The Web

'What was your relationship with Betty?'

'I knew her. Knew her family.'

'Did she have a reputation for fooling around?'

'I guess.'

'Did you fool around with her?'

'No!'

'No affair?'

'No! I love my wife- my life is clean!'

'Her baby wasn't yours?'

'I love my wife! My life is clean!'

'Repeating it won't make it so.'

He started to come toward me, stopped himself. 'It's true.'

'Did you know she had the clap?'

Surprise on his face. Genuine?

'I don't know about that. My life is clean.'

'So how'd you end up in the park with your head on Betty's entrails?'

'I- it's a… it's a crazy story, you'll never believe it.' Closing his eyes. 'Just go. Tell Dr. Bill to forget about me. He's got important things to do.'

'You're pretty important to him.'

He shook his head violently.

'Tell me the story, Ben.'

The head kept shaking.

'Why not?'

He stopped. Another smile. Enigmatic. 'Too stupid. I couldn't even tell Claire- wouldn't believe it myself.'

'Try me. I'm used to strange stories.'

Silence.

'Keeping quiet just makes you look guilty, Ben.'

'Everything makes me look guilty,' he said. 'If you keep your mouth shut, you can't swallow flies.'

'Did Moreland tell you that? His quotations are usually a little more elegant.'

'No,' he said sharply. 'My… father.'

'What other words of wisdom did your father give you?'

Keeping his eyes closed, he tightened the lids.

Lying down on the bunk, face to the skimpy straw mattress.

'Okay,' I said. 'Maybe you should save it for your lawyer, anyway. Dennis has called for a public defender from Saipan. It'll take at least two days, maybe longer. Anything you want me to tell Moreland other than to abandon you?'

No movement.

I called out Dennis's name.

Deputy Ed Ruiz shuffled in and produced a key. 'Say anything?'

I didn't answer.

The toothless mouth creased in contempt. 'Figures. His old man never said anything either when we used to throw his ass in here. Just lie there, like he's doing. Like some damn piece of wood. Then, soon as the lights went out, he'd start having those drunk-dreams, screaming about things eating him alive.'

He put the key in the lock.

'When it got so loud we couldn't stand it, we'd hose him off and that would work for a while. Then he'd sleep again and go right back into those DTs. All night like that. Next morning, he'd be denying he did anything. Few days later, he'd be sauced up again, insult some woman or grab her, take a poke at some guy, and be back in here, the same damn thing all over.'

He came forward, pointing at Ben. 'Only difference is, Daddy used to sleep on the top bunk. We'd put him on the bottom, but he'd always find a way to get up there, no matter how drunk. Then, of course, he'd roll off in the middle of the night, fall on his ass, crack his head. But climb right back on top, the stupid shithead. Stubborn-stupid. Some people don't learn.'

He snickered and turned the key.

Behind me, Ben said, 'Hold on.'

28

Ruiz looked at him with disgust.

'Hey, killer.' Bracing one bony hand against the edge of the cell door. USMC tattoo across the top.

'How much time do I have left?' said Ben.

'The doctor here is ready to go.'

'I can wait,' I said. 'If he's got something to tell me.'

Ruiz mashed his lips and peered at his watch. 'Suit yourself. Eighteen minutes.'

He lingered near the door.

'We'll take all eighteen,' I said. He walked away, very slowly.

When I turned back to Ben, he was on his feet, next to the toilet hole, squeezing himself into a corner.

'This is the story,' he said in a dead voice. 'I don't care what you think of it, the only reason I'm telling you is so you'll pass it along to Dr. Bill.'

'Okay.'

'Though you probably won't.'

'Why not?'

'You can't be trusted.'

'Why's that?'

'The way you talked about him before. He's a great man- you have no idea.'

'Hey,' I said. 'If you don't trust me to deliver the message, save it for your lawyer.'

'Lawyers can't be trusted, either.'

'The one in Hawaii didn't do well by you?'

'There was no trial in Hawaii,' he said. 'I pled guilty and the Guard gave me some brig time. They said it wouldn't go on my record. Obviously, they can't be trusted either.'

'Life's rough,' I said. 'I'm sure Betty's family thinks so too.'

He stared into the filthy pit.

I said, 'Sixteen minutes left.'

Without shifting position, he said, 'When we got home from dinner, Claire was upset with me. For pressuring her to play. She didn't show it, but that's the way she is. I shouldn't have done it.'

Wringing his hands.

'We had… a tiff. Mostly, she talked and I listened, then she went to bed and I stayed up, trying to read. To get rid of my anger. Sometimes that works for me… not that I'm angry a lot. And we don't have many tiffs. We get along great. I love her.'

Tears.

'What did you read?'

'Medical journals. Dr. Bill gives me his when he's through. I like to educate myself.'

'Which journals?'

'New England Journal, Archives of Internal Medicine, Tropical Medicine Quarterly.'

'Do you remember any specific articles?'

'One on pyloric stenosis. Another on gallbladder disease.'