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Authors: David Robinson
Tags: Fiction & Literature
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investigation.”
Shannon allowed the information to sink in. “All right, so why has The Handshaker written to him?”
Millie shrugged. “The only conclusion I can reach is like Croft said. The Handshaker is using hypnosis to subdue these women, and he’s adding a signature to the crimes. If that’s so, then writing to Croft, a world authority on hypnotism, is the logical thing to do.”
Shannon toyed with his mug of tea, and looked up at the ceiling for a moment. When he drew his gaze back to meet hers, he asked, “Did you find out about this Heidelberg business he was talking about?”
Millie fished into her bag for cigarettes. She held the pack up and raised a permission-seeking eyebrow. It was strictly against the rules and these days against the law, but while grimacing, Shannon signalled his consent with a nod, and she lit up.
Resting back, blowing a thin stream of smoke at an extractor built into the window, she focussed on Shannon, her eyes narrowed, brow furrowed.
“That’s a funny thing,” she said. “I could find plenty of references to Heidelberg in 1927, but nothing to do with any hypnotist or any crime committed by one. But he did tell us that it was obscure, and his was the only site I could find that mentioned it.”
“Because it never happened,” Shannon declared. “Croft probably dreamed it all up himself. You did say he writes books.”
“Self-help books, yes, but not –”
“Millie, these self-help books are all the same,” the superintendent interrupted. He slid his beaker to one side and leaned heavily on the desk. “They provide supposed real-life examples, but who’s to say they’re really real? Ten to one Croft made up the Heidelberg stuff for one of his books, and now he’s feeding us the same line.”
She dragged in another lungful of smoke and followed it with a drop of tea. “Ernie, that doesn’t make any sense. Not if you listen to Forensics’ early findings. If Croft made this Heidelberg stuff up, how come the Handshaker knows about it?”
“Because he’s read the book Croft put it in,” Shannon pointed out quite logically.
Millie took a further, irritable drag. “I had an idea.”
“Go on.”
Millie leaned forward, and tapped her ash into a waste paper bin. “Like I said, Croft is into crosswords and stuff. Why don’t we let him see The Handshaker notes and see if he can make sense of them?”
Shannon gave her a glare. “I said no, I meant no.” He softened a little. “Tell you what though, I’m snowed under with the latest woman, Susan Edwards, so why don’t you scoot off to the university, follow it up and see what he has to say about whatever.”
She thought about it briefly. Spending an afternoon in the academic atmosphere of the university would not be her ideal means of passing the time, but it was preferable to spending it here, listening to the same old tired arguments on The Handshaker and his trail of victims.
“What’s the point?” she asked.
“Well, there is the possibility that you and he are right,” Shannon admitted. “The Handshaker could be using some kind of control over these women. I don’t buy it, but I may be wrong. I also think Croft is up to something and I’d like to know what.”
“What makes you think so?” Millie pressed.
Shannon gave a half shrug. “Call it copper’s nose.”
She gave a fat chuckle. “That and the fact that you don’t like him.”
“That’s right,” replied Shannon with a grimace. “If he isn’t guilty of something, then he should be. Just play the softly, softly game with him and see what you get.”
9
“Eyes open, wide awake.”
Croft snapped his fingers before Danny Stubbs’ lolling head, and Danny snapped awake.
There had been no change in the room’s constant 60 o temperature, but almost immediately, Danny began to shiver. His skin temperature dropped, respiration and heart rate increased slightly to draw in and distribute more oxygen. On the video
Shannon allowed the information to sink in. “All right, so why has The Handshaker written to him?”
Millie shrugged. “The only conclusion I can reach is like Croft said. The Handshaker is using hypnosis to subdue these women, and he’s adding a signature to the crimes. If that’s so, then writing to Croft, a world authority on hypnotism, is the logical thing to do.”
Shannon toyed with his mug of tea, and looked up at the ceiling for a moment. When he drew his gaze back to meet hers, he asked, “Did you find out about this Heidelberg business he was talking about?”
Millie fished into her bag for cigarettes. She held the pack up and raised a permission-seeking eyebrow. It was strictly against the rules and these days against the law, but while grimacing, Shannon signalled his consent with a nod, and she lit up.
Resting back, blowing a thin stream of smoke at an extractor built into the window, she focussed on Shannon, her eyes narrowed, brow furrowed.
“That’s a funny thing,” she said. “I could find plenty of references to Heidelberg in 1927, but nothing to do with any hypnotist or any crime committed by one. But he did tell us that it was obscure, and his was the only site I could find that mentioned it.”
“Because it never happened,” Shannon declared. “Croft probably dreamed it all up himself. You did say he writes books.”
“Self-help books, yes, but not –”
“Millie, these self-help books are all the same,” the superintendent interrupted. He slid his beaker to one side and leaned heavily on the desk. “They provide supposed real-life examples, but who’s to say they’re really real? Ten to one Croft made up the Heidelberg stuff for one of his books, and now he’s feeding us the same line.”
She dragged in another lungful of smoke and followed it with a drop of tea. “Ernie, that doesn’t make any sense. Not if you listen to Forensics’ early findings. If Croft made this Heidelberg stuff up, how come the Handshaker knows about it?”
“Because he’s read the book Croft put it in,” Shannon pointed out quite logically.
Millie took a further, irritable drag. “I had an idea.”
“Go on.”
Millie leaned forward, and tapped her ash into a waste paper bin. “Like I said, Croft is into crosswords and stuff. Why don’t we let him see The Handshaker notes and see if he can make sense of them?”
Shannon gave her a glare. “I said no, I meant no.” He softened a little. “Tell you what though, I’m snowed under with the latest woman, Susan Edwards, so why don’t you scoot off to the university, follow it up and see what he has to say about whatever.”
She thought about it briefly. Spending an afternoon in the academic atmosphere of the university would not be her ideal means of passing the time, but it was preferable to spending it here, listening to the same old tired arguments on The Handshaker and his trail of victims.
“What’s the point?” she asked.
“Well, there is the possibility that you and he are right,” Shannon admitted. “The Handshaker could be using some kind of control over these women. I don’t buy it, but I may be wrong. I also think Croft is up to something and I’d like to know what.”
“What makes you think so?” Millie pressed.
Shannon gave a half shrug. “Call it copper’s nose.”
She gave a fat chuckle. “That and the fact that you don’t like him.”
“That’s right,” replied Shannon with a grimace. “If he isn’t guilty of something, then he should be. Just play the softly, softly game with him and see what you get.”
9
“Eyes open, wide awake.”
Croft snapped his fingers before Danny Stubbs’ lolling head, and Danny snapped awake.
There had been no change in the room’s constant 60 o temperature, but almost immediately, Danny began to shiver. His skin temperature dropped, respiration and heart rate increased slightly to draw in and distribute more oxygen. On the video
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