Fabel smiled.

‘Talking of which,’ continued Scholz, ‘I’ve been thinking about what you said about our guy being a cannibal. You know something … I think maybe you’re right. It was something that was suggested before. To be honest, we’ve tried to play down the angle, just in case the press get hold of it.’

‘I’m pretty certain I am right,’ said Fabel. ‘I also think you have a very valid point about the killer having experience of cutting flesh. A surgeon, or a butcher or slaughterman …’

‘He doesn’t muck about, does he? Knows what he’s doing.’ Benni leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. ‘Is it true you’re English? You don’t have an English accent. Someone told me they call you the English Commissar …’

‘I’m half-Scottish,’ said Fabel. ‘Half-Frisian.’

‘My God,’ laughed Benni. ‘That’s a thrifty combination. Bet you don’t get your round in too often!’

Fabel smiled. ‘Did you have any strong suspects? The file seemed devoid of anyone you particularly had your eye on.’

‘Nope. It was a real bugger. Women’s Karneval Night is mad. Like so much of Karneval. People running about demented, little bastards being conceived all over the place. Anonymity is part of the whole thing. You can lose your identity and do things that you otherwise wouldn’t do. It’s the perfect environment for topping somebody.’

‘I see.’

‘But that’s a theory I have about this case. About anonymity and doing things that you wouldn’t normally do. I told you on the phone that I’m pretty sure that this guy is a local. Well, I also think that he may be Joe Normal the rest of the year. Karneval is all about letting go. We always say that we Cologners are more sane than everyone else the rest of the year because we go mad during Karneval. Maybe our chum has got this pervy thing going on that he keeps wrapped up in his pants all year, and he needs Karneval to let it loose.’

‘That’s actually pretty good psychological profiling,’ Fabel laughed. ‘Although again I would normally couch it in more technical terms.’

‘Anyway,’ continued Benni. ‘Even the divorce courts take a lenient view of Karneval behaviour. Adultery on Rosenmontag is considered to be excusable … that you’re not really guilty of it the same way you would be the rest of the year. And, of course, there’s the Nubbelverbrennung … the fire of atonement at the end of Karneval in which all the sins committed during the Crazy Days are burned. What if our guy believes he has an excuse for doing what he does just because it’s Karneval?’

‘More than that, I think there is a deeply misogynistic element to these murders. He hates women.’

‘You don’t say …’ Scholz smiled wryly.