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For some reason, Kim was surprised at the response of her team. Stacey had offered no thoughts on the subject, and Kim could guess why. Given her recent experiences, Stacey’s views towards vigilantism might have undergone a drastic change and, most likely, she didn’t want to voice obvious disagreement in the current climate between them.
‘Well, anyway, Curtis’s dad was murdered and we didn’t catch the killers. I know there’s little we can do now, but we should dig a bit more into the circumstances surrounding his dad’s death. I’d like to know the exact reason for Curtis’s hatred of the police.’
‘Unsolved murders involving the surname Jones. Shouldn’t take long,’ Penn quipped.
‘Next, we had a good chat with Dean Newton who seemingly couldn’t give two shits that three of his old mates are dead. Strange given how close they were when they were at Welton.’
‘Not really,’ Alison said, screwing up a Twix packet.
‘Go on,’ Kim said. She’d been troubled by Newton’s coldness about the murders.
‘Is there any evidence they kept in touch after Welton?’ Alison asked.
Kim thought of all the conversations she’d had with the victims’ loved ones and shook her head.
‘In situations that are unfamiliar, we find safety in numbers. We form groups, gangs. It’s a protective barrier against a threat. But group dynamics demand a structure, a hierarchy, in order to function. Normally it mimics family dynamics, i.e. parents make the rules for children to follow. Almost forty per cent of children in custody come from a care environment. One in three have mental-health issues. The hierarchy provides order, safety. There are leaders and followers, which prevents chaos, and everyone in the group is happy.’
‘But the closeness doesn’t last?’ Kim asked.
‘Have you ever spent a night or two in hospital, on a ward?’
Kim shrugged. She had but she’d never bonded with other patients.
‘I have,’ Bryant offered, raising his hand as though it was a school test.
‘Did you become close to the other patients?’ Alison asked.
He thought for a moment and then nodded.
‘You’re cut off from the world in a cloistered environment, seeing the exact same people hour after hour. The rest of the world is carrying on without you. That moment in your life only exists with those few people. It creates a bond, a closeness, almost an intimacy with people you might never have met in normal life.’
‘Yeah, I see that,’ Bryant agreed.
‘Still doesn’t answer my question,’ Kim said.
‘It’s not real,’ Alison continued. ‘It’s a substitute for what you have in real life. You’ve seen all those reality shows where people couple up or form close groups very quickly when cut off from the outside world. They’re substituting the relationships they have in real life for temporary ones to get them through their current situation.’ Alison turned to Bryant. ‘How many of those people in hospital did you stay in touch with?’
‘None.’
‘So you’re saying the Psycho Six weren’t close?’ Kim asked.
‘Not once they left Welton. The group had served its purpose and was no longer needed.’
Sometimes Alison made perfect sense and actually offered useful background information but nothing that would help them right now.
‘Okay, who fancies a bit of surveillance?’ Kim asked, rubbing her hands.
Penn and Bryant groaned, and Stacey’s face fell. As a non-driver, it was an aspect of the role she couldn’t be involved in.
‘Come on, guys, think about it. Dean Newton could be next on the list. Our killer has to be after him soon, and he’s got no intention of hiding. We can look at it two ways: we’re covering him to offer him protection from a credible threat, or we’re keeping the live bait on a short line to see what bites.’
Despite the groans, she could tell they all agreed with her logic. It was rare they had such a clear indication of where the killer might strike next.
Setting up an official surveillance operation would be subject to protocols, meetings and risk assessments, and certainly wouldn’t be taking place that night. It was something they were going to have to cover between themselves.
‘It’s a colourful place, and there’ll be a lot of comings and goings, but the only thing we’re interested in is Dean Newton. If he steps outside, we follow him. Got it?’
Kim noted that Stacey was still looking pretty miserable. She hated not being able to pull her weight and share the load alongside the rest of her team.
