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The image on the monitor changed to a list of tests.

‘The first few tests on the Blue Whale Challenge seem easy, don’t they?’ she said. ‘The first is to cut a blue whale symbol into your hand and send a picture to the game’s administrator. It doesn’t even have to be deep. It’s all about demonstrating commitment to the game. The next is even easier. All you have to do is get up at four o’clock in the morning to watch horror films and listen to death metal. The third is cutting yourself along a vein.’

Bradshaw clicked her remote and the Blue Whale Challenge task list image disappeared. A diagram of the human brain replaced it.

‘These instructions can be sequentially classified as the psychological principles of induction, habituation and preparation. Induction is ensuring the victim commits to the Blue Whale Challenge by psychologically rewarding compliance and admonishing disobedience. In a vulnerable person, particularly one who hasn’t had a lot of positive reinforcement, this can be a powerful, sometimes even addictive, motivator.

‘The habituation instructions are designed to interrupt the victim’s usual sleep pattern, which, combined with the constant exposure to horror films and songs about death and suicide, leads to dysregulation of the orbitofrontal cortex. This of course is the part of the brain that regulates emotional decisions—’

Dave Coughlan, the detective with the monobrow, stood and said, ‘What is this nonsense?’

Nightingale turned in her seat. ‘I beg your pardon, DC Coughlan?’

‘This is that semiotic briefing all over again, ma’am,’ he said. ‘We’re sitting here like social workers when we should be out looking for the bastard behind it all.’

‘And how do you propose we do that?’ Nightingale snapped.

Coughlan said nothing.

‘This is a briefing on how a person can be remotely manipulated into committing murder,’ Nightingale continued. ‘It’s important, so either sit down and shut up or leave the room.’

‘If it’s that important shouldn’t we get someone normal to do it then?’ he muttered.

There were a couple of titters but probably not as many as he’d hoped.

Poe’s jaw hardened but he remained seated. A year ago a remark like that would have reduced Bradshaw to tears and him to violence. These days, though, insults seemed to bother her about as much as farts bothered dogs. And her beguiling honesty meant she flipped most of them anyway.

‘Don’t get angry, Detective Constable Dave Coughlan,’ Bradshaw said. ‘Not everyone has the intellect for complex briefings like this.’

Coughlan reddened. ‘And what makes you think I don’t have the intellect? You don’t even know me.’

Poe turned in his seat. ‘She’s a profiler, dickhead. She’ll have been analysing your speech patterns, non-verbal communication and mannerisms since the moment she met you.’

Bradshaw nodded enthusiastically. ‘And also Detective Superintendent Nightingale told Poe that you aren’t a deep thinker.’

The room erupted into laughter.

Coughlan scowled but eventually said, ‘I’m sorry.’

‘That’s OK, Detective Constable Dave Coughlan, Poe doesn’t understand complex briefings either. He doesn’t even know how to use his new BlackBerry. He was trying to send me a text last week but all I received was empty speech bubbles.’

Poe grimaced. Bloody NCA, always changing things. He’d only just got used to his old phone.

‘It was like having a conversation with a fish,’ she added.

More laughter.

Nightingale stood up.

‘OK, settle down. I know cracking a case can feel like the last day of school but may I remind you all that we haven’t finished yet. We don’t know who is behind all this and we don’t know why.’ She sat down. ‘Miss Bradshaw, please continue.’

‘Dysregulation of the orbitofrontal cortex is perhaps better known as brainwashing, DC Coughlan,’ Bradshaw said, picking up where she’d left off. ‘The final psychological principle in the Blue Whale Suicide Challenge is preparation. This is simply desensitising the victim to pain and harm, which in turn gradually erodes their survival instincts. After completing forty-nine tasks, when given the fiftieth – to jump off a high building and take your life – it doesn’t seem such an impossible choice.’

‘That’s it?’ Nightingale said. ‘That’s all it took to make these kids kill themselves?’

Bradshaw shook her head.

‘I believe that when selecting victims, the administrator will have looked for four preconditions: bad life experiences, unwanted isolation, depression and a borderline personality disorder. Unfortunately, young people, whose neural pathways haven’t yet fully developed, tend to unwittingly share these characteristics on social media. We have a saying in SCAS: there are some things that can only be shared with a psychiatrist and one hundred thousand people on the internet. It means that the most vulnerable young adults are easily identified