'No, not robbed, Miss MacNeil, never robbed, but then who needs a motive in times like these?' His hands were constantly in motion, like a flabby glove informed by the fingers of a yawning puppeteer. 'Why, today, for a murderer, Miss MacNeil, a motive is only an encumbrance; in fact, a deterrent.' He shook his head. 'These drugs, these drugs,' he bemoaned. 'These drugs. This LSD.'
He load at Chris as he tapped his chest with the tips of his fingers. 'Believe me, I'm a father, and when I see what's going on, it breaks my heart. You've got children?'
'Yes, one.'
'A son?'
'A daughter.'
'Well...'
'Listen, come on in the study,' Chris interrupted anxiously, turning about to lead the way. She was losing all patience.
'Miss MacNeil, could I trouble you for something?'
She turned with the dim and weary expectation that he wanted her autograph for his children. It was never for themselves. It was always for their children. 'Yeah, sure,' she said.
'My stomach.' He gestured with a trace of a grimace. 'Do you keep any Calso water, maybe? If it's trouble, never mind; I don't want to be trouble.'
'No, no trouble at all,' she sighed. 'Grab a chair in the study.' She pointed, then turned and headed for the kitchen. 'I think there's a bottle in the fridge.'
'No, I'll come to the kitchen,' he told her, following. 'I hate to be a bother.'
'No bother.'
'No, really, you're busy, I'll come. You've got children?' he asked as they walked. 'No, that's right; Yes, a daughter;. you told me; that's right. Just the one.'
'And how old?'
'She just turned twelve.'
'Then you don't have to worry,' he breathed. 'No, not yet. Later on, though, watch, out.' He was shaking his head. Chris noticed that his walk was a modified waddle. 'When you see all the sickness day in and day out,' he continued. 'Unbelievable. Incredible. Crazy. You know, I looked at my wife just a couple of days ago---or weeks ago---I forget. I said, Mary, the world----the entire world---is having a massive nervous breakdown. All. The whole world.' He gestured globally.
They had entered the kitchen, where Karl was polishing the interior of the oven. He neither turned nor acknowledged their presence.
'This is really so embarrassing,' the detective wheezed hoarsely as Chris was opening the refrigerator door. Yet his gaze was on Karl brushing swiftly and questioningly over his back, and his arms and his neck like a small, dark bird skimming over a lake. 'I meet a famous motion-picture star,' he continued, 'and I ask for some Calso water. Ah, boy.'
Chris had found the bottle aced now was looking for an opener. 'Ice?' she asked.
'No, plain; plain is fine.'
She was opening the bottle.
'You know that film you made called Angel?' he said. 'I saw that film six times.'
'If you were looking for the killer,' she murmured as she poured out the bubbling Calso, 'arrest the producer and the cutter.'
'Oh, no, no, it was excellent---really---I loved it!'
'Sit down' She was nodding at the table.
'Oh, thank you.' He sat. 'No, the film was just lovely,' he insisted. 'So touching. But just one thing,' he ventured, 'One little tiny, minuscule point. Oh, thank you.'
She'd set down the glass of Calso and sat on the other side of the table, hands clasped before her.
'One minor flaw,' he resumed apologetically. 'Only minor. And please believe me, I'm only a layman. You know? I'm just audience. What do I know? How-ever, it seemed to me---to a layman---that the musical score was getting in the way of certain scenes. It was too intrusive.' He was earnest now; caught up. 'It kept on reminding me that this was a movie. You know? Like so many of these fancy camera angles lately. So distracting. Incidentally, the score, Miss MacNeil---did he steal that perhaps from Mendelssohn?'
Chris drummed her fingertips lightly on the table. Strange detective. And why was he constantly glancing to Karl?
'I wouldn't know,' she said, 'but I'm glad you liked the picture. Better drink that,' she told him, nodding to the Calso. 'It tends to get flat.'
'Yes, of course. I'm so garrulous. You're busy. Forgive me.' He lifted the glass as if in toast and drained its contents, his little finger arching demurely away from the others. 'Ah, good, that's good,' he exhaled, contented, as he put aside the glass, his eye falling lightly on Regan's sculpture of the bird. It was now the centerpiece of the table, its beak floating mockingly and at length above the salt and pepper shakers. 'Quaint.' He smiled. 'Nice.' He looked up. 'The artist?'
'My daughter,' Chris told him.
'Very nice.'
'Look, I hate to be---'
