Operation Anagram: April Fabb

Operation Anagram: April Fabb

The first rune is Othala, merkstave. Lack of customary order, totalitarianism, slavery, poverty, homelessness, bad karma, prejudice, clannishness, provincialism, what a person can be bound to, in a contract.

This just confuses me. The idea of clannishness and provincialism, the two meaning the characteristics of a clan and one’s own group and provincialism meaning narrow-minded, or something from a province, a territorial unit, could make me think that April was someone who’d been ‘country’ and possibly never left Norfolk in her life. Also, these were the 1960s and even though it happened after the Moors Murderers, she was in a carefree place, where it didn’t seem bad things would happen.

The second rune is Uruz, reversed. Weakness, obsession, directed force, domination by others, sickness, ignorance, lust, brutality, rashness, violence.

These could easily describe both Tobin and Black, but the sickness makes me think again of how Tobin faked illness after a murder. Tobin, at the time I believe, also had some control over what would become his first wife, but at the very least, I believe he killed before. The idea of obsession is that Tobin didn’t plan to take Vicky and Dinah. He just saw two innocent young girls he could take advantage of. The ignorance could have been April deciding to stop to let her kidnapper through or  going back when noticing the vehicle was close to her.

The third rune is Ehwaz, reversed. A change might be craved, feeling restless or confined in a situation, reckless haste, disharmony, mistrust, betrayal. It’s interesting to note that ehwaz means ‘horse’ or ‘two horses’, transport.

This could be that Tobin had had older women before; Esther Mersy was 27, Patricia Docker, the first Bible John victim, was 26. This would have been a much younger victim, someone easy to control physically. He could have a yearning to have wanted a younger victim. The betrayal could be Tobin tricking April, perhaps asking for directions to a town or petrol station, before pulling her in, or maybe, if he’d started seeing his girlfriend yet, a sort of relationship betrayal.

The fourth rune is Isa. A challenge or frustration, psychological blocks to thought and activity, a time to turn inward and wait for what is to come. This rune enforces runes around it.

Some time before I did a reading for April, I pulled a single rune out asking where she was. I got Isa. That meant she is dead, sadly.

Maybe, as I said, being a country girl, she simply sat still and waited. Maybe he had a weapon. Maybe she was scared and waited. This IS how some rape victims react, not all fight back. The girl waited for her fate.

I cannot imagine how terrified April must have been. They didn’t teach sex education in the sixties and like I said, she’d probably never left Norfolk in her life and this was the sort of place I guess people left their doors unlocked. It would have been the same for the victims of the Moors.

The fifth rune is Thurisaz, merkstave. Danger, defencelessness, hatred, torment, spite, lies. A bad man or woman. Wherever April went after being picked up, she would have been assaulted almost immediately. Most children that are abducted are likely to be abused within three hours. The torment may be actual torment, or mental. Something horrible that makes me think it is Tobin is he physically tormented his first wife, so much that she was unable to have children.

The sixth rune is Raidho, merkstave. Crisis, rigidity, stasis, injustice, irrationality, disruption, dislocation, possibly death. The rigidity could be her actual body going rigid, the injustice is obvious, but dislocation could either mean her body being moved from where she died or what he did with his first wife. Another reason to make me say her murderer is Tobin.

The seventh rune is Kenaz, merkstave. Disease, breakup, nakedness, exposure, loss of illusion and false hope. It might be an indication that April will be found without her clothes, but also that maybe she realised she was dead. She might have told herself it was fine, she wasn’t dead, but realised what really happened. This can happen, especially if they die quickly or murdered.

The eighth rune is Nauthiz. Delays, restrictions, resistance leading to strength, distress, confusion, conflict and the power of will to overcome them. Survival, determination, accepting one’s fate, patience, self-initiated change. This could go back to her thinking that if she did what her kidnapper said, he wouldn’t hurt her. But it could be road restrictions. After all, a lot of people were in East Anglia over the bank holiday. Her murderer may have been distressed and desperate to get away, giving themselves patience in waiting in lines. The self-initiated change again makes me think of Tobin, as this would be a change of killing outside his ‘comfort area’ of Glasgow and to aim for younger victims.

