‘To back up a little, I’m not convinced he’s spent fifteen years in the wilderness. Oh, I think he’s spent spells there – maybe the summers, maybe even the past few months. But he doesn’t have the look or feel of someone who’s been beyond civilisation for such a long time. He’s too aware of current events, his skin isn’t right, his clothes aren’t used enough. And I don’t think he’s got the skills. I know a couple of people I think could maybe do that if they had to – maybe. They’ve been specially trained, have some killer equipment, and the cojones. Whittler looks like a mousy indoor worker – neat hands, newish clothes.’
Lucy tapped his leg. ‘As a rodent-like employee in an office, I will be suing you, Mikey.’
Mike laughed. ‘Have your people call my people. But really, even if I possibly buy that Whittler camped out all this time, it’s a stretch. Some of these winter nights have been brutal. I reckon he’s used cabins and got away with cleaning up before the owners came back in spring.’
He paused to take in the room. He and Dana were usually rock-solid in their agreements: this was holding the squad’s attention.
‘But the no-talking thing? Nah. No one can do that. No one has done that, ever. People in solitary confinement – still get to speak sometime. People who go off and become hermits – only do it for a short time. Some of them have to talk daily: it’s part of their job. The conversation might be low level, or short. But I don’t think total silence can be done for that length of time.’
Dana’s thumb and forefinger worked again. ‘So what you’re saying is, you find that no-speaking aspect impossible for anyone to pull off. And therefore, everything else he claims is suspect?’
‘Yeah, I think so. I don’t believe any human can do that. So yeah, credibility shot for me.’
‘Hmm. Thoughts, people?’
No one blinked until Rainer offered, ‘I think it’s possible. It’s only one month, multiplied, isn’t it? Some people could do one month. Maybe it gets easier the longer you go? But I reckon you could tell that from how he behaves. Was his voice croaky? Did he want to talk all the time to make up? That kind of thing.’
Lucy came in. ‘Oh, I know this one. The croaky thing doesn’t apply. I checked with a website on mutism, and with a doctor. Turns out your vocal cords can work fine, no matter how long you’ve been silent. Especially if Whittler’s in the middle of nowhere and can sing, or yodel, or whatever. And I think the other thing’s a judgement calclass="underline" he might feel the need to jabber non-stop, or he might be addicted to clamming up.’ She glanced to Dana. ‘Right?’
‘Yes, he hasn’t been exactly a motormouth since he arrived. In fact, I’m the only one he’ll speak to at all. But your point’s well made, Rainer. We’d need something to corroborate a claim that unusual.’
Bill stood, and the room turned to hear him.
‘All right, I’ve said this before to Dana, so it’s not a surprise to her. But I’ll reiterate it here. First off, we need to cover all the bases on this, because if there’s even a chance that Whittler isn’t the murderer, we’re currently losing evidence, forensics and time. The killer might be strolling away while we’re focused on one guy stealing beans. So let’s keep our options open as long as possible.
‘That said, Whittler has been off the radar for every agency we can find for over a decade. There’s a chance that he hasn’t done anything wrong – or maybe nothing significant – for that time. But he chose carefully how to become hidden and stay that way. It’s setting off alarm bells for me. If I wanted to commit multiple crimes and get away with it, I’d start by trying to be invisible. If the police don’t know I exist, how can they pin me for the crime? We didn’t know Whittler existed – had no reason to. He might have done anything – and I mean anything – in those fifteen years. Let’s bear that in mind. He may not be a hermit: he may be something else entirely. Dana has that in her thinking already.’
The room bubbled with uncertainty. She’d had them with her at first, until she suggested Nathan hadn’t spoken in over a decade. Like Mike, many imagined this was physically impossible – at least without going nuts – and therefore it threw all Whittler’s other statements into doubt. Then Bill’s warning about seeing Nathan too benignly: it was timely, accurate and necessary. Dana covered her disappointment with an attempted display of command.
‘Bill’s right. We don’t assume anything about Whittler unless or until we can prove it. All options on the table until then. Okay, actions. Mikey, thinking about it, I’d like you to take the lawyer, Lynch, please. I want to know the state of the Cassavettes’ marriage and what was being planned. Megan obviously held back – bottom that out with Lynch.
‘Lucy, I’d like you to please focus on Whittler’s family. All the background we can get. As I understand it, the brother is some kind of international businessman. I want some more detail for my chats with Whittler. Thanks.
‘The uniform officers, on the list for door-to-door around the Cassavettes’ street, please. Lucy will co-ordinate who’s doing which homes; Mikey has prepared the strategy and questions for you to follow. Anything out of the ordinary, anything about their lives and habits, anyone asking questions about them in the neighbourhood.’
Conscious they were starting to gather themselves to leave, Dana raised her voice.
‘Two points before we move. Thank you. First, let’s not forget that someone died today – they were murdered. For us, there are processes and work to be done, and that’s our day-to-day. For others, it’s the worst day of their entire lives and they’ll never recover. We owe it to them to remember that a human being is gone. Secondly, the door-to-door is important, everyone, it’s not a motion to go through. Last killer we caught came from those apparently routine conversations with neighbours, so don’t treat it as a chore, please. It matters. Thank you.’
She was flushed with the sense that she’d lost the room before they’d taken it all in: that she’d failed. She beckoned Rainer over before he left with the gaggle of uniforms. He approached cautiously and it struck her that perhaps he thought he was in trouble for speaking up.
‘Hey, Rainer,’ said Lucy as she passed him.
‘Oh God,’ muttered Dana. She glanced up at him: he was basketball-tall, with a thin face and long fingers. ‘Is it pronounced Ryner? Jesus, I’ve been calling you Rayner for weeks, and now in front of everyone. Sorry, sorry.’
He grinned. ‘Ah, I think it’s either way, to be honest. My mother was German, my father wasn’t, so I guess it’s a fifty–fifty.’
‘Even so, I’ve, uh, disrespected your culture and all. I should have checked at some point. Bad Dana.’
‘Not sure I have a culture, as such. No problem, boss. Was there something, or should I go with the door-to-door team?’
‘Uh, no. I’ve a job for you, actually. Good comments, by the way. They caught me in a stupid assumption – that Whittler had burgled and done it locally. I’d dismissed the car. So: two things, please. When you get back, I want you to chase up anything to do with the Corolla – Lucy ran the basic checks, but anything else you can track down: to either confirm it still exists or it’s been totalled somewhere. That’ll get us on firmer ground about where Whittler might have been stealing.
‘But first, I want you to go over to Earlville.’ She was momentarily distracted by Lucy’s return, and then skipped a beat as she wondered if Rainer had noticed. He seemed to be focused on making notes, she believed. ‘Speak to Pringle, the furniture guy.’