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shook his head.
    Have either of you seen a psychiatrist or been admitted to a psychiatric facility before?
    No, Doc.
    Sunil nodded at Fire, then looked pointedly at Water.
    Charlie Chaplin once won third place in a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest, Water said.
    Sunil shook his head, irritated. Do you have any problems with your physical health, he asked.
    No, Fire said.
    Water shook his head.
    In the past?
    Yes, Fire said. I get burned regularly in my work. I’m a fire wizard.
    A fire wizard?
    A very good fire wizard, Water said.
    Just to clarify, Sunil asked, is this part of your act?
    Yes.
    So outside of your act you don’t think you are an actual wizard?
    Like in
Lord of the Rings
?
    Yes.
    No, no, I don’t, Doc, ’cause I’m not suffering from dementia.
    That’s the wrong term for what you would be suffering from if you thought you were a wizard, Sunil said. And you, Water, are you a fire wizard too?
    Wrong element, Fire said.
    Sunil ignored him. Water, he pressed.
    A cockroach can live for nine days with its head cut off, Water said.
    Good to know, Sunil said to him. Is either of you currently on any medication?
    No, Fire said.
    Water shook his head.
    Have you taken medication regularly in the past for any condition?
    No, Fire said.
    Water shook his head.
    As far as you know, has anyone in your family ever had any problems with mental health?
    The twins shook their heads. One head was where it should be, at eye level; the other, hanging halfway off Water’s side, made the otherwise banal action disconcerting.
    Do either of you suffer from any hallucinations—visual or otherwise?
    No, Fire said.
    Water shook his head.
    Would you tell me if you did?
    Neither brother spoke.
    Were you trying to commit suicide at the lake and, if so, have there been any previous attempts at suicide, Sunil asked.
    No, Fire said. No, he repeated emphatically.
    If you weren’t trying to commit suicide, what were you doing in the lake?
    Swimming, Fire said.
    Did you tell the police that you were swimming?
    No.
    Why?
    Neither twin spoke.
    Would you say either of you is impulsive, Sunil asked.
    Hard to be impulsive when you are chained to someone’s side, Fire said.
    Right, Sunil said. What about you, Water?
    Water shook his head.
    Can you explain the blood the police found?
    No, Fire said.
    You’re being completely honest?
    Fire shrugged. He looked like a shuddering rat.
    You know, Sunil said, in my experience it never pays to play with the police.
    I thought you were evaluating our minds, Fire said. Now you just sound like you’re trying to solve the case for the police. We plead the fifth, Fire said.
    In a medical exam, Sunil asked.
    Fire drew his fingers across his lips, mimicking a zipping motion. Water copied him.
    Sunil changed tack.
    If I let you go now, would you try to harm yourself or anyone else?
    Who can say, Fire said.
    You can, Sunil said.
    Fire looked away. Water was examining his nails.
    Even if you didn’t kill anyone, attempted suicide is an extreme measure, Sunil said, voice softening. I am not convinced that it is in your best interest to release you. I think that a combination of medication and counseling could really help you. It is important that you are well enough to help the police resolve this matter.
    So you think we are crazy, Fire asked.
    Crazy is not a useful term. Now, at least for tonight, I’m going to recommend that you be put on a forty-minute-interval suicide watch. This is a county hospital; I am afraid that their facilities are limited, so I am having you transferred tonight to the institution where I work. The police, I am sure, will find that acceptable.
    Anything has to be better than county jail, Fire said. I knew you weren’t a state employee, he added.
    I work for the Desert Palms Institute. It’s a very nice facility with the best doctors. We’ll take care of you. Sunil hesitated for a moment. I can’t imagine how hard your life