a little funny.”
Totes’s expression became mulish. “I’m fine, mister. Be more fine if you’d stop confusin’ me.”
“Then just answer the questions one at a time, Carl. Did you see Lilah Brecht the night she was raped?”
“I told you no.”
“Did you see Lilah Brecht the night she was raped, Carl?”
“Goldern it!” Totes said, “I told you I don’t remember.”
“No, you didn’t, Carl. You told me nossir, you didn’t see her. That’s what you said. But now, you’re telling me you don’t remember—”
“’Cause you’re mixin’ me—”
“You’re mixing yourself up. Which is it, Carl? Nossir or you don’t remember? Did you see Lilah Brecht the night she was raped?”
Totes was breathing heavy. “Nossir.”
“How did your semen get on her sheets, Carl?”
“I don’t remember.”
“Did you rape Lilah Brecht, Carl?”
“I don’t … you’re confusin’ me!”
Silence.
Decker said, “Carl, how did your hair get on her sheets?”
“I … don’t know.”
“Who came to your stable the night Lilah Brecht was raped?”
“No one.”
“Before, you said you couldn’t tell me. Now you’re telling me no one. Which is it? Who came to see you at the stable the night Lilah Brecht was raped. Who?”
“I … I … I cain’t tell you.”
“How’d your hair get on Lilah Brecht’s sheets?”
“I’m mixed up.”
“I know you’re mixed up because you’re not answering my questions. How’d your hairs get on Lilah Brecht’s sheets? How’d they get there, Carl? How?”
“I don’t know.”
“They didn’t walk by themselves. How’d they get on Lilah Brecht’s sheets?”
“I … I … don’t know.”
“Carl, did you see Lilah Brecht the night she was raped?”
Silence. Decker repeated the question.
“You’re confusin’ me,” Totes answered.
“Carl, did you see Lilah Brecht the night she was raped?”
“I … I’m mixed up. You’re askin’ too many questions.”
“Just listen to them one at a time. Did you see Lilah Brecht the night she was raped?”
“I don’t …”
“Carl, did you see Lilah Brecht the night she was raped?”
Totes was panting. “I … mebbe I did.”
“Maybe you did,” Decker repeated. “Carl, did you rape Lilah Brecht?”
“Mebbe I did.”
23
The manila envelope was waiting at Marge’s desk when she and Decker walked into the squad room. They exchanged quick glances. Decker lifted his eyes and said, “Please, God, let us not have made asses out of ourselves.”
Marge smiled nervously as she ripped open the seal and pulled out the piece of paper. Then she brought her hand to her chest. “Phew!”
“It’s Totes?”
Marge nodded and handed him the paper. “Travers says he passed his tests with flying colors. One down.”
Mike Hollander walked into the squad room and over to the coffee urn, his fingers clutched around a paper sack. “How’d the questioning go?”
“No neat and clean confession,” Decker said, flipping through pages of lab analysis.
“But we did get a confirmation from Buck Travers. I’ll take that over a confession any day of the week.”
“We’ve either got one very confused stable hand,” Decker said, “or one excellent bullshit artist.”
“They’re all bullshit artists, Rabbi.” Hollander carried his mug back to his desk and sat down. “Shame on you for turnin’ soft in your old age.”
Marge sat down. “I vote with Pete. I think Totes is very confused … you know, one of those true weirdo types who gets mental blackouts when committing a crime.”
“Dissociative reaction …” Decker said.
Marge laughed. “Oh, my, we’ve been hitting the books.”
“Nah,” Decker smiled. “Remember my weirdo friend, Abel Atwater? His shrink used to call his blackouts dissociative reactions.”
“Yeah, shrinks use that kind of language so they can bilk MediCal out of big bucks.” Hollander liberated a doughnut from his bag and took a bite. Crumbs sprinkled his lap. “Government ain’t gonna pay for a diagnosis of blackout. Otherwise head docs would be cleaning up on drunks.” He took another bite and spoke as he chewed. “Your daughter called, Rabbi. I left the number on your desk.”
“Thanks, Mike.” Decker crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against Marge’s desk. He wasn’t happy with the outcome of Totes as bad guy, and he couldn’t explain why. In past cases, he’d gone to the DA with a lot less material than he had here and felt righteous about it. But it wasn’t his job to pass judgment, just collect and present evidence. “Interrogation only took forty minutes; no one can charge us with tiring the suspect or police brutality. I think we have enough for the grand jury.”
“I’ll call the DA,” Marge said.
“In the meantime, now that we have the test results, someone’s got to handle the booking.”
“I can do it.” Hollander licked his fingers. “You want me to get him a lawyer?”
Decker said, “Court’ll automatically appoint him one once he’s been formally charged. I want to call Cindy first. Then I’ll phone Burbank and find out where they’re at with the Merritt murder. We’ve got Totes for Lilah’s rape, but that doesn’t explain the thefts or Merritt’s murder.”
“I’ll get a warrant to search the stable,” Hollander said. “Could be Totes stashed some of the goods there.” He lifted his sizable
