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‘What does that mean?’
‘That he won’t stop until he’s caught. He may be able to suppress his urges for a time. But they always return. And when they do, he is compelled to act.’
My skin goose fleshed. I glanced over at my mother and Matty to see if they’d had the same reaction, but whereas she was sitting there, arms wrapped around herself as though cold, he was drinking it in. Every now and then he’d give a little nod as if Professor Wilson were giving a speech he himself had written.
I supposed it was because of his job, he’d studied psychology, understood these things. They probably weren’t as shocking to him as they were to us.
‘What can you tell us about the perpetrator’s mindset?’ the newscaster asked. ‘His psyche.’
Wilson interlaced his fingers, mirroring her body language. Establishing rapport, Matty told us.
‘He’s obsessed with the need for control. That’s shown by the way he’s been toying with the police and how he discards his victims. He’s enjoying the power he has over them. Exhibiting his control. Game playing.’
Matty scoffed.
‘He needs a degree for that?’
‘Shh,’ my mother said.
‘What sort of person are we talking about?’ Fiona asked.
‘Someone who might have difficulty forming relationships with women. That could be why he targets lone women. Having said that, they could simply be easy targets. Which means any woman in the wrong place at the wrong time could become his prey.’
I glanced at my mother, hoped she was taking this in.
‘We’re talking about a loner, then, professor? A person without much confidence or success with women?’
‘Probably, although we mustn’t exclude the possibility he’s leading a double life. A supposedly devoted husband or father.’
‘Game’s up,’ Matty said, letting out a fake sigh. ‘May as well admit it now. . .’
My mother shot him a dirty look.
‘That’s not funny, Matty.’
I’ve thought a lot about his remark since then. Would he really have made it if he was guilty? Drawn attention to himself like that?
Or was it what Professor Wilson said? Was he playing games?
Though another question haunts me more: why were we so quick to dismiss what he said?
