I left the neuro and went directly to Carajou headquarters for the second of Roy's review sessions. The meeting was already in progress, so I slipped into a back seat, my brain stil processing what I'd learned from Carolyn Russel . Our conversation had raised as many questions as it had answered.

How had the hydrocephaly affected my unknown girl? Had she been sickly? Disabled? Retarded? How did a teenager with that condition end up buried near a biker headquarters? Was she a wil ing participant, or another innocent, like Emily Anne Toussaint?

This time Roy was using transparencies, and a bul eted list fil ed the screen. I forced myself to focus.

"Outlaw motorcycle clubs are characterized by a number of common elements. Most OMC's are organized according to the Hel s Angels model. We'l come back and look at that structure in some detail."

He indicated the second item.

"Al clubs have membership which is very selective, and 'prospects' or 'strikers' are required to prove themselves to earn their colors."

He moved down the list.

"The colors, or club patch, are the member's most valued possession. Not everyone wears colors, however. Individuals who are useful to the gang are al owed to interact as associates without actual y joining.

"The primary focus of an OMC is criminal activity. Each club has rules that condone violence to further the interests of the club and its members.

Intel igence gathering is intensive, including the monitoring of other gangs and of law enforcement personnel."

Roy pointed his pen at the last item on the list.

"The clubhouse, which is often strongly fortified and elaborately outfitted, is the meeting place for club activities."

I thought of the Vipers' house in St-Basile, and wondered what activities could have included a sixteen-year-old girl with hydrocephaly.

Roy removed the transparency and replaced it with another, this one a tree titled "Political Structure of an OMC National."

Roy explained the hierarchy, starting at the bottom.

"The basic element of the OMC structure is the chapter. An independent outlaw motorcycle club becomes part of a larger organization, such as the Hel s Angels, only after a charter has been approved by vote of the national membership. This involves a long process that we can discuss later if we have time.

"Each chapter operates in a specific local area and maintains a certain degree of autonomy, but must live by the rules set out by the organization.

These rules, either in the form of bylaws or a constitution, define the rights and obligations of the members and the gang.

Roy slid a new transparency onto the projector. This chart was labeled "Political Structure of an OMC Chapter."

"Each chapter has its own control ing body, or executive, elected by the members. Typical y there's a president, vice president, secretary-treasurer, and sergeant at arms. These are the guys responsible for maintaining order within and peace outside the group.