hundred victims, sustained several severe head injuries as a youth. John Wayne Gacy, Richard Speck, Charles Manson -- all had records of serious head injuries.'
'So it is possible that a normal, upstanding member of society like you or me, if afflicted with a meningioma of the frontal lobe, could undergo such a dramatic personality change that murder may be committed?'
'Assuming that the part of the brain dealing with morals and values was affected, which is also part of the frontal lobe, yes, it is possible.'
'And if this person, before the tumor, was a nonviolent and caring individual, is it possible that the tumor could be the sole cause of such a dramatic personality change and the violent episodes that ensued?'
'Yes.'
'And if that tumor -- the sole cause of this violent behavior -- were removed, would the person's personality then revert back to normal?'
'In my opinion, yes.'
'Thank you, Doctor. Your witness.'
Libby stood up but didn't even bother to move from behind the table.
'Have you ever, in your professional capacity, Doctor, treated an individual with an intracranial tumor who murdered anyone?'
'No, I haven't.'
'And as one of the premier brain specialists in the world, have you ever encountered a case in your research where a person with an intracranial tumor murdered anybody?'
'No.'
'How many cases have you reviewed, either in person or through research, throughout your career, Doctor?'
'Several thousand.'
'Can you speak up, sir?'
'Several thousand cases.'
'Several thousand cases, and not one case of murder. No more questions.'
Garcia passed on the redirect.
I studied the jurors, and they seemed unconvinced by the cross-examination. Hell, if I didn't know Fuller was faking it, I would have been unconvinced too. When the world's leading brain specialist says it's possible that a tumor could cause someone to kill, you believe it.
'You may step down, Doctor. And we'll have an hour break for lunch.' Taylor banged the gavel. 'Adjourned.'
Libby wasn't happy.
'Losing this case won't bode well for my career.' She took my arm as we exited the courtroom. 'I got a copy of the tape from Garcia yesterday. He claims it came in the mail, in a plain brown envelope, no return address, no note. Even gave me the envelope. I had it checked. Clean.'
'I take it the tape didn't have Fuller's confession on it?'
'No. He says what he played in court was all that was on it, but Garcia is a sneaky little bastard, and he didn't get a name for himself by playing fair and nice with the other children.'
'Did you get the tape checked?'
'It's being checked, but it's obvious the tapes come from different sources. I played it against the one you made, and the sound quality is completely different. It's better, and Fuller is louder than you. The mike must have been on his side of the room.'
'Maybe it was someone from the prison. You know the warden better than I do. Ask him if he's had any no- shows lately. Guards calling in sick, quitting suddenly, that kind of thing.'
'I'll do it today.'
I switched gears. 'I think I've got a way to get Rushlo to talk.'
I gave her the short version. Libby frowned.
'Not my preferred course of action, but I'll swing it. Anything to save this sinking ship. I can have the paperwork ready by tomorrow. Cook County jail is right down the street, so we can do this on our lunch break.'
I smiled, but it didn't quell the butterflies in my stomach.
Chapter 38
Herb and I were going through a list of every student who attended classes with Fuller at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, and trying to make connections between them and any of the 137 missing persons from that time. We allocated my floor for the purpose, spreading out files in a big, uneven grid sorted semi-alphabetically. Benedict was on his knees, crossing off possibles, when Libby called.
'I've got a name. Marvin Rohmer. He's a guard at Division Eleven, been missing for the past week. A look into his personal finances revealed Rohmer has recently opened up eight checking accounts, each with cash amounts ranging from two to six grand. Probably got a large payment from that weasel Garcia.'
'Spreading it out because banks have to report big cash deposits. Smart.'
'Yeah, but he called attention to himself anyway by skipping work.'
'We're on our way.'
