Deja Dead Page 0,168
did that shrink write? Tremendous anger, potential for violence, especially against women.”
“So he got six months and walked. Typical.”
This time Claudel just stared at me. He pinched his eyes at the bridge of his nose and continued.
“Except for the kid and Granny, Fortier up to that point hasn’t really done much beyond nuisance stuff. But he gets a real rush killing Grace Damas, decides to move on to bigger things. It’s right after that he rents his first hidey-hole. The one on Berger was only his latest.”
“Didn’t want to share his hobby with the little woman at home.” Ryan.
“Where did he get the rent money with only a part-time job?”
“Wife works. He probably squeezed it from her, told her some lie. Or maybe he had another hobby we don’t know about. We’re sure going to find out.”
Claudel continued in his detached, case-discussing voice.
“The next year he begins stalking in earnest, going about it systematically. You were right about the Métro. He’s got a thing about the number six. He starts out riding six stops, then follows a woman that fits his profile. His first random hit is Francine Morisette-Champoux. Our boy gets on at Berri-UQAM, gets off at Georges-Vanier and follows her home. He tracks her for several weeks, then makes his move.”
I thought of her words and felt a rush of anger. She wanted to feel safe. Untouchable in her home. The ultimate female fantasy. Claudel’s voice reconnected.
“But the free stalk is too risky, not controlled enough for him. He gets the idea of using real estate signs from the one on the Morisette-Champoux condo. It’s the perfect in.”
“Trottier?” I felt sick.
“Trottier. This time he takes the green line, rides his six stops, and gets off at Atwater. He walks around until he spots a sign. Daddy’s condo. He watches, takes his time, sees Chantale come and go. Says he spotted the Sacré C?ur logo on her uniform, even went to the school some days. Then the ambush.”
“By this time he’d also found a safer killing spot,” added Ryan.
“The monastery. Perfect. How did he get Chantale to go with him?”
“One day he waits until he knows she’s alone, rings the bell, asks to see the condo. He’s a potential buyer, right? But she won’t let him in. A few days later he pulls up next to her as she’s leaving school. What a coincidence. Claims he had an appointment with her father, but no one showed up. Chantale knows how badly the old man wants to sell the place, so she agrees to walk him through. The rest we know.”
The fluorescent tube above my bed buzzed softly. Claudel went on.
“Fortier doesn’t want to risk another body on the monastery grounds, so he drives her all the way up to St. Jerome. But he doesn’t like that either. It’s too long in the car. What if he got stopped? He’s seen the seminary, remembers the key. Next time he’ll do even better.”
“Gagnon.”
“Learning curve.”
“Voilà.”
At that moment the nurse appeared, a younger, gentler version of my weekday keeper. She read my chart, felt my head, took my pulse. For the first time I noticed that the IV was gone from my arm.
“Are you getting tired?”
“I’m fine.”
“You can have another painkiller if you need it.”
“Let’s see how it goes,” I said.
She smiled and left.
“What about Adkins?”
“He gets agitated when he talks about Adkins,” said Ryan. “Closes up. It’s almost as if he’s proud of the others, but feels different about her.”
A medicine cart passed in the corridor, rubber wheels gliding silently over tile.
Why didn’t Adkins fit the pattern?
A robotic voice urged someone to dial 237.
Why so messy?
Elevator doors opened, whooshed shut.
“Think about this,” I said. “He’s got the place on Berger. His system is working. He finds his victims with the Métro and the ‘for sale’ signs, then he tracks them until the right moment. He has a safe place to kill and a safe place to dump the bodies. Maybe it’s working too well. Maybe the rush isn’t there anymore, so he has to up the stakes. He decides to go back into the victim’s home, like he did with Morisette-Champoux.”
I remembered the photos. The disheveled warm-up suit. The dark red pool around the body.
“But he gets sloppy. We found out he called ahead to make an appointment with Margaret Adkins. What he didn’t count on was the husband phoning during his visit. He has to kill her quickly. He has to cut her fast, mutilate her with something close at hand.