sorry he didnât tell me up front.â He began reinflating the blood pressure cuff. âOr hislawyer. I like to think that the lawyer and I are part of the same team. After all, weâre both working for the guy thatâs paying us, right?â
âRight,â Darren agreed.
Sandusky started up the machine again. âTell me,â he said, âbefore you were arrested on this case, had you ever seen Joanne Kenarden?â
âNo,â said Darren, without hesitation.
Sandusky marked the paper.
âIs there any chance your fingerprints might have been found on her clothing or things?â
âNo.â
Sandusky made another mark and shut off the machine. He stood up, came around to Darren, and removed the blood pressure cuff and other straps. Darren stretched.
âSeeing as this is your test,â Sandusky said, âare there any questions youâd like me to include?â
Darren seemed to think for a moment. Then he said, âYes. Ask me if Iâve even been up in that area the past couple of years.â
âThe Castle Hill Project area?â
âYes.â
âFair enough. Now, are there any questions youâd like me to stay away from, for any reason?â
Darren thought again before saying no.
âOkay,â said Sandusky. âWhy donât you relax. Iâll be back in a few minutes.â With that, he left the room, closing the door behind him. Jaywalker got up and moved back away from the mirror in anticipation of Sanduskyâs coming into the observation room, fearful that the light from the opening door might reveal him to Darren.
When Sandusky did enter, the first thing he did wasstudy Darren through the glass. Darren continued to stretch, humming softly to himself. Sandusky motioned Jaywalker to follow him out of the room. When they reached the conference room, he lit a cigarette.
âHeâs very nervous,â he said.
âI would be, too.â As soon as Jaywalker had said the words, he realized he was being overly defensive of his client. But that was his job, wasnât it? Besides, there was something about Sanduskyâs observation he didnât like.
Sandusky ignored the comment. He sat down at his desk and searched through a drawer until he found the form he was looking for. Then he used it to write out the questions he was going to ask Darren. He inserted them in the blanks for questions 2, 3, 6, 7 and 9. Questions 1, 4, 5 and 8 he left open. He stubbed out his cigarette and stood up.
Jaywalker resumed his post in the observation room. Darren was singing softly when Sandusky reappeared in the testing room. Jaywalker didnât recognize the tune.
âAll right,â said Sandusky. âThese are going to be the questions Iâll be asking you. Who raped Joanne Kenarden? Do you know who did it? Did you rape her? Did you see her blow you? Did you threaten her with a knife?â
Sitting in the observation room, Jaywalker was a bit surprised that Sandusky would telegraph the test questions to Darren that way. Wouldnât springing them on him be a more effective tactic? But the more he thought about it, the more he came around to understanding Sanduskyâs strategy. By letting Darren know exactly what questions were coming, he was giving him a chance to build up additional anxiety over the fact that he was going to be lying in his responses.
âHow ab-b-b-bout the question I suggested?â Darren asked.
âIâm afraid I canât use it,â said Sandusky, without further explanation.
Darren looked disappointed by the answer, and perhaps by Sanduskyâs dismissive tone, as well. Jaywalker wondered if Sandusky was deliberately trying to agitate Darren by first requesting his input and then rejecting it. But hadnât he just commented on how nervous Darren already was?
âNow,â Sandusky was saying, âbefore we begin the actual test, letâs talk about guilt for a
John Donahue
Bella Love-Wins
Mia Kerick
Masquerade
Christopher Farnsworth
M.R. James
Laurien Berenson
Al K. Line
Claire Tomalin
Ella Ardent