Something interesting to note when looking at possible Tobin victims is they get younger over time. For instance, Patricia Docker was 26, Jemima McDonald, the second Bible John victim, was 32, Helen Puttock was 29. Barbara Mayo was 24. But near the end of the line, Louise Kay was 18, as was Dinah McNicol. The two victims in 1993 were 14. It is entirely possible that taking April made Tobin decide he could take teenage victims – Jackie Ansell-Lamb, just under a year later, was 18.

The last rune is Ingwaz. Male fertility, gestation, internal growth. Common virtues, common sense, simple strengths, family love, caring. The home. Rest stage. A time of relief, no anxiety, a time to move in a new direction. The home makes me think that the reason April has not been found is she is buried in or near Tobin’s home in early 1969. The rest stage also makes me think that his desire was fulfilled and he had satisfied his urges. Male fertility could connect to his sexuality; internal growth to confidence. After all, if I am right, this was Tobin’s third murder and now he would be confident. As I said, the new direction was younger victims.

As such, I will list possible places both in Norfolk and Glasgow.

Iron, rain, clouds, beast, moors. Giant, cliff, thorn. Funeral homes. Flame. Prince. Burn. Frost, heart, salvation. Glass. Wave. House. Sea. East.

Norfolk

The Iron House, Kontorded Iron, Iron Mountain Office Services, Iron Mountain Shredding Service, Natural Heating, The HandleShop, The Coltswold Company, Abfab Blacksmiths, The Iron Maidens. Wex Photographic, Rain Computers, Cloud Nine Beauty Salon, Norfolk Coast AONB, The Blakeney Cottage Company, The Broads. Moor Farm Stable Cottages, Hoseasons Holidays. Moor View, Tile Giant, Giant Imaging, Julia’s Giants. The Cliff Hotel, Cliff Top Café, Cliff Park Community Church, Cliff Park Contractors. Cliff Cottage, Kiln Cliffs Caravan Park, Cromer and District Funeral Services, Peter Taylor Funeral Services, Flame Kebab House, Prince of Wales pub in Norwich, The Prince Hotel, New Frost Hall, FW Frost Engineers, William Frost Way Longwater Business Park, Frost A in New Road, Frost and Uglow and Boorman, British Heart Foundation, Sentiments from the Heart, Heart ‘n Soul Coaching, Salvation Army, Salvation Army Church, Langham Glass, Norfolk Insulation Services, Fakenham Windows and Conservatories, Sound Wave Marketing, Kett Country Cottages, Dormy House Hotel, Cyprus Anytime, Andover House Hotel and Restaurants, Barnard House, The Lion Inn, Fisherman’s Return, Three Horseshoes, The Crown Hotel, Boxwood Guesthouse, St Michael’s House.

Glasgow

Iron Horse

Iron Mountain

Iron Mountain Ltd

Rain-shine

Cloud 9 Beauty Salon

Cloud Nine Health

Cloud 9

Iomart

Cloud Nine Celebrations

Glasgow Deal

Carrot Moor Farm

Langlands Moss Local Nature Reserve

Moorfoot Avenue

Bonnyton Golf Club

Lanark Moor Country Park

Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park

Moor Road

Tile Giant

Giant on Dumbarton Road

O2 ABC Glasgow

Menzies Glasgow Hotel

Cliff Technologies Ltd

Silver Rose Funeral Directors

Hot Flame World Buffet

Southern General Hospital

Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice

The Prince’s Trust

Prince Edward Street

Princess Royal Maternity Hospital

The Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust

Moorpark Youth Centre

Garscadden Park

Burn Terrace

Burnfield Road

Burnside Hotel

Burn Stewart Distillery

Frost Pack

Scotchfrost

British Heart Foundation

Heart of Gold

Chest Heart and Stroke

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Salvation Army Church

The Salvation Army

Glassford Street

Independent Glass

Murphy Waves Ltd

Wave PR Ltd

Waverley Gardens

Paddle Steamer Waverley

Graphical House

Trades House

Mansion House

Golden Sea

Subsea 7

Deep Sea World

East Kilbride

Evans Halshaw Vauxhall

Glasgow East Women’s Aid

East End Healthy Living Centre

East Renfrewshire Council