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suggested drug abuse. Tests are still being run on the breakdown of those. The sample harvest showed evidence of a number of recent sexual partners with a variety of sperm deposits evident on low vaginal, high vaginal and cervical swabs. Therewere also traces of condom lubricant. The six puncture wounds on her genital area were made by a blunt-ended object, probably the stiletto heel found inserted in her vagina. That is still to be confirmed by forensics. The wounds were inflicted before death, causing a large loss of blood. However, death was by asphyxiation.’ Sissons paused at a small gesture from Professor Pirie, who wished to ask a question.
    ‘Are you able to deduce at which stage in the murder the sexual act occurred?’
    ‘We can’t assume that the murderer had sex with the victim,’ Rhona said.
    Dr Sissons agreed. ‘The victim had more than one partner shortly before she died. However, as Dr MacLeod rightly says, we cannot assume that one of those men killed her.’
    ‘I appreciate that, but is it possible to deduce whether a sexual act took place after death?’
    ‘Of course, that would be important,’ agreed Rhona.
    ‘Crucial, from a psychological perspective. The contact a murderer has with his victim leaves a behavioural trace, just as he leaves chemical and biological traces.’
    ‘Unless significant non-vital injuries have been sustained, you cannot say when sex occurred,’ Sissons confirmed.
    ‘I removed the stiletto on site,’ Rhona said. ‘There was little obvious damage, which probably suggests the victim wasn’t resisting by this time. Does that help?’
    ‘Yes, thank you.’ The professor fell silent.
    Bill had listened to this interchange with growing concern. It wasn’t that he dismissed psychological profiling per se, but just because Cracker made good prime-time TV, didn’t mean it worked in real life.
    Sutherland, on the other hand, looked impressed by the professor’s contribution. Bill wondered if this was his superior officer’s pet project, designed to show Strathclyde force was at the forefront of new developments in detection.
    The rest of the meeting continued as normal. Bill revealed a prostitute had been reported missing by a member of a Christian organisation, which provided free food to those in need, and told them that Ms Paterson would be coming to the mortuary that afternoon to view the body.
    Rhona began her report on the various samples taken from the scene, and the grim discovery of a second body with similar injuries beneath the first.
    The professor interrupted again. ‘How well buried was it?’
    ‘Sufficiently to avoid being dug up by marauding animals.’
    ‘Was there any evidence to suggest he might have attempted to bury the second one with the first?’
    ‘No. The Victorian grave has a metal lid a couple of feet below the surface, so there wasn’t much room.’
    ‘How long had the first body been there?’
    Sissons answered this time. ‘We can’t be exact because of the degree of decomposition, but probably upwards of a month.’
    Pirie was silent for a moment, then said, ‘I think there’s another nearby, either buried or hidden.’
    ‘Why?’ Rhona asked.
    ‘He took the two women to the same place and killed them in the same way. The distinguishing feature between the two murders is his disposal of the body. Organised killers hide their kill, unless they become confident they can’t be caught. To have reached that level of confidence, he must have killed before, more than once.’
    Bill had already worked that out without a degree in psychology. That’s why he had men combing the graveyard and surrounding area. That’s why he already had a team headed up by DC Clark on the streets of Calton, and another going through missing persons. Bill realised Pirie was watching him, no doubt reading his expression.
    ‘Nothing I suggest will be new to you, Inspector. Everything I’ve learned has come from people in the front line, like