Smith

  FIFTY THREE

  PROFILE

  “Mr Willow,” Whitton said, “My name is DC Whitton and this is DC Bridge. We need to ask you a few questions.”

  Martin Willow looked utterly dejected. It had been almost two weeks since his life had been turned upside down and with the pending trial it looked like the nightmare was only beginning.

  “I’ve told you everything I know,” he said, “over and over again. I could never harm my family.”

  “I know,” Whitton said, “I believe you; that’s not why we’re here.”

  “Why then?” Willow said, “Have you caught whoever did this?”

  “No, not yet. We need your help.”

  “You need my help?”

  “In a professional capacity; Psychology is your field isn’t it?”

  “In an academic sense it is,” Willow’s face seemed to brighten up. “What are you getting at?” he said.

  “Mr Willow,” Whitton said, “I know this is hard but I want you to distance yourself from all involvement in this matter.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Let’s pretend you are being asked your professional opinion on an identical case. A woman is brutally murdered and a child is attacked. The father is unharmed but it is made to look like he carried out the attacks.”

  “Do you think I’m being framed?” Willow said.

  “Distance,” Whitton repeated, “distance yourself. What would make somebody do that?”

  Willow stared straight past Whitton as though he was deep in thought.

  “I see what you’re getting at,” he said finally, “revenge is always a good starting block.”

  “Revenge?” Whitton said.

  “Since the dawn of time, humans have sought retribution for one thing or another,” Willow began, “it is a basic human tendency; when people are wronged they seek justice.”

  “Then that’s where we will begin,” Whitton said, “who would have reason to carry out such a brutal attack?”

  “Are we talking hypothetically here?” Willow asked.

  “For now,” Whitton replied.

  “In the Bible they call it an eye for an eye,” Bridge suggested.

  Whitton and Willow looked at him.

  “In that case,” Willow said, “this is quite disturbing. What we are looking for is someone who lost a wife and child because of me.”

  “Any ideas?” Bridge said.

  “I think I’d remember killing someone’s wife and child,” Willow snarled.

  “Maybe that’s not what this is all about,” Whitton suggested.

  “What do you mean?” Willow said.

  “Maybe whoever did this just thinks you are responsible. In their mind, you did something dreadful and you needed to be punished for it. Can you think of anybody at all who might blame you for something that happened in the past?”

  “No,” Willow insisted, “I’ve never hurt anybody in my life.”

  “This may sound flippant,” Bridge said, “but lets say, for example that you were to keep a student behind after class to discuss something; that student misses the last bus home and is forced to walk. While walking home the student is attacked. If you hadn’t kept them behind they wouldn’t have been attacked, ergo, it’s your fault.”

  Willow shook his head.

  “That’s ridiculous,” he said, “it’s like saying the butterfly that flaps its wings in Brazil is responsible for the death of the people from a tornado in Texas.”

  “You’ve lost me,” Whitton said.

  “Chaos theory,” Bridge said.

  “It’s ludicrous that’s what it is,” Willow sighed.

  “I’m afraid you’re too close to this,” Whitton said, “you’re too involved. Let me ask you one more thing though. What do people do when they’ve been wronged?”

  “They look for someone to blame,” Willow replied.

  “Exactly, and in this case I certain that something happened in the past and somebody believes it was your fault.”

  “I’m a University Professor Detective; it’s not exactly a dangerous occupation.”

  “You’re a Professor of Psychology. Is your work strictly limited to the classroom?”

  “What do you mean?” Willow was becoming irritated.

  “You’re an expert in your field. Do you do any other Psychology related work?”

  “No, that’s all I do. A few years ago I used to do the odd evaluation but I stopped it. I don’t have the time any more.”

  “What kind of evaluations?” Whitton said.

  “I used to do work for law firms; psychological profiles, stuff like that.”

  “Could you elaborate on that?”

  “If there was a case going to trial, I was often called to the stand to give my opinion on the state of mind of some of the defendants.”

  “So someone could be sent to jail based on your diagnosis?”

  “Not jail,” Willow said, “my findings usually kept people out of jail. If the judge saw fit he would sometimes recommend psychiatric facilities.”

  “Mad houses,” Bridge laughed.

  “They prefer the term Mental Institution these days,” Willow said.

  “So let’s start there then,” Whitton said.

  “Is this going to take long?” Willow asked.

  “Are you going somewhere?” Bridge said.