Hunter blew out his cheeks. ‘That’s just it. Neither makes much sense. Normally, if such a term applies, serial killers enjoy the practice of murder more than the results, so such a cold, mechanical method seems an odd choice. And if someone were interested in covering their tracks, I’d expect them to avoid leaving such an obvious clue to foul play as three bodies stripped to the waist in the same empty flat.’

‘True,’ she acknowledged. ‘But I still don’t think we can rule it out as some kind of message. I know it’s uncharacteristic of your average drug gang, but there could be more to this than we realize.’

‘That’s possible, too,’ Hunter said. ‘You could classify it as a gruesome twist on callous banter between rivals, and Brixton certainly has its share of candidates, but this kind of communication isn’t usually subtle. If you’re sending such a graphic message, you want it to be seen by the intended recipient. Hiding the bodies from public view seems at odds with that philosophy.’

More silence.

Frank broke it. ‘I think we should be concentrating on how the victims arrived at the property. Surely whether they went there voluntarily or not is crucial.’

‘Absolutely,’ Hawkins said. ‘Amala’s been looking at that.’

Everyone turned to Amala.

The sergeant sat up even straighter. ‘It’s still open for debate, I’m afraid. None of the victims had vehicles with them in Brixton. Colin Wilson doesn’t appear to have owned a car since splitting from his wife. William Tennent drove an electric BMW, but that was found at his house in Camberwell, and Joel Kowalski had access to various forms of transport through work, though he lost that privilege during his suspension. That means if the men arrived of their own accord, they probably did so by train or tube. The nearest stations are Brixton and Tulse Hill, both just over ten minutes on foot from the flat. I’m still waiting for CCTV footage from the transport companies, so we’ll know soon if that’s the case, but I’ll keep everyone informed.’

‘Good.’ Hawkins looked at Frank. ‘How are we doing with linking the three men?’

‘Right,’ the DI crossed his arms and legs, settled back in his chair. ‘All the victims’ homes have been searched, but there’s nothing concrete so far. None of the family or friends knew the other victims, and we’ve found no traces in any of the deceased’s belongings to suggest connections there. None of them had any references to the address where they were found, either, but the techs are still interrogating their personal computers and tablets for anything that might provide a lead.’

Hawkins nodded. ‘That leaves mobiles. How are we getting on with unlocking those phones, Aaron?’