'Yeah.'
'Well, I'll be damned. You know, Gary, you might be a natural at this stuff.'
Gary blushed at the compliment. 'I just want to get this guy.'
'I know you do, so let's see if you can tell for sure if it's Sandy.'
'Okay,' Gary said, letting his head sag back. This time he did what Sergeant Downes had suggested and watched the action on a big movie screen take him back in time. The park appeared, flowing like water at first, then solidifying until only the edges were wavy. As he approached the park entrance the scene slowed to a crawl and the two people started to appear. Who were they? He was taller than she, but his face and body were in shadow.
Gary was opposite them now. He willed the picture to grind to a halt and strained to see if the woman's features were the same as ... as those in the photograph of Sandra Whiley at the college that Sergeant Downes had shown him.
'I can see them. She's kind of turning and he grabs her.'
'By her shoulders, her shirt?'
'By the shirt. She's making this real fast turn when he grabs her and she whips around and I think they're probably hanging on to each other, kinda .
.. you know.'
'Go on, Gary. This is great. Can you see her face?'
'Sorta, but it's like ... I don't know. You probably wouldn't know me if I was on a dark street.'
'But you were directly across from her.'
'Yeah, when he pulled her back and grabbed her.'
'Was it her, Gary? Was it Sandy? Slow the picture.
Make it lighter on the screen. You can do it, Gary. You can add some light. What do you say?'
'I'm ... I think.. .'
'Go ahead. Say it.'
'I'm sure it's her. The one that got killed. And ... and that's the murderer, too, because he jerked her back.
They weren't hugging.'
'They weren't?'
'No, no. 'Cause he was grabbing her and she was pulling away and he.. .'
'What? jerked her back?'
'Yeah. Like that. A jerk, so she spinned around. And that's when I seen her.'
'Did you see anything shiny, Gary? It would probably have been right then.
In that split second.'
'Shiny?'
'We know there was a weapon.'
'Boy, I don't..
'You don't see a weapon? We haven't found the weapon, yet. We don't know what he used to kill Sandy.'
'Oh.'
'So, look at his right hand. Most people are righthanded. It would probably be there.'
Gary concentrated real hard, running the picture forward and backward while Downes waited quietly. He could see Sandy. She looked scared.
'What have you got, Gary?'
Gary's eyes opened. 'Nothing more,' he answered groggily. He was getting tired.
'But you know it's the killer and Sandy?'
Gary nodded. 'I could see she was scared.'
'Really', You didn't say that before. That's good. See, we're making progress. How are you holding up?'
'I'm hungry.'
'Do you want a Coke and a burger?'
'A burger would be good.'
'Let's take a break. Then, we'll try again.'
An hour and a half later, Dennis Downes was frustrated and Gary Harmon looked exhausted. Gary's eyes were bloodshot and his hair was in disarray from the times he had run his fingers through it. The remains of a greasy hamburger, an empty can of Coke and several paper containers for coffee littered the tabletop. They had been over and over Gary's walk by the entrance to Wishing Well Park and Gary still would not give any more details.
Downes knew he ha reached a dea end with his current approach. He was thinking of giving up when an idea occurred to him.
'Straight across from me,' Gary mumbled sleepily. 'I know he's taller than she is, but I still can't see enough.
I'm sorry, Sergeant.'
'It's okay, Gary. Don't apologize. You've given us our first clues and you've also given me an idea. A way to break through to the truth. Would you be willing to try one more thing before you go home?'
'I'm awful tired, but if you think I can help, I'll try.'
'Terrific, Gary. Now, let me tell you my idea. If this doesn't work, we'll call it a night. Have you seen people on TV who can predict the future or read minds?'
Gary nodded.
'Those people are called psychics and some of them help the police. If there's a murder, you give them an object that belonged to the murdered person and they can project their supernatural mind into the mind of the killer through this object and find a missing body or see who did the killing through the dead victim's eyes.
Based on what I've seen you do, I suspect you have a very developed supernatural mind. I want you to use it to help me out.'
'Gee, Sergeant, I've never done anything like that,' Gary said. He was beat. All he wanted to do was sleep.
He didn't even think he had a supernatural mind.
'I'm not surprised you haven't used your supernatural mind,' Downes said. 'You didn't even know you had these powers of the subconscious mind, until tonight.'
Downes stood and stretched. 'We're gonna need something of Sandy's for this. You sit here while I get it.
Do you want another burger or some coffee?'
'That would be good.'
Downes left the interrogation room and went next door. Becky O'Shay looked as if she was ready to fall asleep. Sitting next to her was Don Bosco, a short, squat man dressed in tan chinos and a short-sleeve shirt. Bosco had monstrously hairy forearms and bush eyebrows.
y There was even an extra-thick growth of black hair on the psychologist's ears.
'What was that all about?' Bosco asked when Downes entered the room.
'Just an idea I want to try,' Downes said.
After he explained his plan, Downes asked, 'What do you think, Becky?'
'I think he's covering up. You've got him admitting he saw the murder. We need to have him slipup on a detail that will prove he committed the murder.
I say, go for it.'
'Do you see any problems, Don?' Downes asked.
Bosco looked troubled. 'I think it could get riskyharmon is reacting like someone who's mentally handicapped..
'He's not that dumb.'
'I don't know,' Bosco answered hesitantly 'And, even If he's of normal intelligence, he's awfully tired.
He's going to be susceptible to suggestion. You have to be very careful not to lead him. Even telling him that he will be able to see things with his psychic powers is suggestion.'
'Okay. I'll be extra careful. Don't worry.'
