enthusiastically as he stuffed the ingredients into the bread. He dumped the sandwiches on plates and together they walked back into the living room and sat staring out over the canal as they ate.
"Clear?" he asked.
"As it needs to be," Carol said.
"So once you've got this software up and running, presumably you could use it to put people in compromising positions? Like blue movies?"
Michael frowned.
"Theoretically. Your average computer nerd wouldn't even know where to begin. You'd no need to know what you were doing and you'd also need seriously expensive hardware to get decent quality stills or videos off your computer."
"Thank God for that," Carol said, with feeling.
"I was beginning to think you were creating a Frankenstein's monster for blackmailers and tabloid journalists."
"No chance," he said.
"Anyway, close analysis would show it up. So what about you? How's your quest coming along?"
Carol shrugged.
"I could do with a few super heroes to help out, to be honest."
"What's this profiler like? He going to shake things up a bit?"
Tony Hill? He already has. Popeye's going around with a face like a melted wellie. But I'm hopeful we might get something constructive put of him. I've had one session with him already, and he's bursting with ideas. He's a nice guy as well, no hassle to work with. "
Michael grinned.
"That must be a refreshing change."
"You're not kidding."
"And is he your type?"
Carol pulled a piece of crust off her bread and threw it at Michael.
"God, you're as bad as the sexist pigs I work with. I haven't got a type, and even if I did and Tony Hill was it, you know I won't mix work with pleasure."
"Given the fact that you work all hours and spend all your spare time asleep, I guess you're looking at a lifetime of celibacy," Michael replied drily.
"So is he gorgeous, or what?"
"I hadn't noticed," Carol said stiffly.
"And I doubt whether he's even noticed I'm female. The man's a workaholic. In fact, he's the reason I'm working again tonight. He wants to see the scenes of crime at around the time the bodies were dumped so he can get a feel for it."
"Shame you've got to go out again," Michael said.
"It's ages since we've had a night in with (he telly and a few bottles of wine. We see so little of each other just now, we might as well be married."
Carol smiled ruefully.
"The price of success, eh, bro?"
"I guess so." Michael got up.
"Oh well, if you're going to work, I might as well do a couple of hours before I sack out."
"Before you go ... I need a favour."
Michael sat down again.
"As long as it doesn't involve doing your ironing."
"What do you know about statistical pattern analysis?"
Michael frowned.
"Not a lot. I did a little bit when I was doing part-time jobbing work while I was doing my PhD, but I don't know what's state of the art right now. Why? You want something looking at?"
Carol nodded.
"It's a bit grisly, I'm afraid." She outlined the sadistic injuries to Damien Connolly.
"Tony Hill has an idea they might yield some kind of a message."
"Sure, I'll have a look for you. I know a bloke who's almost certainly got the latest software in the field. I'm sure he'd let me have some time on his machine to fiddle about with this," Michael said.
"Not a word to anybody what it's about," Carol said.
Michael looked offended.
"Of course not. What do you take me for?
Listen, I'd rather get on the wrong side of a serial killer than you.
I'll keep my mouth shut. Just get the stuff to me tomorrow, and I'll do my best, OK? "
Carol leaned over and rumpled her brother's blond hair. Thank you. I appreciate it. "
Michael grabbed her in a quick hug.
"This is seriously weird territory, little sis. Be careful out there, huh? You know I can't afford the mortgage on this place alone."
"I'm always careful," Carol said, ignoring the small voice inside her warning not to tempt fate.
"I'm a survivor."
" I wanted you the first time I saw you," I said softly.
"I've wanted you for so long."
Adam's lolling head straightened slightly. I pressed the remote record button on the tripod-mounted video camera. I didn't want to miss a thing. Adam's eyelids, heavy from all that chloroform, struggled open to a slit, then suddenly snapped wide as memory kicked in. His head thrashed from side to side as he tried to see where he was, how he was restrained. As he took in his nakedness, spotted the details of the soft