A Fatal Obsession by James Hayman

Author:James Hayman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2018-08-20T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 26

A young uniformed officer with a round baby face and short-cropped sandy hair was sitting inside on the edge of one chair. He looked up at them nervously, like a kid who’d just been sent down to the principal’s office and wasn’t quite sure what he’d done wrong. “Officer Joe Ralston. Detectives McCabe and Savage,” Astarita said. “You guys take your time. I’m gonna go get myself a bite to eat while you talk. You want anything?”

“Yeah, bring us something,” said McCabe. “Haven’t eaten since last night.”

“What do you want?” asked Astarita.

“Anything. Whatever you’re having,” said McCabe.

“Me too,” said Maggie.

Ralston declined.

Astarita left. McCabe sat behind the desk. Maggie leaned against the wall. Ralston looked from one to the other. “How long you been a cop, Joe?” asked McCabe.

“About eighteen months, sir.”

“Always with the Seventh?” asked Maggie.

“Yes, ma’am. I patrol this neighborhood whenever I’m on duty.”

“Including last night around midnight?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“All right,” said McCabe. “You’ve already submitted your report on seeing the couple walking on Clinton Street, isn’t that right?”

“I did.”

“And the woman you saw looked like the missing actress?” asked McCabe.

“More than looked like her. I’m sure it was her. I should’ve checked out the guy a little closer. But I asked and she told me she was just fine. Even seemed happy.”

“Okay. Here’s what I want you to do,” said McCabe. “Forget about what you wrote in your report. Instead, I want you just to relax, close your eyes, take a deep breath and empty your mind of everything.”

Ralston looked puzzled by the request but did as he was told. One minute passed and then another.

“Now,” said McCabe, “keeping your eyes closed, put yourself back in the car on Rivington Street. Are you there?”

“Yes.”

“You’re driving slowly. Now you’ve reached the corner of Clinton. You’re turning the corner. What do you see?”

“It was late. Nearly one a.m. Street was wet. Pavement was reflecting the light from my headlights. There were a few lights on in a couple of windows in the tenements on either side of the street. One light toward the end of the block. This couple was on the street walking in the same direction as me.”

“On your side of the street?”

“Yes. It’s a one-way street. They were to my left. As I passed them I slowed down. I guess to get a better look at them.”

“You always slow down when you pass people on the street?”

“No.”

“Why this time?”

“I guess partly because the girl was so pretty.” Ralston’s fair skin started turning an embarrassed pink as he said this. “I wanted to get a better look at her. But also because the guy put his head down and kind of turned away from me like my lights were blinding him or something. Which they weren’t.”

“How do you know?”

“I approached them from behind. They couldn’t have been bothering him even when I pulled alongside. When I stopped the girl seemed relaxed. She smiled at me. I smiled back. I figured everything was okay.”

“Describe the man as best you can.

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