Skin Deep

26

“Bird-watching, my ass.”

Neil turned onto 93 South toward Boston. The interview with Pendergast had elevated him from his funk of the last few days.

“He probably sits in the dark up there and watches the coeds undress.”

“So,” said Steve, “you think he had something going on with her?”

“What do you think? The guy’s a cocksman plain and simple. A stack of student sex complaints plus a lewd and lash with a seventeen-year-old. The bastard can’t keep it in his pants is all. Plus he’s got a dozen behavioral indicators.”

Steve decided to play dumb. “Like what?”

“Like what? The guy’s a fucking mess of tics and blinks. He’s lying about his relationship with her. Plus you saw his office. It’s superorganized. The damn books on the shelves are arranged alphabetically.”

“So he’s neat.”

“Not neat. Obsessive. And obsessive people are psychopathic, disorganized people are psychotic. He’s the kind who plans, who’s careful, and cleans up after himself.”

“Except we’ve got nothing hard connecting him to her apartment.”

Obsessive. Kinda getting close to home, pal.

“Not yet. But he’s got a history of sexual offenses, which is a good start in my book.”

Steve nodded. “Asking a student out is not a sexual offense.”

“He got a year’s suspension, so somebody thinks so.”

“But schools are uptight about sexual harassment. Word gets out some professor’s screwing his students and parents think twice about sending their kids. Plus consensual sex among adults isn’t against the law.”

“Then what about the Clark thing and the lewd and lash at UNH?”

“Yeah, but a big leap to murder one.”

“It’s a good start. Besides, one of his own students called him a pervert.”

“Except someone might see a guy who likes attractive women and who wants them to like him. Plus he’s got no record of violence. Terry Farina was killed in a moment of rage, not horniness.”

Neil turned his face toward him, his black glasses filling his face. “The guy’s a slimeball who’s lied to us point-blank. We don’t know the kind of violence he’s capable of or what makes his dick tick. He could be another Ted Bundy is all.”

Steve could feel the heat of conviction radiating from Neil. But his own confidence was rapidly fading. “He didn’t lie. He just didn’t fess up until he was aware we had something on him.”

“You’re splitting hairs. If he had nothing to hide, why was he so nervous?”

“Maybe because two homicide cops show up asking about a murdered stripper.”

Neil looked over at him again. “What’s your problem, man? He stinks of guilt.”

What’s my problem? So do I.

“I don’t want to hang the guy because you don’t like him.”

“Yeah, I don’t like him, but every instinct in me says he’s our man. And if we don’t arrest him, he’ll be gone to England and wherever.”

“Which is why we put in an application for his computers.”

Neil nodded and tapped some text message notes into his PDA. “You ask me, he’s just another fucking low-life with a bunch of college degrees.”

“There you go, mincing words again.”

Neil let slip a smile as he continued text messaging notes for the computer warrant. “Remember I’ve got a sixteen-year-old daughter.”

“We won’t tell him.”

They drove in silence for a while as Steve stared out the window. In the distance the Boston skyline against the low gray clouds revealed a profile of glass slabs, needles, cubistic spires, a tower surmounted by a skeletalized dome, and redbrick town houses stacked up against Beacon Hill. Architecturally it was postmodern schizophrenia, but a cityscape he loved.

“So, what’s happening with you and Dana?”

“Nothing’s happening.”

“What about getting back together?”

“She wants to live alone for a while.”

“Sorry to hear that.”

“Me, too.”

“What do you think that means?”

“I think I need a makeover.”

It means she’s gearing up to meet other men.

“It means she wants to live alone.”

“That’s too bad. She’s a nice woman.”

Steve had introduced him to Dana shortly before their separation. They took Neil out to eat when he was partnered with Steve. “Yup.”

“When I first met you guys I was envious. You had yourself a nice beautiful woman,” Neil said. “I thought you guys had the jackpot marriage.”

“So did I.”