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