The Instruments of Darkness: A Thriller

Chapter XV

I called Moxie on my way back to Portland. He told me that Colleen had spent as good a night as could be expected at Cumberland County Jail, and her initial court appearance was scheduled for that afternoon. Moxie would sit down with Erin Becker before the hearing in the hope of hammering out a bail agreement acceptable not only to both sides but also to the judge. Becker might have been nursing a grievance over Colleen’s surrender, but if she tried to indulge it before an unsympathetic bench, she’d do herself more harm than good. Moxie was up for some horse-trading.

“Did you speak to the husband?”

I told him how it had gone.

“I’m surprised you got even that much out of him,” said Moxie. “Impression?”

“He’s already decided that his wife is guilty, but you knew that. If he was ever really in love with her, he might have started falling out of it before their son was born. But something about the Mara Teller affair doesn’t ring true.”

“You think he cheated on his wife before?”

“He denies it. I’m inclined to accept his word because the accusation stung. Based on minimal acquaintance, he has a thin skin combined with an elevated opinion of himself. He doesn’t like to be thought ill of, but the world may not view him as highly as he views himself, and he’s smart enough to recognize it.”

“Does he still have feelings for the Teller woman?”

“He claims it was strictly a fling, and he wasn’t overly troubled by the fact that he could no longer contact her, or said he couldn’t.”

“So what’s he hiding?”

“Possibly some personal or business details they shared. He was a little vague on what he and Teller might have spoken about when they weren’t knocking boots.”

“Ever had an affair?” said Moxie.

“No.”

“Well I have. When you have an affair, mostly you talk about the affair. Bitching about a husband or wife casts a pall over proceedings. The best affairs are about sex. It’s the other stuff that causes all the problems.”

“Should I be taking notes?”

“Who knew you were such a tenderfoot?”

“I like to think I’m still pure on the inside. Returning to Stephen Clark, it was strange that he rejected out of hand any possibility of Teller’s involvement in whatever happened to his son. It was as though he’d bet everything on his wife’s guilt and couldn’t countenance losing.”

“But to what end?” said Moxie.

“A conclusion to his marriage?”

“I handle divorces. Give him my card. There are simpler ways to get out of a bad relationship than trying to have your spouse jailed for infanticide. Speaking of which, the hearing is scheduled for four p.m. Think you can be at the courthouse by three thirty?”

“Whenever you need me.”

“Don’t make it sound creepy. So what next?”

“I’m going to talk to some of Colleen’s neighbors,” I said. “It’ll mean skipping our meeting in person later this morning, but since we’re already speaking, ringing doorbells might be a better use of my resources. I’m also of a mind to begin following up on Mara Teller, if I have time. Stephen Clark says he discussed the affair with the police, but either they didn’t feel it was a lead worth chasing down, or they didn’t make any headway when they tried. I’d like to find out what happened there.”

“Will they share?”

“I can ask. They can only say no. But that’s the official route. There are other ways.”

“I wish you luck,” he said. “By the way, professional loyalties aside, you didn’t much like our friend Stephen, did you?”

“He’s callous and vain. That’s a poor combination, although without the latter he probably wouldn’t have talked to me.”

“So he wanted to match wits?” said Moxie. “God bless his patience. Are you cutting him any slack for being a father who’s lost his child?”

“I would,” I said, “had he mentioned that child more often.”

Moxie was silent for so long that I thought the connection might have been lost.

“Let’s keep your opinion of him between us for now,” he said at last.

“I wasn’t planning on advertising it.”

“I meant keeping it from Colleen.”

“My lips are sealed. I’ll see you at three thirty.”