The Web

hand in hand: 'I may not hope from outward forms to win the passion and the life, whose fountains are within'- Coleridge said that. Another great thinker; even narcotics didn't still his genius… Your passion even comes through your scientific writing, son. That's why I asked you to join me.'

'And here I thought it was my experience with police cases.'

He sat back and let out another shrill laugh. 'Passionate and observant. Yes, your experience with criminal behavior was a bonus because to me it means you have a strict sense of right and wrong. I admire your sense of justice.'

'What does justice have to do with analyzing medical charts?'

'I was speaking in an abstract sense- doing things ethically.'

'Are you sure that's it?'

'What do you mean?'

'Has the cannibal murder remained on your mind, Bill? Have you been more worried about recurrence than you let on? Because if that's it, you're going to be disappointed. I've gotten involved in a few bloody things, mostly because of my friendship with Milo Sturgis. But he's the detective, not me.'

He took time to answer. Staring at his wife's watercolors. Twisting his fingers as if they were knitting needles.

'Worry's too strong a word, son. Let's just say the possibility of recurrence has remained in the back of my mind. AnneMarie's murder was my first real brush with this kind of thing, so I read up on it and learned that recurrence is the norm, not the exception. When I learned you had some experience with murder in addition to your scholarly achievements, I felt a great sense of… appropriateness.'

'How similar is Betty's murder to AnneMarie Valdos's?'

'Dennis claims there are… similarities.'

'Was Betty cannibalized?'

'Not…' He tapped the desk. The flutter of wings outside a window made us both start. Nightbirds or bats.

'Not yet,' he said. 'Nothing was missing. She was…' He shook his head. 'Decapitated and eviscerated, but nothing had been taken.'

'What about the long bones?'

'One leg was broken- hacked but not severed.'

'What kind of knife was used?'

He didn't reply.

'Bill?'

'Knives,' he said miserably. 'A set of surgical tools were found there.'

'Ben's?'

Headshake.

'Yours?'

'An old set I'd once owned.'

'Did you give it to Ben?'

'No. It was kept here- in the lab. In a drawer of this desk.'

'Where Ben had easy access.'

He nodded, almost crying. 'But you must believe me, Ben would never take anything without permission. Never! I know it sounds bad for him, but please believe me.'

'AnneMarie had a drinking problem,' I said. 'You implied Betty did, too.'

'Did I?'

'Back in the house you said she used to smoke and… Then you trailed off and said she'd been taking excellent care of herself during her pregnancy.'

'The poor thing's dead. Why besmirch her memory?'

'Because it may be relevant. She's beyond hurt, Bill. Was she an alcoholic?'

'No, not an alcoholic. She was a… friendly girl. She smoked and drank a bit.'

'What does friendly have to do with it?'

'Friendly,' he said. 'To the sailors.'

'Like AnneMarie. One of those girls who went up to Victory Park. Was it common knowledge in the village?'

'I don't know what's common knowledge. I heard it from her mother.'

'Her mother complained about Betty's promiscuity?'

'Ida brought Betty in to be treated for a venereal infection.'

'Gonorrhea?'

He nodded.

'When?'

'A year ago. Before she became engaged. We kept it confidential from Mauricio- her boyfriend. Tested him, too, under a false pretense. Negative. Eventually they married.'

'Maybe he found out anyway and reacted.'

'This? No, not Mauricio. What was done to her was beyond… no, no, impossible. Mauricio's not a… calculating sort. He'd never have thought to incriminate Ben.'

'Not smart enough?'

'He's simple. As was Betty.'

I remembered Betty's open manner and easy smile. Trusting me enough after meeting me to talk about herself. No bra under the tank top…

'Simple and trusting,' I said. 'A drinker, overly friendly with the boys. Sounds like a perfect victim. What was Ben's relationship with her?'

'They knew each other the way everyone on the island knows each other.'

'Did Ben know about her gonorrhea?'

He thought. 'I didn't discuss it with him.'

'But he could have found out- read it in the chart.'

'Ben was busy enough without sticking his nose where it didn't belong.'

'Maybe he came across it by accident. We both know you're not a compulsive filer.'

No answer. He got up and paced, twisting his fingers again, bobbing his neck.

I said, 'Learning that, he could have assumed she was easy.'

'I didn't record the diagnosis in my notes. I made sure to protect her.'

'What did you write?'

'Just that she had an infection that required penicillin.'

'Someone with Ben's medical sophistication could have figured it out, Bill. And what about the lab tests? Did you destroy the results?'

'I- don't believe so… but still it's not possible. Not Ben. Why are you thinking in these terms?'

'Because I have an open mind. If that upsets you, we can end the discussion.'

He gritted his teeth. 'This isn't the last time I'll be hearing these kinds of speculations. I might as well get used to it. Let's assume- for the sake of argument- that Ben did know she'd been infected. Why in the world would he murder her?'

'As I said, it could have led him to believe she was easy. One scenario is that they'd had a relationship for a while, or even that last night was a one-night stand. In either case, they went up to the park, got drunk, and things got out of hand.'

'That's ridiculous! You saw him with Claire tonight. He loves her, they've got so much going- the children.'

'Lots of psychopaths lead double lives.'

'No! Not Ben! And he's not a psychopath. He didn't kill AnneMarie and he didn't kill Betty!'

'Does he have an alibi for AnneMarie's murder?'

'He was never asked to present one. But I remember the way he reacted to the murder. Utterly