The Puppet Show (Washington Poe)

It was on its side and twisted into an unnatural position. The eyeballs had burst then dried, and the mouth was open as if the victim had died screaming. Poe knew heat did strange things to corpses, and the mouth could just as easily have opened post-mortem. The hands were burnt to stumps, and although it would no doubt be confirmed later, Poe was sure the victim’s ‘1 per cent’ was missing. The corpse was the colour and consistency of rough black leather. It looked as though it had been dipped in lava then dried in a furnace. Apart from the soles of the feet. They were still shockingly pink.

The pathologist looked up and grunted a greeting.

Poe asked, ‘You think the same accelerant was used?’

‘Definitely,’ he said. He was an older man and thin. The forensic suit billowed out like a hot-air balloon. He pointed at the victim’s thigh. ‘You see that split? The University of West Florida has been researching this for a few years, and they now know that the outer surface of the skin fries and peels first. It takes five minutes for the thicker dermal layer to shrink and split, and as untreated petrol will only burn for a minute or so, additional fuel must have been used.’

Poe didn’t want to know why the University of West Florida had been conducting research like that. He wanted to know how they’d been doing it even less. They did execute a lot of death row inmates over there, though . . .

‘And if you look here,’ the pathologist said, pointing at the thighs, buttocks and waist, ‘all the fat has rendered down. Human fat is a good fuel but it needs something to act as a wick. He was naked so we know it wasn’t his clothes. I’ll know more when I get him back on the table, but I suspect that every time the fire was dying down, the killer added more accelerant.’

‘How long?’

‘For him to die?’

Poe shook his head. ‘To reduce the body to this.’

‘Five to seven hours I’d estimate. The muscles have shrunk and contracted, which has caused the peculiar position he’s in now, and that takes time.’

‘And the soles of the feet?’

‘He was standing throughout the whole thing. The ground protected them.’ He turned back to the task in hand.

Gamble said, ‘You can’t see it, but there’s a small hole underneath the body. He was staked in the upright position. Staking his victims is one of the adaptations he’s made since he started.’

‘Must have been a metal one,’ Poe said. ‘A wooden one would have collapsed after fifteen minutes.’

Gamble said nothing and Poe knew he’d already figured that out.

‘I think I know why this one’s been burnt more than the others, though,’ Poe said. ‘I’m assuming you’ve been up here all day?’

Gamble nodded. ‘Since ten o’clock this morning.’

‘What you won’t know then is that none of this can be seen from the road. You can barely see the crime-scene lights. The circle’s hidden from view until you’re almost on it, and because this road is mainly used by people going to and from the golf course, most people leaving the club house would be going away from it, back into Cockermouth.’

‘So he had more time,’ Gamble said.

Poe nodded. ‘And if he waited until after last orders at the nineteenth hole, there was virtually no chance of being observed.’

‘That’s helpful.’

Poe wasn’t sure how. They already knew the Immolation Man was careful.

‘Any early thoughts?’ Gamble asked.

‘Just that I’m never accepting a barbecue invite from the University of West Florida.’

Gamble nodded but didn’t laugh.

They left the tent and the inner cordon and re-joined Flynn and Reid. Poe was glad to remove the constrictive forensic suit.

‘We haven’t released anything to the media about DS Poe’s connection to the case, DI Flynn,’ Gamble said. ‘I’ve agreed with my assistant chief that we can use it as an additional control filter for anyone ringing up claiming responsibility. The information is extremely restricted so don’t put it on any documentation.’

‘Makes sense,’ Flynn said, nodding. ‘And I think we should also stay away from the official investigation, sir. Keep Poe out of it completely. We can work from the hotel for now.’

Gamble nodded. Poe got the impression he was relieved Flynn had suggested it first.

‘And DS Reid seems to like DS Poe, so he can be your liaison. I’ll second him to you for now. He’ll make sure you have everything you need,’ he said. ‘As well as analytical support, can SCAS take the name angle? Try and figure out Poe’s involvement. We’ll exchange information at the end of every day, even if it’s a nil report. How’s that sound?’