He had known people like this, he had killed people like this. You never heard about this kind of thing happening in the lower classes, it was always something that happened among the more affluent and educated people. People who thought they were better than anyone else. Before he had exacted his revenge, he had studied this kind of predatory behaviour. For, while he could understand one person deciding to kill someone, he wondered how these people met each other, how they approached each other and invited new members into the fold.

He read through the night, making notes in his black leather notebook, jotting down names and places. Although the names of the four professors were listed, the names of the students weren’t. On its own this wasn’t enough evidence for the police, but it was enough for Parker, enough to condemn them all. Tomorrow he would go and observe these professors and decide what to do next.

In the morning, Parker got up early. He had to think ahead. If he got caught by the police before he finished, then Helen Lassiter would go unpunished. There was a chance they would catch him and he had to be prepared for that. It was unclear from Helen Lassiter’s correspondence whether she had been complicit in the sexual assault Abbey had endured at Exeter University. Had it been part of her game? Had she won points for what happened to Abbey? Had she told those boys to assault her? He wanted to ask her outright, but she wasn’t here. Was he just reading between the lines and seeing things that weren’t there? From what he could see, there was a chance, and with the way he felt about Abbey, that chance was enough. To break someone for sport was not a new concept, but the collusive nature of the game made Parker feel sick. It always amazed him that wicked people could find others like them. He couldn’t risk letting her get away with it.

The pipes that led to the boiler were in the back of a corner cupboard. Parker pulled a wrench out of his backpack and started to loosen them. He grabbed some fairy liquid and smeared it on the edge, waiting for the tiny bubbles to appear, showing that there was a tiny hole where gas could escape. Hopefully the gas would build up enough before she returned, she wouldn’t even know. He couldn’t bank on the police not catching him before she returned and he knew she had to die, she was getting off easy though.

He walked from Helen Lassiter’s place, making sure that no one saw him leave over the back fence. He had downloaded a map of the inside of the university and found out the internal layout. He marked Hugh Norris and Gillian Mitchell’s offices. He was going to find out what he could about them.

When Parker arrived at the university, the sun had not yet risen, and the day was just beginning. The doors to the humanities block were unlocked, but it was a good three hours until lessons began. Parker slipped inside and walked through the halls, getting his bearings. The light to Doctor Norris’s office was on. Parker made sure he was not seen before he knocked on the professor’s door. There was no answer. He turned the handle and the door clicked open; he slipped inside.