The Fourth Victim

by John Mead

  Merry had a million questions he wanted to ask about Jenny Cowan’s mental condition but settled for the one foremost in his mind, ‘Are any of the people that make up Jenny Cowan capable of murder?’

  ‘Sir,’ as if on cue one of the SOCOs called him into the bedroom. ‘You should see this.’ Merry told Alima to remain where she was and went into the bedroom, there was barely room to move.

  ‘This,’ the SOCO held up a hammer, ‘was in the bottom of the wardrobe wrapped in a Tesco bag.’ Merry could barely take in what he was being shown, his entire attention taken up with a photo on the bedside cabinet, a photo of Jackie, or at least a younger and more dowdy looking version of her.

  ‘It’s a picture of her, Jenny Cowan,’ Alima explained as she watched the SOCOs place the photo in an evidence bag on the table amongst the growing pile of items they were accumulating there, ‘or, more precisely it is Leanne. I took it years ago, in Edinburgh, just before she left the study. I hoped it might help her focus on herself, who she was and reassure her that it was safe to stay in therapy. She was still getting to grips with the fact that she was only one of a number of personalities that inhabited the same body, understandably, it was extremely stressful for her.’

  ‘You mentioned another one, a Jacqueline or Jackie?’ Merry was trying not to panic, though inwardly he felt as if he stood on the edge of a very high ledge looking down into oblivion.

  ‘Yes, very outgoing, a party girl,’ Alima smiled at the recollection, despite herself she rather liked Jackie. ‘Always a laugh, always joking, easy-going. Everything about her is about appeasement, becoming your friend and trying to manipulate you to do what she wants. The complete opposite of the coping strategy Leanne portrays.’

  ‘We will be taking these for comparison purposes,’ the SOCO dumped a number of shoes in evidence bags on the growing pile, ‘they are the right size but I’m not convinced of a match. Same really with the clothing, there isn’t much that fits the mix of blends and colour we have found on the victims. The other bit of bad news is that the place seems to have been cleaned from ceiling to floor in the not too distant past, the kitchen surfaces and shower have been bleached. And, from the smell, the hammer has also been in bleach. There’s also a large shoulder bag, that looks as if it’s been bleached inside, that we are taking.’

  ‘That was very much Leanne’s way of coping,’ Alima explained. ‘If she thought one of the others had been to the fore, she would clean everything and wash all her clothes and bed linen.’ Noticing the face the SOCO pulled at this, she added, ‘Much the same reaction many people would have if they thought a stranger had been living in their home, using and touching all their things.’

  ‘We will need to take your prints for elimination purposes,’ Merry informed Alima, desperately trying to maintain focus on the case, whilst all the time wondering what to do about his recent association with Jackie, who was now a possible suspect in the murder inquiry.

  The three of them, Merry, Lukula and Hassan, had decamped to a nearby cafe, for sandwiches, leaving Anderson and the SOCOs to finish up at the flat. Merry phoned Swift to update him on the results of the search and had also taken a call from Porter, who told him that Jenny Cowan had become violent when she had started to come round and they had sedated her again. There was talk about moving her to a psychiatric ward where, given her recent attempted suicide, she could be more closely watched. Meanwhile Alima and Julie had started to chat, carefully probing each other’s history, likes and dislikes, neither yet certain if they would befriend the other.

  ‘I should get back to the hospital,’ Alima told them both, obviously concerned by what she had heard, ‘at this rate they will keep her permanently drugged. As her therapist I need to be there to help her with the transition, whichever personality is present when she wakes they will need the right support, otherwise the spiral of stress will continue.’

  ‘You never got to answer my question,’ Matthew pointed out, ‘whether any of the different personalities could kill?’

  ‘That is really two questions,’ Doctor Hassan replied, ‘and hinges on the subtle differences between capability and ability.’

  ‘Try keeping it simple,’ Lukula stated, on the whole she tended to find the jargon that experts used unnecessary and pretentious, ‘without the psychobabble and jargon, try to use terms that a typical jury member could understand.’

