Return to Oz (The Falken Chronicles Book 3) by Platt Piers

Author:Platt, Piers [Platt, Piers]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2017-07-12T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

Vina set her datapad on the kitchen counter, arranging it carefully in its stand so that it was facing her.

Wonder how Falken’s doing? she thought. He said he would call, and keep me updated, but it’s been a while since I’ve heard from him. I’m not sure whether that’s good news, or bad news.

She took a final sip of coffee, and put the mug to one side.

Okay, lots of calls to make today, she thought. Here goes.

She tapped on the screen, and the dialing icon appeared. A moment later, an older man’s face appeared.

“Yes?”

“Dr. Gillanon? It’s Vina Weaver.”

“Good morning,” the doctor said, smiling at her. “Vina, was it? I’m sorry, you’ll have to remind me – is this a therapy session, or an interview?”

“Uh, an interview,” Vina said. “But I’m not from a newsnet agency or anything. I was just hoping to ask you some questions about my father’s case.”

“Oh, right,” Gillanon said. “The murder case. My assistant shared some of the, ah, details you sent over. Are you asking for a second opinion on your father’s diagnosis?”

“I guess?” Vina said. “I’m mostly trying to understand his mental health, and how it all fits into the case.”

The doctor frowned. “Well, without actually examining him, I’m afraid I can’t say much about your father’s, ah, health. This whole discussion would just be theoretical.”

“Theoretical is fine,” Vina said.

“Then, ah, then fire away,” the doctor said, waving his hand at her on the screen.

“So, let’s assume for a moment that my father is innocent, as he claims to be. Is there any way to prove that he’s telling the truth?”

Gillanon exhaled loudly. “From a psychological perspective? Not really. You’d have to speak with a biometrics expert, or perhaps a defense attorney, but my, ah, my understanding is that the science of lie detection is still not well-accepted, either among academics, or by courts of law. Those machines can tell if you’re emotionally aroused, and what emotion you might be feeling, but just because someone is happy or fearful when they say something doesn’t mean they are being honest.”

“Hm,” Vina said. “Okay.”

“Was that all?”

“No,” Vina said. “My father never admitted any guilt. If he did commit the murder, why might he still deny it, even after he was tried and convicted?”

“Lots of reasons,” Gillanon said. “Let’s see.” He held up his fingers in the air, counting on them one at a time. “He could feel guilty about it, and be reluctant to face what he has done. He could be worried that confessing would, ah, change how you and your family feel about him, or that it would lead to additional punishment for him in jail. He could just be a pathological liar, accustomed to lying about his behavior.”

None of those sound like things Dad would do. “His attorney argued that he was temporarily insane when he killed Tevka,” Vina said. “Could it be that hasn’t confessed because he’s still … sick? Insane?”

“Certainly,” Gillanon agreed. “A massive traumatic event like this can sometimes cause people to lose their grip on reality.

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