Kiss and Die

Chapter 47

It was 4 p.m. when Mann got back for the meeting. Forensics had come back with some answers.

‘Have you heard from Tammy?’ Mia asked. She looked straight ahead as she walked purposefully. Mia had a spring in her stride. She walked like a dancer, shoulders back, chin up.

‘Not since I told her to lay low. I’ve been caught up in the murder.’ Mann took out his phone and sent her a text telling her to phone him.

The incident room was full. Mann walked in with Mia. Ng and Daniel Lu were already there. Sheng joined them as Daniel picked up an e-mail he’d just printed off.

‘Saheed sent over some results. They identified a drug called Haloperidol in Max Kosmos’s body. It’s an antipsychotic drug and a major tranquillizer. It blocks a number of receptors in the brain. It’s given to elderly patients to keep them calm. It’s given to schizophrenics to stop delusions. It was given to prisoners in Russian prisons to break them, as a sedative. It numbs the brain.’

‘Why would our perp use that?’ asked Mia.

‘My guess is because it would allow them to torture more effectively. It sedates the victim but it doesn’t affect the short-term memory. The victim will feel the pain but not be able to react to it.’

‘The perp is one sadistic son of a bitch.’ Sheng swigged at a bottle of water.

‘Yes. But crucially also a sexually active and a female one,’ Daniel continued. ‘His penis was found in his chest cavity and it has traces of glycogen-containing epithelial cells on it – that’s vaginal fluid. It had injection marks around its base. There are traces of a drug called Papaverine used by paraplegics.’

‘Did Michelle mention it, Mann?’

‘No.’

‘It makes the penis hard,’ continued Daniel. ‘A thirty milligram dose injected into the base of the penis should keep it hard for six hours. The more you inject the longer it lasts – days if given enough.’

‘What a way to go,’ someone muttered from the back of the room.

‘Not if she bites the head off after she mates. No sex, no matter how good, is worth that,’ answered Mann. ‘This isn’t about sex. Just like rape isn’t about sex, it’s about humiliation, dominance. Was he anally raped, Daniel?’

‘No.’

‘Can they tell us if he had sex with another man?’

‘No, they can’t.’

‘So, we still don’t know whether she works alone or in a team. Could be two women. Or it could be just one very determined one.’

‘She must have sedated him well. He would have been in an immense amount of pain,’ said Mia.

Daniel continued, ‘We have identified Michelle’s and another set found in several sites. We have blood that is not the victim’s. It’s a tiny amount in the bathroom. It was found on the mirror. We will be able to extract DNA from it and we have a saliva swab that matches it from the champagne bottle. There is no shortage of the perp’s DNA.’

‘And Michelle’s DNA?’

‘No. We have just prints so far.’

‘If it’s a double act then maybe Michelle’s the torturing side and not the sex side,’ said Ng.

‘But then, if Michelle was there, why didn’t she steal his watch, his laptop?’ asked Mia. ‘That doesn’t fit her profile. We know she steals from guests. Why would she leave things in the room?’

‘Perhaps she was told to, maybe? To throw us off? But she didn’t mention the Papaverine either did she?’ said Sheng.

‘We can’t be sure she supplies that,’ answered Mann. ‘Plus, I don’t think she’s a murderer. Michelle’s an addict. She will try and leave out more than she says.’

‘Everyone’s capable of murder if they have to.’