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do for him. I find him jobs where he doesn't have contact with the public, and I warn the employers in advance about his condition. Mostly, he does maintenance work on lodges, ranches and so on. The quiet, and working on his own, seem to mellow him." He paused, then, "Those murders you're investigating& Do you think he's the one responsible, that he killed those people?" "We think it's possible, yeah," Chase replied. "Can you tell me more about it?" Ridgeley asked earnestly. "Maybe I can help." Chase showed him the photos of Susan and Charlie that they all carried around with them these days. Perfect Knowledge - 176 "The woman's name is Susan Welling, the kid, Charlie Kortchmer. They were killed three years ago in Confluence Park. The kid was beaten to death, and we think the woman saw it happening. She was either running away or going for the cops, when she was struck on the skull and thrown into the South Platte River." Evan suddenly remembered something. "Mr. Ridgeley, you know if Fletcher carries a weapon of some kind? Maybe for protection? A bat or club, something like that?" Ridgeley closed his eyes and exhaled tiredly. "Yeah. He owns an ASP baton. Carries it in his bag everywhere he goes." "That could very well be our murder weapon," Kay said. "It's certainly consistent with the wounds inflicted on both Susan and Charlie." "There's more," Ridgeley said, shoulders slumped. "I remember him talking about some kid named Charlie once. Fletcher called him a punk, said he was an ungrateful brat. He said& he said he had taught the kid a lesson on how to respect his elders." "How long ago was that?" Chase asked intently. "During one of his paranoid episodes, some months ago. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but now& " "Fletcher ever explain what he meant by teaching the kid a lesson?" Toby asked. Ridgeley shrugged. "He muttered something about money, but like I said, Fletcher was in a bad way back then, and I couldn't get more out of him. As far as I know, Fletcher keeps all the money he earns with him. Perhaps in his bag, even on himself. He doesn't trust banks, says they use people's savings for nefarious projects. Maybe the kid saw the money and tried to borrow or even steal from him." Perfect Knowledge - 177 "So, if Charlie got desperate enough to steal from Fletcher, and Fletcher found out& " Kay ventured. "He loses his mind, beats the kid to a pulp, then sees Susan, kills her, too." "Makes sense," Chase said. "I think there's something you need to know," Ridgeley said grimly. "Fletcher was a POW in a Vietnamese camp for about five years. I can't begin to imagine what he went through during that time. Seeing friends and comrades die, being tortured, having to deal with the inhuman conditions they lived in& They were kept in large holes on the ground, no sanitary facilities, not enough food or water, no place to sleep& " "Are you justifying the things he does?" Kay asked. "Even if he didn't kill Susan and Charlie, you said it yourself that his fits of rage are frightening, that he put people in the hospital before." "No, Ms. Wilson, I'm not. But I also can't help but sympathize. That man fought for his country, he was a hero. Nobody could have gone through all that and remain completely unaffected. This country owes him, and that debt's still standing." "I totally agree with you there," Chase said. "After all we've learned about him, I can't help but think that going to prison or a state mental hospital would be the best course of action for him. Not wanting to sound callous, but if he's guilty, he'll actually have access to food, shelter, and proper medication." "The thing is, Fletcher is terrified of confined spaces. Once he realizes who you are, and that you intend to take him in for questioning, I don't think he'll go quietly. I think he'd rather die than go to prison or be institutionalized." Evan exchanged a worried look with the others. "Maybe we should call Jackson?" he suggested. Perfect Knowledge - 178 "Having the police try to apprehend Fletcher might make it worse," Toby said. "If we convince him to come with us, things might work out. But if he sees sirens and [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |