“I’m here.”
“That is inferential not a direct answer.”
“I’m extremely interested.”
He stared at the aquarium and bloodied another cuticle. Suddenly he sprang up and tapped the glass hard. The fish scattered.
He sat back down. “The clown trigger was about to bite the dorsal fin of the heniochus. I can tell from the look in the clown trigger’s eyes and the way his body orients when he’s preparing to attack. When I see that, I scare him. That’s why I’m here watching. I plan to be here until the behavior is eliminated.”
I said, “Deconditioning.”
“Re-education,” he said. “Like Mao Tse-tung told the Chinese to do. He never bathed, just swam. He took young girls to an island called Hammer Island and raped them.”
I said, “Nice guy.”
“I read his red book, it’s inane but inane people still follow him.”
He hiked his knees to his chin. “The minor lie I told you was about not shitting, the major lie I told you is I didn’t see details. I did. They both wore dark clothes. He was tall with light hair. She was medium-sized with dark hair. I also lied when I said I didn’t see their car. I did. It was a white Rolls-Royce. He drove, she was on the passenger side. I thought they were spoiled-brat parents, driving a car like that, spoiled imbeciles breeding other spoiled imbeciles. I’m rich but I’ve developed independently because people don’t like me so I do what I want and think comprehensively.”
“What else do you want to tell me about the people in the Rolls?”
He pouted, unhappy at the topic shifting away from him. “Who says anything?”
“It’s up to you to say.”
“And I will,” he said. “Why wouldn’t I? Initially, they drove north then a few minutes later they came back down. I was on the side of the road wiping with leaves. That’s when I got a better look at them. They kept going south until I couldn’t see their taillights anymore. South is toward Beverly Hills, that confirmed my hypothesis.”
“Makes sense. This is extremely helpful, Crispin.”
“Because it adds to your data bank or because it confirms a prior hypothesis of yours?”
“Sorry, I can’t get into details.”
Surprisingly, no reaction to the refusal. Just the opposite; he created a near-smile. “It’s extremely helpful.”
“It is.”
“Love that love it love that. So I will be called to testify if you apprehend them based on my information and they’re taken to trial rather than settle with a plea.”
“We’re a long way from that, Crispin.”
“I understand that,” he said. “But given those contingencies, will I be called?”
“You want to testify?”
“Very much so. So I will be invited?”
“It’s complicated,” I said. “You’re a minor, your parents would need to—”
“By that time I likely will have reached majority and Haley and him will have nothing to say about it. Will I be allowed?”
“It won’t be up to me, Crispin. Why the desire to testify?”
“It would be interesting and recreational.”
I said, “A lot of people would be worried about testifying.”
“A lot of people are low-functioning automatons who care what other low-functioning automatons think of them. I want to get up in the witness box and be asked to swear on a Bible and refuse in a loud voice because I’m an atheist. Given the quality of my information, after a protracted debate among the lawyers and the judge, I’ll be allowed to affirm my truthfulness the way I see fit. Once that’s settled, I’ll inform everyone in the courtroom what I saw but I will fix my eyes on the two of them. I’m certain to be a star witness. What do you say about that?”
“I’m sure you’ll be convincing.”
“I will be,” he said. “I can make people think things.”
Chapter 42
He sprang up again and gave the aquarium another poke, setting off piscine panic. Then he walked to his glass desk, shoved the collection of Rubik’s cubes to the floor, and began working one of his laptops.
Screenful of geometric designs. As he manipulated, he hummed atonally.
“Is there anything else you want to tell me, Crispin?”
“On your way out inform Haley I’m ready for breakfast. I want anchovies.”
No sign of his mother. The maid was in the kitchen, wiping counters with something that smelled of vinegar.
I said, “Crispin’s hungry.”
She said, “He’s always hungry,” and kept washing.
I saw myself out, sat in the Seville, and phoned Milo.
He said, “One of a kind. Mentioning the Rolls says he’s probably being straight.”
I said, “The woman’s description fits, too.”
“Midsized and dark-haired, yeah, that sums up Okash. The light-haired guy’s probably our Herr Whatever. Okay, thanks, this goes in the book. Not that the kid would ever want to testify.”
“Quite the contrary,” I said. “He’s pawing the dirt and waiting for the starter gun. It might even be the reason he called me back.”
“Why would he put himself through that?”
“For the attention.”
“Huh. From what you saw, could he handle it?”
“He probably wouldn’t spook on the stand but I’m not sure the case would survive.” I told him about the boy’s yen for confrontation over his oath.
He said, “Can’t you see Nguyen dealing with that? All right, hopefully we won’t need him. I did get Okash’s friendly manager to go up and take a look at Okash’s apartment. She refused to do anything but a once-over, says no purse, phone, or keys in plain sight, no Okash, that stench of escape is growing. Maybe I was wrong about Dugong and he tipped her off. I got Key West PD to do a drive-by at his home, guy lives in a shack-type place, is in front painting away. Sleepy can’t find any flights Okash has taken but she could be with The Herr driving somewhere. Still waiting for Okash’s phone records and that’s it. Thanks for practicing your craft. Or is it an art?”
I said, “I’m steering clear of art.”
Chapter 43
Custody paperwork filled the rest of the day, followed by dinner with Robin that I cooked and catching up with psych journals. I went to sleep at eleven p.m., woke up at midnight, one a.m., two thirty.
As four a.m. approached, I remained wide awake, eyes open, muscles tight, synapses jangling. I tried to deep-breathe myself back to sleep. Doctor-soothe-thyself failed and at four forty-five a.m., I got out of bed, made my way to the closet, and got dressed in jeans, a sweatshirt, and running shoes.
Robin stirred. I kissed her forehead and went to the kitchen. Blanche stirred from her service-porch crate.
I opened the unlocked grate, received a somnolent lick.
After writing a note to Robin, I left.
When you’re compulsive, even new habits die hard.
No doubt where I was going.
Rolling down the private road topped by my house, I had to brake hard to avoid a buck with a full-on rack of antlers. He stared at me, flexed chest muscles, and bounded off into the brush. Moments later an enormous owl soared out of a pine tree and was swallowed by a lavender-black sky.