To a time when he was in love with Mildred Simmons and had proposed to
her ... and she had rejected him, saying she loved Harold Radcliffe.
He had walked away, a bitter man. She had had many enemies, he mused,
and almost as many friends. He did not know of anyone who knew her who
was not either violently for or violently against her and all that she
stood for.
He looked up.
"How old was your wife when she died?"
"Thirty-one. Two years younger than I am."
"Do you know of anyone who would want to kill her?" It was a routine
question, but to Keller it was very important.
"No. I knew many people who disliked her intensely--I'm not denying
that--but not to the point of murder. Of course, she wasn't around me
half the time. I might not know."
"Well, Radcliffe, I think that'll be all for today. Mind if I go with
you back to your apartment to look it over?"
"I don't live there any more. I moved out after I had disposed of her
body. I couldn't stand to live there any longer."
Radcliffe shook hands and departed. Keller read confidence and
positiveness that he, Keller, would come through. Keller was not so
sure. He decided to have a look around Radcliffe's apartment.
He strolled aimlessly around the apartment for a few moments, pausing
here and there to check details which might or might not help him in
analyzing the Radcliffes' character: furniture design, carpeting,
thermostat setting, toilet articles and so on. Then he got down to a
thorough examination of the room.
There were no secret panels or trapdoors of any kind. So entrance by a
hithertofore unknown passageway was completely out. He checked the air
conditioner to see if any rigmarole could be fixed up with it to make
it appear that the victim had been shot with a handgun, but this, too,
drew a blank.
After a few more minutes' examination, he decided to return.
On an impulse, he decided to see where Radcliffe had gone. Attuning his
mind to the already-recorded pattern of Radcliffe's brain, he received
direction, distance and motion--acceleration, direction, rate.
To his surprise he noted that Radcliffe had turned back and was heading
toward Keller's office again.
Hastily, Keller returned to the office before him.
* * * * *
In about twenty minutes, Radcliffe barged in as before. "Keller," he
said, "I think I'm going to be called out of town tonight. So if you
want any more information directly from me, you'll have to get it now."
Keller flashed: **Sally. Watch his conscious thoughts, and also his
impressions. I'm going to try some unconscious identification-response.
Wish me luck. Or do you want to burrow around in his subconscious with
me a little more?**
**I think I will. I'm actually beginning to enjoy it, to tell the
truth.**