Break and Enter by Colin Harrison Read Free Book Online Page B

confession, the defense will argue that the confession was obtained illegally, in a way that violated the defendant’s rights, or they’ll admit that the defendant is guilty but argue that he is insane. In this case, though, the defense is saying, ‘Yes, this guy is crazy but he’s also innocent.’ His confession, the defense says, is the result of leading questions by the police and has nothing to do with the murder. The defense is trying to show that the defendant could not possibly have been at the scene of the murder on the date in question.”
    “How will they prove he’s crazy enough to offer a false confession?”
    “They’ll trot past old school counselors or a shrink—you know, the usual. The guy does
say
crazy things, but the police psychologist says he’s oriented. Has functioned at a high level, no involuntary commit record.
Believes
in his pathologies more than is actually controlled bythem. I mean, of course he’s insane—you have to be insane to kill somebody—but under the M’Naghten Rule, uh, in legal terms—” This kind of self-involved rambling was exactly what she always bitterly criticized him for, saying he had more passion for his work than for her.
    “You’re tired.” Janice pursed her lower lip and nodded. “I can see that.”
    “You know,” he went on, wanting and yet not quite able to accept Janice’s sympathy, “I talk to witnesses and read the police file, work out the case and so on, and in a certain respect you understand what has happened.” Lives fell apart and behavioral patterns tended toward a situation which resulted in murder. “I mean, when was the last time you read about a murderer who had a happy childhood and progressed normally into full, healthy adulthood?”
    “You’re saying love, self-perception—”
    “Whatever
that is.”
    “—whatever that is, by definition, limits destructive behavior,” Janice agreed.
    “Exactly. Right. It
should.
I read the file and see how it all was coming. You’ve told me a million times you see this with the men who beat their wives and children. You and I work the same vector of behavior, just at different stages.”
    “I know.” She shook her head.
    “Chance situations being repeated until the odds catch up,” he continued.
    “Those people scare me,” Janice said.
    He mumbled agreement and checked his watch, feeling the day’s pressure begin. Right now the gargoyles and maidens and rams and lions carved into the outside walls of City Hall were rolling their eyes in delight, waiting for the morning’s influx of lives and flesh and drama.
    “We’ve got a tremendous backlog of cases. And we keep losing judges.” He shook his head in disbelief, for he was genuinely amazed—even given the normal high level of corruption among city officials—at just how rotted out the system was. “You read about the three judges who resigned because of the payoffs from the roofers’ union?” He worried that she was bored or that he was bullying her with the tone of hisvoice, half-aware that the rhythm of their interaction was moving back toward conflict. “Enough of that agony. Why did you take the Ortho-junk?”
    “Do you need it?” Janice dodged this sudden lunge.
    “Yes, I brush my teeth with it. The
Harvard Medical Journal
recommends it. Can’t get pregnant from oral sex.”
    “I
took it,
Peter, okay?” When he didn’t say anything, she leaned back, pushed at her food. “It’s
representative.
Don’t pretend to be stupid.”
    “Where are you staying?”
    “That’s not your business.”
    “Please tell me where you moved, Janice. I need to know.”
    She shook her head.
    “I need to know. A lot.”
    “The apartment was just an extension of us, Peter. I mean, you helped me find it, you helped me move—I needed a
break.”
She looked around the restaurant. “I have a place where I feel some space. For the first time since I can remember. My life is changing and it feels good. I need space from you,