Memory Man

Rabinowitz said, “Now, that I didn’t know.”

“That’s because I never told anyone. He let that slip during a ‘conversation’ we had one day in the hallway.”

“That was highly unprofessional of him,” said Rabinowitz sharply.

“Perhaps. But I also never considered that it might be the motivation for what happened at Mansfield.”

Jamison said, “So the million-dollar question: Where is Dr. Sizemore now?”

Rabinowitz said, “I don’t know. I haven’t heard from him since I left the institute.”

“Maybe he moved to the Burlington area?” commented Jamison.

Decker said, “If he’s still in the profession he has to be on a database somewhere for licensing purposes. We should start there.”

“I can call the institute and get whatever information I can,” offered Rabinowitz. “Since it doesn’t involve a patient, I think they would be more forthcoming. Some of them might know where Chris is now.”

Decker gave him their contact information.

“We’ll be in town for a day or so.” Decker rose and said, “Thank you, Harold, you’ve been a big help.”

Rabinowitz stood too. “I pray that Chris is not your man, but if he is I pray even harder that you will be able catch him and stop him from harming anyone else.”

“Then let’s hope that God is listening,” said Decker.

“So you think the person might kill again?” said Rabinowitz.

“I know he’ll try.”

Chapter 43

After they left Rabinowitz, Jamison and Decker stopped to grab some lunch. While they were at a café, Decker called Lancaster and filled her in.

She said, “Okay, we’ll track down this Sizemore guy if we can. And if his prints are online somewhere we’ll subpoena them and compare them to Leopold’s. As soon as we find out anything I’ll call you.” She paused. “So, back at your old stomping grounds. I never knew you were at this institute place.”

“No one knew, other than Cassie.”

“We were partners for a long time, Amos.”

“It never occurred to me that you would be interested in my past, Mary.”

“Well, that goes to show, even people with big brains make mistakes,” she said curtly, her frustration and disappointment evident.

She clicked off and Decker set his phone down next to his plate containing a half-eaten cheeseburger and a small mound of fries.

“Everything okay?” asked Jamison.

“Yeah,” said Decker as he picked at a fry.

Jamison said, “If it turns out Sizemore is Leopold, he must be one sick dude.”

“If he killed thirteen people he is one sick dude.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

“So explain.”

She slid her plate aside and leaned in. “The ‘diss’ was you got more attention than some of his protégés? Like it was a beauty pageant for brains? Really? So in retaliation he kills all those people?”

“Correction, if he is Leopold, he killed no one. Well, we don’t know who killed Agent Lafferty. But Leopold was in jail when my family was killed and also when the shootings at Mansfield happened. He has a rock-solid alibi. And it seems that both incarcerations were planned.”

“Meaning he knew your family was going to be killed and he knew the shooter was going to attack Mansfield?”

“The timing of his coming in to confess to the Burlington police was a little too coincidental. And I checked on the arrest record from Cranston. Disorderly conduct. He spent one night in jail and that was it. They didn’t even bother arraigning him. They just let him go the next morning. But that unequivocally proved he could not have committed the murders of my family.”

“Right, so he’s partnered with someone, our five-foot-eleven skinny dude turned broad-shouldered maniac, to do the actual murdering.”

“And there is no way that person is Sizemore.”

“So if Sizemore is the one you dissed, he’s partnered with this person who impersonated a waitress at the bar. I wonder who that person is that kills so readily?”

“I wonder too.”

“But still, if Sizemore is behind this, how does someone that effed up become a psychologist?”

“Something in his mind could have snapped. He could be bipolar and the meds aren’t working anymore. Leopold apparently told his lawyer he was bipolar and had gone off his meds, or at least that’s what the PD told the judge. Or he could have had some sort of trauma, either physical or emotional, that changed him. He had a lump on his neck and drug tracks on his arm. Could be a lot of stuff going on inside him. A lot can happen to someone in twenty years. If it is Sizemore, he took a risk in letting me confront him. He knows how my mind works. I don’t forget anything. If it is him, I could have recognized him.”

“But you didn’t. So maybe it’s not him.”

“Maybe.”

“It’s still all so scary.”

“Of course it’s scary. Because something like that could happen to any of us.”

“Or he could be just plain evil.”

“Or he could be,” agreed Decker. “Does that make you feel better?”

She shivered. “I don’t think anything about this case could make me feel better.”

Decker’s phone buzzed. He answered it.