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Sixty-six

Serrailler aiting at the entrance to the station at nine when the Chief’s car turned into the gates

‘Morning, Si, ma’am Where do I start? Shock, relief, fury, satisfaction … butthis ’

They headed up the stairs to his office

A tray of brewing coffee aiting, cafetière, hot lanced at it

‘H to beat yourself up about Si – it’s been down to luck Never despise luck Your policing wasn’t at fault Look how many unsolved murders there are on the national police books and thank God these are not adding to the we should have known, so …’

‘Why? Did he ever come within awith how many other men in Lafferton? Loners You’d already questioned one loner twice, and if you think about it, you had far more reason to suspect the librarian’

‘I know, I know’

‘How’s your sister?’

‘She’s fine, thanks They kept her in overnight, and she’s still shaken Sam’s the one I’m worried about He was a hero but he also had a horrible experience He needs to get it out of his syste He’ll talk to me’

‘Has Hurley talked?’

‘Can’t shut hined psychiatric ti to the shrink’

‘It’s not unusual, you know – this sort of split personality, half the man of the cloth, the pillar of the community, the other half …’

‘A man with a dread of prostitutes and a hatred of them, yes In a way, you know, if we hadn’t been all over the area and frustrated hione on killing the street girls Instead, it changed and Leah Wilson died just because she was there and he couldn’t stop hi If we hadn’t –’

‘Co? That if he’d found another prostitute to hed and finished his coffee ‘No,’ he said ‘Sorry Of course I’, you know So the ends are tied up?’

‘Well, no … Mrs Webber is still ’

‘Have you spoken to the psychiatric tea possibility but that doesn’tout for her alive too – all the usual, railway station, bus station, there’s a photo out in case there is even a reine the cathedral’s in shock – are we liaising with theht’

‘TellBen Vanek?’

‘Ih to strike out on his own, but that’s understandable No, he’ll do well’

‘Perhaps for the next week you could pull hiet hianised, orked, as less successful Assuh for that sort of luxury’

‘Pray for quiet, ma’am’

There was a knock Serrailler frowned – he had said no interruptions – but the Chief nodded towards the door

‘Guv, eant put a piece of paper into Serrailler’s hand and disappeared

Silanced at it quickly

‘Trouble?’

‘Hurley’s made a full confession Ruth Webber’

‘Oh no’

‘Uniforalow First place they went …’

Paula stood up ‘Let’s go’

They took Vanek, Mead and a couple of uniform Paula Devenish ith Serrailler in his car

‘Mad or sane?’ she asked as they turned out of the yard

‘Hurley? Evil’

‘Try to stand back a bit, Sile my sister! If Sam hadn’t been there, if he hadn’t had the presence of mind to –’

She held up her hand ‘I know That’s precisely why you need to detach e this last piece of the puzzle solved will help Hoell do you know Hurley?’

‘Hardly at all Cat knew him a bit better but not well – she didn’t much like him, which is quite rare with her, but she doesn’t let an instinct get in the way They were on a coation of course She just gets on with it’

‘So you haven’t an opinion about his ht job’

‘Sorry, htly ‘This sort of obsessive serial killing is never the work of a sane man, is it? He had a fascination with prostitutes and a loathing of the-ups But he’s a priest, canon residentiary of a cathedral There’s the split He probably thought he was doing God’s work or carrying out a sacred plan – ridding the world of harlots But then things changed – and he discovered he liked killing woot my head round it properly but one of them was almost Cat’

‘Do you think you need to talk to someone?’

‘No,’ he said shortly ‘I sort h horses are difficult to climb down from, Simon’

He did not reply He meant what he had said He sorted himself out He did not need to talk to the HQ shrink