Devil’s Waltz. By: Jonathan Kellerman

you a fan of cinima ver’ite, Detective?

DET. S’rURGIs: Not really, Mr. Jones. Too much like work.

MR. JONES: Hah, I like that.

MR. TOKARiK: Is that it? That’s your evidence, in toto?

DET. SrvRGIS: In toto? Hardly. Okay, so now we’ve got you jabbing

that needleMR. JONES: I told you what that was about-I was testing

it.

Checking the I.V inlet to see if Cindy’d already injected Cassie.

DET. STURGIS: Why?

MR. JONES: Why? To protect my child!

DET. S’rURGIS: Why did you suspect your wife of harming Cassie?

MR. JONES: Circumstances. The data at hand.

DET. SrvRGIs: The data.

MR. JONES: Exactly.

DET. SruRGIS: Want to tell me more about the data?

MR. JONES: Her personality-things I noticed. She’d been acting

strange elusive. And Cassie always seemed to fall ill after she’d

spent time with her mother.

DET. SrvRGIS: Okay. . . We’ve also got a puncture wound in the fleshy

part of Cassie’s armpit.

MR. JONES: No doubt you do, but I didn’t put it there.

DET. S’rURGIS: Aha. .. what about the Valium you put in your wife’s

coffee?

MR. JONES: I explained it in the room, Detective. I didn’t give it to

her. It was for her nerves, remember. She’s been really on edge-been

taking it for a while. If she denies that, she’s lying.

DET. STURGIS: She does indeed deny it. She says she was never aware

you were dosing her up.

MR. JONES: She lies habitually-that’s the point. Accusing me based

purely on what she says is like constructing a syllogism based on

totally false premises. Do you understand what I mean by that?

DET. S’rURGIS: Sure, Prof. Valium tablets were found in one of

Cassie’s toys a stuffed bunny.

MR. JONES: There you go. How would I know anything about that?

DET. STURGIS: Your wife says you bought several of them for Cassie.

MR. JONES: I bought Cassie all sorts of toys. Other people bought

LuvBunnies too. A nurse named Bottomley-very iffy personality. Why

don’t you check her out, see if she’s involved.

DET. S’1URGIS: Why should she be?

MR. JONES: She and Cindy seem awfiilly close too close, I always

thought. I wanted her transferred off the case, but Cindy refissed.

Check her out-she’s strange, believe me.

DET. STURGIS: We did. She’s passed a polygraph and every other test

we threw at her.

MR. JONES: Polygraphs are inadmissible in court.

DET. STURGIS: Would you take one?

MR. TOKARIK: Chip, don’tMR. JONES: I don’t see any reason to. This

whole thing is preposterous.

DET. SrvRGIS: Onward. Did you have a prescription for the Valium we

found at your Campus office?

MR. JONES: (laughs) No. Is that a crime?

bET. S’rURGIS: As a matter of fact, it is. Where’d you get it?ø MR.

JONES: Somewhere I don’t remember.

DET. SrvRGIS: One of your students?

MR. JONES: Of course not.

bET. STURGIS: A student named Kristie Marie Kirkash?

MR. JONES: Uh absolutely not. I may have had it around from before.

bET. STURGIS: For yourself?

MR. JONES: Sure. From years ago-I was under some stress.

Now that I think about it, I’m sure that’s what it was.

Someone lent it to mea faculty colleague.

DET. STURGis: What’s this colleague’s name?

MR. JONES: I don’t remember. It wasn’t that significant.

Valium’s like candy nowadays. I plead guilty to having it without a

prescription, okay?

DET. STURGIS: Okay.

MR. TOKARIK: What did you just take out of your briefcase,

Detective?

DET. STURGIS: Something for the record. I’m going to read It out loud

MR. TOI:ARIK: I want a copy first. Two copies-for myself and for

Professor Jones.

DET. S’1URGIS: Duly noted. We’ll get the Xerox going soon as we’re

finished here.

MR. TOKARIK: No, I want it simultaneous with yourMR. JONES: Stop

obstructing, Tony. Let him read whatever It is. I want out of here

today.

MR. TOKARIK: Chip, nothing’s of greater importance to me than your

imminent release, but IMR. JONES: Quiet, Tony. Read, Detective.

MR. TOKARIK: Not at all. I’m unhappy with thiMR. JONES: Time. Read,

Detective.

DET. S’rURGIS: That settled? Sure? Okay. This is a transcript of an

encoded computer floppy disk, 3M Brand, DS, DD, RH, double-sided,

double-density, Q Mark. Further designated with Federal Bureau of