Free 50/50 Killer by Steve Mosby

computer.'
    Mercer frowned. 'It seems clear from the recording that this Jodie, whoever she may be, was having an affair with Simpson. If we can't find her and her boyfriend in time, our subject will. That's if he hasn't already.'
    'We've got a description,' I said.
    He turned round immediately. 'Tell me.'
    I explained about Yvonne Gregory, relating the details she'd given me of the girl leaving Simpson's house - Jodie, presumably. Late twenties, brown hair, bag, headphones. Obviously, it wasn't specific enough to be very useful, and I was aware of that as I spoke. After listening to the recording, I didn't feel so triumphant any more. I finished up by describing the white van, and at that point Mercer nodded, as though he'd been expecting it. He cut me off before I could finish.
    'CCTV?' he said, directing the question to Greg.
    'The nearest is on the main road.' He took a deep breath. 'It doesn't capture Simpson's street, but I guess we'll be able to check traffic.'
    'Well, that's your priority, then. Find us any white vans there between eight and nine this morning. Check yesterday afternoon, four thirty to five thirty, see if we can find this girl. And we have to find this girl.'
    Greg didn't say anything.
    'What are you thinking?' Mercer asked him.
    Greg was rotating his chair, using his heels, as he had been at Simpson's house that morning. He looked preoccupied.
    'I guess I'm still not convinced,' he said.
    Mercer spread his hands, as though this should all be obvious and he couldn't understand why it wasn't. It certainly wasn't obvious to me, but of course there was a context to the day's events I wasn't included in.
    'We have the signature,' Mercer said. 'We have a white van at the scene. We have the game. We have torture. And, despite how it seemed to begin with, we have a second victim.'
    'I'm not saying there aren't compelling similarities.'
    'So what are you saying?'
    Greg sighed, and I was surprised by what seemed to be open rebellion. Mercer was in charge here, and I'd have expected Greg just to do as he was told. He clearly had doubts about continuing, but after a moment he decided: fuck it.
    'I'm saying that at the end of the day white vans are very common. Girls are very common. The signature's compelling, like I said, and yes, there's the mention of the game. But otherwise the scene is different.' He counted on his fingers. 'The killer held him in the bath. The girl walked out of there yesterday afternoon and wasn't an active part of the game ...' He ran out of things to count and leaned back. 'It's totally different.'
    'Of course it's different. It's been two years.'
    'I know it's been two years.'
    'Well, he's been planning. It shouldn't surprise us - surprise you, I mean - that he's changed. It's our job to understand why and how he's changed.'
    Greg looked sulky, as though he wanted to disagree more but couldn't. I noticed that Pete was eyeing him carefully.
    But Mercer wasn't going to let Greg off the hook that easily. 'Well?'
    Greg looked up at him. My surprise increased. There was a pointed meaning in his expression. I didn't know what it was, or what lay behind it, but I knew it wasn't good.
    'Maybe it's not that I'm not convinced,' he said. 'There's just something about this that's making me uneasy. Sir.'
    They looked at each other for a moment, and the atmosphere in the office hardened into something awkward and sharp. Nobody said anything, and I decided it might be a convenient and possibly even helpful moment to butt in. Gently.
    'Can I ask ... ?'
    'Yes. Of course.' Mercer turned to me, face full of stone. 'The situation is this. I believe that this murder is connected to an earlier case. There are a large number of similarities, many of them conclusive. On the other hand, Greg is quite right to point out that there are also some small differences. I believe this particular killer has slightly altered his MO.'
    'Right,' I said. 'So--'
    'As soon as the briefing's over, you'll have a chance to read