(The next morning at 10:30 AM Gini and Garrett are standing on the front porch of Marla Steeples house. Garrett rings the doorbell. The door promptly is answered by Marla)
Marla: Hello. I like prompt people and here you are at 10:30 on the dot. I'm glad you called and said your sister was coming with you. That was thoughtful; prompt and thoughtful. You are off to a good start with me. Please come in and have a seat in this front room living area. Please pardon the wrapping paper. This week was my eighty-seventh birthday and I had three parties and three birthday cakes; a pineapple cake, a chocolate cake and a carrot cake. I think I have enough cake in the freezer to last me until the holiday goodies start arriving. When it comes to sweets I am what they call "fixed up". (Marla smiles and sits down) Now what can I do for you?
Garrett: I would like for your professional opinions, observations and experiences in dealing with identical twins.
Gini: And I want to listen and hear what you have to say.
Marla: Really, I only had a couple of experiences dealing with identical twins in my years of solving crimes. One case that I was a consultant on stands out in my mind. It was my observation that together both twins made one person's complete thinking system. Their thinking put together made one whole person's thinking and by that I mean, one twin thought he was invincible and not afraid of taking extreme chances. The other twin was cautious and kept warning the brother of he was not invincible. The reckless twin stayed in line by listening to the other twin and he encouraged the other twin to take some chances and risks. Together they were balanced, but something happened. The reckless twin started to not listen to the advise and actually believed he could do whatever he wanted to whoever he wanted and he could elude getting caught. His only hold back all of his life was the realistic advise and common sense of the other twin. But when he blocked that he had no limits. His brother had been showing him a limit. They looked identical, like mirror images only one was right handed and the other was left handed. It was an amazing study and case. Not knowing limits and being blinded by greed the one twin became a notorious bank robber and shot fifty four people. He truly thought someone would admire him for not being caught and living a life of his extreme skills of bank robbing and quick escapes. The bank robber biggest shock was when he actually was caught by breaking his ankle at a robbery. That humanized him and drove him more into denial and fantasy. He thought he was a level above all humankind and had been empowered with the coveted premier abilities to be the all time escape artist of robbing a bank. Then as he was running away from the scene that is when he twisted and broke his ankle and on the edge of a sidewalk. He was devastated beyond belief and in shock. He truly thought he was past mortal limitations and had entered a special realm that only few people can know. It didn't bring him back into reality and he was sentenced to death believing somehow he would become a legend like a modern day Houdini. That he had broken ground in breathtaking, death defying get-a-ways. The other twin has stayed private about living a quiet and good life. He said that somehow the brother he knew was gone when he would try to reason with him. It had gotten to the point that he really didn't know the person in front of him even though he was looking at his identical twin. It was like looking into the mirror yet seeing the other person was not recognizable and gave an aura of being very dangerous, a scary kind of dangerous. The twins broke off any type of relationship and had no contact years before the robberies began when the quieter twin eloped and moved overseas.
Garrett: I'm interested in your thoughts and experiences of a serial killer who takes a token from the victim. Would the serial killer destroy the tokens to destroy evidence?
Marla; Highly unlikely and not easily done. The tokens are symbols of having total control and the relishing and embellishment of the feeling and meaning is actually spell binding and like a scrapbook shows that specific moment of total control that only the serial killer can know. Mostly they keep the tokens close. The closer the better. Just to be in the presence of the tokens even without seeing them is a thrilling high for the serial killer. To be in the presence of the token with others present, others not knowing -not having a clue is very exciting. The serial killer can be in both worlds at the same time and be reliving the feeling of having total control and be carrying on a conversation with others all at the same time. It is highly unlikely tokens would destroyed. There is a relationship with the tokens. The serial killer has a need for the token to be there. The tokens need to feed the compulsion to reexperience the feeling of such total control, and, the closer the better and the more exciting, too.
Garrett: What about investigation techniques.
Marla; Ask questions of people who know suspects and who know victims. Let them tell you what they want to say. Listen and be attentive to details. Usually it is a small detail that starts to illuminate the investigation to the point of knowing where to go and what to do next. Just star talking to people, to friends, to where they did business, find out their interests and as you do- you will become more confident on which way the case is leading you. Now, I want to backtrack because I am curious about the identical twins as it is important to know if they liked to dress alike.
Gini: Is this significant?
Marla, It could be.
Gini: How?
to be continued: tomorrow, Friday (#10 mystery blog)
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