at no point in her life did jane appear criminally deranged . on the contrary.she struck most acquaintances as a lively , outgoing person-- "jolly jane," they called her . like other of her ilk , however, she had a hidden self that was hopelessly diseased. she was a lifelong liar and gossip, spreading malicious rumors about people she envied.she was also--like many prospective serial killers-- a secret pyromanic , who derived intense erotic pleasure from starting fires. beneath her amiable exterior existed a poisonous well of malevolence , a deep , implacable longing to do harm.