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Knowing he was off-kilter would be an advantage we could use. Jordan and I sat there for quite some time, studying his behavior. He didn’t get up and pace, though it seemed like he wanted to. He shifted positions restlessly several times.
I studied his body, cataloging his graying beard and how it concealed some of the lower part of his face. It wouldn’t be impossible to identify expressions through the beard, but it could present a challenge. His body was built like a barrel, and I watched how he moved around. It seemed like he might have an old injury in one shoulder which restricted his movements. Another thing to account for. His hooded eyes studied the blank walls in irritation. He didn’t like being there at all.
Finally, after about an hour, I stood up, picking up my tablet as I did. “Okay. I think I’m ready. You good?”
Jordan stood up with a nod. “Ready when you are.”
I opened the door and my eyes zeroed in on the suspect. He was watching me closely, steeling himself for what was to come. I kept my expression blank as I moved into the room and pulled out the chair across from him. Jordan closed the door firmly and moved to stand against the wall behind me. I didn’t have to look at him to know he’d have a hard and unfriendly look on his face. He was taking the role of bad cop. He usually pulled it off well, too.
Slowly, I sat down in the chair, not taking my eyes off him, and plopped my tablet in my lap. I crossed my legs and relaxed my posture. He met my eyes for the first few moments, but when it became clear I wasn’t going to speak, he looked away. His eyes darted around the room, from me to Jordan, then to the wall and back. He might be looking for a way out, but he wasn’t going to find one.
Finally, I could see the silence becoming too much for him. “I want a lawyer.”
I shrugged and his eyes darted back to me. I smiled sweetly. “I haven’t asked you any questions yet.”
He blinked, surprised by my attitude. I watched his eyebrows lift and his mouth part slightly. Good baseline for surprise. I leaned forward slightly, and he tensed. “You know why you’re here, Claude.”
He swallowed. “I didn’t try to kill that high chancellor.”
Truth. Of a sort. I smiled again. “You didn’t try to kill him, but you knew Santiago was going to kill him. You knew your boss was going to go out and set up that rifle and try to shoot him.”
Claude’s head and eyes dropped. I sighed. “Did you like your boss? Santiago?”
“What kind of a question is that?” Claude sounded confused, but his face gave nothing else away. No contempt, no obvious dislike, nor admiration.
I shrugged. “What about Kit Matheson?”
Contempt lit up his face as he looked away. “I don’t know who that is.”
“Liar.” I pursed my lips. “According to her, Santiago ordered you to kill her.”
“That never happened.”
Another lie. “She says you took her down to the water to kill her and dump the body. She overpowered you and escaped.”
His hand lifted to scratch his forehead, briefly shading his eyes, and then returned to his lap. He shifted in his chair and licked his lips. Then, he shook his head. “That wasn’t me.”
“Then why do you feel ashamed about it?”
His eyes shot to mine. I shrugged. “You obviously feel ashamed that she was able to overpower you. I bet that wasn’t good for your reputation.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” There was a sneer on his face, and he crossed his arms protectively, trying to create a barrier between us.
Jordan spoke. “It’s certainly plausible. I mean, my partner took you down with barely a fight today.”
Anger flashed vividly across his face when he looked at Jordan and then at me. That bit of information rankled him. He said nothing, though. Obviously, he knew talking while he was angry was a bad idea.
I shrugged. “Guess you don’t have an excuse for that. Truthfully, it doesn’t matter what I think happened. Kit has given her testimony, and we’ll get her set up to positively identify you. Once that happens, it’s off to trial.” I paused so he could think about the ramifications of a trial. “You do know who Kit Matheson is, right? I guess she’s going by Kit Silverman now, but regardless. She saved the high chancellor’s life. She’s an intergalactic hero. Do you really think you’ll get a not guilty vote? I don’t think so. But you can take your chances with trial if you want.”
Stubbornly, he refused to speak. I pressed my lips together, knowing I wasn’t going to break him on this one. Shifting tactics, I clicked on a file on my tablet. “Tell me about the store clerk you killed on Ascillon.”
The swift change in topic threw him. I saw a hint of fear flash across his face before irritation took over. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Now, Claude, we both know that’s a lie.” I sat forward, drawing his attention as I planted my elbows on the table. “You have a warrant out for bludgeoning a girl to death during a robbery. Don’t you remember?” I pulled up a picture of the girl’s dead body and showed it to him.
I watched his face closely and was rewarded when I saw the corner of his mouth turn up for an instant before settling into a flat line. A second later, an exaggerated look of disgust crossed his face. “I don’t know who that is.”
He was smart for trying to portray a fake emotion, but I wasn’t fooled. His true feelings still showed. He wasn’t disgusted by her mangled body; he was happy she was dead. I don’t know what she had done, but she must have made some misstep during the robbery that set him off. He was obviously a sick and twisted individual.
