bET. STURGis: You tutor her, too? Your wife?
MR. JONES: As a matter of fact, I did. But she was hopeless-not very
bright at all.
bET. STURGIS: But you married her anyway. How come? A smart guy like
you.
MR. JONES: I was smitten “this spring of love.” bET. STURGIS: You
met in the spring?
MR. JONES: It’s a quotationbET. STURGIS: Shakespeare?
MR. JONES: As a matter of fact, yes. I fell deeply in love and was
taken advantage of. A romantic nature. My be”‘te noire.
bET. SrvRGIS: What about Karl Sobran? He take advantage of you too?
MR. JONES: With Karl it was different with him, ironically, I wasn’t
naive. I knew what he was, right away, but I felt I could help him
channel his impulses.
bET. STURGIS: What did you know he was?
MR. JONES: Classic antisocial sociopath. But contrary to popular
belief, those types don’t lack consciences. They merely suspend them
at their convenience-read Sarnenow.
As a police officer, you really should. Where was I? Karl. Karl is
very bright. I was hoping to direct his intelligence in a constructive
manner.
bET. SrvRGIs: Like murder for hire?
MR. TOKARIK: Don’t answer that.
MR. JONES: Stop sighing, Tony. That’s ridiculous. Of course not.
bid Karl actually say that?
bET. S’rURGtS: How else would I know about him, Prof?
MR. JONES: Ludicrous. But he is a sociopath-don’t forget that.
Genetic liar. At worst I’m guilty of underestimating him-not realizing
how truly dangerous he was. As much as I didn’t respect Dawn as a
human being, I was horrified to find out she was murdered. If I’d
known, I’d never have written that letter to Karl’s parole board.
Never have.
Oh, my God.
bET. STURGIS: Never have what?
MR. JONES: Talked idly to Karl.
bET. SrvRGIS: About Dawn?
MR. TOKARIK: Don’t answer that.
MR. JONES: You’re sighing again it’s very wearisome, Tony. Yes, about
her, as well as other things. I’m afraid I must have thrown out idle
comments about Dawn that Karl must have misinterpreted horribly.
bET. STURGIS: What kinds of comments?
MR. JONES: Oh, no, I can’t believe he actually- How she was harassing
me. He misunderstood. God, what a horrible misunderstanding!
bET. STURGIS: You’re saying he misunderstood your comments and killed
her on his own?
MR. JONES: Believe me, Detective, the thought makes me sick. But it’s
an inescapable conclusion.
bET. STURGIS: What exactly did you tell Sobran about Dawn?
MR. JONES: That she was someone from my past who was bothering me.
bET. STURGIS: That’s it?
MR. JONES: That’s it.
bET. S’rURGIS: There was no solicitation? To kill or hurt her?
MR. JONES: Absolutely not.
bET. STURGIS: But there was payment, Prof. Two thousand dollars that
Sobran deposited in his account the day after her murder. He had some
of it in his pocket when I arrested him.
He says he got it from you.
MR. JONES: No problem. I’ve been helping Karl for a long time so he
could get on his feet, wouldn’t have to revert.
bET. SrvRGis: Two thousand dollars?
MR. JONES: Sometimes I get a little loose with the purse strings.
It’s an occupational hazard.
bET. STURGIS: Of being a sociology professor?
MR. JONES: Of growing up wealthy it can be a real curse, you know.
That’s why I always tried to live my life as if the money didn’t
exist.
Keeping my life-style unpretentious keeping away from all the things
that have the potential to corrupt.
bET. SrvRGIs: Like real estate deals?
MR. JONES: My investments were for them-Cindy and the kids. I wanted
them to have some kind of financial stability, because teaching school
sure won’t give you that. That was before I realized what she was
doing.
bET. STURGIS: By “doing,” you mean sexual behavior?
MR. JONES: Exactly. With everything that walked in through the
door.
The children weren’t even mine, but I took care of them anyway. I’m a
soft touchit’s something I need to work on.
bET. S’rr’RGIS: Uh-huh. . . Was Chad yours?
MR. JONES: Not a chance.
bET. SrvRGIS: How do you know?
MR. JONES: One look at him. He was the spitting image of a roofer we
had working out on the tract. Spitting imagetotal clone.