House of Skin

MATERIAL WITNESS

Gulliver also felt like weeping.

He was sitting in an interrogation room at Southern Station. Fenn had brought him in here and left. That was twenty minutes ago. What was the bastard up to? Maybe he didn’t want to know. If he’d just minded his own goddamn business, none of this would’ve happened. Why the hell had he bothered following Spider anyway? What had he hoped to prove? And why did he bother tracking down Lochmere? All mistakes. All terrible mistakes.

The door opened and Fenn came back in. He had a yellow legal pad and a pen. Gulliver hated the sight of him. Thin, muscular, with cold gray eyes and a hardened, emotionless face. He’d known too many like him before.

“Okay, Gulliver. Let’s talk turkey. Shall we?”

Gulliver nodded.

“First off, I’m still not convinced with what you’ve told me. Why did you follow them?”

“Curiosity.”

“That doesn’t bite with me. Just curiosity? Did you wanna watch? Maybe see what real men do with women?”

Gulliver had been waiting for that. His reply was all set. “Yes, that’s it exactly. And now I know. Real men butcher women.”

“I don’t need your mouth.”

“Then don’t give me any.”

“All right. How did you learn about Dr. Lochmere?”

“Simple. She’s been at every club in town asking questions. Just about everyone knows about her.”

Fenn wrinkled his brow. “That’s bad. If you can hear about her, so can Eddy.”

“Most likely.”

“Now, how about your full name?” Fenn said.

“Gulliver.”

“Real name.”

“Francais Simmons.”

“Good. Now address, social security number. Anything pertinent.”

Gulliver gave him what he wanted.

“Great,” Fenn said. He drew some photos out of an envelope and slid them over to Gulliver. “Is that the man you know as Eddy Zero?”

Gulliver studied them for a time. “Yeah, I think so.”

“Is it or isn’t it?”

“Yes… I think so. His hair’s longer now.”

“I’ll be back,” Fenn said, going to the door. He paused before it and turned. “Why Gulliver?”

Gulliver shrugged. “I liked that book when I was a kid. Gulliver’s Travels. I’ve been on some travels of my own since then.”

Fenn laughed. “I’ll just bet you have.”

Asshole. Now Fenn was going to leave and check him out on his laptop and when he returned, then the fun would start. Fenn would have a good time then. Gulliver cursed under his breath. How the hell had he gotten himself mixed up in this? It was crazy. Fenn would return in a few minutes with Gulliver’s police record. There’d be no stopping him then. Just another bigoted, right wing homophobic asshole whose old school world was falling apart around him. They were all alike, these cops. Their innate ignorance and intolerance was a symbol of office.

Fenn came back with a stack of computer printouts. He sat down. There was no avoiding the shit-eating grin on his face.

“All right, Francais… or should I say pastor?”

“Fuck you.”

Fenn laughed. “It looks like you’ve been a naughty boy in the past. Shoplifting. Check kiting. Male prostitution. And here’s a good one. Soliciting minors for sexual—”

“That one wasn’t proved. It was sheer bullshit. A couple of dumbass cops tried to pin that one on me because I was convenient. You know how cops are. They don’t breed ’em for smarts.”

“So you say. It doesn’t matter. The whole purpose of pulling your file was just to find out what sort of man I’m dealing with.”

“And are you satisfied?”

“Very. I take it you don’t like cops?”

Gulliver grunted. “What’s to like?”

“We protect you, mister.”

“Is that what you do? I’ve never heard it put that way before.”

“What the hell do you mean by that?”

“I mean I’m trying to cooperate and you’re treating me like the criminal.”

“No, I’m just trying to get the facts straight.”

“I’ve told you everything six times now. If you don’t have it straight by now, you have a serious learning disability.”

“You need to watch that mouth, princess.”

Gulliver shook his head. “Why are you cops all the same? Why are you all such homophobic bigots? Is it the training? Surely, the department couldn’t possibly put together such a collection of inbred assholes merely just by chance. You’re so damn predictable. All of you.”

“Aren’t we both,” Fenn said. “I tell you what, Gulliver. I won’t be an asshole if you won’t be. We’ll treat each other with mutual respect. Trading insults is only gonna slow things down. No more name calling. Your sexual preference is your own business.”

“Fine with me. Only, get it straight: I’m not a homosexual, I’m bisexual. There’s a difference.”

Fenn wrote those items down. “Okay. Now you met Eddy and he asked about his father? If you knew him?”

“Right. I said I didn’t. I said I knew a guy who might…”

Gulliver went through it all again. Two, three more times.

“I guess that’s it then, Gulliver. There’s only one more thing I want to ask you.”

“Shoot.”

“What’s your opinion of Lisa Lochmere?”

“My opinion? I don’t know. She seems okay. A little tense, wound a little tight. Why?”

“I’m curious.”

Gulliver thought it over. “You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”

“Is it obvious?”

“Yes.”

“Keep it to yourself, if you would. Now what’s your opinion.”

“I haven’t known her long, but I’d say she’s mysterious. That neither of us really know what she’s about,” he said. “She has a secretive side. A secret agenda, I’d guess. She’s someone with skeletons in her closet.”

Fenn nodded. He’d pretty much had his own thoughts just put into words, Gulliver figured.

“All right. A couple of my colleagues want to question you now.”

Fenn left and two other cops came in. One black and heavy, the other thin and white.

“I’m Detective Moore,” the black said. “And this is Gaines. This won’t take long.”

“Now,” Gaines said, “tell us everything and don’t leave nothing out, princess…”