  ‘Such assertiveness and command in such a pretty package,’ Alima almost purred, deciding she needed Julie as a friend and seeing a way to get her to be so. ‘I rather appreciate a strict hand. However, it is a very interesting point you make, I must remember that Leanne is a suspect and my work with her could result in serious consequences if misunderstood or put into the wrong context.’

  ‘If we could stick to the point,’ Merry stated moodily, his temper not improved by the dishwater tea and cardboard sandwiches, he remained undecided and worried about what to do about the predicament he was in and had little patience for Alima’s and Julie’s sparring.

  ‘I would need to know more about the case and the victims but I can’t see how, given the nature of DID that it is likely. Some of the personalities, such as Leanne and Jackie, have the ability to kill, that is the wherewithal to plan a series of murders. However, I don’t see them as having the capability, or willingness, to kill as neither resort to violence to overcome the problems they face. Mia is the only one I have met that has been really violent and she only appears at moments of extreme stress and then only for short periods, so she doesn’t seem to have the ability to plan. She might be capable of a frenzied, murderous attack if provoked but nothing that required thinking through.’

  ‘Could they work together in some way?’ Lukula asked, still trying to fully comprehend the nature of Cowan’s gestalt personality.

  ‘No,’ Alima kept herself from smiling, knowing Julie would not like to think that Alima thought her question rather dumb, ‘it doesn’t work that way. Each personality is a separate whole, they don’t interact and their knowledge of each other is very limited at best. Leanne has come to terms with the fact that other personalities exist, the notes and observations she keeps give her some insight into this. John seems to have the most knowledge of the others, it is as if he sees them whilst dreaming but he can’t interact with them. All of their lives are totally separate, if a personality emerges it does so with no knowledge of what has occurred since their last emergence, they simply wake up with a gap in their lives. John seems to quickly grasp this, he seems to intuitively understand what has just been occurring, and move on. Whilst the others have no recollection or understanding at all. The children, for example simply emerge and continue as if there was no break since they were last active.’

  ‘Is it possible there might be personalities you have never met?’ Merry asked, noticing Julie’s perplexed look, knowing that her only concern was that this sounded like it would all end up in an ‘insanity plea’.

  ‘It’s theoretically possible,’ Alima admitted, ‘although I do not think it likely. Jenny was in psychiatric care immediately after the attack on her, for just over two years. Basically on a drug treatment regime for schizophrenia, before being re-diagnosed as suffering from DID. She was released from care and immediately joined the research study and I worked with her as part of my doctorate programme. I virtually lived with her, in Edinburgh, helping her record everything, looking for the stressors that caused a change. It is why I always think of Jenny as Leanne, as she was the most enduring of them and also the most cooperative.’

  ‘So why did she stop the therapy?’ Lukula wondered.

  ‘It was all going well, she was beginning to accept the role the others played in her life, that is how she perceives things as it being her life. As such she saw the benefits of the therapy, and how it might give control over her condition. I should explain that by stressor I mean anything that causes a change to a different personality. What we normally co
nsider stress can play a significant part, but a smell, taste or action can be the trigger. With Lilly, the younger child, a significant stressor is the act of taking a bath, it would always cause her to emerge and she could play for hours in the water. Which is why Leanne won’t go near a bath and lives in a flat with only a shower.’

  Alima paused, ostensibly to finish her foul tasting tea but also to check if the other pair were following her, Matthew seemed to be doing so but Julie looked increasingly distracted.

  ‘The problems started when we moved to phase two of the study. I had been awarded my doctorate by then but Leanne and the work I was doing on the study were still very important to me. The second phase required Leanne to move into a specialist facility, so we could measure changes in her brain chemistry, undertake MRI’s and various other regular tests. The aim was to identify any physiological changes associated with the stressors and trigger mechanisms. The long term goal was to produce a treatment, to create a mix of therapy and medication that would help the patient control their condition.’

  ‘Which patient?’ Merry asked, causing Alima to give him a knowing smile, Matthew never disappointed her expectations.

