"Yes, but that doesn't make sense, either, does it? If she was nervous, why do it? I'll bet if she'd marched into Dr. Theobold's office and announced she'd changed her mind, he'd have taken her back in a flash, no questions asked. So it's confusing. I tried to think back, what her demeanor had been as we cleaned out those boxes. What we'd been talking about. I couldn't remember much, but I did recall something: she mentioned leaving some material behind in the office closet, said she'd be back for it later in the afternoon. But I was in the office all day and she never returned. Ever. After I met you, I went to check, and sure enough, there it was, back in a corner. Two cartons with her name on them. The flaps were closed but not sealed, so I opened one up-I hope I didn't ruin anything by doing that?"

"No," I said. "Find anything interesting?"

"Mostly they were journal reprints. Claire's own publications and some articles related to her alcoholism research. But there was also a plastic bag full of newspaper clippings. Photocopies, actually, and when I read them, I knew I had to call Detective Sturgis. They were all about a mass murder that took place sixteen years ago-"

"The Ardullo family," I said. "Ardis Peake."

Silence. "So you already know."

"Peake's at Starkweather. He was one of Claire's patients."

"Oh, my... So Claire was interested in him before she went there-maybe he was one of the reasons she took the job. But why would that be?"

"Good question," I said. "Where are the clippings now?"

"Right here in front of me-I won't touch another thing, haven't even gone near the second box. Someone can pick them up any time before eight tonight, and I'll be back in around seven A.M."

"Thanks," I said. "And thank you for calling. Soon as I can reach Detective Sturgis, I'll let him know."

"This Peake," she said. "He's still in there-incarcerated?"

"Yes."

"So it couldn't have been him," she said, sounding relieved. "I started to read the clippings. The things he did ... Anyway, that's it."

"One more thing," I said. "Did Claire ever mention loving the movies?"

"Not to me. Why?"

"We've been told it was a main form of recreation for her."

"I suppose that wouldn't surprise me," she said. "Sure. I could see that-losing herself in fantasy."

"You saw her as someone with an active fantasy life?"

"I saw her as someone who might've depended upon an active fantasy life. Because she didn't-I don't want to be cruel, but the truth is, she just didn't seem to have much of a real life."

Interested in Peake before she'd taken the job.

Her project. Trying to increase his verbal output.

Or so she'd claimed. What about him had really caught her interest? . Stashed the clippings along with her research data.

Because she considered the clippings data?