The Way of the Bear by Anne Hillerman

Author:Anne Hillerman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2023-02-27T00:00:00+00:00

12

Jessica took a step away from Bernie and stood at the motel doorway.

“Pictures of your husband?” She rubbed her temples. Bernie knew a lie was coming. “I don’t have a clue as to what you’re talking about.”

“I’m talking about photos of Lieutenant Jim Chee. Ranger Ajax Becenti saw them on the table in this room a few minutes ago.”

“Photos?”

Bernie spoke more loudly. “Photographs. Pictures. What’s going on?”

“Oh, that. There’s no reason for you to be so upset. Let’s talk.” Jessica turned and patted a clear spot on the bed behind her. “Sit a minute, and I’ll explain. It’s kind of embarrassing.”

Bernie didn’t move. “Go ahead. Start talking.”

“At least come inside. You’re letting winter in.”

Bernie moved into the room, stood three steps away from the door, and closed it. “Jessica, show me the photos. Now.”

“Sure. It’s really not a big deal. I don’t know why you’re so upset. Your husband was the perfect gentleman. He even stayed outside the room rather than coming in here with me.”

The idea that Chee would have done something inappropriate with Jessica had not occurred to Bernie. She knew her husband, and the idea that he’d been anything less than the perfect gentleman further stoked her anger.

“Ma’am, I guess you haven’t followed the news. Don’t you realize that those of us in law enforcement, a dangerous job to begin with, are at even more at risk if some kook has a grudge against us and our pictures at his fingertips? What were you thinking, or were you thinking at all?”

“Calm down.”

Being told to calm down made Bernie angrier. “I need those pictures. Now.”

“I’ll get them.” Jessica raised her voice. “Hey, Chris?”

“Yeah, babe? What do you need?” The male voice came from the other room.

“Come in here. And bring the photos.”

“Sure. Give me a second.”

Jessica sat on the bed. “I need to explain something. I’ve got a condition known as prosopagnosia. It means I can’t remember faces. I see a person I’ve known for years, and unless he says something, or has an unusual walk or always wears the same cologne or gives me other nonvisual clues, I won’t recognize him.”

“I’ve never heard of it.”

“Few people have. Prosopagnosia is also called face blindness. Most people who have it are born with it, like I was. The even more unlucky ones get this way from a brain injury or maybe encephalitis. It’s harder on them, you know?”

“No, I don’t know. I think you’re making all this up because I caught you doing something you know you shouldn’t have done.”

“Just listen. I’ve had this condition my whole life. Until I went to school, I thought I was normal. Then I realized I had to struggle to act normal, to try to work around the disability. People who acquire it later in life have issues with depression because they remember how they used to recognize people, how they could watch a drama on TV without getting confused like I always do. Before face blindness, they could tell the actors apart, and now they can’t.

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