  ‘That was exactly the problem, and it was an issue of much debate within the team undertaking the study. We never expected a complete solution, never a total cure. The psyche of those suffering from DID is irrevocably broken, split asunder. What we were trying to do was help the more severely affected take back some control, smooth out the emergences and changes, so that patients could lead more normal lives and hold down relationships and jobs. Leanne saw the outcomes in a different light, she became worried that one of the others might dominate. She was particularly concerned that Jenny might re-emerge and reassert overall control. I explained it wouldn’t be like that, that it never could be, but Leanne still left,’ Alima shrugged, a gesture oddly attractive on her small frame, causing her breasts to jiggle becomingly, something both Matthew and Julie noticed. ‘Though on the plus side, it prompted me to take a new direction. I attended the conference where I met a very charming young police officer and I started on my book.’

  ‘The one called Sexual Violence: Good or Bad?,’ Matthew had read the book when it was first published, long before it had become a bestseller.

  ‘Yes, I got the idea at the conference,’ Alima refrained from winking, noticing that Julie had picked up on her inference about Matthew and that Matthew had obviously continued to follow her career. Doctor Hassan felt she could breathe easier now she had the measure of both officers.

  12

  Having dropped Doctor Hassan back at the hospital, Lukula did not immediately pull away, the heavy rain on the car roof drowning out the muted sound of its engine.

  ‘I checked the numbers on Leanne’s phone,’ she informed Merry, ‘the third was her caseworker and she told me something interesting about Leanne. She had lived in Newcastle prior to moving to London and had a relationship of sorts with a man. It seems to have been an abusive one and she wound up in A&E a few times.’

  ‘Interesting but how is it relevant?’ Merry interrupted, causing Lukula to scowl at his ill-tempered impatience.

  ‘It ended in a big domestic bust up, during which she clouted him with a hammer,’ Julie smiled at Merry’s surprise. ‘He was knocked unconscious and, despite the state Jenny was in, he claimed self-defence. The police didn’t agree and no charges were brought, which explains why there is no record of her in the system. Jenny was sheltered in a unit who helped with her move to London, her local caseworker has helped her ever since. She told me that Leanne had told her she was meeting with Doctor Hassan but that Hassan has not contacted her or her office, the caseworker sounded a bit put out.’

  ‘It’s relevant but circumstantial,’ Merry was thinking through the mounting body of evidence and the relative weight of each piece, ‘it should be chased up so we can record it as more than hearsay.’

  ‘There was a fourth number in the phone,’ Lukula reminded him as she pulled away, tensing herself over what she was about to say. ‘I didn’t need to ring it as I recognised it. Rightly or not I’ve deleted it,’ Merry’s mouth went dry, unable to think of anything to say, of course he had given Jackie his number when he took hers, ‘I’m trusting my judgement, that it isn’t relevant to the case.’

  ‘No it isn’t,’ Merry muttered, unable to look at Lukula, almost involuntarily adding, ‘thanks.’

  They continued in silence. Julie wanted to say something scathing, to tell him this is what you get when you think with your dick, but Merry’s face told her it would be pointless as he was already of that view. She knew she was risking her own job and she hoped she was right that it was a small risk and worth taking.

  ‘So,’ Swift summarised their findings at the end of a long day, ‘on the plus side, Jenny Cowan worked with Lynsey and Jody. Although Leanne might not have socialised with them one of her other personalities, like the one called Jackie, might have. It is possible she also knew Madeline who worked nearby though there is no evidence that Jenny had her hair or nails done recently. Establishing exactly who knew who is a priority,’ Swift nodded to Lukula who would be leading on questioning Jenny, supported by Doctor Hassan. ‘As is how her fingerprints ended up on the Tesco bag found at the scene and covered with Lynsey Hensley’s blood. A hammer of the right size and shape was found at Leanne’s, but there was no blood on it as it had been throughly washed in bleach. She also needs to be asked about that. Then there is the shoulder bag found at the flat, it’s been cleaned inside with bleach but there is blood splatter on the handle. The blood is the same type as Lynsey’s and has been sent for DNA analysis, a match with Lynsey’s would certainly clinch things. We also now know that, some years ago in Newcastle, Cowan was involved in an altercation in which she used a hammer. Hayden, can you follow up on that, no charges were brought but get statements and whatever records you can from her support workers and the Northumbrian force.’

