He spent the rest of the morning in Psychiatry Department meetings. Fatuous stuff, the usual suspects droning. He pretended to be awake, shrugged off the invitation by three other shrinks to have lunch, and returned to his office.

Detective Bob Doresh was waiting outside his door.

“Hello, Doctor.”

“Hello, Detective.”

“Can I come in?”

Jeremy shoved the door open and allowed Doresh’s beefy body to pass. Doresh wore a gray-blue raincoat and gave off a seawater odor. His size made the office seem even smaller than it was. He stood, dangling thick arms until Jeremy invited him to sit.

“So, Doc, how’ve things been going?”

“You’re here because of the woman at Saugatuck Finger,” said Jeremy. “Another Humpty-Dumpty situation?”

Doresh eyed Jeremy’s coffeemaker. The scorched swill Jeremy still brewed daily but rarely drank.

“It’s stale, but you’re welcome to some, Detective.”

“Thanks.” Doresh stretched for a mug, managed to fill it without getting up. He drank, grimaced, put the mug down. “As advertised, Doc. Ever been out to the Finger?”

“A few times,” said Jeremy. “I drive out there occasionally, during the summer.”

“Pretty place.”

“Not really. If you look closely, the filth in the water becomes obvious. I grew up miles from water, so I’m easy to please. Who was she?”

“Another one,” said Doresh.

“A streetwalker?”

The detective didn’t answer. Jeremy said, “And you’re here because…”

“Your last call to me- about the Mazursky woman- I could see you’re really interested in all of this. Seeing as my partner and I haven’t exactly racked up any big-time progress, I thought maybe I could tap into some of your insights.”

“Bravo.” Jeremy loosened his tie. “What a sterling line of bullshit.”

Doresh crossed his legs and dangled a thick ankle and looked injured.

Jeremy said, “For some unfathomable reason, you consider me a suspect in all this. If you want me to account for my whereabouts last night, all I can tell you is I was home, watching TV and sleeping. Alone. This time I didn’t have the foresight to call out for food, so there’s no delivery boy to verify my presence.”

“Doctor-”

“I know you follow protocol. Doctors do, too. Most of our cancer patients are treated by protocol. But we leave room for creativity, and so should you. Granted, those close to the victim always fall under scrutiny. So even though being put through the wringer on Jocelyn made a hellish experience even worse, I understand it. But by now- the other two killings? Prostitutes? That would make no sense, switching from a girlfriend to strangers. It doesn’t happen that way, does it?”

Doresh picked up the mug, stared into it, transferred it to his other hand. “Like you say, Doctor, there’s always room for creativity. Stick around long enough, and everything happens.” He cupped a knee with his free palm and sat forward. “The question you asked me, about surgical precision, where did that really come from?”

“As I told you-”

“My Humpty-Dumpty remark. Right.” Doresh smiled. Most of his teeth were white and even, but a single, corn yellow canine snaggled and caught on his upper lip. He curled the purplish tissue back, and the smile turned predatory. “Now, who’s laying on the bullshit?”

“That’s all it was,” said Jeremy. “Humpty-Dumpty images. I wish you hadn’t told me.”

“Bothered you, did it?”

“I could’ve done with not knowing.”

“Overactive imagination, Doc?”

Jeremy didn’t answer.

Doresh said, “Must be helpful for all that hypnotizing you do. My wife tried that- being hypnotized. Wanted to lose weight, so her doctor sent her to some guy downtown.”

“Did it help?”

“Not one damn bit,” said Doresh. “No matter, I love her huge.” He put the mug down and used both hands to shape a wide hourglass. “You know what that’s like? Loving a woman so bad you don’t care what she looks like or does?”

Jeremy’s face went hot, then cold. He felt as if he were changing colors, chameleon-like- livid to pallid. Not blending in, just the opposite. Betraying his vulnerability.

Doresh was studying him. Serene.

Jeremy breathed slowly, deeply- keeping his rage in his belly, no way would he let this bastard in.

“You’re a romantic, Mr. Doresh. Do you buy your wife flowers? Are you good about remembering anniversaries? Do the two of you trade pet names?”

Now it was the detective’s turn to color.

“Anything else?” said Jeremy.

“As a matter of fact,” said Doresh, “I was wondering about Dr. Chess. He’s your pal, right? He have theories about the cases?”

So that was it. Detective Inspector Michael Shreve, ever the inquisitive detective- ever the suspicious sonofabitch- had gotten off the phone with him and worked feverishly at finding a colleague in this city on the trail of a psychopathic killer. Something Jeremy had said- or had failed to say- had revved the Englishman’s suspicions, and he’d decided to check things out.

The surgical question, had to be the surgical question. Meaning he’d been right about the English murders. Or, rather, Arthur had.

He said, “Dr. Chess has a general interest in crime. He’s a pathologist, used to work at the Coroner’s Office.”

“Did he? So, what does he think? Insight-wise.”

“That I couldn’t tell you,” said Jeremy. “He’s traveling, right now.”

“Where?”

“Norway.”

“Pretty place,” said Doresh.

Him, too?

“Ever been there?” said Jeremy.

The detective snorted. “Except for the Army, I’ve been out of the country exactly once. Four days in Rome, and that was years ago. My wife likes to eat. She came back all excited about learning to cook Italian, but it’s still pot roast and macaroni casserole.”

Doresh’s domesticity set Jeremy’s teeth on edge. Lucky man…

“Where’d you serve in the Army, Detective?”

“Philippines. How ’bout you? Any service?”

“You don’t know?”

“Why would I?”

“I figured you’ve checked me out thoroughly.”

Doresh’s smile said Jeremy had delusions of grandeur. “No service, huh?”

Jeremy shook his head.

“Too bad,” said Doresh. “You missed out.”

“No doubt.”

The detective got to his feet. “I mean that in all seriousness, Doc. Service to your country- anything you do for others- is good for the soul. Then again, you probably get that by working. Your hypnosis work, whatever.”

Mentioning hypnosis more than once to let Jeremy know he had checked him out.

Games, always games. Meanwhile, women died. This guy was useless.

Jeremy got up.

Doresh said, “Relax, don’t bother seeing me out. And anytime you have an idea, Doc, feel free to call.”