“Pete’s obsessed. I’ve never seen him like this. I don’t believe we’re going to be able to pull him out of here.”
“And you?”
“I’ll probably be in and out for a while, but it’s hard to say.” He sounded discouraged.
“All I can do is give my advice, Kay. But the cops are listening to Pete, and Pete’s not listening to anybody.”
“What does Mrs. Steiner have to say about Lindsey?”
“She says it could have been him in her house that night. But she really didn’t get much of a look.”
“His speech is distinctive.”
“That’s been mentioned to her. She says she doesn’t remember much about the intruder’s voice except that he sounded white.”
“He also has a strong body odor.”
“We don’t know if he would have that night.”
“I doubt his hygiene is good on any night.”
“The point is, her not being sure only makes the case against him stronger. And the cops are getting all kinds of calls about him. He was spotted here and there doing suspicious things like staring at some kid he drove past. Or a truck like his was seen near Lake Tomahawk shortly after Emily disappeared. You know what happens when people make up their minds about something.”
“What have you made up your mind about?” Darkness clung to me like a soft, comforting cover, and I was aware of the timbre of the tones in the sounds he made. He had a lean, muscular voice. Like his physique, it was very subtle in its beauty and power.
“This guy. Creed, doesn’t fit, and I’m still disturbed about Ferguson. By the way, we got the DNA results and the skin was hers. ”
“No big surprise.”
“Something just doesn’t feel right about Ferguson.”
“Do you know anything more about him?”
“I’m running down some things.”
“And Gault?”
“We still have to consider him. That he did her.” He paused.
“I want to see you.” My eyelids were heavy and my voice sounded dreamy to me as I lay against my pillows in the dark.
“Well, I’ve got to go to Knoxville. That’s not very far from you. ”
“You’re seeing Katz?”
“He and Dr. Shade are running my experiment. They should be about finished.”
“The Farm is one place I have no desire to visit.”
“I guess you’re saying you won’t meet me there.”
“That’s not why I won’t.”
“You’ll go home for the weekend,” I said.
“In the morning.”
” Is everything all right?” It was awkward to ask about his family, and rarely did either of us mention his wife.
” Well, the kids are too old for Halloween, so at least there are no parties or costume making to worry about. ”
” No one’s ever too old for Halloween.”
” You know, trick-or-treating used to be a big production in my house. I had to drive the kids around and all that.”
” You probably carried a gun and X-rayed their candy.”
” You’re one to talk,” he said.
17
In the early hours of Saturday morning I packed for Knoxville and helped Dorothy put together the appropriate accoutrements for someone going where Lucy was. It was not easy to make my sister understand that Lucy would need no clothing that was expensive or required dry cleaning or ironing. When I emphasized that nothing valuable should be taken, Dorothy got quite upset.
“Oh my God. It’s like she’s going off to a penitentiary!” We were working in the bedroom where she was staying so we would not wake Lucy.
I tucked a folded sweatshirt into the suitcase open on the bed.
“Listen, I don’t even recommend taking expensive jewelry when you’re staying in a fine hotel.”
“I have a lot of expensive jewelry and stay in fine hotels all the time. The difference is I don’t have to worry about drug addicts being down the hall.”
“Dorothy, there are drug addicts everywhere. You don’t have to go to Edgehill to find them.”
“She’s going to pitch a fit when she finds out she can’t have her laptop.”
“I’ll explain to her that it’s not allowed, and I am confident she’ll understand.”
“I think it’s very rigid on their part.”