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was snooping
around her house while Kerry lay dead on the little strip of lawn that
separated our homes.  I understand it sounds bad.  I really do.  Thinking back
on it, the whole thing comes across as a horrible, disgusting, self-centered,
solipsistic thing to do.  I get that.  I promise you that I understand how it
looks.
    I’ve been accused of
caring too much.  That’s the problem.
    My need to help, to
make things right, has gotten me into more trouble than you can comprehend. 
    All right, well, I
don’t like the word “trouble.”  What I mean is, it’s led to more unintended
repercussions than expected.  For example: “I’m sorry your husband doesn’t love
you anymore.  My wife thinks I’m an egotistical asshole.  Let’s get some
coffee.  Oh, you have fresh scones at your house?  Sure, I’d love to sit on
your new mattresses and talk it over.”  Really, can I be blamed?  I’ll give you
a hint: the answer is “no.”
    Again, the intent was
to help Kerry before the situation got mucked up by the powers that be. 
    Leaving her body alone,
before I called anyone, sounds despicable.
    And on some level,
you’d have a right to think that—I’ve gotten used to being the target of
unwarranted disgust—but wait until you hear what I found in her bedroom.

CHAPTER 4
    Officer Planck
    “I have to inform you
that this meeting is being recorded using both audio and video, so your
statements here today will officially be on the record.  Do you understand?”
    “I do.”
    “State your name.”
    “Officer Thomas
Planck.”
    “State your duties with
the police force, Officer Planck.”
    “To serve and protect. 
What do you want me to say?  You want a rundown of what I do every day?”
    “That’s good enough. 
How do you know the individual, Steven Allister Pendragon?”
    “He tried to sell me a
car one time.  Weird, you know, he was too—what’s the word I’m looking for? 
Clingy?  I mean, yeah, he made for good conversation, but he thought we were
best friends after haggling over a car for ten minutes.”
    “And that was the
extent of your relationship with him?”
    “My relationship?  You
make it sound like we were dating.”
    “Answer the question,
please.”
    “Yes, that was the
extent of our relationship.  At least the way I saw it.  In the beginning, it’s
my understanding that he was sort of attached to me, if you can call it that.”
    “Would you say
obsessed?”
    “Nah, nothing like
that.  I’d say something like a combination of needy and harmless creep.  Maybe
like an ex that won’t get the hint that you’re done, right?  Like he’s standing
outside your window reciting poetry or something.  I figured he’d get bored one
day and move on.”
    “You didn’t
reciprocate?”
    “Reciprocate?  Hell
no.  He called me at least once a day for over a month.  I was polite and I was
civil.  Nothing more than that.”
    “What was the nature of
these calls?”
    “He wanted a favor.”
    “What kind of favor?”
    “You know what kind of
favor—it’s in the report right there in front of you.”
    “Answer the question,
please.”
    “I never did it, but he
wanted me to look somebody up.  Make and model of the car, license plate. 
That’s all he had.”
    “You informed him that
it was against the law without probable cause?”
    “ Yes, I did. 
Over and over, but he wouldn’t let it go.  He kept going on and on about how he
thought his neighbor was in danger.”
    “He meant the
deceased.”
    “Yes, Kerry Lynn
Parker.”
    “Also known as January
Nicole Oliver.”
    “The same.”
    “ Did he have
probable cause, Officer Planck?”
    “Nothing that sounded
serious.  Not at the time, no.”
    “Due to the events that
occurred, it sounds like he was trying to report a threat and you ignored him.”
    “What?  No.  No, no,
no.  Look, you have to know this guy to understand.  He’s...he’s—”
    “He’s what, Officer
Planck?”
    “Clueless.