Dialogues of the Dead

375 Dalziel had objected, making the point that details of advanced investigative procedures and likely suspects ought not to be made available to civilians, to which Trimble had replied somewhat acidly that if he did not trust his co-opted experts then perhaps he shouldn't have recruited them in the first place, and if they were to be of any use to the team, then they must be as fully briefed as everyone else. The Fat Man had got a bit of his own back when the Chief had commented on the presence of DC Novello. 'CID rule, sir. If you're fit enough to drink, you're fit enough to work,' he'd said. He'd answered Pascoe's own reser vation's on the DC's presence rather more humanely by saying,] 'I gave her a ring, asked if she felt up to sitting in for an hour. Break her in gently's best after what she's been through. Also, could be useful getting a female slant on things. Can't be any?, dafter than the crap we're likely to get from Oor Wullie and Smokeyjoe.' 'Maybe they won't have much to say,' Pascoe tried to reassure . him. ; i 'They never do. Doesn't stop the buggers from prattling on, but. Just try not to encourage them, eh?' But it was Trimble who gave the first cue. In response to Dalziel's interjection, he asked, 'Does it really; matter at this juncture if the maintenance man is trying to cover': his back or not?' 'Not really,' said Pascoe. 'Except,' said Dr Pottle, 'insofar as what he says throws doubt on to the Wordman's version in the Dialogue.' He paused, weighed Dalziel's menacing glower against the ' Chief Constable's encouraging nod, decided that in this case rank ; counted, and went on, 'The Wordman's version as always stresses | his sense of being the instrument of some superior power, a very;; active instrument of course, but nonetheless one whose certainty | of invulnerability is based on the provision by his guiding power ', of that conventional trinity of crime investigation: motive, means 1 and opportunity.' | 'What motive?' demanded Dalziel. 'There ain't none, that's the ; point when you're dealing with madmen!' .' 'You're wrong, Superintendent, though I won't irritate you with psychological analysis at this juncture. But motive in the sense that these killings are clearly sequential not even you will deny.' 'Meaning he only kills people who fit some crazy pattern he's working to? Well, thanks for that insight, Doctor. It 'ud be a lot more useful if you could work out the pattern for us, but I dare say that's not on offer yet?' 'I regret the basis of the sequence still escapes me, but I'm working on it,' said Pottle, lighting his fifth cigarette since arrival. 'What is clear is that the Wordman looks to his guiding power to point out his next victim or victims, then to bring them into the killing situation, and finally to provide the means.' 'Took his own knife along to sort out Jax Ripley,' said Wield. 'True, but he still makes it clear that the weapon was somehow provided for him in some manner he could fit into his grand plan. And similarly with the drug used to poison Sam Johnson.' 'So what are you saying, Doctor?' enquired Trimble. 'Only that, if the maintenance man's version is true, it means that the Wordman is rearranging the facts of the incident to fit in with his fantasy, or even to persuade us of its reality. Which would be very interesting.' 'Interesting!' groaned Dalziel. 'Like it's interesting if you're waiting for a bus and a giraffe walks down the street, only it doesn't get you anywhere!' Pascoe hid a smile and went on, 'Whatever the truth of that, the two men were certainly electrocuted in the Roman Experience ...' 'Sounded more like a Greek experience, from what I heard,' grunted Urquhart who looked even more wrecked than Pascoe felt and had been struggling to find a dormitory position on an upright plastic chair. 'As always, I bow to expertise,' said Pascoe. 'Anyway, they were in the Centre basement area . ..' 'Sir,' interrupted Hat Bowler, 'had they arranged to meet there to, you know, do it? Like a date, I mean. Or had it just happened? Or was it a sexual assault?' 'I think, in view of the dressing-up element, and unless we discount the Dialogue completely, it was all planned and voluntary,' said Pascoe. 'The duty security man says that Bird had warned him that he would be testing the basement effects early that evening for about an hour to make sure that all was well. The security videos were as useless as ever. A fire door wedged