Unhinged by E. J. Findorff

him. I needed to understand the process. “Mind if I ask how you came to those conclusions?” I knew they didn’t have much to work with. The size issue was probably just a guess, but the unwashed hair caught my attention. Toliver didn’t seem like much of a bather, and Ron was probably thinking the same thing. Not to mention Toliver’s flimsy alibi.
    â€œYour pathologist faxed over his notes last night, per your captain’s request. According to the location of the stab wounds, we were able to approximate height. The wounds were high on the woman’s abdomen, indicating the perp isn’t a short man. The bruises on the dead man’s arms and chest would indicate that the victim attempted to fight him off. As a matter of fact, I’ve already sent my report to the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program, which is a national database for unsolved violent crimes. Law enforcement agencies from all over can compare similarities and maybe match them up. What do you think, Dr. Covington?”
    Dr. Covington took off his wire-rimmed glasses and rubbed between his eyes. His dark-complected face was round, symmetrical, and he had big, intense eyes that seemed to be measuring you. He always kept his collared shirts buttoned to the top, yet I’d rarely seen him with a tie.
    He blinked a couple of times, then said, “Unfortunately my expertise is mostly textbook, but I have to agree with you as far as it goes. I’ll add that the killer obviously has deep-rooted sexual problems, a conflict, considering the two people murdered. Is he gay or straight? Is he bisexual? Is he really one and trying to be the other?”
    Will ended up stating the obvious, so that was a bust, but I loved the psychology classes I took at UNO and decided to put my ideas to the test. “Maybe the murderer burned the head of the male victim to take away his identity. He’s ashamed of himself, and he’s making the victim faceless.”
    â€œThat’s good.” Wayne nodded. “What else?”
    Dr. Covington coughed and blinked incessantly, possibly afraid I was upstaging him.
    I continued anyway. “The reports say that the killer didn’t have sex with the man and the gay man wasn’t anally penetrated, but the coroner said he had ejaculated before being killed. And the nipples of the woman were bitten right off. What if he received the sex from the male victim, taking it instead of giving it, which is taboo in the hetero world, then redeemed himself by having intercourse with the female victim, probably with a condom. The nipples are sexual icons for males. By removing them, he focused on what’s been ingrained into the male psyche. He’s a homosexual but doesn’t want to be.”
    Everyone remained silent. Dr. Covington folded his arms, tense, at least that was the vibe I picked up. I could’ve sworn I glimpsed a proud look on Ron’s face, and Agent Wayne was busy writing in his notepad.
    I decided to keep going. I was either going to have welcomed insight or sound like a fool, but I felt I was on a roll. “And he cuts the penis from the male to make the body more androgynous. He puts the penis in the male’s mouth to symbolize that he’s a cocksucker.” I let a nervous laugh escape and felt my cheeks turn red. “He hates homosexuals, but he’s losing a personal battle with denial.”
    â€œI’m impressed.” Agent Wayne lifted his eyebrows. “Okay. We’ve beaten down a general description of the killer and his possible state of mind. I hope you don’t mind, Detectives, but I want to be a part of this investigation, just to help out, you understand.”
    â€œWe believe we have a decent suspect.” I looked at Ron, knowing his account of our meeting with Toliver would hold more weight.
    Ron sighed and scratched the back of his head. “A bouncer at a bar called Breaux’s had a relationship with Gant, and his