Chapter 4: Planned

"There are always some lunatics about. It would be a dull world without them."

- Sherlock Holmes, The Red-Headed League

by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

PART IV

"Sir, the forensic laboratory team were updated by the lab about the time of death of these two victims," a police said as he went to these two gentlemen's table. "And in the result, the first victim died three nights ago, 8 o'clock in the evening. While the second victim died last night, same time as the first victim's. Their cause of death were also the same— a deep cut in their throat."

Detective Keswick rose from his seat and puffed his cigarette in the ashtray, "How about that, Hamish?" asking the young man who's calmly sitting in his seat.

"Then, I must say... I am right. We have a missing body," he said.

"How did you come up with that idea, anyway?" Detective Keswick asked.

"If this is a serial murder and this killer took the advantage of the black out to perform his killing, then there's this high possibility that the real second victim that I am saying is indeed correct. He killed his first victim on the first night of the black out. And then, a while ago, your team found a body and in the result of her time of death, she was dead last night. So, what did he do when the second night of black out happen? Nothing? Of course, he will kill again."

"How sure are you?" the detective asked, looking at the young man.

Hamish looked at him in an unbelievably way and said, "What? Really? You have to use your imagination on this one. Imagine," he slowly stood up from his seat and faced the detective, "... you are the suspect— just— just imagine. Imagine you are the suspect— the serial killer. Now, you know these victims that you will kil—."

The detective interrupted, "What if our murderer is a psychopath?"

"A psychopath will choose his victims randomly, Keswick. But what you have said a while ago, these two victims were related to one another. Now, let's go back to our demonstration. If you are the serial killer and you know those victims that you are planning to kill and knowing that there's a black out that is going to happe—."

The detective once again interrupted the young man and asked, "How sure are you that this murderer know about the black out? According to our source— I'm sorry if I didn't told you this a while ago—, homeowners didn't receive any letter, notice, or announcement about the black out."

The young man smiled, "Again, imagination. Imagine you are angry with these people, and you really want to kill them... and then, suddenly, the black out happen. What is the first thing that enters to your mind?"

"Uh... kill them?" Detective Keswick answered in an unsure way.

"Exactly."

"Oh, see? He could have killed his victims without knowing the black out."

"What did I asked you before?"

The detective thinks and said, "What is the first thing that enters to my mind?"

"Yup. Your thoughts of killing them is just processing inside your mind. You are not initiating a move to kill them yet."

"But the suspect could kill them after making sure of his decision."

"Remember their time of death. It was the same time when the black out happen. Could you even kill your victim in a second even though they're inside their houses?"

The detective gasped as said, "Oh, right. Okay, okay."

"And if he don't know about the black out, normally, he could have just look for a flashlight to light his own house instead of thinking if he'll kill his victims. He knew about the black out. Because, if he didn't, he could have just killed them on the second night," the young man said, putting his both hands in his hands, "He planned everything. Everything is clean," he remarked.

The investigation is making a progress. And in this, Detective Keswick is very thankful for having Hamish in his team.