In Death 19 - Visions in Death

But there is a root, Eve. There's always a root, whether real or fantasized.
    Rape is about power, more than it's about violence, certainly more than it's about sex. Penetration by force, for your own gratification while causing fear and pain. Not just forcing yourself on another person, but into them. Murder takes that power to another level. The ultimate control over another human being. The method, strangulation, is very personal, very intimate."
    "I think he got off on it. He strangled her face-to-face. He watched her die." "I'd agree. We can't know if he ejaculated as there was no semen, but I don't believe he's impotent. He may be so without the violence, but if he'd been unable to orgasm, we would see more injuries, pre-and postmortem." "Cutting out her eyes is pretty injurious." "A symbol again. He enjoys symbols. He blinded her. She has no power against him as she can't see him or is allowed to see him only in a manner he directs. This is a powerful symbol to him, and possibly the most important. He took her eyes away from her not destroying them, which would have been quicker and easier and more violent but with some care. Eyes are important to him. They have meaning." She'd had blue eyes, Eve thought. Dark bluebell eyes, like her daughter. "Maybe he fixes them. Could be an eye doctor, a tech, a consultant." Mira shook her head. Td be surprised if he could work with, treat, or interact with women on a day-to-day basis.
    It's most likely he lives alone, works at a job where he can work alone, or primarily with men. He's organized, but he's also a risk taker. And he's proud. He not only attacked and killed in a public place, but he left her there, displayed." "Look at my work, and be afraid." "Yes. If Elisa Maplewood was symbolic rather than target specific, his work isn't finished. He's organized enough to have his next victim in mind already. He'd study her habits, her routines, and strategize the best way to take her." "Her father looked like a possibility, for about ten seconds.
    He's got a sheet, but reports are he's out of town. Verifying that, but it doesn't feel like it was personal on that level." "Because of the symbols." Mira nodded. "Yes, I agree, unless you find those symbols relate between father and daughter. Probabilities would be he didn't know Maplewood on that personal a level, but only what she symbolized to him." "I'm going to run probabilities. We're tracking down the ribbon. It's a good lead." But she brooded. "What do you think of psychics?" "Well, as I have a daughter who's a sensitive . . ." "Oh yeah. Right." She brooded a moment more while Mira waited patiently. "I had a visit this morning," she began, and told her of Celina.
    "Do you have any reason to doubt she was telling the truth?" "Other than a reluctance to believe in woo-woo, no. She's checking out. It's a little annoying to admit that she's the best lead I've got." "You'll speak with her again?" "Yeah. Personal prejudices and reluctance don't belong on the job. If she's a lead, I'll use her." "There was a time you were nearly as reluctant to consult with me." Eve flicked a glance up, shrugged. "Maybe for the same reasons. You always saw too damn much to suit me." "Maybe I still do. You not only look exhausted, Eve, you look sad." There was a time she'd have shrugged that off as well, and walked out. But she and Mira had come a long way. "Turns out Louise Dimatto knows the psychic. Old pals. I needed to talk to her about it. She's doing duty at Dochas today." "Ah." That's a shrink trick. Ah." She set the tea aside, rising to pace the office, to jingle loose credits in her pockets. "And it works. It's an amazing thing Roarke's done, and only more amazing to me when you get down to the reasons he did it. Some for himself, sure, seeing as he was kicked around plenty as a kid. Some for me more, for me because of what I went through. But altogether more for us. Because of who and what we are now." "Together." "Jesus, I love him more than ... it shouldn't be possible to feel this way about someone. And still, knowing what he'd done there, knowing it was important to him I have some part in it, I've avoided going there." "Do you think he doesn't understand why?" "Another thing that shouldn't be possible is the way he understands me. It's a good place, Dr Mira, and the name is right on target. And I was sick the whole time I was there.
    Sick in my heart, in my gut. Sick and shaky and scared. I wanted to walk out, away from those