"But it got better, Mr. Lake. Not — all better, not even mostly better.
You just get to a point where you face the fact that a lot of the pain comes from feeling sorry for yourself, for what you've lost. Then you realize that you have to start living for yourself. You have to go on and keep the memories of the good times. If you don't, then whoever killed your little girl and your wife will have won. They will have killed you too."
Nancy reached across the table and put her hand on Peter Lake's arm.
"we'll get him, Mr. Lake. You have so much to deal with, you don't want to get involved with this too. Let us handle it. We'll get him, I promise."
Lake stood up. "Thank you, Detective Gordon."
"Nancy. Call me Nancy. And give me a call anytime you want to talk."
A week later, Hunter's Point Chief of Police John O'Malley entered the task force office. He was usually in shirtsleeves with his tie askew and his top button open.
This morning, O'Malley wore the navy blue suit he saved for Rotary Club speeches and meetings with the city council.
The chief had the broad shoulders and thick chest of a middleweight boxer. His nose had been broken by a fleeing burglar when he worked in New York's South Bronx. His receding red hair revealed an old scar, a memento of one of many gang fights he had been in as a youth in Brooklyn. O'Malley would have stayed in New York City if a heart attack hadn't forced him to pursue police work in a less stressful environment.
Walking behind O'Malley was a huge man dressed in a tan summer-weight suit. Nancy guessed that the suit was custom-tailored, because it fit perfectly, even though the man was oddly oversized, like a serious bodybuilder.
"This is Dr. Mark Klien," O'Malley said. "He's a psychiatrist who practices in Manhattan, and an expert on serial killers. Dr. Klien was consulted in the Son of Sam case, the Atlanta child murders, Bundy. He's worked with VICAP. I met him a few years ago when I was with the NYPD and working a serial case. He was very helpful.
Dr. Klien's seen a full set of reports on these disappearances and the deaths of Melody and Sandra Lake.
"Dr. Klien, O'Malley said, pointing to each member of the task force in turn, "this is Nancy Gordon, Frank Grimsbo, Wayne Turner and Glen Michaels. They've been on this case since it started."
Dr. Klien was so massive, he filled the entrance to the office. When he stepped into the room to shake hands, someone else followed him in.
O'Malley looked uncomfortable.
Before Dr. Klien gets started, I want to explain why Mr. Lake is here.
Yesterday the mayor and I met. He explained that Mr. Lake was volunteering to assist the task force in finding the killer of his wife and daughter."
Nancy Gordon and Frank Grimsbo exchanged worried glances. Wayne Turner's mouth opened and he stared at O'Malley. O'Malley flushed angrily, stared back and continued.
"The mayor feels that Mr. Lake brings a unique insight into the criminal mind, developed as a defense attorney, that will give us a fresh perspective on the case."
"I hope I'll be of use," Peter Lake said, smiling apologetically. "I know I'm not a trained policeman, so I'll try to keep out of the way."
"Dr. Klien has a busy schedule," O'Malley said, ignoring Lake. "He has to take a two-fifty shuttle back to the city, so I'm going to let him take over."
Lake took a seat behind everyone in the back of the room. Frank Grimsbo shook his head slowly. Wayne Turner folded his arms across his chest and stared accusingly at O'Malley. Nancy frowned. Only Glen Michaels, the chubby, balding criminologist O'Malley had assigned to do the forensic work for the task force, seemed uninterested in Lake. He was riveted on Mark Klien, who went to the front of the room and stood before a wall covered with victim information.
"I hope what I have to say is of some use to you," Klien said, talking without notes. "One disadvantage a small department like Hunter's Point has in these cases is its inexperience with crimes of this type.
Although even larger departments are usually at a loss, since serial killers, for all the suffering they cause and all the publicity they receive, are, fortunately, rare birds. Now that the FBI has established the Violent Crime Apprehension Program in Quantico, small departments, like yours, can forward a description of your case to VICAP and learn if any similar murders have taken place in other parts of the country.
VICAP uses a computer program to list violent crimes and their descriptions throughout the country and can hook you up with other police agencies where similar crimes may have occurred, so you can coordinate your investigation.
"What I want to do today is give you a profile of the serial killer in order to dispel any stereotypes you may have and list some common factors you can look for. The FBI has identified two separate categories: the disorganized A-social and the organized nonsocial. Let's discuss the latter type first. The organized nonsocial is a sexual psychopath and, like any psychopath, he is unable to empathize, to feel pity or caring for others. His victims are simply objects he uses as he wishes to serve his own perverted needs. Venting his anger is one of these needs, whether through mutilation or debasing the victim. The Boston Strangler, for example, placed his victims in a position so that the first sight anyone had of them as they entered the room was to see them with their legs spread apart. Another killer mailed the foot of his victim to her parents in order to expand the pain and misery he had already caused."
"Excuse me, Dr. Klien," Wayne Turner said. "Is it possible that our killer is leaving the notes to torment the husbands?"
"That's a good possibility. The cruelty in torturing a victim's loved ones, and thereby creating more victims, would be very attractive to a sexual psychopath, since he is unaffected by any moral code and has no sense of remorse. He is capable of any act. Preserving body parts and eating them is not unusual, and having sex with the corpse of a victim is even less rare. Lucas decapitated one of his victims and had oral sex with the head for a week until the odor became so extreme he had to dispose of it."
"is that the type of crazy bastard we're dealing with here?" Grimsbo asked.
"Not 'crazy," Detective. In spite of the extremes of their behavior, these people are not legally insane. They are well aware of what is morally and legally right and wrong. The terrifying thing is that they do not learn from their experiences, so neither treatment nor imprisonment is likely to — alter their behavior. In fact, because of the compulsiveness associated with these sexual acts, it is most likely that they will kill again."
"What does the black rose mean?" Nancy asked.
"I don't know, but fantasy and compulsion are very much a part of these killer's fantasy. Prior to the killing, they fantasize about it in great detail, planning very specifically what they will do. This increases their level of excitement or tension so that ultimately their act is one of compulsion. When the murder is completed there is a sense of relief until the tension builds up again, starting the cycle anew. Son of Sam talked of the great relief he felt — after each killing, but he also demonstrated his faulty judgment when he said he did not know why his victims struggled so much, since he was only going to kill them, not rape them.
"Since fantasy is so much involved in their behavior, these killers often take a specific body part or item of clothing with them. They use it to relive the act. This heavy use of fantasy also results in the crimes being very well planned. The Hillside Strangler not only brought a weapon, he brought plastic bags to help him dispose of the bodies.
This could account for the absence of forensic evidence at your crime scenes. I would guess that your killer is very knowledgeable in the area of police investigation. Am I correct that an analysis of the notes and the roses have yielded no clues, and that the crime scenes haven't turned up so much as a fiber or hair that's been of use?"