The Man Who Wasn't All There by David Handler (book recommendations website TXT) 📕

First, that crazy toad pulled me over for no reason, pawed me and asked me if I was having my period, can you imagine? Then he shot some poor guy at the beach club, kidnapped you and got his throat cut. What a sick bastard,’ she said coldly. ‘Not like his brother, Michael. He’s a real gentleman.’

‘You’ve met?’

‘Not in person, but we’ve corresponded. I wrote him to ask for his permission to study the moss near the ruins of Talmadge Farm.’

‘It’s a state forest now. You don’t need his permission, do you?’

‘Technically, no. But that’s still his family’s heritage up there and it seemed like the right thing to do. He responded with such a nice letter telling me how considerate it was of me to ask. I still have it in my apartment in Ithica. It’s not every day you exchange mail with a billionaire.’

‘I’m curious. When Austin pulled you over that night, did he know you were the same person he’d thrown rocks at a few weeks earlier?’

‘I doubt it. He never got close enough to me on the mountain to get a good look at my face. And when he pulled me over it was dark out.’ She sat up a bit straighter in her chair, narrowing her gaze at me. ‘You said you heard about my encounter with him from the resident trooper. Did he say anything else about me?’

‘The resident trooper? No. But the homicide detective, Lieutenant Tedone, did. He told me that your ex-boyfriend has filed a restraining order against you. Claims that you have an anger management problem.’

‘Why on earth did that come up?’

‘You’d have to ask Lieutenant Tedone. I was just sitting there listening.’

‘That whole business was blown completely out of proportion. Stephen, my ex, was averse to confrontation. I’m not a shrinking violet, OK? Whenever I’d raise my voice he’d flee in terror.’

‘He’s alleging you physically assaulted him.’

‘I slapped him to get his attention. Is that an assault?’

I had no answer for that so I left it alone.

‘It was because he was a billionaire, you know. The reason why they didn’t follow up on my complaints against Austin. It’s obscene. It’s an outrage.’

‘You’re not wrong about that, but the world isn’t a fair place.’

‘Don’t patronize me!’

Lulu let out a low, warning growl.

Donna peered at her. ‘Why is she doing that?’

‘She doesn’t like it when people yell at me. I was agreeing with you, as it happens. I’m quite certain the only reason that they reeled him in, or “pulled the ripcord” as they called it, was that he showed up at my ex-wife’s farm.’

She nodded. ‘Merilee Nash is a famous movie star. They had to cover their booties in case anything happened to her.’

‘Exactly. Except it didn’t happen to her. It happened to me.’

‘I’m sorry that it did. Do you get nightmares?’

‘Yes.’

‘You’ll be OK. You just need to get away from this place.’ She gazed down at the pile of research work on her desk. ‘We both do. I’ve sure had enough.’

‘Were you doing research up on the mountain the afternoon when it happened?’

‘No, I was right here trying to make sense of this gibberish.’

‘Did you see anyone? Talk to anyone?’

‘No one. Why?’

‘I’ve been through this sort of thing before. I know how the police think, using the term loosely. The first thing they do is cast a wide net. Anyone who has crossed paths with the victim gets caught up in it. It so happens that you crossed paths with Austin more than once.’

‘So?’

‘So that means they’ll try to place you at the murder scene.’

‘How?’ she demanded. ‘How would I have known what had happened to that poor man at the beach club? Or to you and your dog? I didn’t find out about any of it until I saw it on the news that evening.’

‘No offense, Donna, but I’m not as dumb as you seem to think I am.’

‘No offense, but I have no idea what you mean by that.’ She glared at my bandaged head. ‘Are you sure you’re thinking straight?’

‘Quite straight. I’m seeing straight, too. Looking directly at that bookshelf right behind you.’

‘What about it?’

‘It’s filled with emergency band radios. The one on the left is a police scanner. Next to that is a volunteer fire department radio. John, the village barber, is assistant chief and has one just like it in his shop. It was always on whenever I went in to get a haircut this summer. He’s famous for dashing off to respond to a fire in the middle of a haircut, which explains why so many men around here have such oddly styled cuts. And the radio next to that is … hmm, I’ve never seen one of those. What is it?’

‘Coast Guard,’ she said tightly. ‘They’re my dad’s. He likes to listen in on the emergency channels. A lot of the men out here do. It’s what they do instead of watching Roseanne. Dad sails, so he’s always interested in what the Coast Guard has to say about weather warnings. And he was a member of the volunteer fire department himself until three years ago. Not that he went out on the trucks or anything. He handled their purchasing orders and kept the books. But he still thinks of himself as a member and he still listens in. Habit of a lifetime.’

‘A habit that you picked up from him.’

‘No, I didn’t. I never turn those things on.’

‘And I believe you, if you say so.’

‘I do say so!’

‘But the police can say otherwise. They can say you had the police scanner on while you were here working on your thesis and heard all about Truman Mainwaring’s shooting and my abduction. That you put two and two together, jumped in your car and headed straight for Mount Creepy, where Austin had shouted obscenities and hurled rocks at you.’

‘What are you telling me – that I need a lawyer?’

‘No, I’m telling you that you’re a person of interest.’

‘What does that mean?’

‘It means you’re someone who has