‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘Anything comes up, feed it straight back in. Someone set three major fires last night and got away with it. They might be shocked by Karen Simms’s death or they might be feeling empowered and excited. I want whoever it is to know that we’re tearing the city apart, looking for them. So be visible, make some noise.’
‘I’ll try my best.’
‘DC Lucas, I’d like you to handle the PNC checks. See if any local arsonists have been active recently.’
‘On it.’
Helen put her file down and addressed the whole team.
‘Arson. What are the possible motives?’ she asked.
‘To cover up a crime?’ Charlie offered.
‘Good. Anything else?’
‘Property crime. To claim on the insurance,’ DC Edwards offered.
‘What else?’
‘Revenge. On a former partner or unfaithful spouse.’
‘For the thrill of the fire itself?’ Sanderson pitched in.
‘Fire gives some people a sexual charge, a feeling of being in control. So we have to put pyromania on the list,’ Helen added.
‘What if it’s something to do with the city itself? Someone who feels let down in some way? By the people or the place?’
Helen nodded, but before she could reply DC McAndrew jumped in.
‘Could there be a financial motive? Two businesses were hit. Plus Thomas Simms runs an import/export business. Might that be a connection?’
‘It’s certainly possible and in the absence of any hard evidence guiding us towards the perpetrators’ motives, we’re going to have to focus our initial attention on the victims,’ Helen responded. ‘Why would someone want to attack them? What connects the three attacks? It’s not geographical, so there must be another reason why they were chosen. Look at the victims themselves, their spouses, family members, colleagues, lovers. Look at their business affairs, bank accounts, their successes, their failures. McAndrew, I’d like you to coordinate this, paying special attention to the Simms family – they could well be the principal targets of last night’s fires.’
Helen paused a second, before concluding:
‘Leave no stone unturned. There is a reason why these three sites were targeted. And it’s our job to find it.’
