Knowing

[Pierre]

[QUOTE=David Orsam;414950]

But my dear boy I thought we'd established that you didn't actually know what I'd done, which is why I needed to provide some kind of proof to you that I had committed the murders in the first place

No, David, thatīs not the point. You did give me proof for each murder but you did it because I refuse to acknowledge you as the murderer.

The problem for me is that as soon as I do that you can then go to the police.

The problem for me is that as soon as I do not go to the police they can make an example of me.

Well that's up to you my dear boy but how do I know whether you will or you won't?

You are rather sure that I will not go to the police. But you can never be totally sure, that is your problem.

And if you won't, and I know it, then my correspondence idea was not so bad after all was it?

Since you are not sure, it is a terrible idea.

[David Orsam]

You can never be sure, David. That is your weakness. And I am a big problem for you. The only way you can solve that problem is by murdering others and letting me know about it. That is what you believe.

Or murder you my dear boy.

Much easier I think.

Although if you are such a big problem for me, I'm rather baffled as to why I told you about those murders in the first place.

[Pierre]

[QUOTE=David Orsam;414947]

Not a very good one then my dear boy?

The best you could do.

[David Orsam]

Not if you were a serial killer. For each murder you commit, I know what you have done.

But my dear boy I thought we'd established that you didn't actually know what I'd done, which is why I needed to provide some kind of proof to you that I had committed the murders in the first place

The problem for me is that as soon as I do that you can then go to the police.

For each murder you commit, I prefer to not notify the police.

Well that's up to you my dear boy but how do I know whether you will or you won't?

And if you won't, and I know it, then my correspondence idea was not so bad after all was it?

[Pierre]

But oh my dear boy I thought the scenario was that I had terrified you so much that you wouldn't go to the police. Because if I'm convicted of murder you would be convicted of misprision of felony. Isn't that right?

And if I was so concerned about you going to the police why have I told you that I am the killer in the first place?

You can never be sure, David. That is your weakness. And I am a big problem for you. The only way you can solve that problem is by murdering others and letting me know about it. That is what you believe.

[David Orsam]

Of course it would have to be a false alibi.

Not a very good one then my dear boy?

I would never notify the police.

But you would give my letters to the police my dear boy?

You cad.

[Pierre]

But my dear boy, as soon as I notified the police then I couldn't be charged with misprision of felony - and I'm not aware of having committed any other crime - so your strategy seems to have a little flaw within it.

Not if you were a serial killer. For each murder you commit, I know what you have done. For each murder you commit, I prefer to not notify the police.

[David Orsam]

Not a very good idea, since your own letters would be kept by me and I could take them to the police.

But oh my dear boy I thought the scenario was that I had terrified you so much that you wouldn't go to the police. Because if I'm convicted of murder you would be convicted of misprision of felony. Isn't that right?

And if I was so concerned about you going to the police why have I told you that I am the killer in the first place?

[Pierre]

But my dear boy I can't possibly have an alibi if I was committing a murder at the time.

Do you mean a false alibi?

I don't think that would worry you because if you notified the police and it turned out that the police couldn't break the alibi then, because I'm officially innocent, you are also in the clear on the misprision of felony charge. Isn't that right?

Either way, if I am convicted or in the clear, you can't lose if you notify the police.

Of course it would have to be a false alibi.

I would never notify the police.

[David Orsam]

But letīs say that you had an alibi.

But my dear boy I can't possibly have an alibi if I was committing a murder at the time.

Do you mean a false alibi?

I don't think that would worry you because if you notified the police and it turned out that the police couldn't break the alibi then, because I'm officially innocent, you are also in the clear on the misprision of felony charge. Isn't that right?

Either way, if I am convicted or in the clear, you can't lose if you notify the police.

[Pierre]

Well my dear boy, if I've told someone that I am the killer I have already failed in second objective because the chances are that this person will inform the police and I am captured.

But if by some miracle that person doesn't tell the police, and I want to scare them by saying that they could be charged with misprision of felony, and I'm in 1888, then I would ideally want them to put down their knowledge in writing so I would, perhaps, engage them in correspondence, hoping they would write something indiscreet, so that I could subsequently threaten to provide their letters to the police.

Do you think that would work my dear boy?

Not a very good idea, since your own letters would be kept by me and I could take them to the police.

[David Orsam]

No, David, since that would have the same effect as the private conversation we discussed. I would have seen something or heard something but how would the court be able to prove it?

My dear boy, perhaps you have forgotten the charming question you asked me:

"if you were a killer and I told you I donīt believe you, and you desperately wanted me to believe you - what would you do?"

My answer was that I would show you body parts. Why would that not do the trick?

You didn't ask me anything in that question about the court proving anything.

[David Orsam]

And the most important thing you would do would of course be to see to it that I was very afraid of being charged and tried to, if you were, i.e. if you notified the police.

But my dear boy, as soon as I notified the police then I couldn't be charged with misprision of felony - and I'm not aware of having committed any other crime - so your strategy seems to have a little flaw within it.

[Pierre]

My dear boy, might I interrupt here to suggest that it would probably get the killer arrested?

Well, so you think that you would have been arrested in such a situation. But letīs say that you had an alibi. And that you had planned the alibi a couple of weeks before the murder you planned to commit. The alibi could of course also be shown to me and I would be very worried for legal reasons.

[Pierre]

[QUOTE=David Orsam;414926]

My dear boy I have great difficulty with the premise of your charming question because if I was the killer I would not want to tell anyone of this due to a fear that they would notify the police and I would be arrested, charged, tried and then taken to a place where I would be hung by my neck until I was dead.

Yes, that is what one would expect, that you would not want to tell anyone. But letīs say - hypothetically - that you had a reason for wanting me to know about it. In that situation you would of course take precausions so that everything you did or said to make me know that you were a killer would be very difficult to use against you. And the most important thing you would do would of course be to see to it that I was very afraid of being charged and tried to, if you were, i.e. if you notified the police.

But if for some unexplained reason - and I wish you WOULD explain it to me my dear boy so I can understand my motivation - I wanted to convince someone that I had carried out the murders, then perhaps I would show them the body parts that I had taken away from the poor dead women I had killed. That might do it, no?

No, David, since that would have the same effect as the private conversation we discussed. I would have seen something or heard something but how would the court be able to prove it?