“We don’t need your help!”  He turned to the girl and grabbed her hand to lead her away.  “Come on Di.”

“Sorry if I offended you, but if you ever need a place to eat or hang out in, here’s the address.”  She handed a leaflet to Di.  The girl was more likely to take it. 

“No offence taken Missus, and thanks for the sandwiches anyway.”  He thanked her only because he might be glad of her sandwiches again.

CHAPTER 19

  TRYING TO TIGHTEN THE NET.

Millar needed advice on the religious texts.  Maybe some clue did reside in them as the Forensic Psychologist had suggested, but a Minister or Priest, a Theologian, might be more fit to interpret the whole thing.  The Minister who was cruising the red light district may have seemed like a nice person, but so did Ted Bundy and Dennis Nielsen.  It wouldn’t hurt to call in on him for some theological advice, to let him know they are still there, rattle his cage…..so to speak.  He sent Smith on the task since he was on the same religious wavelength.

Smith said that the Minister seemed nervous when he called around.  He tended to agree with the psychologist’s appraisal of the texts and seemed “a bit funny about it.”  That had Millar’s alarm bells ringing.  He ordered his men to conduct some routine checks on the claims the Rev. Newbury made on his statement.  That had been put to the bottom of a growing pile of work.

Millar thought it worthwhile to check out his explanation of why he was cruising around on the night the third victim was killed.  He claimed that he was trying to find a parishioner, a Mrs Irwin, in Ebor Street.  The Electoral Register revealed that there was no Mrs Irwin living in the street.  Smith and Anderson were instructed to check if the name and address he had given them was correct.  He claimed that they were, to his knowledge.  He shuffled his feet, seemed fidgety and claimed that Mrs Irwin was a new parishioner.  He stared Smith straight in the eye when he spoke, telling him that he had not visited her before and was unfamiliar with where she lived.