Free Arsonist by Victor Methos Page B

of baseball equipment with him and it turns out he coaches their little league.”
    “What did this man do?”
    “He stabbed the victim, multiple times.” 
    “Do you know why?”
    “My partner thinks it’s a drug deal gone bad.”
    “Is that what you think?”
    “No. He displays rage. I think he’s a closet homosexual who killed one of his lovers, maybe more than one.”
    “The first thing you said about him, Jon, was that he’s normal. What did you mean by that?”
    “Just what it sounds like. He’s just the guy that would live next door to you that you would have barbeques with and go to basketball games. Things like that.”
    “Is that something that surprises you? That normal people can do horrible things?”
    “No, not at all actually. It did at first. But you arrest enough priests for pedophilia and enough cops for beating their wives and you stop thinking that way.”
    “You haven’t , though. The first thing that came to your mind when you thought of this man was that he was ‘normal.’ Do you feel like you’re a normal guy?”
    He leaned back in the chair. “No, not usually.”
    “Why not?”
    “Probably because of what I do.”
    “Your job doesn’t define you.”
    “I know that’s what everybody says, but let’s face it, it does. Cops, lawyers, doctors, professors, garbage men, engineers, they all have traits in common with their peers. Perhaps the job you have doesn’t define you, but maybe your choice for going into it does.”
    “Assuming that’s true, why would you think that you’re not normal because you’re a cop?”
    “I don’t think human beings were meant to see the suffering of other people as much as you see it in my profession. I see images and relive voices a lot, especially when it’s quiet. That’s why they say that the live ones are worse than the dead ones ‘cause the dead ones are quiet. That’s why I asked for a transfer out of Sex Crimes when I was there to get back to Robbery-Homicide.”
    “You said you’re not normal because of the things you see, but you also said that what you see doesn’t affect you. I think those two statements are mutually exclusive.”
    “Maybe. I don’t know. Cop logic I guess.”
    She nodded and took a sip of water. “What else is going on in your life? Outside of work? We didn’t talk about any relationships you’re in.”
    “I’m not in any right now. I was seeing a girl that lived in Las Vegas. Another cop. It didn’t work out.”
    “What happened?”
    “We already work crazy hours. Put long distance on top of that and you’ve got a pen-pal, not a relationship. One of us would’ve had to move with the other one.”
    “Did you discuss that at all?”
    “Yeah, she didn’t want to leave. After the business we had there she got a promotion. It was a big chance for her. She’s always wanted to run a police department one day.”
    “Well, how about anyone else?”
    “No, I haven’t dated anyone since her. There is someone I’m considering asking out, though. She’s a professor actually, of chemistry.”
    “That sounds like an interesting mix, the homicide detective and the chemistry professor.”
    “I don’t even know if she’s interested. I may not say anything.”
    “Do you like this person?”
    “Yes. She’s got a shy, quirkiness about her that’s appealing.”
    “Well then what’ve you got to lose?”
    He shrugged.
    “Jon, I’d like to talk to you about something and then I promise I won’t bring it up again if you don’t want to talk about it.”
    “Okay.”
    “Your partner, Eli Sherman. I hope you don’t mind, but I googled your name. I do that for all my patients. I read the articles about what happened between you two. It seems like an incredibly traumatic event—and yet in the three sessions we’ve had, you haven’t brought it up at all.”
    “I’ve dealt with it. As best as you can I suppose.”
    “But this man was a close friend of yours and he turned out to be strangling