The Murder Code Read Online Free PDF Page A

enjoy my acts of minor insubordination.
    ‘I remain unconvinced that the two murders are linked.’ Beside me, sitting more neatly, Laura shook her head. I added, ‘Despite my colleague’s evident disapproval.’
    ‘They’re obviously connected. I don’t understand how you can possibly think they aren’t.’
    ‘I didn’t say that. I said I was unconvinced.’
    ‘Oh God—you’re exasperating sometimes. You always go by statistics and likelihoods, and I don’t understand why you’re abandoning that now. What is the probability of two blunt-force murders occurring in the same vicinity on the same night?’
    ‘Right now, the probability is one. Because it happened. Overall, I don’t—’
    ‘And having two different perpetrators .’
    ‘Look.’ I’d had time to think about this. ‘So far, all the evidence in the Gibson case points to Tom Gregory being responsible. Without the second, as yet unidentified victim, we’d still be one hundred per cent convinced of that. Yes?’
    ‘Yes, but—’
    ‘Good. Since it seems far less likely that Gregory killed the second victim, that’s my basis for not linking the crimes.’
    ‘Because in your head, you’ve solved the first murder. And you can’t possibly be wrong about that.’
    ‘No, I could be wrong. But it doesn’t make any sense that Tom Gregory did both. What—he had a little residual anger left over and took it out on a homeless man? Or he warmed up for the main event beforehand?’
    ‘You’re assuming it’s Gregory.’
    ‘Actually, no: I’m assuming it’s anyone . For “Gregory”, read “anyone”. It doesn’t make sense.’
    Laura sighed. ‘It doesn’t always make sense, Hicks.’
    ‘Yes, it does.’ I sat up properly this time. ‘It really does.’
    Because this mattered . It always made sense on some level. Not in a satisfying way, perhaps, but always in some way. And the fact is that people don’t go on random killing sprees with blunt-force instruments. If they want to do that, they use guns. And while it was theoretically possible , spree killers also don’t just stop: they keep going until we take them down, or until they get taken down.
    Yes, Laura was right. It would be a hell of a coincidence for two victims to die in very similar ways in such a short period of time. But the alternative—that Gregory, or anyone, had murdered both—seemed even more unlikely. On the basis of probabilities, I was going with my head over my gut on this one for now.
    Which isn’t to say it wasn’t close.
    Young had been sitting very still—really only his gaze moving, back and forth between Laura and me, following the tennis match—but now he leaned forward, rested his elbows on the desk and steepled his fingers beneath his chin. Ready to add his input and verdict.
    ‘What about if Tom Gregory had a reason to dislike this gentleman as well? Could there be a connection between the two victims?’
    ‘Possible, sir,’ I said. ‘But I can’t see it. It’s the same geographical area, but even given the general poverty, both victims are from massively different social circles.’
    Young nodded.
    ‘But we need an ID before we can rule anything out.’
    ‘Yes, sir.’
    ‘And it’s possible the culprit went down to the river to dispose of the murder weapon. Encountered victim two and decided to get rid of him too.’
    ‘We’re dredging the river now, sir.’
    ‘You take my point, though.’
    ‘Yes, sir. Although if that’s the case, why the need for such extreme injuries? And it looks to me like the victim was asleep when he was attacked, so why not just back out and choose a different spot?’
    ‘Well. These are all questions that need answering, aren’t they? But in the meantime, we proceed as though they’re connected.’ He sighed; checked his watch. ‘Gregory should be here soon. Let’s see what he has to say, eh?’
    ‘Yes, sir.’
    I looked at Laura. She looked back, then shook her head.
    ‘Yes, sir.’
    What Tom Gregory