit.” Perry answered. “I read a bit while waiting to testify.”
“So that leaves us with Kossman as our main suspect. The murder weapons came from his kit, he was stationed in the area and therefore familiar with the patterns and the wiring. Not to mention he was large enough to have hung the victim from the rafters.” Matt said.
“No,” Richards said. “He was in custody when the other murders occurred.”
“Besides he’s too large for the environment suit, and he was in custody for the second and third murders.” Officer Parry said.
“It is still possible that he was an accomplice.” Matt mused.
“How can we know?”
“So why are we still holding him?” Perry asked.
“Are you kidding? He was the only suspect in a public murder. If we let him go, we’d have to admit there’s a murderer on the loose. So until we find the killer, he stays in custody.” Rishards said.
“He’d entitled to a trial or release. How can we just hold him?” Perry asked.
“He has 48 hours to request a trial.” Rishards said. “Every day when he awakens we inform him of that right, unfortunately the next morning he doesn’t remember to request it.”
“Doesn’t he have an advocate? I mean whose looking out for his rights?” Matt asked.
“Dales, he’s a burn out. He doesn’t know what’s happening. No harm, No fowl.” Perry said.
“He’s human. He still has rights.” Matt said.
“And he can press them anytime he wants.” Rishards said. “The fact that he doesn’t remember to is, well convenient, for now. It buys us time.”
“Doesn’t make it right.” Matt sat quietly for a moment. “Okay then. What do we have?” He mused. “A corridor. At least two people. One, the victim, the other the murder under six one. Mr. Kossman one who is over six one and was found unconscious at the scene may or may not be the murderer but won’t get a trial in any case.”
“We still haven’t ruled him out.” Rishards said.
“No, of course. It wouldn’t be convenient. Any DNA evidence?” Matt wanted to have had something to hang on the man, if for no other reason than to assuage his conscience.
“Not yet,” she said. “It was a very busy hall, perhaps hundreds go through each day, maybe thousands or tens of thousands of samples. At the time, we thought we had our killer. I would have been a waste of resources and wouldn’t have helped the investigation. It was a public hallway. Everyone in the colony could make a justified claim for having been there.”
“Is it possible Kossman could be faking it?” Perry asked.
“Faking?” Matt considered the idea. It hadn’t even occurred to him to ask. Was it possible to fake that kind of memory loss? Perhaps, but he didn’t think it was possible to fake the damage done by the surgery “I think you’d have to have the surgical staff in on it, and the ship’s crew. Pretty elaborate planning just to kill a secretary don’t you think?”
“Let’s just stick to what we have.” Rishards added.
“Perry, can you put the files up on the screen?” Matt asked. The young officer ran his fingers deftly across the keyboard. The display on the wall lit up with images and documents. Center screen the grizzly image of the body, hanging took prominence.
“You’re right.” Perry conceded. “It does look like he was crucified.”
“So what? We start tracking down any one who still has faith in God.” Rishards asked.
“Don’t tell me…” Perry started.
“Yes, “She admitted. “I’m a Baptist. That doesn’t make me a suspect.”
“Are you devout?” Matt looked at her.
“That is none of your business.” She turned to the monitor.
“I’m not critical; it’s just that I haven’t known many people of religion.” he admitted.
“Despite popular opinion, we’re not delusional children too naive to let go of our fantasies.” Matt wasn’t sure how to deal with this outburst.
“I never said you were,” he said.
“Oh come on. Chill out, detective. Don’t be so touchy.” Perry said.
“I’ve been harassed my whole life about my beliefs. I don’t find it funny. And I don’t like seeing my religion attacked.”
“Look, all I’m trying to say is that I think under the present conditions your knowledge of the practices will be useful.” Matt said.
“You’re kidding right?” Perry said.
“No, I’m not.” He focused his attention on his upset partner. “If these killings are religiously motivated, then who better to help us understand and capture them than an expert in the field?”
“You want me to help you smear my religion.” Rishards stood defiantly.
“I want you to help us get this killer; Baptist, Buddhist or whatever. If these are religiously motivated, then your personal knowledge could stop us from making errors in analysis.” Matt said. “If someone is using your religion as a reason to murder, I would think you’d want to stop that.”
“I won’t sit still for hounding innocent people because their faith.” Rishards said.
“Good that’s what we need.” Matt said.
“Yeah, all we need.” Perry said under his breath.
“She is your superior Perry and you are dangerously close to insubordination. If you have a problem with her, then I suggest you take it up with the chief.” Although he disliked conflicts, Matt allowed his voice to raise enough to express his seriousness to the young officer. “Personally I think that our chances just increased significantly.
“Okay.” Rishards turned to Perry. “I know religion is out of fashion, but if you disrespect me again you’ll be on park patrol till you retire.”
“Yes, detective.” Perry turned his attention back to the screen.
“I want to review this data, and then I would like to see the murder site.” Matt said.
“In person?” Rishards sounded incredulous.
“Yes.”
“But Dales, we have everything we need here. All the recordings, scans files. What could going to the scene do for us?”
“I won’t know till I see for myself.” Matt said.
“Why?” Perry asked. “Seems like a waste of time.”
“What is the floor there like? Was it slippery when covered in blood? Do shoes squeak when someone walks down it? Where was the terminal the message left? How far is it from the murder sight? How long would it take the ventilators to spread the smell of death? How many people might have been the position to see something they don’t even realize is important?”
“Okay, I get it.” Perry conceded.
“You wanted to learn how we did it on earth. This is where the lessons start. I have to stand there, feel where it happened and try to put myself into the mind of our killer.”
“I’ll go, “Rishards said. “Perry, I want you stay here with your keyboards. We’ll stay in contact. We might need access to the synapsis while on site.”
“Good.” Matt said.
“One thing Detective Dales?” Officer Perry was hesitant.
“Yes.”
“About the warrant?” Perry looked hopeful.
“The chief said he’d take care of it. For now he wants our full attention on this case.” Matt sat and started to study the data running down the monitor.
“Shit. Zimmerman told me to back off it too.” Perry said.
“Well, it is her case now.” Matt said. “We have enough to do without worrying about her job.”
“I get the feeling she’s not going to follow up on this.” Perry continued.
“Then we’ll look into it when we solve this one. Look, I’m with the chief on this. A serial killer trumps drug dealers.” Matt said.
“When this is over I need you to help me. I have a hunch there’s something more to this.”
“I’d just drop it if I were you. Trust the chief to look into it. We don’t need the distraction.” Rishards said.
“She’s right. Besides take it from me, hunches just lead to trouble.” Matt added.
Officer Perry sullenly returned to his display. The detectives scrutinized the documents one last time. Matt wanted to have all the information fresh in his mind before he went to investigate the site of the first murder.