hasn’t attracted much attention because it’s so small,
maybe sixty members. And like I said, they’re not
out looking for converts, so it’ll probably stay small.
Whether or not that’ll change if there’s increased
attrition remains to be seen. They’ve only been
around for three or four years. Another thing that’s
unusual is that most of their members are middle-aged.
Groups that recruit tend to go after young
people. In practical terms that means you don’t
have parents screaming to the. cops or calling in the
deprogrammers.”
“Are they into holistic health?”
“Probably. Most of these groups are. It’s part of
rejecting the values of the greater society. But I
haven’t heard about them obsessing on it, if that’s
what you mean. I think their focus is more on
self-sustenance. Growing their own food, making
their own clothes. Like the original utopians–Oneida,
Ephrata, New Harmony. Can I ask why
you want to know all of this?”
I told him about the Swopes’ decision not to treat
Woody and the family’s subsequent disappearance.
“Does that sound like something this group could
be involved in, Seth?”
“It doesn’t seem likely, because they’re reclusive.
Taking on the medical establishment would subject
them to lots of scrutiny.”
“They did visit the family,” I reminded him.
“If they wanted to be subversive why do it so
publicly? You said the .family lived
treat ?”
“From what I understand.”
“So maybe they were just being neighborly. In a
small town like La Vista there’s bound to be plenty
of distrust of oddballs on the part of the natives. A
smart oddball makes a special effort to be friendly.
It’s good survival strategy.”
“Speaking of survival,” I asked, “how do they
support themselves?”
‘My guess is member contributions. On the other
hand, Matthews was a rich man. He could be bao. k-rolling
the whole ‘thing-himself just for the power
and prestige. If they’re really into self-reliance the
overhead wouldn’t be that high.”
“One more thing, Seth. Why do they call themselves
the Touch?”
He laughed. “Damned if I know. I .think I’ll sic a
grad student on it.”
Mai Worthy called me later that day.
“It appears that Mrs. Moody didn’t get a rat
because she was des .tined for bigger and better
things. This morning she found a dog eviscerated,
hanging from the front doorknob by its entrails. He
castrated it too, stuffed the balls in its mouth.”
Revulsion kept me silent.
“What a guy, hUh? On top of that he snuck in a
phone call, in defiance of the order, talked to the
boy and told him to run away. The kid obeyed and
it took seven hours to Fred him. They finally caught
up with him late last night, wandering around the
parking lot of some mall, ive miles from home.
Apparently he, thought his father was going to pick
him up and take him away. No one showed up and
156 Jonathan Ketlerman
he was scared out of his mind, poor kid. Needless
to say Darlene is going bananas, and I’m calling to
ask you to see the kids, More for their mental health
than anything else.”
“Did they see the dog?”
‘-Thank God, no. She cleaned it up before they
had.a chance. How soon can you see them ?”
“I won’t have access to the office until Saturday.”
I’d been renting space for forensic evalUations
in the Brentwood suite of a colleague, but
only had use of the office on weekends..
“You can do it here. Just name the time.”
“Can you get them down there in a couple of
hours?”
“You got it.”
The offices of Trenton, Worthy. & La Rosa were
located on the penthouse floor of a high-prestige
building at the intersection of Roxbury and Wil-shire.
Mai, resplendent in a navy silk and worsted
from Bijan, was in the waiting room to greet me
personally. He informed me I’d be using his office.
I remembered it as a cavernous, dark-walled room
with an oversized amorphous desk that looked like
a piece of free-form sculpture, saw-toothed abstract
prints hanging from the paneling, and shelves full
of expensive–and breakable–mementos. Not an
ideal place for child therapy but it would have to
do.