  Hayden nodded wearily, she had been thinking about what to prepare for dinner, listening with only half an ear to the summary and hoping she could leave starting the task until the following day.

  ‘Her shoe size matches the print found next to Madeline’s body, one pair of her shoes is a good but not perfect match for the print. There is no trace of any of the victim’s blood on clothing found in her flat, at least nothing on the black coloured items tested so far. Nor is there a match for the fibres taken, though tests are still being run. Matthew has read through Leanne’s journal, it is inconclusive in suggesting where she was at the time of the attacks. We know she wasn’t at work at those times and not only is the journal blank for Jody’s time of death the entries made for the time around Hensley’s killing are confused. As for Madeline’s death, given the hour, it isn’t surprising to find she says she was abed,’ Swift paused briefly, partly to check his own notes and partly in case there were any questions.

  ‘Getting an alibi, or lack of one, will also be on my list of questions,’ Lukula reassured Swift.

  ‘David has been looking at the CCTV around her flat and the shops she lives over, but hasn’t had any luck yet,’ Swift continued.

  ‘No, sir, unfortunately the system that covers her entrance way and its approaches is on a 24 hour loop,’ Anderson explained, he’d hoped for a more positive contribution, ‘but I am looking at cameras in neighbouring streets.’

  ‘If you, Barry and Gillian can continue to work on that and recheck what we have on the CCTV around the crime scenes looking for Jenny Cowan,’ Swift smiled encouragingly knowing how laborious and unrewarding, though essential, such tasks could be.

  ‘Were any headscarves, recovered from the flat? I’ve drawn a complete blank on the woman wearing one who was seen near Lynsey’s crime scene but it doesn’t have to be a Muslim woman, that was just what the male witness assumed,’ Porter pointed out.

  ‘Excellent thinking Gillian, you’ll make a DCI yet,’ Swift smi
led and getting a ripple of laughter as Porter blushed, ‘Julie, another item for your list. Anything else we should consider?’

  ‘Just a reminder,’ Merry, who had been very subdued since returning to the incident room, stated, ‘about how difficult the interrogation will be given Jenny’s mental illness.’

  ‘I have spoken with the chief and CPS about developments,’ Swift explained, ‘and it turns out that Doctor Hassan is something of a friend of the chief. I’m told that her discretion can be relied on and she will act as a consultant in support of the investigation. As there is nothing to suggest that Cowan is mentally vulnerable, it’s been suggested we undertake a preliminary interview, while she’s in hospital and under medical supervision, to confirm that she is definitely our main suspect. However, all things remaining as they are, we will then arrest her and all further interviews will be undertaken with a solicitor present. We are not to assume anything about her mental state or capacity, an independent assessment of that will occur if CPS require it. Doctor Hassan’s notes on the case will be taken into account but will not be the sole basis for any assessment of Cowan’s mental health.’

  ‘Just to be clear, sir,’ Lukula asked, ‘does that mean we can share details of the crimes with Doctor Hassan?’

  ‘Yes, we have the go ahead on that, though obviously it doesn’t include any key evidence we are holding back on. Officially Cowan isn’t under Doctor Hassan’s medical care, though her knowledge of Cowan’s condition and the work she has done with her has an obvious value to us in guiding how we deal with the suspect,’ Swift confirmed, remembering the chief superintendent’s praises for the doctor, whom she had known for some time. ‘Doctor Hassan has contacted me to say that Jenny has been transferred to a psych ward where she can receive specialist treatment in more secure surroundings than currently. She is no longer sedated but is extremely tired and confused. She has suggested you and Matthew meet her here at nine tomorrow morning and then go together.’